Конспект урока «Exams: how to cope with stress» по английскому языку для 9 класса

Svetlana Ryazantseva, teacher of English

Municipal secondary school “Dmitrov Gymnasium “Logos”

Open class

“Exams: how to cope with stress”

Form 9; Level Intermediate

Date: April, 17, 2014

Goal: to discuss the good and bad points of taking exams and offer some ways to cope with the exam stress. Write a letter to a friend, offering some advice on releaving exam stress

Objectives:

1. Brainstorm for ideas about exams

2. Give opinions on good and bad sides of exams

3. Skim text for main points of information; analyse information to give opinions

4. Perform a dispute for/against exams

5. Roleplay a dialogue making suggestions how to relieve exam stress

6. Learn how to persuade / make excuses

7. To encourage the students to use the vocabulary on the topic of “Exams”

8. To encourage the students to use phrases, expressing the opinion like “I believe, In my opinion, etc”

9. To practice using linkers such as “moreover, as well as, on the other hand, etc.”

10. To practice listening and speaking

Technologies used in the course of a lesson:

1. Communicative technology

2. Group work technology

3. ITC technology

Exam strategies: letter writing; communication activity – a dialogue; reading for specific information

Language skills, developed throughout the lesson: speaking, listening, reading, writing

Equipment: projector, whiteboard (or a screen), computer with an access to the Internet, presentation, handouts, coursebooks Enterprise IV, coursebook p125, by V.Evans /J. Dooley; Express Publishing, Get on Track to FCE. Coursebook pp……… by Jane Allemano; Longman ,Blockbuster 4. Student’s book, pp52-53.By J. Dooley &V. Evans. Express Publishing, Practice Exam Papers for the RNE p99, by O.Afanasyeva, V.Evans, V. Kopylova. Express Publishing/Prosveshcheniye ( you have got all necessary material in the Supplement)

Lesson plan

1. Greetings

2. Warming-up activity (introducing the topic)

1. Watch a 2 min video “Mr. Bean takes an exam”

2. Ask the students to comment on the video (possible questions: What general idea have you got concerning exams?

How does the character feel?

What’s your opinion: did he perform well in the exam? Why? )

3. Main part Slide 1 - Slide 2

1. (Introducing the objectives) Well, you can guess now what problematic issue we are going to discuss now. (students’ answers)

(to sum it up): to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the exams; to offer some ways to cope with stress and prepare to write a letter giving advice.

2. Let’s start with your own experience Slide 3

– Have you ever taken an exam? When?

• Did you like the experience? Why?

• Should we ban the exams? Why?

- So, as you’ve said exams might have their positive sides as well. (together with negative ones)

3. Reading, speculating (Slide 4)

Enterprise IV, coursebook p125, by V.Evans /J. Dooley; Express Publishing

- Read the following comments made by students and decide whether each is for or against taking exams

(students then all read and discuss the comments and make their decisions)

- Let’s see what we’ve got – how many points for and how many against(Slide 5).So, we’ve got 4 comments “for” and 4 comments “against”. A draw! (students all get a printed worksheet with the result of the previous activity – supplement 1)

4. Brainstorming for the ideas about exams.

• Rearrange the desks so that we can work in groups. Group 1 think of some other points against exams whereas Group 2 consider some extra points in favour of exams. You’ve got 2 minutes. (students discuss in groups and make notes in their copybooks) Don’t forget to use the following phrases to express your agreeing or disagreeing. (Slide 6)

5. Dispute. Giving opinions on good and bad sides on the exams.

• Now, when you’ve finished, you are going to persuade the other group to accept your point of view. Be polite (use the phrases from Slide 6). Again, you’ve got 2 minutes. (students perform their arguments in turn, using the appropriate expressions of agreeing and disagreeing)

6. (after the discussion is over) - Well, you see, there are so many points both in favour and against exams, so let’s agree to differ! Exams are inevitable. We can’t avoid taking exams! So, what can be done about the whole situation? - Nothing, but help find the ways to reduce stress and pass the exams successfully!

7. Reading. Skim texts for main points of information; analyse information to give opinions. (supplement 2) Slide 7 – a picture of your student

Get on Track to FCE. Coursebook pp……… by Jane Allemano; Longman

(Handout with the texts are distributed among students .)

- You are going to read how some students cope with the exams. Read carefully since you have to justify your choice. Underline or highlight the clues in the texts. Complete the task individually. (2-3 min)

• After you’ve finished, check the answers in your group. Justify your answers.

• Now, make notes on ways to cope with the exams, offered by these students. We might need them later. (students make notes in their copybooks if they have time).

7. Communication. Reading and filling the gaps.(Slide 8)

Blockbuster 4.Student’s book, pp52-53.By J. Dooley &V. Evans. Express Publishing.

• Look at the dialogue between two students. Think of the possible replies to fill in the gaps. Work in pairs. (students offer the variants, discuss)

• Now, let’s listen and check (Let’s see the correct answers). Slide 9

• - OK, you’ve got the model. Shall we read this aloud? Beautifully? (2 most gifted students read aloud the dialogue, or the ones who enjoy doing it)

7. Roleplay a dialogue making suggestions how to relieve exam stress

• Use the tips from some youth magazine (supplement 3) and the plan on the whiteboard (Slide 10) to make up a similar dialogue. Work in pairs first, then you’ll act it out in front of the class. Be polite and use the phrases ( from the slide 10)to persuade, to reject an offer, to accept an offer. (students work in pairs, making up a dialogue). After they’ve finished, some pairs perform in front of the class

4. Summing-up. Feedback. To sum it up, you’ve discussed good and bad points of sitting exams, read about and offered different ways of overcoming the exam stress, you’ve also made up and poleplayed a dialogue on offering ways to reduce stress. Now you are better equipped to fight your exam stress if there is any.

5. Home assignment. Write a letter to your friend concerning exams and answer his questions. Slide 11

Practice Exam Papers for the RNE p99, by O.Afanasyeva, V.Evans, V. Kopylova. Express Publishing/Prosveshcheniye

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen friend who writes:

…Well, my exams start next week and I’m feeling a little stressed even though I studied hard. How often do you have exams in your school? Do you like taking exams? How do you cope with the pressure?

Write a letter to Jack. In your letter answer his 3 questions. Write 100-120 words. Remember the rules of letter writing.

(If there is some time left the letter is written in class.)

Good-bye! (Slide 12)

Supplement 1

Enterprise IV, coursebook p125, by V.Evans /J. Dooley; Express Publishing

for

Enterprise IV, coursebook p125, by V.Evans /J. Dooley; Express Publishing

for

Enterprise IV, coursebook p125, by V.Evans /J. Dooley; Express Publishing

for

Supplement 2. Get on track to FCE. Coursebook p by Jane Allemano; Longman

You are going to read a magazine article in which six students say how they cope with exams. For questions 1-14, choose from the people A-F. The people may be chosen more than once. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Which of the students

think you should keep a sense of humour?

How to cope with exams

For many students, the run-up to important exams is a stressful time. Six students explain how they cope.