The following activity is intended to be realized with fourth year secondary students. The purpose of this activity is to get the students to vocabulary and expressions related to music. This activity is inserted in the Book Global English for fourth year of high school into the unit Young art. Biographies are used in addition, to understand more about the use of different tenses in past.
Objective: At the end of the activity, the students will be able to recognize different types of past tenses and vocabulary related to music and arts.
Cooperative project
Instructions:
The class is divided into 5- or 6-person jigsaw groups. One student from each group is appointed as the leader. The lesson is divided into 5-6 segments. The students are going to learn more about the famous singer Prince Royce. A short biography of him is divided into stand-alone segments on: (1) His childhood, (2) Adolescence, (3) His first steps into music, (4)His albums and work (5) His personal style.
Each student learns one segment, paying attention that students have direct access only to their own segment.
Time is given to the students to read over their segment at least twice and become familiar with it. There is no need for them to memorize it.
Temporary "expert groups" are formed by having one student from each jigsaw group join other students assigned to the same segment. These expert groups will have time to discuss the main points of their segment and to rehearse the presentations they will make to their jigsaw group.
The teacher brings the students back into their jigsaw groups.
The teacher asks each student to present her or his segment to the group. The group should ask questions for clarification if needed.
30 minutes