Mr.T's creative thinking lesson for 12th graders



Teaching this afternoon class of 12th graders is proving to be a challenge for me.  These are students who have not passed the English part of their "O" level exam.  A passing grade on this exam is key to a job in the islands.



Right from the beginning of class, with the  "Starter Activity" I try to stimulate their brain with something different.

Following the "Starter Activity" the next activity was reviewing yesterday's vocabulary from the story "The Magic Pebbles."  Rather than have students write the definitions, I had them illustrate them. 

Writing a definition would have meant that they would have simply re-written what I'd written on the board.

Each student needed to illustrate either nomad or celestial, and then one of the following:  anticipation, saddle bags, menial, or revelation.

Yesterday I'd explained that there are some people in Asia, who live on boats and can be considered nomadic.



Celestial..... I noted to the student that it looked like she was drawing me...... that no one had ever illustrated me as an angel!




Another celestial being..... this one I noted to the student looked like it was showing..... anticipation!



My listening activity.... leading to a writing activity.

There is an island, just below the horizon.
There are three palm trees on the island.
One palm tree has 5 coconuts.
One palm tree has three crows sitting in it.
One palm tree has a bat sleeping in it.
There is one road on the island.
On one side are 8 houses, a mosque and a school.
On the other side, a playground, 2 stores and a restaurant.
On the left is a beautiful blue lagoon.
6 fishing boats and one ferry and in the lagoon.
A white sandy beach is on the left side of the island with a family of 5 having a picnic.



I'd told students that there were two parts to this drawing assignment..... so first I allowed them time to draw the island and all that was on it.



Island drawing completed, I continued my story.  They (the students) were walking along the island when suddenly, they saw a creature!  Was it part animal and part fish?  Part fish and part insect?  8 legs or 4 fins?  Scales or fur?  Was it scary or did they want to go over and touch it?

The creatures the students came up with were, well, unreal!



A bird fish or fish bird? 



A bat fish....

I think this one had something to do with with being a vamphire....

Or maybe this one was the vamphire jelly fish...

A tuna elephant with wings.

Our fine feathered friend..... the bird fish.

Part of the "O" level exam is for the students to write a letter to a friend.

As a final step in this lesson, I gave the students a letter format, and asked them to write me a letter.  I gave them the opening paragraph and the beginning sentences of paragraphs 2 and 3. 

In paragraph two, they were to describe their island.  In paragraph 3 they were to describe their creature.

When the students had finished, I had them count the words in the letter, since one of the guidelines for the exam is that the letter can be no more than 200 words.