2. MANGO TREE
Mangueira
Group 3 (7-8 year olds)
Welcome teachers to Vivadí´s second Cycle!
The structure of this cycle may look familiar, as it is similar to the previous one. This will make it easier for you to get used to the planning and class dynamic!
The objectives of this cycle has are different from Cycle 1, but continue in the same line. Therefore, the rubric is also different as it is based on these new objectives.
Remember we are always available to solve any doubts you may have!
THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS CYCLE ARE:
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Consolidate bond with Vivadí’s class.
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Give meaning to the class' contents.
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Feel confident to use English during Vivadí´s class.
When you see that there is progress in these areas, you can move on to the next cycle. Check the rubric that will help you know if the group is ready to move forward!
WE SUGGEST YOU CHECK THE EVIDENCES WITH WHICH YOU WILL OBSERVE IF YOUR STUDENTS HAVE ACHIEVED THESE OBJECTIVES
It is important that the starting song is maintained throughout the cycles to emphasize the beginning of the Vivadí class. This way, we are letting students stay calm because they will know what is going to happen, even if the activities are different in this second cycle. The starting song and the ending song frame the English moment.
Once again, we need students to change the disposition of the class by moving the desks and chairs to the sides and making room in the center of the classroom.
This way, students are in charge of building their own learning space. This makes them protagonists of their process of language acquisition.
3. HANDS-ON!
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This is the main activity that will follow the narrative in our classes. There are surveys, creative projects, and activities around the school (if that’s a possibility).
• The hands-on! activities are always inspired by the narratives, so make sure you check them in advance in order to better choose when each one of them.
2. STORYTELLING
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Let the children listen to a story in English
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Always try to generate curiosity in your students by eliciting from them any kind of speculation; and when reading with them, make sure you use your body language so that meaning is clear.
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The narrative will always be followed by a simple discussion, in which you will ask specific questions about what they’ve heard or seen.
My class is 25 to 30 minutes long!
We know that some schools work with more frequent and shorter English classes of 25 to 30 minutes. In those cases, we suggest you follow this shortened plan of activities.
Remember
Lyrics
If your friends are in the classroom, say hello.
If you see your teacher smiling, show your teeth
If you want to show your feelings, give a hug
If you feel like being silly, make some noise
If you want to get together, make some room
Let your heart feel so much better, make some room
Let’s get ready for Vivadi
Let’s have some fun and play with english in our world
Let’s get ready for Vivadi
We are all in this together
We’ll do it you and me
We’ll be a big great family
ALTERNATIVE STARTING SONGS
2. STORYTELLING
Keeping up with the daily routine topic, the next activity is reading a story that relates to it.
We remind you that, even if you have audio-visual support, your body language is key to make children understand the meaning of the story and also make it significant to them.
Tip: It is a good story to make a point on the days of the week or on the traffic lights and signs!
You can ask your students what they see when they go to school! Maybe they can even bring a picture of their favourite spot on their way to school.
*If you don't have a projector: it is convenient that you read with nuances, while another person acts what happens in the story.
You can choose between these options with no particular order, but, remember how important repetition is. So, if you choose to repeat one story more than once, don’t worry if another story is never told.
Would you like to interact with the kids during the storytelling moment?
After you have read the story to the children once, you can do a second reading with the kids interaction.
Try stopping at specific moments of the story and ask the kids to copy the gestures of your face that indicate the feelings of the character in the story.
Example: if the character indicates that he is tired, you should make an expression that shows fatigue and the children should imitate it.
Discussion for "The Royal Raven"
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Did you like the story?
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Did this story teach you something?
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Did you like Crawford?
Discussion for "A Wonderful Day"
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Have you ever won something?
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Who is your best friend?
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If you had all of the money that Bruna won, what would you buy?
Discussion for "My First Pet"
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Do you have a pet? What is it?
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What is your happy dance?
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Have you ever been to a carnival?
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Did you like the story? What was your favorite part?
