Objectives (5 - 7 minutes)
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Understanding the Concept of Paraphrasing: Students should be able to understand what paraphrasing is and how it differs from a summary or direct translation. This involves understanding that paraphrasing is a rewriting of the original text in their own words, while maintaining the same meaning.
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Application of Paraphrasing in Practical Contexts: Students should be able to apply the paraphrasing technique in real situations. This includes the ability to identify passages in a text that can be paraphrased and to rewrite these passages effectively.
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Improvement of Reading and Writing Skills: Through the use of paraphrasing, students should be able to enhance their English reading and writing skills. This involves a deeper understanding of texts, improvement of vocabulary, and practice of grammatical structures.
Secondary Objectives:
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Development of Critical Thinking: By practicing paraphrasing, students will also develop their critical thinking skills, as they will have to analyze the original text, understand its meaning, and find an appropriate way to rewrite it.
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Development of Independent Study Skills: Through the use of paraphrasing, students will be encouraged to study more independently. They will have to read the original text, understand its meaning, and then rewrite it in their own words. This will help improve their independent study skills.
Introduction (10 - 15 minutes)
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Review of Previous Content: The teacher should start the lesson by reviewing the concepts of reading and text interpretation in English that were discussed in previous classes. This can be done through questions and answers with the students, or through a brief theoretical review. This is essential to ensure that students have the necessary foundations to understand the concept of paraphrasing.
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Problem Situations: The teacher can then present two problem situations to the students that will serve as a hook for introducing the concept of paraphrasing. The first situation could be: 'Imagine you are reading an article in English and come across a word you don't know. You could simply translate that word into Portuguese, but that won't help you understand the text as a whole. What would you do in this case?'. The second situation could be: 'Imagine you have to summarize a chapter from an English book. How would you do that without losing the most important information?'.
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Contextualization and Importance of the Subject: The teacher should then contextualize the importance of the subject, explaining that paraphrasing is an essential skill for those who wish to deepen their studies in English. Examples of real situations where paraphrasing is used can be cited, such as in the writing of academic articles, translation of literary texts, or interpretation of texts in English proficiency tests. It can also be explained that paraphrasing can be a useful tool for improving text comprehension, as it forces the reader to think about the meaning of words and phrases, and to express that meaning clearly and concisely.
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Introduction to the Topic: To introduce the topic of paraphrasing, the teacher can start by explaining that the word 'paraphrase' comes from the Greek 'paráphrasis', which means 'to express in another way'. The teacher can then present the definition of paraphrasing: 'Paraphrasing is the rewriting of a text using different words, while maintaining the same meaning'. The teacher can also present two examples of paraphrasing, one simple and one more complex, to illustrate the concept. For example: 'The car is red' (The paraphrase would be: 'The vehicle is the color of blood') and 'The cat sat on the mat' (The paraphrase would be: 'The feline rested on the floor covering').
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Gaining Attention: Finally, the teacher can capture the students' attention by explaining that paraphrasing is not only useful for better understanding English texts, but can also be a powerful tool for improving their own writing. The teacher can quote the English writer George Orwell, who said: 'Never use a metaphor, a comparison, or a figurative expression that you are used to seeing elsewhere'. The teacher can then explain that by paraphrasing, students will be avoiding clichés and tired expressions, and will be creating more original and interesting texts.
Development (20 - 25 minutes)
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Group Paraphrasing Activity (10 - 15 minutes): The teacher should divide the class into groups of five students. Each group will receive an English text of about 200 words. The text can be an excerpt from a news article, a paragraph from a book, or a line from a character in a movie or series. The teacher should instruct the students to read the text carefully and identify at least five sentences or expressions that can be paraphrased. The students should then rewrite these sentences or expressions in their own notebooks, trying to maintain the same meaning but using different words. After about 10 minutes, the teacher should ask each group to share their paraphrases with the class. This can be done orally, with a representative from each group reading their paraphrases aloud, or in writing, with the paraphrases being written on a blackboard or poster.
- Feedback and Correction (5 minutes): After each group presents their paraphrases, the teacher should provide feedback, correcting any errors and explaining the paraphrases that were particularly good or interesting. The teacher can also ask other students to comment on the paraphrases presented, encouraging discussion and exchange of ideas. This will help students better understand the concept of paraphrasing and improve their paraphrasing skills.
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Individual Paraphrasing Activity (5 - 10 minutes): After the group activity, the teacher should ask the students to choose a sentence or expression from the original text that they find particularly challenging or interesting. The students should then rewrite this sentence or expression in their own notebooks using the paraphrasing technique. The teacher should move around the room, helping students who are struggling and providing feedback. After the students finish, the teacher should ask for some volunteers to share their paraphrases with the class. This will help consolidate the concept of paraphrasing and give students the opportunity to practice their paraphrasing skills.
