English Lesson Plans...



...a la Jeffrey.

中 Junior High School

Most Japanese junior high schools really put the "Assistant" in Assistant Language Teacher (ALT). But I've got a few tricks up my sleeve to remain relevant and influential even in this secondary role. I will be sharing them here as I put them into play...

As with all things in life, use at your own risk:

• Self-Intro
  Your self-introduction may be your only chance at JHS to really "run the show" for a whole class period, and it is certainly your best chance to make a good impression. So hit them with your best shot with this repeatedly highly successful Self-Intro lesson plan. The secret to success is maintaining an elegant balance between teacher leadership and student participation, and if you prove from the start that you can integrate the two with lessons like this, you may be given more chances to show your stuff.
  
  
  
  
• Box & Ball
  This is a very simple, convenient, flexible, and energizing Question/Response conversation game. Find a small box or tin with a lid, a soft ball (not too bouncy!), and a few 6-sided dice. It is most convenient if everything can fit inside the box. To play the game, give the ball and the box to separate students and play some upbeat music. While the music plays, students pass the box and the ball around the class. When the music stops, the two students holding the box and the ball stand up and face each other. The box-student asks a Question, and the ball-student responds with an Answer. Start the music and play again! Inside the box you can use cards with questions or images as prompts. Or, for maximum flexibility, you can simply use the dice in the box and put questions or images on the board marked with the numbers 1-6 or 2-12. The box-student can then roll the dice and reference the numbered prompts on the board. Remember that as you pause the music, you have some control over who gets the box and the ball, so secretly manipulate this to keep things fun for everyone. This game also makes a great backup activity, so keep it handy and be creative!
  
  
  
  
• Spin-the-Bottle
  This is a simple Question/Response conversation game for small independent groups of about 5-10 students. Remove the label from a clear plastic soda bottle, put a small 6-sided die inside, and close the lid tightly. Each group turns their desks into one large table and sits around it in a circle with a bottle in the center of the circle. A student spins the bottle, and the bottle will point to another student when it stops spinning. The spin-student asks a Question, and the point-student responds with an Answer. You can use the 6-sided die inside the bottle to reference questions or images on the board as prompts. You can keep playing by spin-students taking turns around the circle, or by the point-student taking the next turn as spin-student. This game also makes a great backup activity, but large classes will need a few bottles. So be creative and enjoy recycling!
  
  
  
  
• Drama in the Classroom
  Bring those useful but tedious daily conversation dialogues to life with a little dramatic tension through character development and acting! First, explore personality and character with your students by filling in these character profile cards together. Start easy with your students' favorite Idols and famous Characters, and then go deeper with your students' own Good/Bad sides. Once you've done this background work, have your students keep their cards handy so you can liven up any dialogue practice by playing the script through these various personas.
  
  
  
  
• MY STORY
  You can use these online "Choose-Your-Own-Adventure" styled stories for supplemental reading in English. They are based on characters and situations from Junior High School textbooks and use the key target phrases/vocabulary throughout. By giving the characters choices at each step of the way, these stories lead the reader down many different paths to several possible endings. This format keeps the reader engaged in the story by extending a sense of adventure and anticipation, and at the same time also encourages the reader to explore the nexus of possibilities by reading and re-reading multiple times. This naturally creates more focus on the comprehension needed to make the choices at each step, while increasing exposure to the target language patterns through repetition while trying to discover the different possible outcomes: and all in the name of fun! Easily accessible by computer or mobile phone, these stories can be simply used as suggested reading for enjoyment, or they can be integrated into the curriculum through discovery questions or treasure-hunt type games. By all means, get creative and use your imagination, or feel free to simply enjoy!
  
  https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~jscott/mystory/index.html
  Or use your keitai barcode scanner here:
  
  
  

LESSONS
GIFU INFO
-SHARE THIS PAGE-