Learning English through Popular

CultureNSS Network Informal

GatheringJune 25th 2010

Promote sharing ofexperiences

ideasresources

NSS Network E-grouphttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/NSSnetwork

/

handout

Getting to know one another

• Tell your group members:

– Your name– Your school– Levels and no. of classes

you’re teaching

Warm-up activity• Follow the instructions to play the game.• Listen carefully!• Slap/escape when you hear the word

“module(s)”

School sharing: GCC&ITKD Lau Pak Lok Sec

SchoolMs Au Yong Tan Fung

Ms Luk Wing YanMs Ma Ho Yan

Ms Lai Wing Yee

Students:• Average ability• Weaker in this year’s S4

Background

School background

Teachers:• Experienced in teaching LA• Developing expertise in

designing materials• Planning group set up

Rationale

• Variety of text types• Interesting topics for students• Can include SBA tasks • Not much ready-made material available

School-based module on popular culture

Arrangement for teaching the electives

Year Term 1 Term 2

SS1 Core Popular Culture

SS2 Poems and SongsWorkplace

Communication

SS3 Core Core

Module overviewNo of lesson

sContent

2 Defining popular culture

4 Introducing heroes and villains

10Superhero movie review and

discussion

8 Real life heroes and villains

6 Advertising and movie trailers

6Final task – writing a scene from a

movieExtra-curricular programme

• Supporting decisions• Vocabulary related

to superheroes• Describing

appearance and character

Introducing heroes and villains

1. Categorising famous people

2. Reading about comic book heroes

3. Creating a superhero

• Defining popular culture

• Asking questions• Reporting

Defining popular culture1. Categorising pictures2. Class survey3. Report and definition

ObjectivesActivities

Categorising pictures

Report and definition

• Describing character, justifying opinions

• Discussion skills and language

• Vocabulary for giving opinions of a movie

Superhero movie review and discussion

1. Commenting on characters in a movie

2. Evaluating a student discussion

3. Writing a review4. Comparing two

movies

ObjectivesActivities

Work on “Spiderman”

• Plot summary, setting and characters

• Vocabulary work on the plot summary

• Comparing the characters of Peter and Harry

• Discussion questions• Writing a letter to

Mary Jane

• Which is the most important event in the story?

• Who is a better boyfriend for MJ – Peter or Harry?

• What kind of superpowers would you like to have?

Discussion

watching a student interaction

http://www.hkedcity.net/article/project_sba_eng_present/ep4/

assessment rubric

reading and writing a review

SBA task

• Reading and listening skills

• Speaking

Advertising and movie trailers

1. Reading about advertising techniques

2. Analysing a movie trailer3. Writing a voice-over

• Listening and reading skills

• Language features of a biographical article

• Presentation skills

Real life heroes and villains

1. Watching an interview with a famous person

2. Reading a biographical article

3. Writing a biographical article

4. Giving a presentation

ObjectivesActivities

biography

preparing presentation

sample presentation

adverts

movie trailers

• Dialogue writing• Understanding

assessment criteria

Final task – writing a scene from a movie

1. Learning features of a screenplay

2. Watching and evaluating a student movie

3. Writing a scene from a movie in the format of a screenplay

4. Recording the scene (optional)

ObjectivesActivities

sample screenplay

students’ work

With thanks to staff and students at NLSI Lui Kwok Pat Fong College

assessment rubric

The Metalmen

School Hero

Assessment – Portfolio Contents

1A paragraph about popular culture in Hong Kong

2 Letter to Mary Jane

3 Movie discussion evaluation

4 Movie review (with evaluation rubric)

5A biography of a famous person (with evaluation rubric)

6Presentation about a famous person evaluation

7Movie trailer voice over (with evaluation rubric)

8 Movie screenplay (with evaluation rubric)

9 400 word essay

10 My reflections an this module

Do you remember that Harry’s father said bad things about you. Harry didn’t speak up for you. That shows that he was cowardly and weak. A good boyfriend shouldn’t do it

Letter to Mary Jane

Extract from movie review

Assessment

The marks for the portfolio relate to students term marks for English:

- Two pieces of writing (Letter to Mary Jane and a movie review)

- Movie Clip- SBA (Group Discussion)

Examination- Writing Paper

Write one long essay in about 400 words

Responses from students and teachers

Teachers• Watching the sample

group discussion is particularly useful

• Students learn many useful phrases and expressions from the movie reviews

• Too much focus on movies, may include issues like social networking

• Students need more help in writing a persuasive letter and a voice-over

Students• Love to make a movie

clip• Find the topics

interesting• Particularly interested

in analyzing the technical aspects e.g. camera angles

• Advertising skills like use of humor can attract students’ attention

• Writing a voice-over for a movie trailer is too difficult for them

Improvements for the future

• Provide a wider variety of text types and media for students to study (eg social networking media, etc)

• Need to introduce new elements each time – after all, this is popular culture……

• Include an exam-type writing task at the end of the module

Thank you!Any questions?

http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/languagesupport/resource/english/88S/

index.htm

For downloading worksheets etc:

Sharing resources

Refer to the form and material you brought with you

Share your texts with the group

Check out the

recommend-ations on the NSS

Network E-group!

Useful websites (from e-group)

Thank you!

Please don’t forget the evaluation form