This grammatical pattern includes the main noun phrase ( NP1) and a descriptor or adjective that describes NP1, linked through the use of the ‘be’ verb ( e.g. is ). This lesson uses adjectives of size. When students have established the NP1 + V + Adjective/ color, introducing the adjectives of size may be a smooth transition. As new adjectives are introduced, check students’ understanding of the intended meaning (e.g. grateful, thoughtless, kind)
Strategy
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Review the adjective and nouns that will appear in this step.
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Show two pictures/objects, a big dog, and the other of a little dog.
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Discuss the pictures/objects using the adjectives big and little.
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Tell the students that you will write an English sentence about the picture.
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Write: The dog is big.
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Students say/sign the sentence with you.
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Show the second picture and write the sentence on the board: The dog is little.
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Students say/sign the picture with you.
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Follow the same steps using different pictures of objects of different sizes )e.g. shoes, clothes, chairs, eating utensils)
Advancing the Strategy
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Show two pictures or objects, e.g. a big house and a little house.
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Students say/sign a sentence about the picture. Provide clues to construct the sentence successfully.
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Have students write the sentence or select sentence-phrase strips….The house/ is/ big.
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Use additional sets of pictures or objects …a big tree/a little tree; a big chair/a little chair.
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Show two pictures or objects…a big book/a little book.
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Show the first object.
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Students write a sentence or build a sentence.
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When finished, students check their sentences with the model sentences on the board and make any necessary corrections.
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Repeat with more pairs of pictures/objects.
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Give each student three sets of pictures/objects depicting big and little.
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Students write sentences under each picture/object.
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Include the new structure in language experience stories.