Archived from Englipedia.
Originally submitted by Steve Martin on Feb 13, 2014.
DETAILED EXPLANATION:
- Put the large example map on the board. Ask what it is. Point out the bus stop differences - white circle only stops on that color line; white oval you can change buses; and white arrow only goes the specified direction.
- Put the house near the "1st Street" bus stop and McDonalds (or whatever destination) near the "10th Street" bus stop. Put your little person on the 1st Street bus stop.
- Put the grammar on the board - "Could you tell me the way to McDonalds?" - check meaning, then work through each step of the directions moving your guy accordingly. If done clearly, they catch on quick. The grammar is review of New Crown 2 and 3 We're Talking 1.
- Break them into groups of three and give each group an A3 city bus map and worksheet.
- Tell them they are working at a hotel helping customers and have them find the hotel on the map (which uses Hantagawa bus stop as the starting point).
- Work through the example on the worksheet spending a few extra minutes so each group can do it and realizes it's no more difficult that tracing colored lines.
- When everyone is good with the example, put the "customers" on the board (envelopes with slips of paper in them).
- Students will take Customer 1's paper, write directions on the worksheet, and then show a teacher the route. The teacher signs the worksheet if the route is okay (no wrong answer, they just have to make it to the destination).
- Let them continue until time is up; I only had one group in six classes make it through all five. But Customer 6 is there just in case.
VARIATIONS:
- You could have them use the bus number instead of the color, but using the color is easier to trace out when checking the route and gives them more spelling practice (light and purple were surprisingly difficult).
- I only played it as a standard envelope race in one class and it added some excitement.
TEACHING SUGGESTIONS:
- Use a basic simplified map (attached) on the board to make sure they understand how to use the map - bus stops, changing buses, routes. It will likely be the first time using a bus map for many of them.
- I used a section of Naha, the capital of Okinawa, but it probably makes sense to make something relevant to your area so they know the destinations.
- I found that map via Google and cropped it down to a manageable area/size.
- The JTE's were a bit concerned with the map overwhelming the students but, with a good demo and spending a few minutes working through the example, they catch on really quick.
- Change the writer after every customer.
TIPS/CAUTIONS:
- I looked at this as part life skill lesson and part English class. They seemed to enjoy the puzzle aspect of it
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