We behave in
different ways in different places, e.g. a church or a Football match.
To establish
place we can do so without the use of props by adopting a typical stance, attitude,
or mood. The ability to do this greatly supports taking a role later on. We will look at people in places and the
purpose is to guess where they are by what they are showing to us. Teacher models
the activity first. A suggestion is to use
the expanding model of places to do with home, neighbourhood, school, town/city,
country. Again the roles are types. Going from what pupils know to what they do
not in terms of experience and lesson content.
Teacher announces that s/he will no longer be Ms Smith, and ask can we all believe that that? Its only play and we need to believe for it to work? Make eye contact swiftly and move into position. Hands on knees, no one guess until teacher clicks her fingers at the end. Then first share with a partner and then one of you speaks. Ask the pupils how they know you were Mum making soup in the kitchen. Praise close observation of stance, attitude, showing what she was doing through mime. The place of course is the kitchen. Success is to guess not what they are doing but rather where they are.
Home
|
TV Room
|
Garage
|
Front Door
|
Kitchen
|
Neighbourhood
|
Shop
|
Garage/Farm
|
Bus stop
|
Crossing road
|
School
|
Classroom
|
PE Hall
|
Principal’s office
|
Yard
|
City/Town
|
Garda Station
|
Hospital
|
Train station
|
Restaurant
|
In
the Country
|
Seaside
|
Up the mountains
|
In a forest
|
On a lake
|
Transport
|
In a Train
|
In a Plane
|
On a Ship
|
In a Pram
|
If you wish
to develop this into pair work try asking people in pairs to set up two people
who are connected (Bus driver and passenger) and have the class guess where
they are. Next stage is that the low status role has a problem that the high
status person can help them with- e.g. the passenger has got on the wrong bus for
urgent hospital appointment and does not understand English.
At the end
of the session you could do a general two stars and a wish on the board. This
will show you what the pupils have learnt form the exercise.
