Background Information

Setting: St. Andrs is an Episcopalian school located in Hinche, Haiti. Currently, English
instruction begins in the seventh grade. This lesson will be part of a curriculum to begin English
instruction in the sixth grade. The school has limited resources and large classrooms. The
curriculum is based on communicative language teaching.
Level: This is an early beginning course.
Age: The learners are sixth graders around twelve years of age.
Linguistic Background: Students have little exposure to the English language and have had no
formal English instruction. The students L1 is Haitian Creole and they have had three to four
years of formal French instruction.
Students Learning Goals: Gain a basic foundation in the English language that will prepare
them for further English instruction in the seventh grade.
Number of students: 60
Time Frame: 60 minutes
Materials and Equipment:
Adelson-Goldstein, J. & Shapiro, N. (2009). English/Haitian Creole Oxford picture
dictionary. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
Chalkboard and chalk
Blank Paper and Writing Utensils
Learner Objectives:
As a result of this lesson
Cognitive (students will be able to demonstrate understanding of):
1. The language required to discuss family.
2. Family tree diagrams.
Performative (students will be able to demonstrate the ability to):
1. Talk about their family and other peoples families.
2. Comprehend spoken English.
3. Diagram a family tree.
Affective (students will feel):
1. Confident talking about themselves in English.
2. Comfortable listening to spoken English.
3. Supported by the teacher.
Metacognitive (students will know how to go about):
1. Using their native language for support.

2. Using the Oxford Picture Dictionary (Adelson-Goldstein & Shapiro, 2009).

3. Working as a team.
Teaching Objectives: The teacher will assist students in moving through the content and
activities through scaffolding. He/she will support learner autonomy by assisting students in their
use of the Oxford Picture Dictionary.
Before This Lesson: At this point, students have had extensive learner training and instruction
on how to greet someone and introduce themselves.

Lesson Outline

Stage and
Time

Introduction
(10 min.)

Activity with Description

Teacher (T) will distribute the OPDs and have students (Ss)
turn to page 34.
Ss will look at and discuss Tim Lees family tree and Ana
Garcias family tree and try to determine the relationships
between members on the tree.
T will have a student volunteer to explain Tim Lees family
tree to the class.

Objective
Addressed and
Materials

OPD

C1, C2, A2, A3,

M2

T will have another volunteer to explain Ana Garcias family

tree.
Vocabulary
Introduction
(15 min.)

Family Tree
Drawing
(10 min.)

Family Tree
Drawing
(Switch)

T will draw his/her own family tree on the board making

additions if necessary for the vocabulary. While drawing, T
will explain the relationship of each person to themselves
using gestures and, if necessary, Haitian Creole.

C1, C2, P2, A2,

A3, M1

Ss will partner with someone around them (this can be

determined by whoever has blank paper)1. Partner A will
describe their family to Partner B and Partner B will draw
Partner As family tree. If students do not feel comfortable
discussing their real family, they may invent one using
celebrities or fictitious characters.

C1, C2, P1, P2,

P3, A1, A2, M3

Ss will switch and complete the Family Drawing task again.

Partner B will describe their family while Partner A draws
Partner Bs family tree.

Blank Paper
and Writing
Utensils

Blank Paper
and Writing
Utensil

C1, C2, P1, P2,

P3, A1, A2, M3

(10 min.)

Exchange

Board and
Chalk

Ss will partner with someone different and explain their first

Partners tree (that they drew) with their new partner. After

Family Tree
(created in this

Since not all students will have paper, students can be encouraged to share paper. Additionally, some students can
draw their trees on the board. If possible, the teacher may want to bring some paper to class.

(10 min.)

one person has gone, the other will go.

class)
C1, C2, P1, P2,
A1, A2, M3

Closing
(5 min.)

T will answer students questions and allow a couple of

volunteers to present their partners trees as time permits.

None
A3