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Let's Teach English
 
Let's Teach English Unit 10

The Let’s Teach English video series offers free online training for English language educators worldwide. It is based on the Women Teaching Women English text for adult, beginning level learners. Voice of America and the University of Oregon are partners on this project.
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Unit 10: Collaboration

In this lesson, students learn how to write a poem. They use a format the teacher calls a “persona poem.” Students ask each other questions. The answers to those questions become the poem. Students learn that not all poems have to rhyme.

This activity asks students to use English creatively to develop poems about their classmates. They now have a product that they can proudly show to their friends and family.

At the end of the class, the students display their work on a wall and do a "gallery walk" – they walk around and view and read one another's persona poems.
Teacher Preparation Video

This episode shows a model of teaching through collaboration on persona poems.
Let's Teach English Unit 10
Video Transcript

Narrator: In this lesson, students learn how to write a poem. They use a format the teacher calls a “persona poem.” Students work in groups to create poems about each other. The students learn that not all poems have to rhyme.
 
Teacher: Can anyone tell me what a poem is? Julia.

Julia: A kind of writing?

Teacher: Yes! What else? Maryam?

Maryam: It has words that sound the same at the end of some of the lines.

Teacher: Good! Does anyone know a poem? Emma.

Emma: Roses are red. Violets are blue. Sugar is sweet. And so are you.

Teacher: That’s a great example.

Maryam: Yes, "blue" and "you" sound the same.

Teacher: Right. We call that a rhyme. Today we are writing persona poems about each other.

Jamie: Do we have to make rhymes?

Teacher: No. Our poems do not need rhymes.

Jamie: Oh, good. Because I can’t think of any rhymes.

(The teacher and students laugh together.)

Teacher: Okay, let’s begin. What's my first name?

Maryam: Alice?

Teacher: Okay.

(The teacher writes "Alice" at the top of the worksheet on the poster.)

Teacher: Can you think of four words that describe me?

Julia: Tall.

Jamie: Nice!

Teacher: Thank you!

(The teacher continues to add information to the poster.)

Teacher: Okay, now work in your groups. Write your persona poems for each other.

(Maryam turns to Julia as they begin a persona poem about Emma.)

Maryam: Now we need four words to describe her.

Julia: How about fun and pretty? Do you have a sister?

Emma: Yes. Her name is Marie.

Maryam: What are three things that you love?

Emma: I love chocolate and traveling and making videos.

Julia: What are three things that scare you?

Emma: Scary movies, old houses, and . . . what’s that animal that moves like this? With no legs?

(Emma wiggles her hand and arms like a snake.)

Maryam: Snake?

Emma: Yes, snakes.

Maryam: They scare me too!

Jamie: Okay, your name is Mimi.

Julia: What are three things that you want to see someday?

Emma: Our graduation and a woman on Mars and, uhmm . . .

Maryam: What about world peace?

Emma: Oh, okay!

Julia: Where do you live? Oh, I remember, France!

Emma: Yes, in Paris.

Maryam: And I know your last name is . . . Michel!

Emma: Right, Michel.

Julia: Look, now we have a persona poem!

Mimi: What do we do with our photos?

(Mimi holds up a photo of herself.)

Teacher: Let’s put our poems and pictures on the wall so we can see them all.

(The poems and photos are mounted on the wall. The teacher and students walk around the room and look at each other’s poems and pictures.)

Teacher: Everyone did a beautiful job! Let’s hear some of the poems.

Maryam: I will read Emma’s.

Teacher: Okay!

Maryam: Emma. Fun, pretty, interesting, bright. Sister of Marie. Who loves chocolate, traveling, making videos. Who is afraid of scary movies, old houses, snakes. Who wants to see graduation, a woman on Mars, world peace. Lives in Paris. Michel.

Teacher: Emma, please read another poem.

Emma: I’ll read Mimi’s. Mimi. Tall, healthy, cool, clever. Daughter of Koshka. Who loves her cat, lions, food. Who is afraid of night, bears, airplanes. Who wants to see Alaska, a famous bike rider, a job. Lives in Malaysia. Li.

(The teacher and students continue to walk around and look at the poems.)

Narrator: This activity lets students use English creatively to develop poems about their classmates. The students display their work on a wall and do a "gallery walk.” They walk around viewing or reciting each other's poems. This is our final model class of the Let's Teach English series. Next week, we will share the full student textbook, the teacher’s manual, and a final video reviewing classroom management methods used in the series.
Transcript Vocabulary

evaluate (verb) – to judge the value or condition of (someone or something) in a
careful or thoughtful way

© 2017 University of Oregon and Voice of America. This work is based on the Women Teaching Women English materials produced by the University of Oregon American English Institute under U.S. Department of State Federal Assistance Award S-LE200-10-GR-050, issued by the U.S. Embassy Beirut.
 
 
 
 
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A video lesson to help with your understanding of commonly confused words.
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(Beginner - Listening)

An audio lesson to help with your understanding of commonly confused words. The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed. Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this audio program.
Commonly Confused Words: Part Two
(Beginner - Listening, reading)

A video lesson to help with your understanding of commonly confused words.
The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page.
Commonly Confused Words: Part Two
(Beginner - Listening)

An audio lesson to help with your understanding of commonly confused words. The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed. Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this audio program.
 
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