Teaching Environment: Web based teaching and learning, Audio-visual setup environment: skype
Target Learners: High intermediate High school students in China
Learning Objectives:Learning Grammar on discourse level
Lesson Overview:
Topic: Imaginative Conditional Sentences
Class #1: Hypothetical Conditionals
Target Group: 15-20 High school students
Age of students: 16-18
Skill Level: High Intermediate
Objectives: The students will be able to identify, write and use the hypothetical conditionals in sentences and communicative activity.
Time: 60 minutes
Recourse: Computer for playing songs and Youtube Video
Note:
My lesson plan includes two classes because imaginative conditional sentences are divided into two types conditionals based on their meaning. Each class will focus on only one meaning.
Teaching Imaginative Conditional Sentences should be on both sentence level and discourse level, especially the latter. Therefore, my presentations will begin with implicit instruction based on discourse, such as music songs and native speakers’ conversation videos, and then move on to demonstrate grammar rules .
Warm-up: (5 minutes)
Songs with “hypothetical conditionals”
Hannah Montana If We Were a Movie
1) Play the song
2) Discuss the lyrics with students
“If we were a movie/You’d be the right guy/And I’d be the best friend/ That you’d fall in love with/In the end/We’d be laughing/Watching the sunset/Fade to black/Show the names/Play that happy song”
3) Analyze the song’s meaning:
Hanna Montana described her imaginary that she was in the movie with the boy, who she likes. They would be the best friend, watching the sunset, and so on.
Presentation: (10+15=25 minutes)
Watch the Native Speakers’ Interview Video:
Youtube Video “What would you do if you won 10 million dollars?”
1) Watch the Video
2) Ask the students to give some examples of the answer they hear.
For example: I would buy a apartment in New York.
I would put them in the bank.
3) Have the students interview each other via Skype: What would you do if you won 10 million dollars? Ask them answer by using the same grammar structure as the native speakers in the video .
Wikispaces
Elicit a rule from the student:
1) Ask student to summary the grammar structure.
Blackboard Note:
if-clause: would-clause:
past simple tense would/could/might +verb
2) Form:
This structure is created by the use of a dependent if clause with the verb in the simple past and an independent result clause with the modal verb in the past form (would, could, might).
3) Meaning/Use:
We use the grammar structure to express something imaginary that is impossible in the present or something that is not realistic at the moment, but isn’t impossible for the future.
4) Exception:
a. When used in the if-clause, the verb “be” is always used as “were” no matter who the subject is.
b. In the real conversation, because the result would-clause is independent, sometimes the imaginative conditional sentences do not accompanied by if-clauses .
5) Give some more examples:
If he studied more, he would pass the exam.
I would lower taxes if I were the President.
They would buy a new house if they had more money.
Practice: (10+15=25 minutes)
Make the hypothetical conditional sentences
1) Divide student into pairs
2) Ask them to make the hypothetical conditional sentence with if-clause in 5 minutes in wikispace
4) When time up, each pair will present one sentence. The whole class will discuss if anyone disagrees.
Worksheet:
1. You do not live in France. You do not eat escargot.
2. You have a newborn baby at home. You do not go out very much.
3. Your family lives in another city. You only have the opportunity to see them about four times a year.
4. Jean will stop by your house this afternoon. You have a birthday present for her.
5. Your friend Betty rides to the park every Sunday. She is in great shape. (negative)
6. Chris lives in Mexico City. He doesn’t call you very often because it is so expensive.
7. Your neighbor, Kathy, hates mushrooms. You never cook any dishes with mushrooms for him .
8. Anna plays the drums. She does not play in a band.
Conditional Chain Activity
1) It is a whole class activity
2) Demonstrate how to play: Someone (Demonstration is the teacher)starts chain with one sentence. Then next student uses second half of first sentence to build second sentence.
For example: Student A: If George Carlin were our English teacher, he would make us laugh in class every day. Student B: If we laughed in class every day, we would enjoy that class. Students C: If we enjoyed English class, we would pay attention in class. Student D: If we paid attention in class, we might learn more…
3) Give students 10 minutes to discuss and do the activity
4) Ask students to repeat their sentence by the sequence and write them on the blackboard. Keep the first If-clause and erase the rest of them.
For example, If George Carlin were our English teacher, he would make us laugh in class every day. If we laughed in class every day, we would enjoy that class. If we enjoyed English class, we would pay attention in class. If we paid attention in class, we might learn more
5) Let students aware the situation: Would-Clauses without Adjacent If-Clauses—based on one of my research paper .
Application:
1)Quiz
2)Students write one or two paragraphs about their imaginary in specific situation that something is impossible in the present or something that is not realistic at that moment, but isn’t impossible for the future. If they are difficult to come up with the situation, they may choose one topic from following list
I. Your flight to Chicago has been delayed for four hours. You are hungry, but there is no restaurant at the airport.
II. You do not know how to swim. There is a beautiful pool with man made waterfalls in your new school apartment.
III. Your best friend is planning to visit you in San Antonio this weekend. He has been to San Antonio a few times before, and he does not want to see the Riverwalk again. Where will you take him ?
IV. You have class tomorrow night and a big project is due. Your classroom has just invited you to a party .
