Grade: 7

Details of group: 10 students aged 12—13, specializing in studying English

Level: Pre-Intermediate

Topic: Leisure Activities. At the Theatre

Objectives: by the end of the lesson the students

will be aware of the new topical vocabulary;

will be able to recognize the new words in reading;

will have practised the new words in speaking and writing;

will have further developed their skills in using Present Simple and

Past Simple;

will have practised pair work and teamwork;

will be inspired by a new leisure activity.

Aids/Materials: pictures, word cards , charts

Timing: 45 minutes

Lesson Procedure

1. Warming up

T: What activities do most children prefer — school activities or leisure

activities?

What leisure activity do you like best?

2. Doing a survey. Teamwork

T: Now you are going to do some teamwork.

(Each student takes a card that the teacher has produced ( HO 1 ). The red

(Comedy) mask card makes Team 1, the black (Tragedy) mask card makes

Team 2)

T: Please make a list of your leisure activities.

Do a survey of the people in your team.

Find out how often they do the activities.

Complete the chart. Use the scale words:

Never — sometimes — often — always

HO 2

Activity Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 Student 5

Ann Peter Mary Ivan Alice

Watching

TV

often often always sometimes never

Doing a

sport

Playing

computer

games

Listening

to music

Going out

with

friends

Going to

the cinema

…

…

T: Use the results of your survey and make a short report:

e.g. Most people_________________________________.

Not many ___________________________________ .

Just a few ___________________________________.

3. Elicitation and Free Speaking

T: Children, look at the card we used to make the teams. I think you will

easily guess what leisure activity we are going to speak about in today’s

class.

Who of you has ever been to the theatre?

How did you like it there?

It’s a pity there is no theatre-house in our town. But I believe all of

you know what theatre is.

William Shakespeare, a great English poet and playwright, wrote in one

of his plays:

HO 3

All the world’s stage

And all the men and women merely players.

They have their exits and their entrances

And one man in his time plays many parts.

Весь мир — театр!

В нём женщины, мужчины — все актёры.

У них свои есть выходы, уходы —

И каждый не одну играет роль.

T: Please comment on the poet’s words.

(Elicitation. 1. Do people often act out?

2. Do you act out? When? Where? Why?

3. When did you ‘practise theatre’ a lot?

When little children play games, they act out for ‘Mothers — Daughters’,

‘Cossacks —Robbers’, ‘Doctor —Patients’, etc. So acting is the Theatre.)

4. Presenting a Topical Vocabulary

T: To speak about the theatre you have to learn some new words.

a) learning the meaning:

a stage (definition + picture): a raised platform on which the actors

appear; on the stage, not far from the stage;

scenery (contextual guesswork + picture). On the stage one can see

different things: furniture, pictures, etc. They make up the scenery. If

there is much scenery, the play is more colourful.

audience (definition + gesture): all the people who come to the

theatre to watch a play; a full audience at the theatre. The audience

was delighted.

to perform ( synonym + pantomime): to perform means to act out.

Look! I am performing now. (T pretends dancing, singing, reciting).

a performance (word-building): perform + ance = a performance; to

make a performance, to give a performance. The performance was

exciting.

a sound, to sound (contextual guesswork). We can hear sounds. We

can listen to sounds. There are a lot of different sounds around: city

sounds (transport), school sounds (bell ringing, children’s shouting),

music sounds, jungle sounds. Make any sound you want! To sound

fine, to sound loud, to sound sweet. The bird’s singing sounds

sweet.

splendid (antonym + synonym + mime (facial expression): not ugly, not

dull; beautiful, wonderful; splendid scenery;

thrilling (contextual guesswork + pantomime ). Do you know what the

word «триллер» means? It’s a story, film or play that makes a

person feel so much excited that he can even thrill. A thrilling

book, a thrilling adventure.

to applaud (body language —clapping hands). Look! I am

applauding. Clap your hands! You are applauding.

( Different ways of presenting the meanings of the new words are used

to meet the needs of all types of learners — visual, audio and

kinesthetic)

b) pronunciation drills;

c) ‘ Guess the Pantomime’ Game:

T: Children, look at your classmate’s pantomime and try to guess what

he/she saw, watched, heard or did at the theatre.

d) matching:

T: Please, arrange the cards so as to make matching pairs.

HO 4

to sound performance

to have seats sweet

a thrilling not far from the stage splendid

the audience

began to applaud

scenery

e) making up dialogues:

T: Now you are going to work in pairs. Imagine that one of you went to

the theatre a few days ago and your partner wants to learn more about

this. Ask and answer questions using the matching pairs you have got.

e.g. S1: Did you like the performance?

S2: Yes, I did. It was a thrilling performance.

S1: Where did you have your seat?

S2: I had my seat not far from the stage. I could see everything very

well.

S1: How did the music sound?

S2: It sounded sweet.

S1: …

5. Reading a Text ‘Mark Twain at the Opera’ (HO 5)

1) pre-reading:

T: Make any predictions about the text. Is it going to be a thrilling,

amusing or moralizing story?

2) while-reading:

T: Was the performance a good one?

3) post-reading:

T: Are your predictions true or false?

What did the writer like/dislike about the performance?

6. Speaking and Writing based on the Text

A.T: Make up a dialogue between the writer and his friend ( landlady,

secretary, etc.) about his impressions of the performance — Pair work (3

pairs).

B. T: Do a brief In-Role writing as if you were a man in the audience — 4

Ss.

7. Homework

T: Make up a story ‘I am standing on the stage’(orally). Share in your real

or imaginary experiences as an actor/actress. Describe what you can see,

hear, think and feel.

8. Summing up

1. Evaluation

2. Final Commentaries

3. Saying good-bye

HO 1

HO 5

Mark Twain at the Opera

Once a rich man invited Mark Twain to the opera where he and his wife had their own box. The performance was fairly splendid. The actors played wonderfully. There as much scenery on the stage. It was bright and colourful. The music sounded sweet. The audience seemed to enjoy the performance. But during the performance the rich man’s wife talked all the time. She talked rather loudly and so much that it was difficult for the writer to listen to the opera.

When the performance was over the audience stood up and began to applaud. The rich man’s wife turned to Mark Twain and said,” Oh dear Mr. Twain, I would like you to be with us next Friday night. I am sure you will like it — the opera will be ‘Carmen’. ‘Thank you very much’, said Mark Twain politely. ‘That will be fine. I never heard you in ‘Carmen’.

Stage

Scenery

William Shakespeare

Mark Twain