Lesson Plan: "Imagine Finding Me" - Chino Otsuka

Chino Otsuka

Chino Otsuka - Imagine Finding Me 

Lesson Plan: Imagine Finding Me, Chino Otsuka

Level: B1+

   Language aim: Physical descriptions/clothes, comparative structures, ‘Used to’.

1. Ask students if they have a photo album where they keep family photos or photos of themselves when they were young. “When was the last time you looked at them?”
2. Tell the students that they’re going to look at some photos by a woman called Chino Otsuka who has had quite a lot of success with her work.
3. Show the first photo (if a student recognises them, ask him/her to not tell the information): Ask the following questions.
1. Where do you think this is? (There is English and Spanish text in the window, so be open to answers) When was this photo taken and how do you know? (From now to the last 40 years based on clothes, architecture…)
2. What is the relationship between the two people and why do you think so? ( Mother –daughter, aunt – niece, Big sister, Cousins, etc.)
3.  How old are they? (elicit, “about…”, “in her mid/early/late….”)
4. Go to the next photo. Ask:
1. Where and when was this photo taken? (Japan, based on the characters, though be open to the correct pronunciation of “China”). “When” can also elicit time of year (going on holiday or a day trip)
2. Are these the same people as in the previous photograph?
3. Who do you think took the picture?
5. Next photo:
1. How do you think these people are feeling? Why? (Physical distance between them could imply annoyance, irritation, etc.)
2.  What could have happened before the moment the photo was taken? (elicit may/might/could + have + participle)
6. Next photo:
1. Where was this photo taken (Europe, Asia…)?
2.  What are they doing? (elicit “having a break/snack”, “sightseeing”)
3. Do you think these are the same people? How old do they look? (It should be obvious that either the younger girl has grown or that it might be a different girl)
7. Ask the students why they think these photographs have been so successful. Is there anything special about them? The composition, the content…etc.? Then tell them that the photographer photoshopped/superimposed recent images of herself as an adult onto old images of herself as a child.
8. Go to the next slide and elicit comparisons:
1. How has she changed physically?
2. What do you think she used to like doing as a child? Does she feel the same as an adult?
9. Discussion Questions on next slide:

·      •Why do you think the photographer made these photos? What is she trying to say?

·      •Think about photos or videos you have of yourself as a child. Tell your partner about the photos (where, when, what was happening, etc.) What do you remember from those moments? Can you remember things that you used to like doing that you don’t anymore?

·      •If your childhood self traveled in time to the present day and found you, what do you think he/she would say or ask you? What would you say to him/her?

·      •Do you have any memories that you would have liked to have captured in a photograph or video? Why?

·      •Do you think that people will continue to print and make photo albums in the future? Or, will we keep our images in digital formats , e.g. on facebook, instagram, our computers?

·      •Media, images, and even books are now disappearing in physical format and moving to digital spaces. Talk about the advantages and disadvantages of printed material versus digital files. 

10. Optional follow-up: students bring childhood photos to class the next day and share with the class. They can describe the photo, what they used to be like, what they would do, what was difficult to get used to when they grew up, etc.

Chino Otuska

Chino Otsuka

Chino Otsuka

Carnival

      Having delved into photography and Visual Studies at university, I've nurtured an interest in visual information, how it's promulgated, how it communicates and is interpreted, how it interacts with text, where/how we see it, etc. So, it's no surprise that I'm interested in its use in the classroom and particularly, its potential within language learning.

      Inspired by this post by Ceri Jones, I made a lesson plan revolving around the Carnival in Cádiz, a huge event for the city and the people. I had two objectives: the first was to work with a topic that was relevant to my students' lives and needs. The second was to hone my "question-asking" skills in regards to encouraging the students to hypothesize narratives or additional imaginary information. My experience with image-use so far has led me to realize the importance of asking the 'right' questions (the 'obvious' ones get obvious answers), and choosing the 'right' images. (i.e. even though I think awkward family photos is amazing doesn't mean my students will). The lesson plan is specific to Cádiz but can be adapted to any local/national festival.

Lesson Plan: Carnival 

Level: B1 +

1. Tell the students that since Carnival is coming soon, you've found some images and you want to ask them some questions to get a better idea for yourself. But first, a few questions:

      a. What are some popular costumes? For women? For men? Children?

      b. How long does Carnival last?

© 2011 Andrea Mitchell

Men in Drag:

1. Where do you think this is? City/neighborhood? 
2. When do you think this is? Year? Day (of carnival)?
3. What is his/her costume? Explain/Describe. (This is what women in the Holy Week parades usually wear in the processions.)
4. Why are all the other people wearing the same costume? Is it normal for groups of people to wear the same costume?
5. What is he wearing around his neck? (It's a kazoo. This should elicit that they are in a "chirogota", or group of singers that perform unofficially, or "illegally", in the streets.)

