Lesson Plan | Active Methodology | Connectors

Premises: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class duration, prior student study both with the Book and the beginning of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be carried out during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a large part of the available time.

Objective

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Objectives stage aims to clearly outline the goals to be achieved by the end of the lesson, concentrating on a thorough understanding of connectives in English and the students' ability to apply this knowledge in practical situations. This section aligns expectations for both the teacher and the students, ensuring everyone understands the desired learning outcomes and why each activity is crucial for achieving these goals.

Objective Utama:

1. Enable students to understand and identify different types of connectives in English.

2. Enhance textual analysis skills so that students can recognize the use of connectives in various contexts and comprehend their functions.

Objective Tambahan:

1. Promote active engagement from students in class discussions to reinforce their understanding of connectives.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

This introduction aims to engage students with the content learned previously, using real-world situations that encourage practical application of their knowledge about connectives. Additionally, the contextualization seeks to highlight the relevance of studying connectives through real-life examples and intriguing facts, boosting students' interest and setting the stage for an interactive and meaningful lesson.

Problem-Based Situation

1. Ask students to evaluate a short text (like a news article, a book excerpt, or even a funny anecdote) and identify all the connectives present. Then, guide them to categorize the connectives based on their functions (addition, contrast, cause, etc.) and discuss how each contributes to the coherence of the text.

2. Introduce a quick game where students form small groups and receive cards with keywords and connectives. They must create brief dialogues or stories that make sense while using the connectives correctly, competing to see which group can incorporate the most connectives appropriately.

Contextualization

Illustrate the significance of connectives in English through practical examples, demonstrating how different connectives can completely change a sentence's meaning. Share interesting insights, like how certain connectives are more prevalent in specific types of texts, such as political speeches or fictional stories, showing how mastering connectives can deepen understanding and enhance the creation of diverse texts.

Development

Duration: (70 - 75 minutes)

The Development stage encourages students to actively and interactively apply their knowledge of connectives from previous lessons. Through enjoyable and collaborative activities, they will explore the use of connectives in various scenarios, solidifying their understanding. Each activity aims not only to reinforce the comprehension of connectives but also to foster teamwork and creative skills.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended that only one of the suggested activities be carried out

Activity 1 - Language Bridge Builders

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Enhance creative and collaborative skills in utilizing and comprehending connectives.

- Description: In this activity, students will be tasked with building 'bridges' of understanding between words and phrases using connectives. They will receive cards containing keywords and connectives, and their challenge will be to form coherent sentences that make sense and are grammatically accurate, linking the appropriate words with suitable connectives.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Provide each group with a set of cards that have words and connectives.

• Clarify that each word must be connected to another using a relevant connective to create a coherent sentence.

• Groups will have 30 minutes to construct the highest number of correct sentences possible.

• At the end of the time, each group will present their sentences and discuss their choice of connectives.

Activity 2 - Connective Detectives

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Improve the ability to recognize and apply connectives across different contexts.

- Description: Students will take on the role of detectives to crack a 'linguistic case'. They will be given a text where certain connectives have been 'lost', and their task will be to identify the missing connectives and correctly replace them so that the text becomes coherent.

- Instructions:

• Organize students into groups of up to 5 participants.

• Distribute copies of the 'missing' text to each group.

• Instruct them to identify the missing connectives and substitute them, explaining their choices.

• Each group will share their 'corrected' version of the text and describe the function of each inserted connective.

• Facilitate a class discussion about the solutions, emphasizing various uses and effects of the connectives.

Activity 3 - Connective Theatre

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Explore the role of connectives in communication and creative expression.

- Description: In this fun activity, students will use connectives to perform short improvised plays. Each group will receive a foundational scene and must seamlessly weave as many connectives as possible into the dialogue.

- Instructions:

• Split the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Provide each group with a basic scenario for their performance.

• Groups will draft a brief script that organically incorporates the use of connectives in the characters' dialogues.

• Each group will stage their play for the class, while other classmates identify the connectives used.

• After the performances, lead a discussion about the effective use of connectives in communication.

Feedback

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

This stage aims to provide students with an opportunity to articulate and reflect on the knowledge gained during the practical activities. The group discussion helps reinforce learning, allowing students to share strategies and hurdles, which can enhance collective understanding. The key questions are crafted to evoke deeper reflections on the practical use of connectives and their significance in constructing cohesive and coherent texts.

Group Discussion

Initiate the group discussion by gathering all the students and asking each group to share their insights and experiences from the activities. Use a rotating system, allowing each group time to present, followed by a brief question-and-answer session. Encourage students to elucidate their reasoning behind the chosen connectives in their activities and how this impacted the coherence and clarity of the texts or dialogues created.

Key Questions

1. What were the main challenges faced in using connectives during the activities, and how did you tackle them?

2. Was there any connective that you particularly struggled to apply? If so, why?

3. How did the use of connectives change the understanding or tone of the texts you created?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

This concluding stage of the lesson plan aims to ensure that students have a solid and consolidated understanding of the studied content. Summarizing key points aids in knowledge retention, and discussing practical applications of the content reinforces the relevance of studying connectives in everyday contexts. Additionally, this section emphasizes the connection between theory and practice, ensuring that students recognize how useful what they have learned can be.

Summary

To wrap up, the teacher should recap the key concepts discussed about connectives, emphasizing the different types and their roles. It's vital to summarize the activities undertaken and the discoveries made by students, reiterating the importance of connectives for creating coherent texts and effective communication.

Theory Connection

Today's lesson was designed to bridge theory and practice seamlessly. The activities allowed students to apply their theoretical knowledge about connectives in real-world and creative contexts, demonstrating how connectives are essential for textual coherence and clarity in communication.

Closing

Understanding and using connectives in English is crucial not just academically, but also in daily life and professional settings. Mastery of connectives can significantly enhance expression and comprehension in English, which is increasingly essential in today's globalized world.