MORE STORYTELLING OPTIONS
First Day at School (Poem),
by Aileen Fisher
A first positive experience in the school environment is the role of the team responsible for management. Planning playful activities, in addition to facilitating interaction between students in the first days of adaptation, helps teachers learn more about each of the children. The main objective of playful activities is to initiate dialogue, develop socialization skills and team activities, which essentially involves communication between students and the teacher.
A Smile Poem
(Unknown Author)
Discussion
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What do you like about your school?
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Who are your closest friends at school?
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How old are they?
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What makes you happy at school?
Pets
Alphapets,
written and illustrated by Sue Clancy
Begin your class by asking students who care for any pets at home. After some students share which pets they have or like, you should project or print pictures of domestic animals. Tell them animals can be classified differently. Ask if anyone knows how we call those animals that live in the jungle. Explain the term 'wild'.
Discussion
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What makes a good pet?
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What would not be a good pet?
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Are some breeds better than others?
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Why doesn’t everybody have a pet?
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Do you consider your pet part of your family?
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Do you think having a pet is just fun?
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How do you show responsibility for your pet?
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Should people buy or adopt a pet?
Follow the activities that are inspired by the story you just read!
Inspired by "The Royal Raven"
Game: I'm unique!
How: Explain to the students how unlike Crawford, they are happy with themselves and don't need to change to be unique. They are unique just the way they are. In order to celebrate that, the students should go around saying “I am special just the way I am. One thing that makes me special is (and they say an attribute. For example: my smile). You can write down on the board the different attributes. Such as: my hair, my smile, my teeth, my eyes, my personality, etc. If you want to make it a challenge, the students have to repeat the attributes of the students that went before them after saying theirs.
For example:
Bruna: I am special just the way I am. One thing that makes me special is my smile.
Marco: I am special just the way I am. One thing that makes me special is my fun personality. [Student A] is special because of their smile.
Online: The same thing except instead of writing on the board, you can write on the Zoom whiteboard or on a sheet of paper and then in the end, read it out to the class. The challenge also works for online classes!
Inspired by "A Wonderful Day"
Game: I Would Buy...
How: Give each student a piece of paper and tell them "So you have just won the same lottery as Bruna and now you have one hundred thousand dollars! Draw what you would buy with that money." Then the students can either share what they would buy with a small group or in front of the class. You choose!
Online: Instead of giving the students a piece of paper, just announce to the class that they have won the same lottery as Bruna and now they have one hundred thousand dollars! Ask them to draw what they would buy with that money and then the students can either share what they would buy with a small group or in front of the class. You choose!
Inspired by "My First Pet"
Game: If I…
How: Put the students in a large circle. Write the phrase “If I…” on the board, and explain the game. The teacher will start with a simple “If I…” sentence. The next student will take the second clause, and turn it into an “If I…” sentence of their own.
For example:
Teacher: If I had a million dollars, I would be rich.
Student A: If I were rich, I would buy a house in Hawaii.
Student B: If I bought a house in Hawaii, I would surf every day.
Online: This works the same way online.
Game: I'm the pet!
How: This activity can either be as a whole class, in smaller groups or separate the class in 2 teams and make them compete against each other. Have a list ready or write on the board the names of the animals. A student will silently choose an animal and the other students have to guess what animal they have chosen, asking questions such as "does it have a tail? Does it fly? Does it live in the desert?"
If the students are competing, whichever team gets more animals correct wins.
Online version: A variation is that a student silently chooses any animal they want. The students have to guess what bug the student has chosen, asking questions such as “does it have a tail? Does it fly? Does it live in the desert?”
Game: Show me your Happy Dance!
How: Make a circle with the students and clap to a beat. Then go asking students like, "Maria, show me your happy dance" then the student (in this example Maria) has to dance her happy dance.
Online: This works the same way online except the students stand up and clap to a beat.
General Activity
Game: Adjective Act-Out!
How: Before class write a list of adjectives and cut them out.
