Requisitos

1) A basic undertanding of how to use will and be going to to express ideas about the future.

2) Previous sessions which have contextualised discussions about identity and family.

Proceso

Step 1 - Contextualisation

Discussion with the help of the Powerpoint presentation to contextualise the class-specific topic. The definition of a family is initially elicited from the students to promote speaking. Then the definition on the slide is read aloud by a student to allow for correction of pronunciation. Then, the comic about same-sex families is shown to students and they are asked to interpret the meaning. New word 'quaint' is discussed and critical thinking is encouraged through the content of the comic. This reinforces the definition of family provided in the previous slide.

Step 2 - Task

Students are grouped (groups of three preferrably). The 8 predictions are posted around the classroom in reading stations and instructions are given (in the Powerpoint presentation). Groups visit reading stations, read quickly, discuss their comprehension and summarise the content in written sentences. The emphasis on quick reading is to train students for exam-like situations where they have to read under time pressure. Furthermore, time pressure also requires students to understand meaning of new vocabulary from the context (another strategy to practice). The emphasis on summarising is three-fold: as a reading comprehension strategy; as a speaking activity to negotiate meaning and sense; and a writing activity to generate the need to express ideas in the future.

Step 3 - Post task

Students are asked about the tension they faced when trying to decide how to write the summaries. This discussion leads to the use of the future. Previous knowledge is explored and students are promised they will learn new forms to express the future. Then, example sentences using different forms of the future are displayed (will, be going to, may, might, could, be likely to, plan to, hope to and expect to) and students are asked to explain the difference between using the the different forms. Students feel the disequilibrium of not knowing the difference among the different forms of expression and feel the need to learn. This need is satisfied through an explanation by the teacher.

Homework: Students are asked to revisit their summary sentences and make necessary amendments taking into account the new knowledge they have discovered about how to express ideas in the future. These are submitted for teacher feedback.

Actividades Docente

Giving instructions.

Facilitating discussion in the contextualisation phase.

Explaining the different forms of expressing ideas in the future in the post task phase.

Managing time during the reading and summarising.

Giving feedback on student production throughout.

Actividades Estudiante

Engage in discussion in the pre-task and post-task phases.

Engage in reading, interpreting and negotiating meaning and sense during the task phase.

Writing sentences to summarise the information in the texts.

Reflection about how reading strategies aid comprehension.

Reflective correction of their production after discovering the grammar structure.

Evaluación

Formative assessment - students submit their summary sentences after having made necessary modifications based on the explanation in class. Teacher assesses the use of future in the sentences and provides feedback. Grade is based on completion of exercise rather than correct/incorrect use of the grammar.

Optional assessment - teacher can additionally focus assessment on how students managed to summarise the information in the texts regardless of their use of grammar. This aspect of assessment would focus more on their ability to summarise.

Notas

The student production can be graded as classwork/homework.