Week 8

Activity

Time

Instructions 

Materials

Gain attention

Activities: 

visual

15” 

Tower Build” 

Write the statement:  Sorry for the

Have participants use tower build conversation technique. 

Have teachers do tower build conversation from: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FiSYUGNEf-lzVJzjZV-0cglGfmHgrdhF/view

If you don’t have blocks  do: Discussion Web

Divide into groups with 5-7 people in each group.  Give them a large ball of string one person holds the end of string and starts. The next person whom wants talk takes the string. ( The first person does not let go of string the keep the end the next person just holds a section.)

See pictures of activity in file for help. 

Inform learners of objectives

Activity: 

Write On board or show in power point

5”

Introduce objectives on the board. By the end of the workshop participants you will be able to:

• describe the benefits of communicative language teaching through discussions and debates and how to use them in the EFL classroom 
• explore various cooperative learning and interactive language tasks and strategies that build language proficiency and a classroom discourse community 
• develop higher order thinking questions that encourage critical thinking in the classroom 
• design ways you plan to integrate and manage learning activities that support a communicative approach for language learning in your classroom 

Stimulate recall of prior learning

Activity:

Small group discussion.  

15” 

“ Bucket of prompts”

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sx9yWiUxc7mJgCtsQ0T3YZWksTybBsL6/view

Have each participant write a statement about teaching English. 

Play Bucket Prompts using these statements: 

None

Present the content

Mock Debate 

20 

Divide into to two teams.  

Each team gets GO to work on. 

DO tap in debate. 

Have 3 people from each group (total 6) sit together the others stand around them .  

Only those sitting can talk.  If someone wants to add to the discussion they need tap on a persons shoulder  so then change place and participate. 

Four corners

20

Trainer make s a statement see below. Participants will choose to stand near the answer they chose. Answers will be subjective as every trainee look at the issue according to their personal beliefs. Answers may be: agree, disagree, strongly agree and strongly disagree. 

Participants move to the corner that reflects their opinion of the statement. 

The participants that are in the same corner then discuss why they chose that corner.  

Have each corner choose a representative and have representatives come to center to discuss their choices.  Trying to get the others to move.  

Possible statements to argue: 

• Adjusting textbooks can lose coherence in teaching 
• Applying to all content of textbooks is not necessary 
• Private education can prepare more successful students than public education 
• Public education should include social justice
• Inclusivity term in higher education should be added
• Transparency should be established in all government organizations
• Teacher should always give written formal feedback
• Schools still have more advantages than disadvantages 
• Parents should be engaged into learning process to check their children’s study 

Trainers will check comprehension of teachers by giving extra questions and asking repeating instructions. 

Discussion

You have done 4 types of discussions/debates

1. Which was the most interesting and why? 

2. What do “discussions” and “debates” look like for you? How about in your classroom instruction?

3.  How do you usually get students interested in discussing a new topic in your class?

4. How do you generally select the topics of discussion for class? Do students have any choice or input in selecting topics?

5. What are your challenges and possible solutions for facilitating discussions and debates in your language classroom?

IF time allows read together if not read as homework: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uEuXBHagpDB0pNxAtZtZspryKfELm7Gf/view

5. Guide learning 

Activity 1 

Part 1 video 

Part 2 round robin

45”

One of the most important parts of setting up good discussions and debates is asking the right types of questions lets explore this more. 

Part 1: 

1.  Look at the list of questions about Cinderella

Which are questions are hared require more thinking? 

Watch video: https://youtu.be/FE8wW9jLk3g

Review the questions are there any changes? 

Discuss: 

LOTS: 

Answer given in reading or listening

Students recite an answer

HOTs:

Answers not provided 

Students use info from reading or listening to figure out an answer. 

Part 2: 

On top of papers put other famous fairy tales or stories ( 5-6 pieces of paper) 

make 5 or 6 groups depending on how many papers you have. 

Give each group 2min to write  HOTS and LOTS f

After 2 min rotate to new story and 2 min to write. 

Continue rotating till each group has written questions for each story. 

If time allows: Once back at original have them identify type of questions

See answers below

various handouts from file 

6. Elicit performance (practice)

Participants choice

Give teachers 3 options 

This module introduced several ideas for integrating discussion activities and debates in your language classroom. Based on your preference, choose one of the following tasks:

ONE

After reading “Critiquing Questions”, create a question bank with 3-5 question starters you can use in a discussion or debate activity.

TWO

Select an image that connects to one of your lessons or units. Create Higher Order Thinking (HOT) Questions to engage students in discussion on that image. Post in your portfolio.

THREE

Create a list of debate topics that align with your curricula. Post a “Bucket of Prompts” in your portfolio. 

Use the template below when creating your activity:

Activity/Lesson Name:

Grade level / Unit (if applicable):

Activity Description:

• The purpose of this activity is to…

• These activity will be effective for this lesson/unit because…

• Here are some steps to help you use this activity in your classroom…

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

7. Provide feedback

Present

30”

Have each groups do a short 5min presentation on what they came up with.  

8. Assess performance

Hots Lots

10

Participants write 2 LOTS questions about todays topic 

and 2 HOTS  questions from todays topic.  

White boards 

9. Enhance retention and transfer

Take it to School

Apply

?

Teachers should do a discussion or debate activity  t in their class. Take a short video of discussion post in group.