This lesson focuses on the introduction to the themes of the unit. We use an involved vocabulary focused activity to introduce the students to the words they will soon be hearing. These new words then are used in a video that introduces the topic of hunger to the students. The video introduces a series of factors that create hunger and food insecurity across the globe. We use those factors to then support a discussion activity so the students may use these new words themselves.
Full lesson plan on Google Docs:
Learning Objectives:
#1 Define hunger and food insecurity.
#2 Identify the groups of people affected by hunger.
#3 Identify the factors that cause hunger.
#4 List major hurdles to acquiring food.
Materials Needed:
A computer to play videos with. Suitable audio equipment. Poster boards. Markers. A board to keep score. 5 baskets, numbered one through five.
This activity is meant to introduce students to the new terms they will be hearing for a long time. It is advisable to spend time with the terms that may seem problematic to students. Letting the students keep the list for use in the upcoming lessons can also help. ~20 minutes
1. Hand out the Vocabulary List
2. Read the words one by one, give the words definitions as you go along.
3. Explain that we are going to be working on syllables
4. Suggest the students write down how many syllables each word has on the blanks next to them as well as underline the syllable where the word stress falls (In-se-cu-ri-ty)
5. Read the Vocabulary list again, except clap out the syllables. For unstressed syllables do a normal clap, to mark a stressed syllable, clap with your hands held high.
6. When that is done, split the room in two even groups and open up a long wide aisle in the middle of the classroom.
7. Divide the class into two teams. You can let them pick names if they want to or just write team A & team B on the board to keep score.
8. Set up the baskets with the number of syllables at the front and have the two groups form two lines at the back. Give each group a balled up piece of paper (or a ball if you have one).
9. Explain that you will read the words from the vocabulary list in a random order and they will have to figure out how many syllables the word has and then they must shoot their ball into the correct basket.
10. When a team scores a basket in the correct basket, the student who scored has to clap out the syllables of the word while clapping high on the stressed syllable just like before, give them a point if they are correct.
11. Play until there are no more words on the list or until everyone goes at least once.
This activity composes both the presentation and practice elements of the activity. It is centered around a video that presents the issue of hunger and food inequality and the four factors that affect these. This is the main portion of the lesson and takes around 55 minutes.
1. We will start by dividing the students into pairs or small groups (2-3 people per group). (1 min)
2. Provide each group with poster boards (large pieces of paper) and a marker. On their poster board, each group will (a) list and discuss the groups of people affected by hunger and food insecurity and (b) identify some of the issues surrounding the factors that cause hunger. Feel free to give them an example for each.Tell the groups that they will be presenting their ideas to the class at the end. (15 mins).
3. We then gather as a class and the teacher provides the 4 factors that influence food security scaffolding sheet (Part A) to each student prior to watching the video and review each word’s definition as a class. This will help the students understand some of the words and phrases that they will hear in the video. (2.5 mins)
3. We will then watch the video as a class (2.5 mins).
4. Then the students gather back into the same groups and add ideas/thoughts that they gleaned to their list of factors that cause hunger & the groups of people who are most affected by hunger (5 mins).
5. Then each group will take about 3 minutes at each other group’s poster board to understand their ideas. (~15 mins)
6. We come back to the class and each group presents their ideas (2-3 mins per group). (10 mins)
7.Then as a class discuss the similarities, differences, and takeaways in each group. (10 mins)
We use some questions regarding the previous discussion and the video to assess the learning of the students. This could be turned into a homework of some sort if the students need more time for activity 2. It should take around 10 minutes
Within their groups, the students answer the questions given in The assessment questions sheet.
If time allows for it, compare and contrast between the different orders the groups gave.
The last 5 minutes of the class are spent on an exit ticket to debrief. This can be made into a quick recap as a class based on time.
To wrap up the day the students answer in a separate piece of paper the following two questions:
1. Define Hunger
2. How could hunger be prevented?
2. The students turn in their answers as an exit ticket for the day
References:
“What causes hunger”. World Food Program USA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOyI6N4Teq0
“10 ESL Activities for Powerful Pronunciation Progress”. FluentU. https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-pronunciation-activities/
Appendix A: Vocabulary List
Appendix B: Identifying the factors that cause hunger & the groups of people that are most affected by hunger
Appendix C: Assessment questions sheet.