Poder Learning Center
Where Am I?
The following is a lesson for intermediate level students (2 hr. lesson)
Objective: To understand directions in order to get around the city.
Procedure: Begin the lesson by reviewing prepositions of place such
as next to,
between, round the corner from, across from, in front of , behind, in, on, at,
and above.
Use the students themselves as well as things that are available in the classroom such as the board, chalk, windows, door, chairs, books, eraser etc.
Examples:
Teacher: 1. Where is the eraser?
Student: It is on the board.
Teacher : 2. Put the eraser under the chair.
Where is the eraser now?
Student: It is under the chair.
Teacher: 3. Stand in front of Maria.
Where are you now?
Student: I am standing in
front of Maria.
Teacher: 4. Stand between Luis and Maria.
Where are you now?
Student: I am standing between Luis and
Maria.
Teacher: 5. Take the pencil and put it on table.
Where is the pencil now?
Student: The pencil is on the table.
Students can give directions to each other and other materials can be brought
to the classroom for further review.
(The activity will require them to get up and it is a hands on activity)
Furthermore, the activity can be turned into a game where students are divided into two groups to ask questions to each other. One side asks the question and a student from the other side answers or vice versa. The game would be used as a review exercise and a score could be kept if desired.
Once the teacher sees that the students have demonstrated proficiency, introduce a simple map where they begin to use street names and apply the use of the prepositions.
Example: Where is the candy store? It is on Park Street across from
the pet shop.
Once the students have mastered this, introduce vocabulary such as: walk up, walk down, walk along, turn left, turn right, on the left and on the right.
Introduce at this point how to ask for directions.
Examples:
Question: Excuse me, could you please tell me how to get to Poder Learning Center
from (cafeteria).
Answer: Certainly. Walk along Second Avenue to River Street and turn left. Walk up River Street and you’ll see Poder Learning Center on the left, across from the hospital.
Give them more questions for oral practice. Then have them work in small groups
or with a partner to write out the directions to specific questions.
Once they have completed this activity have them go online and use the Internet to find out specific addresses or locations that the teacher/facilitator would have prepared in advance. Use mapquest.com and have each of them explain in detail how to get from one place to another.
To further extend the activity the students can be asked to use maps off the
Internet or call public transportation for directions when taking the bus or
the train.
Evaluation: Students will be evaluated based on their responses when presenting the assignment from the Internet either orally or in writing and on how well they answered the requests for different directions.
Reference
Side by Side, Third Edition, Student book 2, copyright 2001.
Prentice Hall Regents, Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., A Person Education Company