SCRIPT SEMINAR 'Class 4-8 with additional Class 9 if time'
This is to be very much an inter-active seminar. I propose we go right into 6/7, and back to 5/6 tomorrow to look at the work that needs to go before 6/7 (i.e. spelling - writing - reading). Some ice-breaker warm-ups to start with (we moved all the tables aside and arranged the seating into a circle).
A. MONDAY Class 6/7
1. THE BEAT
Five COUNTING-OUT RHYMES
Index-finger moves from one to the next stressing the beat.
Acker, Backer, Soda Cracker, Acker, Backer BOO; Acker Backer, Soda Cracker, OUT goes YOU!
Jeremiah blows the fire 'Puff, Puff, Puff.' First you blow it gently then you blow it ROUGH.'
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggarman, THIEF.'
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, Catch a monkey by his toe. If he hollers, make him pay, Fifty dollars every DAY!
One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes, four! Five potatoes, six potatoes, seven potatoes more! So out you must go, because the King and Queen say SO'
NB Beat is not the same as rhythm (see further down).
2. Five RIDDLES:
It's got hands and a face but no legs. (A clock)
I'm tall when I'm young and short when I'm old. (A candle)
What gets wetter and wetter as it dries? (A towel)
What month of the year has 28 days? (All of them)
What has legs but doesn't walk? (A table)
3. READER
A round of reading aloud to the others. All listeners close eyes and LISTEN OUT FOR Names, Numbers, International Words, Words they might already know.
Title:'The Curious Incident of the Dead Dog in the Night-Time'.
This was to establish how hard it is to read a text straight off, i.e. without knowing beforehand what you are going to read! As from tomorrow we will work our way backwards to discover what goes into good reading:
Knowing enough words to make sense of the sentence.
Knowing what the next sentence is saying.
Seeing clearly in the mind's eye who is the narrator, (in case of direct speech) who is speaking;
Atmosphere, situation, context etc.
5.SPEECH EXERCISE for sounds:
C (aspirated C) and CL (C not aspirated)
Come and clean the chaos in your closet.
Sheep should sleep in a shed not a ship.
'What cheek!' said one chick to the other.
The witch which bewitched this switch is Swiss.
for individual sounds: (deep/dip, sleep/slip, read/rid; for individual sounds: (deep/dip, sleep/slip, read/rid; 'Round and round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran.')
'Round and round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran.')
Six sticky skeletons (3x)
Unique New (nju) York (3x)
6. SPEECH EXERCISE connected with GRAMMAR:
'One dog, two dogs, One leaf - two leaves, One Life - two lives, One ox - two oxen etc.
'Where's the broom? - Inside the cupboard.
Where's the cupboard? - By the door.
Where's the door? - Beside the table.
Where's the table? - On the floor.
See Peter Oram "Just Mind Your Language" publ. by Starborn Books (sales@starbornbooks.co.uk)
How man cans can a cannibal nibble if a cannibal can nibble cans
(Can be conducted to emphasize the mini-pauses between parts of the whole
7. POEM: A longer poem telling a STORY.
Old Morgan had a lovely harp, / But he was no musician.
One day a man called ar his door / Upon a curious mission.
"I'm very hungry," said the man, / "Just hear my tummy rumble."
"Come in," said Morgan, "take a seat, / I'm not the man to grumble."
"I've eaten nothing," said the man, / "I'm as empty as a drum."
"Sit down," said Morgan, "rest yourself, /And please don't suck your thumb."
(If you cannot find the rest of this poem please don't hesitate to drop me a line).
B. TUESDAY, MAY 10th Class 4/5
1a. Leprechaun STORY: This happened in Ireland 180 years ago. Many people died because the only food they had was potatoes and many potatoes rotted so they had nothing to eat. An old man lived in a little cabin with his wife, who was blind. Their daughter and her husband also lived with them. The daughter had been waiting for a baby that wouldn't come.1b.Nasruddin Story ("Nasruddin came out of the mosque one day and found two beggards sitting there").
2. Transit into Discovering SPELLING RULES. In a first step towards systematic SPELLING, help the children to notice Short vowels:
bat/bad, bet/bed, bit/bid, rot/rod, cut/cud.
'Are there Spelling Rules for English?'
pat hate patting hating
pet Pete petting petered
hid hide kidding hiding
cop cope copping coping
cup cube cupping cubed
3.SPEECH EXERCISE: 'This is a pencil. - What is it? - It´s a pencil'. Ideal in U-shaped classroom seating order. The above is started at one end, a similar question with a 'biro' (=ball-point pen) is started simultaneously at the other end.
4. Dialogue Exercise: Where's the broom? - Inside the cupboard. Where's the cupboard? - By the door. Where's the door? - Beside the table. Where's the table? - On the floor. Where's the floor? You're standing on it. (See Peter Oram "Just Mind Your Language" publ. by Starborn Books Link: sales@starbornbooks.co.uk)>
5. RHYTHM First note the BEAT (in bold print). Then note the LONG syllables (red). Jack and Jill went up the hill, To fetch a pail of water, Jack fell down and broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after. Note that the 'longs' do not always coincide with the beat. The rhythm comes from a beat in the background and the interplay of LONG and SHORT syllables.
6. SPEECH EXERCISE
Tonguetwisters.s ('The bloke's back brake-block broke'). Speech exercises like having an argument.Repeat: How many cans ...' Counting up/down 100 -3/3-100
C. WEDNESDAY 2 p.m.
Class 5/6
1. Remember words from Leprechaun Story. Reconstruct. Order sentences. Learn by heart.
2. GRAMMAR: Irregular Verbs
3. Discuss. L/C strategies.
4. VOCABULARY round the circle miming a given object.
THURSDAY, MAY 12th Class 7
1. Write a POEM.
Look for something in the room. Write a sentence just describing it scientifically, not poetically.
Notice the lught in the room. Shadows, patterns. Write a sentence.
Listen out for noises in or outside the room. Write a sentence.
Look at one of the participants (as if you had never seen a human being before). Sentence about ONE THING you see.
Look at yourself in the same way. Write one sentence.
Now go back to all the sentences you have written. Now start being poetic. Cross out, add, change, reorder, rewrite, thinking about how it sounds. Make your rough notes into a poem.
Write it out neatly.
2. Write a SKETCH (Ticket Collector: See YOUTUBE 'The Ticket Inspector Sketch').
3. The 'ALIBI' Game
