Objectives
SWBAT compare different responses, practicing using sentence starters to express and support their ideas
SWBAT explain the concept of free lunch and apply ideas from the video to create their own idea
SWBAT pronounce and differentiate minimal pairs in English
SWBAT define advocacy, identify appropriate audiences for advocacy efforts, and brainstorm actionable ways to advocate for educational equality
SWBAT generate and describe ideas for a final advocacy project, demonstrating their understanding of the unit topics and applying these to a creative and structured plan
Printed worksheets for warm-up activity: Appendix A
Video link for listening activity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD9mk0Y_pyo
Print-out worksheets for listening activity: Appendix B
Minimal pair sets: Appendix C
Trashcan or some type of hoop for basketball activity
Print-out topics for speaking activity: Appendix D
Print-out for final project activity: Appendix E
Examples for final poster project: Appendix F Appendix G Appendix H
Purpose: Review homework to re-engage students with topic, speaking practice
Time: 10 minutes
Learning Objectives Targeted: 1
Steps & Teacher Directions:
This Lesson is meant to empower students to think about educational inequality through examining the meaning of advocacy. This lesson will involve a lot of classroom socialization, and this warm-up will get students into a collaborative mindset by speaking and sharing with each other.
Walk around the room and engage with students during the activity, and try to steer any off-topic conversations back to the material.
You may want to write a few sentence starters on the board to help conversation flow. Examples:
What do you think our school needs?
I think our school needs… because…
Purpose: Get students thinking about educational inequality through the lens of school lunch
Time: 35 minutes
Learning Objectives Targeted: 2
Steps & Teacher Directions:
Warm-up discussion:
For the warm-up, the goal is to activate student's vocabulary and get them thinking about school lunch. Writing the foods on the board as students come up with them will help students commit this information to memory.
Let students have fun with their imaginative school lunch meal that they generate at their table groups, but try to emphasize that its purpose is to fuel their bodies and brains at school so that they can learn the best they can.
Listening Activity (While Listening)
Make sure that students can follow along with the video, because the standard speed may be too fast. You should start with 0.75 video speed, which can be changed by hitting the settings button on the video overlay.
Students will be listing foods they see as the video goes on. Depending on the student's listening abilities, the worksheet can be given during the first listen, but you may want to have them listen first without it, and then replay the video after handing out the worksheet.
Listening Activity (Post Listening)
You may not need the full ten minutes, but give students time to draw and collaborate on their ideal plate. This can include foods they came up with during the warm-up, but encourage them to get inspired by what they saw in the video. Remind students that they should emphasize nutritious foods.
If you are limited on time, both activities can be shortened depending on engagement. If students are losing focus as the video goes on, you don't need to get to every country, especially if it is their second viewing of the video.
Purpose: Work on vocab and pronunciation, have fun
Time: 20 minutes
Learning Objectives Targeted: 3
Steps & Teacher Directions:
This activity is meant to be a fun exercise to work on relevant vocabulary and word pronunciation, taking a break from examining the greater theme of educational inequality.
Before starting the game, explain to students what a minimal pair is, and give them an example on the board.
e.g., pat and rat, not and got.
Game Procedure:
Split students into two teams. Everyone should remain seated for the time being. Split the class down the middle as evenly as possible as you can with the existing table groups.
Now, explain the rules, while giving an active demonstration of the game. You can use the minimal pair you wrote on the board earlier.
Explain the scoring system. Engage the students in learning the rules by asking them comprehension questions. For example, if you wrote "light" and "white" as your example, pronounce one word right and one wrong intentionally, and ask the class,
"how many points do I get for that?"
NOTE! - Some students may become competitive and put pressure on their fellow classmates. Try to ensure that the environment does not become toxic by ensuring that mistakes are part of the learning process.
Caveat: depending on how easy or hard this activity is for students, as well as class size, not every student will get to go three times. A second list of minimal pairs will be included in the teacher's toolkit if needed.
Purpose: Get students thinking about advocacy and creating change to fix inequalities
Time: 20 minutes
Learning Objectives Targeted: 1 and 4
Steps & Teacher Directions:
Reflect and Discuss
This transition may not be the easiest after the basketball activity, but try to refocus the class with a few questions like, "Let’s think about something important. What are some things you would like to improve at your school, like better lunches, more technology, or something else?"
Write down the specific changes students come up with on the board, but make sure the students are thinking critically by asking follow-up questions such as,
"Why is that important to have at a school?" Or, "How would you use ______ to improve your educational experience?"
Defining Advocacy
Write the word on the board and see if anyone in the class can define it. Make sure students understand that to advocate for something is to speak up for something important to you or others and trying to create change.
ask table groups to come up with answers to these critical thinking questions; "Who has the power to make changes in educational inequality?" "How can you advocate?"
NOTE - you may need to define certain terms such as politicians, school principal, and department of education which students likely will not be familiar with
Purpose: Students apply inequality concepts and advocacy
Time: 20 minutes
Learning Objectives Targeted: 3
Steps & Teacher Directions:
Once students have been given a topic, write the who, what, how, and why on the board, and give an example if there is any confusion after explaining.
Ex.
Who: School Principal, What: basketball court for recess, How: send an email to the principal, Why: better exercise for student during recess
During the 10 minute brainstorming period, emphasize the why. Ask students, how is what you are advocating for going to help students? How will it allow them to be better learners or more successful at school?
NOTE! - This will likely be a louder activity, and it also requires space. Moving desks is an option if more space is needed, but also consider bringing the class outside. A change of scenery can benefit the classroom energy level.
Purpose: Prepare students to wrap up unit with a final poster project
Time: 10 minutes
Learning Objectives Targeted: 1, 2, 4, 5
Steps & Teacher Directions:
In this lesson, students have learned what it means to advocate by coming up with their own who, how and why in the previous activity (the "what" was given to them). Now, students are prompted to think of their own changes they would like to advocate for.
Introduce students to the project structure
The Issue: What problem are you addressing?
The Solution: What are you proposing to improve the issue?
Advocacy Plan: Who will you advocate to? How will you advocate (e.g., speech, letter, poster, art, etc.)? Why is this important?
It is a good idea to come prepared with an example, which will be included in the teacher toolkit. Some ideas that you can give the class are a written speech, a letter/email draft, or poster or visual campaign outline.
Caveat: This lesson plan includes the three lessons preparing students to generate their own advocacy plans. However, the project itself will require a fourth lesson to be completed.