In class, divide the class into groups. The first group chooses a word randomly from the hat/bag/box (or teacher’s hand). A student from the group acts out the adjective they choose.
Students on the same team try to guess the adjective the student is acting out. If the same group can not guess the adjective, then the other groups get a chance to guess the adjective.
Set a time limit for each adjective (maybe 2 to 3 minutes)
The group who guesses the most adjective wins!
Example Adjective List: Smart, tired, sad, lively, frozen, small, open, slow, cute, narrow, evil, sour, lazy, hot, bored, wet, clean, fast, warm, crazy, funny, attractive, quiet, tall, etc…
Game: Would You Rather
How: Questions are a good way to get to know people and provoke interesting conversation, stimulating the kids to speak english. Some options will show up on the screen, and the kids must choose one of them. The teacher can also provoke more questions, depending on the will of the students and the class theme.
Inspired by "First Day At School"
Prepare in advance:
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Photograph the main school areas.
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Talk to the professionals who work there, let them know about the children's visit to the spaces. Ask them to be ready to receive the students, adapting what is necessary.
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Arrange the extra assistance of a teacher or another staff member who would be available to help you with the activity so that it can be carried out in small groups.
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Plan some fun corners for the kids who will be staying in the room.
Materials:
Printed photos of school areas in suitable size and material (eg: two photographs of A4 sheet size and laminated with contact or Durex - according to what is available at the school) for viewing and exploration.
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The number of photos must vary according to the division of groups, e.g. if the class was divided into three groups, three images of each space should be printed, one per group.
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All groups must have access to the same images and must use them to make a poster.
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Paper and pen for listing places to visit, glue for fixing photos, posters and tape.
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Materials for recording your observation: cell phone or camera for photos and filming, notebook, materials for records.
CRAFTS ACTIVITIES
4. MOVE YOUR HIPS
Use Move your Hips! activities when you feel students are too distracted or have been seated for too long. The idea is to move and refresh the body, always through learning, and it can be used at any moment of the class. Below you will find some ideas for your age group.
CONCENTRATED MODE
If the kids are concentrated, we propose a few activities that will help you manage the energy of the group.
FREE DANCE
Let them dance one of the following songs on our Spotify list (or Youtube list) that is also aligned with what we have been experiencing in the class. Just select a song that they will enjoy and press play to let them move freely around the space.
EUPHORIC MODE
If the kids are euphoric, we propose a few activities that will help you manage the energy of the group.
CHOREOGRAPHED DANCE
Play either one or both videos so that the students can mimic the motions. This way the students are listening to a song in English and matching the words with their actions.
3. HANDS-ON!
5. BRAIN BREAKS
This is a brain break moment for the kids to change energies and prepare with their minds and their bodies for what follows. This is an optional activity, you don't always have to do it.
You can choose between these options:
Trading Places
Have students stand behind their chairs. Call out a trait, and everyone who has that trait must very quickly sit down. Examples: “Everyone with curly hair.” “Everyone who ate cereal for breakfast.” “Everyone who is wearing stripes.”. Another option is to form two lines of chairs, one facing the other. Each pair of chairs is designed with one word (or a theme like “animals”, “colors”). The teacher tells a story, and every time the word or theme is said, the kids must change places. You can also add one kid in the middle of the lines, who must try to sit down, allowing some other kid to stand up.
Pass the Ball
This game is great because you can incorporate a little physical activity and coordination. Get a soft, medium-sized ball and let students grab a spot for themselves around the classroom. The goal is to not let the ball drop to the floor. Students must constantly pass the ball to each other. Every time someone passes the ball, they must say something in english, depending on the teacher’s theme of choice. It can be: animals, colors, foods, desserts, candies, tv shows, jobs…
Online: Don't pass the ball, just quickly say the name of a student and they must say something in english depending on the theme of choice.
