OCAC English Teaching: Week 1

Teaching Day 1

Monday, July 14

Opening Ceremony

Guess the Age

All teaching volunteers stand in front of the classroom. Students were challenged to arrange us from youngest to oldest based on appearance. Students were called to the front to arrange us. Once they made their guesses, we revealed our real ages and reintroduced ourselves.

• Purpose: Icebreaker activity (Immediately gets students engaged and curious. Encourages students to talk, guess, and reason in English, The “reveal” surprises students and creates a memorable moment) 

Introduction Video

Video filmed during the weekend prior to the students coming to school. We included scenes of us traveling, walking around the school, etc. In the video, we introduce our names and show that we are approachable mentors who care about both their learning and also enjoyment of the summer classes.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RfKhqs2N14o-wP27FiBingfHV1owMaXP/view?usp=sharing 

Slideshow

Teaching volunteers each created a short speech presentation. 3 minutes each, 24 minutes total. In the presentations, have key words for students to look at and remember. After all presentations, quiz students on which teaching volunteer had the fun fact.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGtBcRRcCA/junAqjwFIIiJ1RPF745DEw/edit?utm_content=DAGtBcRRcCA&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton 

Self Introduction / Task & Games

We brought students into our assigned classrooms and began with icebreaker questions and then our brainstormed activities / games to help everyone get to know each other. Since many students were new to the camp, it was important for both the teaching volunteers and the students to learn each other’s English names, fostering familiarity and a comfortable learning environment.

• Big Escape Game: Active group game where students respond quickly to prompts, moving around or avoiding “elimination” zones.

• M&M Icebreaker: Students receive different colored M&Ms, each corresponding to a unique icebreaker question they answer before eating the candy.

• The Wind Blows If…: Students stand in a circle; the person in the middle calls out a trait or action, and those who match must switch places while the middle person tries to take a seat.

• Name Toss: Students form a circle and throw a ball to each other, calling out names; the catcher then calls out the next name, promoting memory and attention.

• Red Light, Green Light: Adapted from Squid Game rules; students move on “green light” and freeze on “red light.” Eliminated students introduce themselves but can rejoin once.

• Two Truths and a Lie: Small groups share two truths and one lie about themselves; peers guess which statement is false, fostering personal connection and discussion.

• Name Game: Students in a circle say their name and repeat previous names, optionally adding an adjective, favorite food, or interest starting with the same letter.

• Near and Far: Students share one thing they have in common with a partner (“Near”) and one thing that differs (“Far”), encouraging reflection and discussion.

Teaching Day 3

Wednesday, July 16

Teacher Assistant: Theater & Collaboration Puzzle Storytelling

Lesson Outline: Magic of Cinema

Distribute Worksheets for Students to Complete During the Lesson

Overview of Today’s Lesson (Table of Contents)

Define Movies, TV Shows, & Animated Videos

Watch Video 1 (Gravity Falls Season 1 Episode 1)

Watch Video 2 (Gravity Falls Season 1 Episode 2)

Watch Video 3 (Gravity Falls Season 1 Episode 3)

Exit Ticket

Slideshow:https://www.canva.com/design/DAGtPDhjS5s/gk7gxgntmNnd4lZ57_MQ3Q/edit?utm_content=DAGtPDhjS5s&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton 

Worksheet:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1icZ6z3TQTd0-kj5-cVTMTIsarvT4wQeiN8ZKTfYbMU0/edit?usp=sharing 

Teaching Day 4

Thursday, July 17 (Teaching Day 4)

Teacher Assistant: Discover Australia Scavenger Hunt

Lesson Overview: Photosynthesis

Overview of Today’s Lesson (Table of Contents)

Define Parts of Plant

What do plants need to grow?

Define vocabulary used during photosynthesis

Activity: Plant Relay Race

Slideshow:https://www.canva.com/design/DAGsuhGITLs/woOJWo8-TbELEUrmkbxLzw/edit?utm_content=DAGsuhGITLs&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton 

Teaching Day 5

Friday, July 18

No lesson today. Prior to lunch, teaching volunteers arrived an hour earlier to manage and prepare everything from equipment setup to ingredient organization for the BBQ lunch. Responsibilities included arranging grill mats, assembling and securing the grill, neatly organizing utensils and tongs, and preparing tables with a clean and practical layout. 

Chairs are positioned in a circular arrangement around the grill to encourage student collaboration while cooking during the meal. Each group had their own individual ingredients arranged to make sure of smooth preparation during cooking. 

For the cooking setup, charcoal was carefully placed in an optimal pattern to promote even heat distribution, then lit and fanned to maintain steady heat throughout the grilling process. Teaching volunteers worked collaboratively to ensure safety around the hot grill, coordinated cooking duties, and created an inviting environment where both us and students could enjoy the shared meal as a bonding experience.

Saturday, July 19

• Formosa Plastics Group Museum

• Gloria Outlets

• XPark Aquarium

• ATT 4 FUN Xinyi Store Mall

• Taipei 101

Sunday, July 20

• Class Preparation (Worksheet Printing, Classwork Assembly, Rehearsing)