CURLY LOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

CBSE, English, Class - III, Unit - VIII

Enhancing English Language skills through activities and video support

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE:
• Members of the family
• Basic household items like plates, cups, spoons and kitchen utensils
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
• Develop listening & speaking skills by enacting a role play
• Develop fine motor skills by weaving the cut out of a bear as a precursor to writing.
• Develop reading skills using word card.
• Develop writing skills by learning to draw and label the pictures.

ENGAGE:
Before I started my lesson, I decided to do the entire lesson through activities as I thought it will kindle the students’ interest and help them get rid of their shyness and fear, which in turn will help them learn better. One of the objectives of the lesson was to build students’ imagination. This story is based on the fairy tale “Goldilocks and the three bears”. Children, I felt, needed a lot of visual support as there were words which they weren’t familiar with. Hence I used a video which created a fine learning ambience.
ACTIVITY 1- Weaving a bear or threading the
holes
Objective:

• To develop motor skills that would help them write in future
• To increase their attention span

• To help them concentrate
• To work independently

Procedure:
• Step 1: Take a chart and draw the figure of a bear
• Step 2: Cut the bear figure (Teacher may help cut the figure)
• Step 3: Put some holes in the corner of the figure (Teacher support)
• Step 4: Weave the thread through the holes so that the bear picture becomes complete.
Reflections:
I gave students each a cut out of a bear with holes on the sides. With a woolen thread I asked them to join all the holes. There was absolute silence during the activity. They were very focused on getting it right. however they struggled I helped them out. I was surprised to see a slow learner finish this activity first. This not only increased their concentration but also their attention span.
The children enjoyed the activity and it was evident in the way they proudly displayed the finished work. Everybody could complete it and that was the success of this activity. Once the children knew how a bear looked like it was natural to take them to the next part of the lesson which was the number “3”. To reinforce this I did the following activity.
                                                                                                                                        

Activity 2: Reinforce “3”
Children were given water color and a worksheet. The water colour trough had 12 colours and the children avidly pointed to various colours and gave out the names in English and for some in vernacular. I slowly spoke about the various colours and explained what they should do with it. They had to dip their fingers in any color of their choice and mark 3 dots in the worksheet in the space provided. This activity not only helped them learn the number ‘3’ but also the names of various colours. The children enjoyed the activity as they had the freedom to choose their favorite colour.

Reflections:
Since the lesson was on bears, I repeatedly used the word bear to reinforce the animal as most hadn’t even seen a picture of a bear. I had to reinforce the number’3’ as it was recurring in the lesson. It had 3 bears, 3 cots, 3 bowls, 3 chairs and 3 beds and they had to learn to associate the number with the symbol. I could talk to them while explaining the activity. Since the table was a round one, all the children eagerly came to the center to view the colours. Though the activity was to reinforce “3”, I could talk to them about certain colours they didn’t know. For some they knew only the vernacular names and I taught them the English names.
The children developed a keen interest in the activity and they pondered over each colour and talked to themselves saying the names of the colours. By counting 3 several times they could complete the worksheets easily.
EXPLORE
Activity 1: Introduction of vocabulary in context It was a totally different experience to introduce the students to new vocabulary through an activity. They understood all the words except “porridge” which they found difficult to pronounce. Here I used the syllabification method. Po/ridge. I took up a few other words like ‘cottage’, ‘hungry’ ‘Curlilocks’ for syllabification. This way whenever the children encounter a long new word they
will try to syllabify the words or seek help to know the correct pronunciation. To introduce the word ‘porridge’, I prepared porridge at home and brought it to the class and made them taste it. This way I was sure that they will always remember the word porridge. Wherever we can concretize the examples by bringing realia to the class the learning becomes effective. Even during free time they were using the word porridge among themselves.
Activity 2- Sand game
A tray filled with sand was kept in front of the class. New words were written on small chart sheets and stuck on ice cream sticks and planted in sand. Each child had to come forward take a word spell it and pronounce it.
Wherever children struggled to pronounce the word, I supported them. 

A second set of sticks which had the picture of these were placed adjacent to the sand tray. After reading the words the children had to match it
with the pictures. As much as possible I introduced the words with picture support. I knew that they will need repeated exposure to the words before they can retain it. After giving them sufficient practice, we must also constantly use these words in our regular conversations. The children need to be exposed to the word in class and made to listen to it in different contexts. Two teachers can get together and talk simple dialogues, two or four lines as process drama
E.g.
Teacher 1: What did you have for breakfast this
morning?
Teacher 1I : I had porridge.
Teacher 1 : You?
Teacher I1 : I had Idli.
Every other situation can be converted into such dialogues and the children can come forward and do such skits in front of the class. From the following way in which I taught them about the nature of objects the children could actually feel the texture of the objects and understand the difference.
Activity 3-Touch game
I put a tray filled with objects having opposite textures such as hard and soft, rough and smooth, curly and straight on the table. I observed whether the students are able to differentiate the opposite objects and helped them pronounce the word in English.
Visual support and realia in class are effective teaching strategies. It not only helps the children connect but also helps develop their questioning and speaking skills.

Activity 4-Comparing sizes
I pasted a chart sheet on the board with different sized bear pictures and asked the students to paste the pictures of the bowls and beds according to their sizes in the space given below. Children eagerly
came one by one and did a neat job. While they were doing it I kept a regular flow of conversation regarding the beds, bears and bowls. This acted as a reinforcement of all the words they have learnt so far.

EXPLAIN
Activity 1 - Video screening
This lesson had new words that children were unfamiliar with like porridge, cottage, bowl and hungry. I felt that it would be easier for students to understand if they see these words in the context of the story. So I decided to play the video of the story (http://youtube/Oaw-d3r_glc) using a projector.
Until I used the video I didn’t realize it would be such an effective tool to tell a story and it helps teachers in making the process easy and effective. They were really excited to see the story live on screen. It also helped them understand the new words like porridge, bowl and cottage. After seeing the video, students narrated the story intheir own language and even enacted it in their mother tongue.
Asking questions
Some of the following questions can be asked by us to assess their understanding.
1. Who lived in the cottage in the forest?
2. What did Curlylocks see on the table?
3. Whose bed did Curlylocks sleep in?
ELABORATE
Activity 1 - Story Reading
I read the story from the textbook and explained the newly introduced words with pictures and things they already used in the previous activity. I realized that a little planning goes a long way in making the teaching learning process effective. I realized that it must be the silent period wherein they imbibe the words and may use it later on.
Activity 2 - Role play
I gave masks to students and asked them to enact the story they just saw, first in their own language and then I helped them deliver the dialogues in English.
Activity 3 - Family chart
I displayed a family chart to the class. I asked the students to draw their family members in their notebooks using stick figures. I used finger puppets from Thisaimaani to teach about members of a family. I gave them chart sheets and helped them create finger puppets of their family members by themselves.
While making them write the names of their family members, I also helped them practice using ‘Mr.’ & ‘Mrs.’ Students wrote the name of their parents using “Mr. & Mrs.”
Activity 1 – Creativity in class
I asked them to imagine that they were Curlylocks and asked them what will happen when they enter a Bear’s cottage? Students imagined this story in different ways and shared their story with their peers. They recounted what
they would have done if they were in Curlylocks.
EVALUATE
Activity 1- Finding match cards
I stuck some word cards on the walls of the classroom. Then I gave a picture card to them and asked them to find out the correct word related tothat picture. Students participated actively in this type of evaluation.