Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Introduction to Connectors

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to establish a solid foundation on the role of connectors in the English language, essential for fluency and textual cohesion. By clearly outlining the objectives, the teacher prepares students to practically apply the previously studied concepts, ensuring effective and interactive learning during classroom activities.

Main Objectives:

1. Understand the function and use of connectors in constructing sentences and texts in English.

2. Develop skills to identify various connectors in different texts, reinforcing reading comprehension.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage critical thinking about the strategic use of connectors to enhance writing and speaking.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

This stage of the lesson plan aims to engage students with practical examples that demonstrate the importance of connectors in daily use of the English language. By presenting problem situations, students are encouraged to think critically about how to effectively apply connectors. The contextualization serves to show the practical relevance of connectors, encouraging students to notice their use in real situations and increasing their interest in the topic.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you are writing an email to a friend explaining why you couldn't attend their birthday party. How would you use connectors to give fluency to your text?

2. Think of a story you would like to tell your classmates. How can connectors help make the narrative clearer and more interesting?

Contextualization

Connectors are essential in the English language not only for structuring sentences but also for expressing clarity, contrast, cause, condition, and much more. These small words or phrases help link ideas logically and fluently, reflecting how we naturally organize our thoughts and emotions when conversing or writing. Understanding how to use them correctly can transform the way you communicate, making your conversations and texts more persuasive and understandable.

Development

Duration: (75 - 80 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to provide students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge of connectors in a practical and interactive way. By working in groups, students not only reinforce collaborative learning but also improve their communication and textual comprehension skills. The proposed activities are designed to be engaging and challenging, encouraging students to think critically and creatively about the use of connectors in different contexts.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Bridge Builders

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop textual cohesion skills through the appropriate use of connectors, promoting teamwork and critical thinking.

- Description: In this playful and collaborative activity, students will split into groups of up to five people to build 'bridges' using connector words. Each group will receive a series of sentences or loose ideas, and the challenge will be to connect these ideas logically and creatively to form a cohesive and fluent text. The teacher can add a competitive element by evaluating which group can use connectors more effectively and creatively.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to five students.

• Distribute cards with sentences or loose ideas that need to be logically connected.

• Instruct the groups to use connectors to form a coherent text from the provided sentences or ideas.

• Set a time limit of 30 minutes for constructing the text.

• Ask each group to present their text and explain their choices of connectors used.

• Evaluate and discuss each text, highlighting the effective and creative use of connectors.

Activity 2 - The Great Debate

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Practice the use of connectors in a speaking context, improving argumentation and listening comprehension skills.

- Description: Students will participate in a debate where they must use connectors to formulate clear and persuasive arguments. Each group will represent a different perspective on a controversial topic previously selected by the teacher. The efficient use of connectors to express contrast, addition, cause and effect will be crucial for success in the debate.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to five students, each representing a different viewpoint on a controversial topic.

• Give the groups time to prepare their arguments, emphasizing the importance of using connectors to reinforce clarity and persuasion.

• Conduct the debate, allowing each group to present their arguments and counter the positions of the other groups.

• Encourage the use of connectors during the debate to form more solid and cohesive arguments.

• Conclude with a discussion about how connectors helped in forming and expressing the arguments.

Activity 3 - Connector Cinema

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Increase understanding and application of connectors in listening and writing contexts, using visual media as a learning tool.

- Description: In this activity, students will watch short scenes from movies or animations and then work in groups to rewrite the dialogues, using connectors to improve the cohesion and fluency of the lines. This activity aims to enhance listening and writing comprehension, while highlighting the importance of connectors in effective communication.

- Instructions:

• Prepare and show short scenes from movies or animations chosen for their clarity and simplicity of dialogues.

• Divide the students into groups and ask them to rewrite the dialogues from the scenes, incorporating connectors to improve cohesion.

• Give the groups time to practice presenting the new dialogues.

• Ask each group to present the rewritten scene to the class, highlighting the use of connectors.

• Discuss how the use of connectors changed the perception and effectiveness of the original dialogues.

Feedback

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to consolidate students' learning, allowing them to verbally articulate the lessons learned during the lesson. This discussion helps to reinforce understanding of the importance and use of connectors, in addition to allowing the teacher to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities conducted and identify areas that may require future review.

Group Discussion

At the end of the activities, gather all the students for a group discussion. Start the dialogue with a brief recap of the activities conducted, focusing on how connectors were used in different situations. Encourage students to share their experiences and discoveries, highlighting how the use of connectors helped in the cohesion and clarity of texts, debates, and rewritten dialogues. This moment serves as an opportunity for students to reflect on the importance of connectors in effective communication.

Key Questions

1. How did the use of connectors influence the clarity and persuasion of the texts and arguments you developed?

2. Which connector did you find most challenging to use and why?

3. How can you apply the knowledge about connectors in your future writing and speaking tasks in English?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to consolidate everything learned in the lesson, ensuring that students have a clear understanding of the concepts discussed. Summarizing and recapping the main points helps reinforce learning, while the discussion of the connection between theory and practice emphasizes the applicability of connectors in daily life. This closing also highlights the ongoing relevance of studying connectors for effective communication in English.

Summary

In this lesson, we explored the importance and use of connectors in the English language. Through practical activities and discussions, students learned to apply connectors to improve cohesion and fluency in texts and arguments. Connectors such as 'and', 'but', 'because', and 'although' were used to link ideas logically and effectively.

Theory Connection

The theory introduced through videos and previous readings was applied in activities such as text construction, debates, and dialogue rewrites. This allowed students to see how connectors work in practice, facilitating understanding and use of these essential elements of the language.

Closing

Connectors are fundamental not only for academic writing but for any form of effective communication in English. They help structure thought and expression clearly and organized, being valuable skills for students' academic and professional success.