It was a Tuesday morning and my contact teacher came up to my desk.
“Greg, today’s Parent’s Day, so you’ll have about 20 to 30 parents watching your grade 6 class.”
“Alright,” I said, while thinking, oh $&@!
I got to class and decided to run through my ESL Aliens PowerPoint. I’d done it with a few classes before, and it was what I had already planned. Before students had liked it, but they hadn’t really talked that much. Oh yes, today the 28-slide Aliens PowerPoint would be put to the test.
“Greg, today’s Parent’s Day, so you’ll have about 20 to 30 parents watching your grade 6 class.”
“Alright,” I said, while thinking, oh $&@!
I got to class and decided to run through my ESL Aliens PowerPoint. I’d done it with a few classes before, and it was what I had already planned. Before students had liked it, but they hadn’t really talked that much. Oh yes, today the 28-slide Aliens PowerPoint would be put to the test.
Great ESL Alien Pictures
I started off by making some simple introductions, and some students even introduced their parents. Alright, off to a good start.
We then got into the PowerPoint.
I explained that aliens had been spotted in Shenzhen (my city) and that they were close to the school. Here’s what some of them looked like:
We then got into the PowerPoint.
I explained that aliens had been spotted in Shenzhen (my city) and that they were close to the school. Here’s what some of them looked like:
Hoots and hollers went up as the students got excited. These 10, 11, and 12 years olds here, and not used to seeing cool pictures. Even some of the older grandparents were tapping each other on the shoulder and pointing at the screen.
Eliciting ESL Vocabulary
I called on several students to tell me what they saw in those pictures. Most were too busy at first trying to make Vulcan hands, but after that we got some good stuff. Alright, 10 minutes down, 40 to go.
After that we moved on to different aliens, and I showed them this picture:
After that we moved on to different aliens, and I showed them this picture:
This one got more laughs as the pictures come up one-by-one. Several students told me about arms and legs. Great, I thought, that’ll help out for the end of the Aliens PPT.
Aliens Are Coming to Town
Things were starting to settle down, and we had about 45 more minutes to go. Here’s where I pulled it out.
“There’s an alien in Shenzhen!” I shouted out, putting on my best startled, frightened, and just plain silly face. It worked, the suspense was there. Now let’s get into the real meat & potatoes of speaking:
“There’s an alien in Shenzhen!” I shouted out, putting on my best startled, frightened, and just plain silly face. It worked, the suspense was there. Now let’s get into the real meat & potatoes of speaking:
After I had several students read the sentences out loud on the screen I divided them up into groups. I let them talk for a few minutes, then called on some students. Little Sally Richardson who hadn’t said a single word all year suddenly shot her arm up, no doubt from the penetrating and deadly stares of expectation coming from her grandparents at the back of the room.
“Alright, Sally, what would you say?” I asked.
“What would you tell them about yourself?” she began. “I’d tell them my name is Sally Richardson and I got to Nan Hai Hui Jing Yuan Primary School No. 1 Attached to Beijing Normal University.”
“Alright, great!” I said, happy to get through some more class.
Other students followed, and all of a sudden we were down to about 30 minutes left.
“Alright, Sally, what would you say?” I asked.
“What would you tell them about yourself?” she began. “I’d tell them my name is Sally Richardson and I got to Nan Hai Hui Jing Yuan Primary School No. 1 Attached to Beijing Normal University.”
“Alright, great!” I said, happy to get through some more class.
Other students followed, and all of a sudden we were down to about 30 minutes left.
Make Your Own ESL Alien
Now it was time for the project. I put the following slide up and let the students read it out loud:
Several whipped-out their notebooks before we’d even finished, so confident they’d have to write something. Well, that’s what happened. Everyone worked with the person next to them for about 5 minutes or so. We did some coloring and drawing as well. After that we stood up and presented what we’d created.
Lots of parents and grandparents had some good laughs, and all of a sudden we were down to about 15 minutes of class. Boy, what now?
Lots of parents and grandparents had some good laughs, and all of a sudden we were down to about 15 minutes of class. Boy, what now?
Talking about ESL Planets
I clicked the next slide and saw that I’d put some planet stuff at the back of this ESL Aliens PPT.
Wow! I thought. Got lucky on that one!
Wow! I thought. Got lucky on that one!
We were able to go through the last few slides and talk about planets for 10 minutes, then play a quick little game for the last 5 minutes of class. I was able to get through the Parent’s Day, thanks in large part to my out of this world ESL Aliens PowerPoint.
Let it get you through your next class. Buy it today for only $0.99!
Let it get you through your next class. Buy it today for only $0.99!
