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Teaching Superstitions in Classrooms

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
368 views52 pages

Teaching Superstitions in Classrooms

Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

To Believe or Not to Believe, Differentiated Instruction in Teaching

Superstition

Jennifer Chen
Wunshan Senior High School, Kaohsiung

Contents
I. Introduction

Objectives

Students’ Level

Time Allocation

II. Preparations

III. Teaching Procedures

A. Create background knowledge

B. Teach new information

C. Practice and personalization

D. Application

IV. Analysis of Students’ Works

V. Teaching Procedure Overview

VI. Reflection

VII. Conclusion

VIII. Reference

Appendix

1
I. Introduction

This lesson is designed for students to learn different superstitions in different

cultures. In the first warm-up activity, the teacher uses a video clip to arouse students’

motivation. The worksheets are designed to suit students’ individual English ability in this

stage. For lower achievers, they just need to circle the correct answers and do matching.

For high fliers, they have to fill in blanks. Afterwards, students in pairs were asked to redo

what they have done in their groups in front of the class. And then, a reading worksheet is

distributed before students read the text and they need to ask some questions before

reading the text. In this stage, for lower achievers, wh- words are provided in their

worksheet; for high fliers, they just write down the questions themselves. After that,

students read the text and then complete the while-reading question-asking section and

then they can start to answer the questions in the pre-reading and while-reading section.

After finishing pre-reading and while-reading sections, students are going to ask questions

in the after-reading section and try to answer those questions as well. Next, a reading

mind-map is provided for students to organize the content in the reading text again to

reassure students understand the text thoroughly. After this stage, two vocabulary and

grammar worksheets were distributed to each student. The low achievers will have to

draw a picture and write definitions for new words; the high fliers just write the definitions

of the new words. After students finish the worksheets, they have to share their answers

with the class. In the fourth stage, students of four in groups are going to make a script

and make a superstition micro movie. High fliers are responsible of writing the script; low

achievers for filming and editing the movie. In this lesson plan, differentiated instruction is

applied according to students’ readiness and used throughout the whole lesson.

Objectives

1. Students are able to comprehend the content of the text on superstition.

2. Students are able to use the words and sentence patterns they learn in their movies.
2
Students’ Level

Students' language ability is very diverse in the class. Some students are very

good in writing and speaking but others are not. They are freshmen in the high school so

they have studied English for about 3 to 5 years. Their vocabulary level is about

2500-3500. However, they are not very confident in speaking and writing. Most of them

are passive learners.

Time Allocation

This lesson is designed for five period of classes. (50 minutes in a period of class)

Period Teaching Procedures Activity

1 Create background knowledge Students watch a video clip about superstition.

2 Teach new information Students read the text and fill out reading worksheets and
graphic organizers.

3 Practice and personalization Students complete vocabulary and grammar worksheets.

4 Applicatioin Students make a microfilm with the vocabulary and


grammar they learn in the class and write a summary.

5 Self-evaluation Students fill out the questionnaire and feedback on the


lesson.

II. Preparations

The lesson is taught in a classroom with a projector and a computer. A video clip

from youtube was played for students and a ppt file was made to create background

knowledge for students. Besides, worksheets are designed for students. For low

achievers, they are required to circle the correct answer or just match on the sheets; high

fliers need to write down the correct sentences.

III. Teaching Procedures

A. Create background knowledge

Before the first period of the class, students are grouped according to their prior mid-

term exam results. There are 19 high fliers and 19 low achievers. One group consists of

3
two high fliers and two low achievers. They are grouped heterogeneously. Students seat

arrangement will be shown in the appendix (Appendix 1).

In the beginning of the class, after the teacher explains the group scoring rule, the

teacher will distribute the superstition listening worksheets. Worksheets for high fliers are

marked with a bat on the sheet; spider for low achievers. Then, students are asked some

questions as ice-breakers leading students to the topic of the lesson today. The questions

are as follows:

1. Are you a lucky person? Why or why not?


2. Have you ever seen a ghost? Do you believe in ghosts?
3. Are you superstitious? Why or why not?
4. Is superstition science? What’s the difference?

After asking those questions, students are reminded to pay attention to the content

in the video clip and then the teacher will play a video clip about superstitions in five

different countries. During watching the superstition video clip, students will go through

task 1 and 2. The video can be played again if students don’t understand it the first time.

After playing the video, the teacher will ask students in pairs, one with spider worksheet

and the other with bat worksheet to ask each other questions in English to find out the

answers. Because there is more information provided on the spider worksheet, with high

fliers asking them questions, they will be able to speak up and high fliers can help them

with the pronunciation at the same time. At this time, the teacher will walk among the

groups to check how the students are doing in these tasks and assist them when needed.

After their in-group practice, an evaluation form was distributed to each group.

Students in pairs from each group will demonstrate their dialogue to the class so students

in other groups will evaluate how well they are doing and students in their own groups will

also evaluate themselves. For example: Bats ask: What’s the superstition in Taiwan?

Spiders answer: You shouldn’t walk alone at night. There are ghosts. Each group will take

turns, pick a country, go to the front and demonstrate their dialogue.


4
After the pair demonstration and finishing writing their oral evaluation form, spider

students are going to fulfill an after-listening task, which is that students need to draw mind

maps to show why people are superstitious. The teacher will explain students what a mind

map is and show different mind maps to students. In this task, they can use their pads to

search for information and gather ideas from the Internet. On the other hand, bat students

directly write down the reasons why people are superstitious by using their pads to gather

information.

