Friendship
Project URL:
http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnet-lab/unhs/wang2.htm
Purpose of the Project:
In this unit students will explore the meaning of friendship by seeking
answers to the following questions in the readings: Do friends need to be
alike, or can they be very different? Does it take time for a friendship
to grow, or can it happen quickly? Students
will read the play “Driving Miss Daisy” by Alfred Uhry and a real life
story, “A Brave Man lays His Life on the Line” by Joe Treen and S.
Avery Brown, Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s “The Fox” from The Little
Prince and listen to Paul Simon’s song, “Bridge Over Troubled
Water.”
Students will explore related web sites to gather additional information,
and compose an essay with a controlling idea.
Standards Addressed by This Unit:
Students will read and respond to literature from a variety of genres;
increase vocabulary and reading comprehension skills; use the Internet to
locate additional information related to their topic; write a cohesive
essay following the conventions of English language.
Software Materials Used:
Students will use Microsoft Word and Internet to complete their projects.
Resources (URLS, hyperlinks):
Antoine de Saint-Exupery's life story:
http://members.tripod.lycos.nl/tlp/antoine.htm
Antoine de Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince:
http://elpa.post.ru/win/MP/EN/I.html
Paul Simon's biography
http://wbr.com/paulsimon/
capeman/cmp/biography.html
Students:
Low, intermediate and advanced ESL students may benefit from these
activities. Reading, writing, and speaking skills are required. Students
need to work in groups. In addition, if students choose to listen to Paul
Simon's song, they need to have certain listening skill in order to
recognize the lyrics of the song.
Overall:
The best features of this program are the following three aspects: first,
students will combine textbook information such as the play "Driving
Miss Daisy" with internet information. Students will be exposed to
technology which will allow them to explore more beyond their textbook.
Secondly, students get to write an essay with one controlling idea; such
an essay will familiarize them with the English Regents exam. Third, students
work in a team where they can help each other.
Tips:
Many students have trouble writing an essay with one controlling idea
because they seldom are exposed to this type of essay writing. Therefore
it's important for teachers to guide students patiently, making sure they
understand the steps in the writing process. |
Linda Wang is an ESL teacher at
University Neighborhood High School. She has been teaching for two and a
half years. Her teaching principle is whole language approach; students
learn English in a contextualized environment. Students learn things that
relate to their immigrant lives. She teaches grammar in the context of
stories or other literature pieces.
Email: llskw@aol.com
Estimated class periods: 8
Subjects: ESL, Foreign Language
Beginning Grade Level: 9
Ending Grade Level: 10
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