Submitted by: Scott P, Sichuan College of Education (Chengdu)
Materials: Pieces of butcher paper or posters (one for each group of 3-4); markers; also you can make a list of hometowns as you take roll and then put up a piece of paper around the room with the name of each place.
Class size: 40-70
Duration: 90 minutes

Objective:

The following lesson aims to give a class of 40 – 70 students practice in giving and receiving directions in English in class through celebrating the home towns from which each student comes. The lesson aim is to get everyone talking in English the entire 90 minutes.

1. Taking Roll of Home: Call each student by name. Instead of saying “here”, ask them to stand and tell us their hometown using the invitational imperative, “Everyone, come to visit my hometown, ________. Then, if other students in the class are also from that hometown, they are to raise their hand and say “Yeah, ______”. The experience gives support to each student speaking and allows all to speak.

2. Warm Up: Simon Says as a Way of Practicing Imperative Commands/Review Vocabulary

Simon Says:

Stand up. Shake your head.
Sit down. Shake your hips.
Raise your right hand. Stand up if you are from __________.
Lower your right hand. Sit down. Stand up if you are from __________________.
Close your eyes.
Look up at the ceiling.
Open your eyes.
Look at the floor.
Take a deep breath.
Put your hand on your head.
Turn around.
Turn to the right.
Turn to the left.
Step forward.
Pick up something.
Put it down.

3. Presentation: Making Maps of Our Hometowns

Points:
a. Everyone has a hometown that has attractions.
b. How would you host someone from our class if we came to visit your
hometown? What would you show us?
c. How would we know how to get there? How would we know our way around your town if you were not there? And, what if we only could speak English?
d. Teacher can demonstrate by answering these questions based on their own hometown.

4. Practice: Instructions for Students in Making Maps and Giving Directions

a. Stand by the sign of your town that you see on the wall. In a group no larger than 4, do the following:

b. Make a map of your hometown, your province, or our city for a visitor who only speaks English. Imagine that you would not be there to help them. The map will be their only guide. Include directions (N,W, E, S); location of your house or the school ; write key street names; include hotels, restaurants, landmarks, and as many places as you can that would be of interest to a visitor. (15 minutes)

c. Get pieces of tape and post your map to the wall. Write in big letters the name of your hometown and a slogan or what your city is famous for.

d. Please stand together by your map. Is it accurate? Could you use it? What would be a hard question to ask in pursuit of directions?

e. Divide your group of four into two roles, ambassadors and guides. (Define these on the board for students).

i. GUIDES are 1 person or 2 persons that stay at their map to give directions to visitors. Students from other groups will come to see your town. Say welcoming words! Be enthusiastic about what a visitor can see! Use direction words: right, left, straight, near, across from; verbs: go up, take, see, look for

ii. AMBASSADORS are two group members who must take their notebook and go visit the maps of two at least two other hometowns. Pick places you have never been. Write down directions as to how to get to different locations in their city and how to get their from your original hometown. Write down the directions. List questions using participles: “In your town, where can I….go swimming, go hiking, go shopping, eating?” (15 Minutes)

f. Return to Groups and turn in your list of directions, with the name of the town to the GUIDES. Sit down in your original desk.

5. Closing Reflection: Call on the GUIDES to stand up with the directions given to them. Read these to the class. See if the other class members from that town think the directions are accurate. Find something supportive of every directions that are shared.

Closing Questions: What helps us give good directions? What would help us be better at receiving directions? What role was harder, being a guide or an ambassador? Why? Who has the most accurate/readable map? Why? What makes a good map? (list their responses on the board: ex. clear, direct, simple, accurate, detailed, colorful)

Tell them that the best real map of their hometown is not what they drew, but in their own knowledge. They can also be direction givers by being direct, clear, simple, colorful in giving directions, in using their language skills to welcome someone.