© 2011 Andrea Mitchell

Float ladies:
1. Where are these women? What are they standing on?  
2. When does this event usually happen? (The first Sunday of Carnival)
3. They're wearing the same costume - does this mean they're in a singing group? (No, they've probably volunteered to work on the floats).
4. How much money do they get paid for their work? (As volunteers, they often pay up to 150 euros for the costume, i.e. to participate). Why do they volunteer?
5. Who do you think they're talking to? What might they be saying? Is this before, during, or after the parade? How do you know?

© 2011 Andrea Mitchell

Balloon Lady:
1. Where is this woman? What is she doing? (resting, waiting for somebody?)
2. What time of day is it? (This should lead into the deduction that this depicts a moment before the parade has started, as she has all her balloons and there's no trash in the streets.)

       In my lesson with B2/C1 students, I used more images, including one of a parade in Murcia (to talk about the different ways of celebration in different parts of Spain/the world), but this is the general gist.

       At the end, I told the students that I'd lied just a little, because I myself took the photos in last year's carnival. 

       At this point, the lesson can branch off in a number of ways. Because the lesson is based on students explaining the tradition of carnival to an "ignorant" foreigner, I thought it was most logical to continue in that line of thought.

     I asked my students to imagine that they were members of the city council and to create the text of a brochure (or information for the Cádiz website, e.g.) directed to outside visitors. I showed them the questions below in case they needed extra ideas. 

       Students can also talk in groups about their favorite costumes, years, experiences, etc. Or how they typically celebrate and with whom. One student brought up the idea that Carnaval has been changing since she was a child in terms of costume design/choice, the best nights to go out, the historical meaning, etc. If this thread had developed, I could have asked the students to write an essay about these changes (if this lesson was a segue from a writing lesson), prepare interview questions for famous public figures of Carnaval and have students act as the public figure and answer the questions, translate lines of songs from 'Chirigotas' into English, design costumes, etc.

      Because the students have a lifetime of experiences and memories associated with Carnaval, this was a rich topic and prompted a lot of conversation in my class. Also, the format can be easily applied to other festivals/practices. I find using material that prompts the students to share their own knowledge helps them feel empowered as language learners and hopefully, is a more effective means for memory retention in the long run.

Green Eggs and Ham

Lesson Plan

Level: Elementary to Pre-intermediate (A2)

Language aim: Listening, prepositions (in, on, with)

Topic: children's stories/morals

1. Ask the students: "Have you ever eaten food that was a different color than what you had expected? E.g. Green ketchup? Clear coca cola? Century Eggs? Black pasta? Did it taste differently than the ''normal-colored" food?

2.  Tell the students that they're going to watch a video of an English author (Neil Gaiman of novels and comic books, including "The Sandman" and "Coraline") read a short book called "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss. The students listen/watch the video and fill-in the gaps of the sentences below. (You may have to explain that "SAM-I-AM" is the name of the character...)

Complete the following:

Where does "SAM-I-AM" suggest eating green eggs and ham?

Part I:

1. Would you like them here or there?

2. Would you like them _____ ___ ____________?

3. Would you like them  _____ ___ ____________?

4. Would you eat them  _____ ___ ____________?

5. Would you eat them  _____ ___ ____________?

6. Would you, could you  _____ ___ ____________?

7. You may like them  _____ ___ ____________.

8. Could you, would you,  _____ ___ ____________?

9. Would you, could you, _____ ___ ____________?

10. Would you, could you,  _____ ___ ____________?

11. Could you, would you,  _____ ___ ____________? 

12. Would you, could you,  _____ ___ ____________?

Part II:

What do you think the moral of the story is?  

a. If you are persistent, you can convince anyone to do what you want.

b. Food tastes better if you eat it in different places and in the company of small mammals.

c. You should try things before judging them.

answers:

1. Would you like them here or there?

2. Would you like them in a house?

3. Would you like them with a mouse?

4. Would you eat them in a box?

5. Would you eat them with a fox?

6. Would you, could you in a car?

7. You may like them in a tree.

8. Could you, would you, on a train?

9. Would you, could you, in the dark?

10. Would you, could you, in the rain?

11. Could you, would you, with a goat? 

12. Would you, could you, on a boat?

The gist question is obviously open to debate, but the generally-accepted conclusion is that the answer is "C".

Post-task (depending on level): 

In groups of 2-3, the students write a short children's book. First, elicit one-syllable words. (Or write on the board: life, one, eye, cat, air, king, ate, end, near, love, day, it, at, see, go.) This lesson can either branch off into a pronunciation lesson, focusing on rhyming vowel phonemes and writing poems, or it can become a group creative writing assignment to write a short children's' book with a moral. Elicit common lessons that young children usually learn and/or provide a list if necessary. (I found a list of morals to aesop's fables HERE.)

• "Appearances are often deceiving." - The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
• "Slow and steady wins the race." - The Hare and the Tortoise
• "Little friends may become great friends." - Aesop's fables: Lion and the Mouse

If the level of the class is elementary, I would suggest focusing on pronunciation and/or poetry, rather than writing a full children's story. Another option is to eliminate the moral and allow the students more liberty in the creation period. 

Of course, there are many more alternatives - feel free to adapt as fit!