The Atom Game
The teacher must call out different ways for students to move around: like a cat, a dog, an old person, space aliens, mermaids… Then, call out a number with the word “atom” (e.g., “Atom three!”) and the students must join up into groups of three. Any stray “atoms” are out of the game. One idea is to always change the student who is out of the game: when a new kid must leave, the one who is already outside comes back.
Would You Rather
Questions are a good way to get to know people and provoke interesting conversation, stimulating the kids to speak english. Some options will show up on the screen, and the kids must choose one of them. The teacher can also provoke more questions, depending on the will of the students and the class theme.
Video
6. HARMONY
Now, you will continue activating your bodies. To do this, ask and show the kids how to move the body from their toes to the head:
- Stand on your feet and lean forward letting your head and arms hang.
- Maintaining that position, shake your body freely.
- Slowly, raise your body back to the standing position. Always remember that the last part of the body to raise is the head.
- Open your eyes and mouth as big and wide as you can!
Tip: it is a good time to mention parts of the body and make the children start listening to these words.
To end this moment you can ask your kids to give a few jumps to finish activating all the parts of the body.
Now it’s time to start with the harmony activities. When the kids finish jumping and moving their bodies, put this playlist as background music for the rest of harmony time.
Meanwhile, go ahead and start
with the following activities:
1. ASANA
2. SWARA
3. SAVASANA
4. ANJALI
1. ASANA (Postures)
We will start with the asanas, which means postures. Try these three different positions with your students.
Each position will be related to the story previously read. You can explain to the kids why they connect to the story.
BODY POSTURES
This time, we will start with a short series of body postures. They should be done one after the other in the order shown.
1. Mountain
Stand on your two feet.
Feel the ground beneath you.
Let your arms hang freely and relax your shoulders.
2. Sun
Raise your arms up high as if you were reaching for the Sun.
Place your hands together in Anjali mudra.
3. Dog
Bend down and place your palms flat on the ground. Step your feet back to create an upside-down V shape with your buttocks high in the air. Straighten your legs, relax your head and neck, and look down between your legs
4. Mountain
Stand on your two feet.
Feel the ground beneath you.
Let your arms hang freely and relax your shoulders.
FACE POSTURES
Dog face
Fish face
Happy face
HAND POSTURES
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Anjali
Buddhi
2. SWARA (Breathing)
Children should be lying in the floor in a comfortable and easy position for them.
Remind them of the importance of breathing through their nose.
Belly Breathing exercise:
- The children should put their hands on their tummies and try to expand their bellies (not their chests) when they breath in.
- Then they should feel their tummies shrink as they breath out. (They should picture their belly buttons push towards their tummies)
3. SAVASANA (Final relaxation)
After the Belly Breathing exercise, you should play a song from this playlist and let them just relax, ideally closing their eyes.
It would be also ideal to:
- Turn off the lights
- Have the children lay down on the floor
- Have the children covered with a blanket
This song will be repeated every class in this same moment. This will serve as a guide for the kids to, eventually, understand that the final relaxation moment has come. Hopefully, they will gain the confidence to close their eyes when they hear the song as it will be a familiar activity.
Final Relaxation
4. ANJALI
After the Savasana song, you can ask the kids to sit down again and close the Harmony practice by taking their both hands together to the centre of the chest.
Then, you should say “thank you” to them and they should repeat "thank you" after you.
MORE HARMONY OPTIONS
7.ENDING
SONG
Just like you´ve been doing so far, play the Vivadí ending song to let the children know that the class is almost over. Remember this is the moment to rearrange the classroom as you found it when you started and, finally, have the children put their shoes back on.
Lyrics
If you enjoyed our time together, sing along
If you can’t wait for next class, high five!
To get ready for what follows, tidy up
See you next time dear teacher, good bye!
It’s not goodbye with Vivadi
The things I learnt today will always stay in me
It’s not goodbye with Vivadi
We are all in this together
We’ll do it you and me
We’ll be a big great family
ALTERNATIVE ENDING SONGS
To remind your students to access the platform and do the jornadas.
Don't forget