TESL 0100 Unit 6: Lesson Plan 2 - Using Winnipeg Transit

Lesson Plan 2 – Using Winnipeg Transit  

Date: October 19, 2018

Class Levels: CLB 3-4

Class Time: 120 mins

Communicative Language Task Goal
Students will ask someone how to get somewhere by bus and be able to identify route information when looking at the outside of a bus. Students will also give instructions on how to go somewhere by bus.

By the end of the lesson today, learners will have:

-        Identified the information displayed on the outside of a Winnipeg Transit bus (Route number, destination, via what location, and express route/vs. local route)

-        Asked someone about how to get to a destination via bus, referencing bus routes, stop names and other related vocabulary

-        Used a logical sequence of simple instructions to explain how to get to a destination via bus.

-        Restated information they heard and asked for clarification when necessary.

Lesson Procedure

Lesson activities and procedure	Language Skills	Language focus	Anticipated problems & solutions	Purpose of the activity	Interaction	Time
Show a picture to the class of people boarding a transit bus. Ask them to describe what they see. Ask the class if they have ever used transit before.	Speaking and Listening	Grammatical and Functional Knowledge	Students may hesitate in offering answers, so it might help to draw attention to certain parts of the picture. The teacher can also ask students to volunteer an answer to get the ball rolling.	This will get the students to start thinking about the topic of the lesson. It will also give the teacher an idea of their knowledge on transit.	Class Activity	5 mins
Have students form into small groups (3-4 students) and brainstorm information that someone needs to know when travelling by bus. Have the students share their answers with the class and write their answers on the board, highlighting bus-related vocabulary.	Speaking, and Listening	Grammatical Knowledge, and Functional Knowledge	Try to get a mix of students paired together to facilitate brainstorming (i.e. shy students and extroverted students, higher level students and lower level students). You can also suggest that students make a mind map to organize their ideas.	This will elicit vocabulary from the students and help the teacher get a feel for what language the students know about the topic.	Small Groups, Class Activity	20 mins
Hand out a worksheet with vocabulary and have the students match pictures to the definitions. Students can do this in pairs. Go over the answers as a class, asking students to read their answers out loud. The pictures will be displayed on an overhead projector. Circulate the classroom to check in on the students from time to time.	Vocabulary, Reading, Speaking and Pronunciation	Grammatical and Functional Knowledge	Students might struggle with knowing which image to pair with which term. Ensure that the pictures are not ambiguous. Having them work with a partner will the students a second pair of eyes. If both students are struggling, give them hints or point out features that may help them choose the correct term.	This will help students familiarize themselves with the vocabulary by having them make visual connections to it. The students will also benefit from cooperating with a classmate to work out their meaning. Going over the vocabulary as a class will ensure the students have correctly defined the terms.	Pair Work	25 mins
Using the projector, display a photograph of a Winnipeg Transit bus that has its route info display visible. Go over how to read this information. Ask students to guess what each piece of information means and then share the answer (Route Number, Express Bus/Local Bus, Destination, Via Where?) Encourage students who may already be familiar with Winnipeg Transit to share their knowledge.	Speaking and Listening	Grammatical and Functional Knowledge	Some words, such as “via” may cause difficulty for students, so pay special attention when explaining such words. Introduce abbreviations that may appear on buses (ex: Express à EXP.)	This will introduce students to an authentic situation where they will need to extract information and will give them the skills necessary to decipher that information.	Class Activity	10 mins
Hand out a worksheet for students with pictures (4 in total) just like the one displayed on the overhead projector. Have the students answer these four questions:                  1.) What is the route number?                 2.) What is the destination?                 3.) Via what location?                  4.) Is this an express bus? (Yes/No) Before commencing the activity, work on a sample question as an entire class, eliciting responses from the students. Students will work individually and then compare their answers with a partner. Circulate the room to see how each student is doing. Review answers as a class, inviting students up to the board to write their answers.	Reading, Writing and Speaking	Grammatical and Functional Knowledge	Students may struggle distinguishing between the destination and the “via” location. Take care to explain the difference and give them tips for recognizing the difference. (Ex: Usually the bus will say via a street name, where as the destination is an actual place, like Red River College. Route 19, via Notre Dame)	Students will apply the skills they learned as they complete this activity. Students will then check their understanding of the activity by comparing their answers with another student.	Individual Work, Class Activity	20 mins
Have students complete a role play where they must ask about what bus(s) to take in order to get to a destination. Have students split into pairs and give them two cards, one for “Student A” and one for “Student B”. Student A’s card has a departing location and a destination written on it while Student B’s card has routes and bus stop information written on it. Student A will ask Student B how to get to their destination and Student B will provide simple directions using the information provided. Each pair will have unique cards. Have students switch roles to practice both parts of the roleplay. Be sure to model what the roleplay should look like (you can invite a volunteer student to the front of the room or prerecord yourself doing the role play). Make sure you state clearly what each student must include in their role play. (ex: appropriate greetings, asking for clarification, etc.)	Speaking, Pronunciation, Vocabulary, Grammar, and Listening	Grammatical, Textual, Functional and Sociolinguistic Knowledge	The student who is asking for information may struggle to repeat it when confirming what they heard. Students can take simple notes as they listen to their partner.	This will get students to apply what they have learned (vocabulary, knowledge about bus routes, etc.) to a real-life situation. By taking turns asking for direction and giving directions, students will reinforce both the speaking and listening skills necessary for this situation.	Pair Work	30 mins
Write a few mistakes you heard from the students’ roleplays on the board and go over these as a class. Have the students suggest how they might fix them.	Reading, Speaking, and Listening	Grammatical Knowledge and Strategic Competence	Students may feel self-conscious if their mistake is presented on the board. Therefore, be sure to write them in a way as to not single out a student.	This will allow the teacher to address any major mistakes without interrupting the students as they work out their role plays. By involving the students in the correction process, it becomes an active learning experience.		10 mins

Exit Assessment

-        Ask students to tell you where they are going and what bus(s) they will take based on their role play activities.

Transfer Activities

-        Have students write simple instructions for how to get from their home to the school using a bus. They can also choose a start and end location of their choice. Direct them to Google Maps or the Winnipeg Transit website. Have the students submit these next class.

Reflection and Suggestions for Next Time

-        If the school allows it, try to plan a field trip where the students take the bus to a destination.