IDEAS AND A QUARREL
Ideas have consequences.
1. WORKSHEET: Ideas are tricky to convey in a second language class! Illustrations can be more powerful than words–especially in the realm of ideas! Print a “cartoon” worksheet for each student to fill in and keep.
2. ANALOGY: An analogy is a comparison between two things. Analogies are often used in humor, poetry, and metaphors. They are word puzzles that train students to analyze relationships, build vocabulary, and increase their creativity. Analogies are an exercise in inductive reasoning. Many qualifying examinations include analogies.
A. COMPETITION: Devise a competition to solve the analogies. Try pairs and teams. Award points or privileges!
University is to college as unique is to (one, two, three).
Disobey is to defy as idea is to (blink, ink, think).
Laptop is to computer as quarrel is to (agree, argue, again).
What is the relationship between the pairs of words in these analogies? ANSWER: Synonyms.
SYNONYMS EXERCISE: Demonstrate how to play. The teacher says a word and everyone yells out the synonym. Bad (naughty); big (large); thought (idea); murder (kill); ill (sick); unhappy (sad).
Now–give the class a chance to think of a word, say it to the class, and the class must call out the opposite. Play briskly!
B. COMPOSITION: Explain how analogies are constructed. Let students compose analogies to pose to the class! A higher order skill is to compose one that pertains to the lesson topic.
3. DRAW & TALK
Before class, listen to the podcast. Illustrate the ideas on the board or big sheets of paper. Instruct the class to draw the ideas on their worksheets. Have the class find famous locations on a world map. Be creative! Bring objects to demonstrate the ideas!
30SEC SPEECHES: Impromptu speeches are a chance to use reason and imagination. Students have 30 seconds to present their ideas on the issues. There are a series of three Impromptu Speeches–one for each kind of idea about history.
A. Students line up in two lines. Turn and face one another. Slide about to face a partner.
B. Designate one the North Line and the other the South Line–or Line “A” and Line “B.”
C. Announce the first topic. Give class 1MIN to collect their thoughts.
D. At your instruction, everyone in the North facing line deliver their 30SEC speech to their partner. Then rotate! ONLY ONE LINE ROTATES. First person in ONE line turn and walk to the opposite end of the line. All slide one space to face new partner.
E. Next the partners in the opposite line deliver their 30SEC impromptu speech.
F. Rotate again so new partners face one another.
G. Announce the second speech topic–and begin. Rotate again and so on.
H. Follow this pattern for all impromptu speeches in the lesson.
UNIQUE: IMPROMPTU SPEECHES
1. Tell one reason why your country is unique. 30SEC.
2. How are you unique? 30SEC.
3. What is one unique thing about this university? 30SEC.
IDIOM: With friends like that who needs enemies?
Idioms are culturally specific expressions whose meaning is not clear from a literal definition of the words. Ask the class to guess the meaning. Ask how the idiom relates to the ideas in the lesson. Last – ask if they have a similar idiom in their own language!
IDEAS: IMPROMPTU SPEECHES
1. Why are ideas so powerful? 30SEC.
2. What idea would you be willing to die for? 30SEC
3. QUOTE: Do not let the sun go down on your anger. 30SEC.
THREE LECTURES: IMPROMPTU SPEECHES
1. What is the best lecture you have heard at university? 30SEC.
2. What lecture would you like to deliver at university? 30SEC
3. What do you do during a boring lecture? 30SEC.
COMPREHENSION CHECK: Erase the board. Have the class draw and re-tell the story of the Ideas and a Quarrel.
4. THE SEAL AND MOTTO OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY
A. Bring a copy of the Oxford University seal to class. Have the students draw the Oxford seal on their worksheet.
B. Discuss the significance and meaning of the university’ s motto.
5. CONFLICT: Role Play
Speaking is more than reading/reciting dialogs aloud. 1MIN Role Plays are a chance to pretend to be a character in the story and imagine what they were feeling and thinking.
Conflict – a struggle, battle, or quarrel.
1MIN ROLE PLAY: King Henry II and the Archbishop of Canterbury had a conflict about ideas.
A. Ask students to define “conflict.”
B. Divide the class in half to portray the sides of the conflict–half will be the King and the other half will be the Archbishop.
C. Make small groups of Kings and small groups of Archbishops. Allow 5MIN for them to review their worksheets and rehearse so they can argue their side.
1. Imagine what the characters were feeling and thinking.
2. Guess what their ideas and opinions were.
D. PAPERS DOWN.
E. Explain that in a moment they are to shuffle. Each King needs to find an Archbishop. They are to role play the conflict–NOT READ or recite what they remember!
F. DEMONSTRATE: How to role play.
G. 1MIN ROLE PLAY: Shuffle and have a conflict. Then again. Shuffle 3-4 times and have conflicts with a new King or Archbishop each time.