- Feedback and Correction (5 minutes): After the volunteers present their paraphrases, the teacher should provide feedback, correcting any errors and praising the paraphrases that were particularly good or interesting. The teacher can also ask other students to comment on the paraphrases presented, encouraging discussion and exchange of ideas. This will help reinforce the concept of paraphrasing and improve students' paraphrasing skills.
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Creative Paraphrasing Activity (5 minutes): To conclude the Development part of the lesson, the teacher can propose a creative paraphrasing activity. The teacher should explain that students will have to choose a sentence from a text, poem, song, or famous speech and creatively rewrite it. For example, students can replace words with synonyms, change the word order, or alter the sentence structure. The teacher should encourage students to be as creative as possible. After about 5 minutes, the teacher should ask for some volunteers to share their paraphrases with the class. This can be done orally, with students reading their paraphrases aloud, or in writing, with the paraphrases being written on a blackboard or poster.
- Feedback and Correction (5 minutes): After the volunteers present their paraphrases, the teacher should provide feedback, praising the paraphrases that were particularly creative or interesting. The teacher can also ask other students to comment on the paraphrases presented, encouraging discussion and exchange of ideas. This will help reinforce the concept of paraphrasing, improve students' paraphrasing skills, and stimulate creativity.
Return (8 - 10 minutes)
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Group Discussion (3 - 4 minutes): The teacher should draw the attention of all students and ask each group to share their conclusions or solutions found during the group activities. Each group should have up to 2 minutes to present. The teacher should encourage students to explain their paraphrases and justify the word choices they made. The teacher should ensure that all students have the opportunity to speak and that all voices are heard.
- Feedback (1 minute): After each group presents, the teacher should provide general feedback, highlighting the paraphrases that were particularly good or interesting, and explaining any common errors that were made. The teacher should also reinforce the paraphrasing concepts that were discussed during the lesson and clarify any doubts students may have.
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Connection to Theory (2 - 3 minutes): The teacher should then make the connection between the practical activities carried out and the theory presented at the beginning of the lesson. The teacher should explain how paraphrasing is an essential skill for deepening text comprehension, and how it can be used to improve writing. The teacher should also emphasize the importance of understanding the meaning of words and phrases, and expressing that meaning clearly and concisely.
- Feedback (1 minute): After the teacher's explanation, students should be asked to reflect on the connection between theory and practice, and to share any insights they gained during the lesson. The teacher should then provide feedback, praising the reflections that were particularly good or interesting, and explaining any concepts that were not understood.
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Final Reflection (2 - 3 minutes): To conclude the lesson, the teacher should propose that students make a final reflection on what they have learned. This can be done by asking a series of questions, such as:
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'What was the most important concept you learned today?'
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'What questions have not been answered yet?'
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'How can you apply what you learned today in your future readings and writings in English?'
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'What would you like to learn more about paraphrasing?'
- Feedback (1 minute): The teacher should give a minute for students to think about the questions and share their answers with the class. The teacher should then provide feedback, praising the answers that were particularly good or interesting, and responding to any questions that have not been answered yet.
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Conclusion (5 - 7 minutes)
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Summary of Content (2 - 3 minutes): The teacher should start the Conclusion by recalling the main concepts covered during the lesson. For example, emphasizing what paraphrasing is, the importance of the technique for understanding English texts, and how it can be used to improve writing. The teacher should emphasize that paraphrasing is not only a useful tool, but also a skill that can be developed through practice and study.
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Connection between Theory, Practice, and Applications (1 - 2 minutes): The teacher should then explain how the lesson connected the theory, practice, and applications of paraphrasing. For example, stating that the theory was presented at the beginning of the lesson, through the definition of paraphrasing and the discussion of the importance of the technique. The teacher can then explain that practice was carried out during the group and individual activities, where students had the opportunity to apply the paraphrasing technique to real texts. Finally, the teacher can mention that the applications of paraphrasing were discussed during the creative paraphrasing activity, where students could see how the technique can be used to create original and interesting texts.
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Extra Materials (1 - 2 minutes): The teacher should suggest extra materials for students who wish to deepen their studies on paraphrasing. These materials may include grammar books, English learning websites, and online exercises. The teacher can also suggest that students practice paraphrasing at home by rewriting excerpts from their favorite books, news articles, or English songs.
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Importance of the Subject (1 minute): Finally, the teacher should reinforce the importance of paraphrasing for students' everyday lives. For example, mentioning that the ability to paraphrase can help students better understand the texts they read, improve their English writing skills, and express themselves more clearly and concisely. The teacher can also explain that paraphrasing can be a useful tool for improving students' grades in English tests and exams, as it allows them to demonstrate their understanding of a text in an original and creative way.