LESSON #1
Language school
Age: 14-15 years old
Level: Intermediate – Upper intermediate
Alloted time: 1hr and 30 minutes per lesson
Topic: Technology – The good and bad uses / Phubbing
WARMER
In order to present the topic of technology, the teacher will use a poem called “Tee Vee” by Eve Merriam (you can read it here). The teacher will read it aloud and will ask students to close their eyes to listen to the poem and imagine what is happening.
Then the teacher will ask these two questions to students so they can all discuss orally:
- What is the poem about?
- What images came to mind while listening to the reading of the poem?
After the discussion, the teacher will show a video through a computer connected to a projector. The video illustrates the poem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVOOrEEzvmg
After the video, the teacher will again ask some questions to discuss with the students in order to trigger the topic of the project:
- What’s the main problem between Mr. and Mrs. Spouse?
- What’s the message behind the poem?
The idea is that students discuss the problems that technology can bring to our social lives since the poem is about that and the video shows it clearly.
WEB
First, students will be divided into groups of three. Two groups will focus on the advantages of the use of technology and the other two groups, on the disadvantages.
All the groups will work with the following websites in order to get information they think could be useful.
- https://www.online-sciences.com/technology/what-are-the-positive-and-negative-effects-of-technology/
Students will take down notes while they read through the websites.
WHAT’S NEXT
Each group will have to tell the rest of the students the information they have and the rest will have to take down notes of information they don’t have. For instance, the ones who prepare information about the advantages will take down notes about the disadvantages and vice-versa. Then, they will have to prepare a chart in a Word processing describing the advantages and disadvantages of the use of technology using the information they got from research and the information they got from listening to their peers.
Finally, they will have to send the word document to the teacher via email.
LESSON #2
WARMER
The teacher will ask students what they remember about the previous class about the bad uses of technology as a brainstorming activity and will write some of their ideas on the board.
Then, the teacher will tell the students that she will show a video. While they watch the video they will have to think in what way it is related to the previous class and the bad uses of technology.
WEB
The teacher will write the word ‘PHUBBING’ on the board and explain its meaning to the students.(The definition is at the beginning of the video- the teacher can also freeze that image for students to read the definition)
She will ask them to work in the same groups they were in the previous class to do some research on the computer.
They will have to use three websites and answer these three questions:
- What is ‘Phubbing’?
- What are the negative effects of phubbing?
- What can we do to stop doing it and stop others from doing it?
The answer to the last question should be a group reflection. They will have to give their opinions and possible solutions according to what they read.
It is expected that they discuss the questions and answers together orally and take down notes in the meantime.
WHAT’S NEXT
The teacher will paste in one of the classroom’s walls three titles in different poster boards:
“PHUBBING, WHAT IS IT?” / “PHUBBING IS WRONG BECAUSE…” / “STOP PHUBBING!”
The teacher will give students post-its (three to each) and they will have to write something related to the titles on the wall. They can use the information they wrote in the previous task (questions and answers) or they can draw their own conclusions.
The classroom wall will look like this:
