Урок английского языка "An Animal Speaks Her Mind"

Разделы: Иностранные языки

A: Discussion

1. Look at the picture below and answer the questions.

  1. What is the name of this animal?
  2. Where does it live?
  3. What does it eat?

2. Today’s article is about a gorilla who can speak her mind. Think about these questions.

  1. What language can a gorilla speak?
  2. Can a gorilla have a pet?
  3. What feelings can an animal have?

B: Vocabulary

Look at these words below. Use your dictionary to find their meanings. Then put them under the correct heading. The first one is done for you as an example.

Adjective Noun Verb
to name		 Phrase

a thought, use sign language, to be born in captivity, dirty, to name, to sign, one time, to scold, to bit, sad, a pet kitten, a feeling, soft, to die.

C: Predicting

What do you think today's article will be about? In groups discuss the questions below. The questions will help you to think about today's article.

1. Who was born in captivity?

2. What language was the gorilla taught?

3. Who had a pet kitten?

4. Who was sad and soft?

5. What was the kitten scolded for?

Reading Activities

A: Main Idea

Read today’s article and circle the best answer below.

Today’s article is about…

  1. a kitten who lived with gorilla
  2. a gorilla who could use the sign language
  3. an animal who could speak

An Animal Speaks Her Mind

If animals could talk, what would they say about their thoughts and feelings? A gorilla born in captivity has helped answer that question. Koko was taught to use sign language. She has learned hundreds of words! Koko once had a pet kitten she named All Ball. "Koko love Ball," she signed. "Soft good cat." One time, she scolded the kitten for biting her-by signing "you bad dirty toilet"! When her pet died, Koko cried. "Sad sleep cat," she signed.

B: Sequencing.

Look at the first sentence of the article and put the lines into the correct order. Don’t look at the article. (The first line is numbered for you)

1. Here is the first sentence.

__could

_1_If animals

__what would

__thoughts

__they say

__and feelings

__about their

__talk

2. Here is the second sentence.

__she scolded

__biting her

__one time

__the kitten for

__by signing

__“you bad dirty toilet”

3.Here is the third sentence.

__ born

__in captivity

__that question

__answer

__a gorilla

__has helped

C: Reading for Detail

Look at the words in bold type from today’s article and choose the best meaning.

1. If animals could talk, what would they say about their thoughts and feelings.

“They” in this sentence means:

  1. scientists
  2. people
  3. animals

2. She has learned hundreds of words.

“She” in this sentence means:

  1. a cat
  2. a gorilla
  3. an animal

3. Koko once had a pet kitten she named All Ball.

“She” in this sentence means:

  1. a pet kitten
  2. All Ball
  3. Koko

4. One time, she scolded the kitten for biting her by signing “you bad dirty toilet”.

“Her” in this sentence means:

  1. Koko
  2. The kitten
  3. captivity

5. “You” in this sentence means:

  1. the kitten
  2. a gorilla
  3. a pet

D: Questions

Read the article again and answer the questions below.

  1. Who was born in captivity?
  2. What language was the gorilla taught?
  3. Who had a pet kitten?
  4. Who was sad and soft?
  5. What was the kitten scolded for?

Compare your answers here with the answers you gave in Pre-Reading Activity C.

Post-Reading Activities

You may do one or more of these activities.

A: Language

  1. A gorilla born in captivity has helped answer that question.

    2. The Present Perfect is used to express an action that has finished by the present moment.
  2. She has learned hundreds of words.

    3. The Present Perfect is used to express an action that has finished by the present moment.

  3. Koko once had a pet kitten she named All Ball.

    4. The Past Simple is used for actions that finished in the past.

  4. One time she scolded the kitten for biting her by signing “you bad dirty toilet”.

    5. The Past Simple is used for actions that finished in the past.

  5. When her pet died, Koko cried.

The Past Simple is used for actions that finished in the past.

Put the verbs in brackets into the right tense form.

  1. Koko once (have) a pet kitten she (name) All Ball.
  2. “Koko love Ball” she (sign).
  3. One time, she (scold) the kitten for biting her.
  4. When the pet (die), Koko (cry).

B: Gap Fill

Complete the paragraph with the words in the list below.

thoughts, feelings, sign language, named, in captivity, dirty, signed, one time, kitten, sad, animals, gorilla, words, pet.

If (1)_________ could talk, what would they say about their (2)_______ and (3)_______?

A (4)_________ born (5)________ has helped answer that question.

Koko was taught to use (6) ________ . She has learned hundreds of (7)______ .

Koko once had a pet (8)______ she (9)________ All Ball. “Koko love Ball”, she (10)____ .

“Soft good cat”. (11)________ . She scolded the kitten for biting her by signing “you bad (12)_______ toilet”.

When her (13)______ died, Koko cried. “(14)_______ sleep cat”, she signed.

TEACHERS' NOTES AND ANSWER KEY

Pre-Reading Activities

A: Discussion - Answers

a. gorilla
b. In the forests of the western part of Central Africa.
c. Plants, fruit.

B: Vocabulary - Notes

You may need to explain to students that a phrase is a group of two or more words that have meaning but don't form a complete sentence.

Discuss the headings with your students to ensure that they know what the categories are. Students use their dictionaries to check the meanings of the words and then sort them into the correct category.

B: Vocabulary - Answers

Adjectives: dirty, sad, soft.
Nouns: a thought, a feeling.
Verbs: to die, to sign, to scold, to bit.
Phrases: use sign language, to be born in captivity, one time, a pet kitten

C: Predicting - Notes

Ask the students to work in pairs or small groups to discuss the questions. Don't give them any answers at this stage.

Reading Activities

A: Main Idea - Answer

The best answer is: c. (The other answers are true but c. is the best answer.)

B: Sequencing - Answers

1.

_2_could

_1_If animals

_4_what would

_7_thoughts

_5_they say

_8_and feelings

_6_about their

_3_talk

2.

_2_she scolded

_4_biting her

_1_one time

_3_the kitten for

_5_by signing

_6_“you bad dirty toilet”

3.

_2_ born

_3_in captivity

_6_that question

_5_answer

_1_a gorilla

_4_has helped

C: Reading for Detail - Answers

1.c, 2.b, 3.c, 4.a, 5.a.

D: Questions - Notes

These questions are the same questions that were in Pre-Reading Activity B. This is a chance for the students to compare their predictions with what is in the article.

D: Questions - Answers

  1. A gorilla was born in captivity.
  2. The gorilla was taught a sign language.
  3. The gorilla had a pet kitten
  4. The kitten was sad and soft
  5. The kitten was scolded for biting the gorilla.

Post-Reading Activities

A: Language - Notes

Students can refer to the article for help in knowing which tense to use.

A: Language - Put the verbs in brackets into the right tense form. Answers

  1. Koko once had a pet kitten she named All Ball.
  2. “Koko love Ball” she signed.
  3. One time, she scolded the kitten for biting her.
  4. When the pet died, Koko cried.

B: Gap Fill - Answers

  1. Animals
  2. Thoughts
  3. Feelings
  4. Gorilla
  5. In captivity
  6. Sign language
  7. Words
  8. Kitten
  9. Named
  10. Signed
  11. Jne time
  12. Dirty
  13. Pet
  14. Sad