In the end of the class, students submit their worksheets and the teacher will wrap

up the class by reviewing the main idea of the video clip and reviewing the superstitions in

six countries. The teacher will also remind students to preview the reading text in Lesson

9. Last but not least, the teacher calculate the group scores and distribute prizes.

B. Teach new information

The teacher will distribute the superstition reading worksheets. For low achievers,

the question words are provided on the worksheets. Before reading the text, they are

required to write down some questions raised at that moment; after reading the text, they

are required to write down some more questions they want to ask. The teacher can see

how students are doing and read the text with students if time permits. And then, they will

have to try to answer the pre-reading questions and also the while-reading questions.

After this, they are able to ask more reflective or critical questions about the text and

answer them soon after. They can work collaboratively with their partners in the group.

The teacher will ask one student from each group to share their questions with the

class. According to students’ performance, the teacher will compliment them or correct

their mistakes.

After the above activity, the teacher will make sure if students understand the

structure of the text: introduction, body and conclusion. Superstition graphic organizers

are provided for students to fill out. For low achievers, they fill in the blanks; for high fliers,

5
they organize the text and write it down. The teacher will check how students are doing

and walk through the class. When they are done, the teacher will demonstrate the good

examples from students.

C. Practice and personalization

The teacher will introduce the vocabulary and sentence patterns in this lesson to

the class. For low achievers, students need to write the definitions and draw pictures to

the new words; for high fliers, students just write the definitions of the new words. Both of

them will have to make sentences with new words in the sentence patterns provided in this

lesson. The nouns introduced in this lesson are followed by one sentence pattern—S + V

because of + Noun phrase; in the other worksheet, the verbs in the lesson are

accompanied by the sentence pattern—S (people) beV used to + Ving or S used to + V.

When students are done with the worksheets, the teacher will collect the worksheets and

correct them. The teacher will remind students to apply the new words and sentence

patterns they learn in the following activities.

D. Application

In this stage, students will make micro movies with the words and sentence patterns

they learn in this lesson. In order to help them make good micro movies, storyboard

planning worksheets are distributed to show them how to make micro movies about

superstition by using the words and sentence patterns they learn. After that, the teacher

will provide students with storyboard planning sheets and students in groups will fill them

out and make micro movies in their spare time.

When students submit their micro movies, the teacher will correct the grammar and

spelling in the subtitles and give students advice on transition, animation and music. They

will need to correct the mistakes and export the movies again. The teacher will show the

good movies in the class.

6
After the micro movies, the teacher will distribute superstition writing worksheets to

the class. A writing rubric is provided on the sheet for students to follow. For low

achievers, students are given a sample summary paragraph with blanks so students can

fill in the blanks when writing their summaries; for high fliers, they are given four questions

to remind them to be coherent and not to miss the important supporting details when

writing the summaries.

IV. Analysis of Students’ Works

Qualitative results

Students think they have more interaction between their classmates in the class.

They need to use more thinking during the class even though It’s tiring. It’s actually more

7
interesting and students understand them better. Furthermore, they can make the best

use of the vocabulary and sentence patterns.

They are satisfied with the micro movie-making assignment because it’s fun and

they haven’t done it before. Besides, they can speak English in making the movie.

They also make some constructive suggestions. They think the activity time should

be lengthened or less activities are better for them. However, some are worried about

their test results with this type of teaching. In addition, making micro movies for them is

not easy. Some of them complained that they need more time to finish the worksheets.

Quantitive result

8
9
10
In the 65 questionnaire results from students, they liked to watch the superstition

video clip on youtube, which means that the way the teacher used to arouse students’

motivation is successful. They still think the vocabulary and grammar part was boring.

Most of them think writing is the most difficult part. They also think the video watching part

is the easiest part. They think reading and writing parts are most beneficial to them.

However, making the micro moving is not helpful to them. Also, in the video watching

class, they think the teacher explained most clearly; however, in the vocabulary and

grammar part, the teacher didn’t explain clearly enough.

11
V. Teaching Procedure Overview

Stage 1 Stage 3
Stage 2
Create Practice and Stage 4
Stage Teach new
background personalizati Application
information
knowledge on

Vocabulary & 1. Movie-


Reading
Video- sentence- making
Activities Worksheets
Watching pattern 2. Writing
and GOs
worksheets worksheets

Listening for Speaking


Language Reading
key point and Writing and
Skills and Speaking
speaking Writing

VI. Reflection

From students feedback, I learned that the listening activity in the stage 1 is quite

successful because the teacher taught in English and the activity is not time-consuming.

In stage 2, for the first activity, students had a hard time asking questions of diverse levels.

They seemed to forget how to ask questions in English. Most of them made a lot of

grammatical mistakes. As for the reading graphic organizers, they didn’t complain about it.

In the stage 3, verbs and one sentence pattern—S beV used to + Ving are introduced.

They finished the definition part fast because they could just copy or rephrase the

information they get from the textbook; however, for the sentence-making part, they

needed more time because it was difficult for them to apply new words in the designated

sentence pattern. They encountered similar difficulties with the nouns and the other

sentence pattern—S V because of + NP. They needed more time to complete this activity.

As for the micro movie making part, it is the most complicated activity. Students in groups

should work together and make movies. They used their spare time such as during the

12
break or on the weekend. However, to my surprise, a lot of them love this activity and

enjoy their movies after finishing it. After micro movie making, I think they still need to

have more clear connection between reading and writing so I designed the writing

worksheets. I tried to finish it in one class time. Some of them did it but some didn’t. In

conclusion, the stage 3 and 4 are the most challenging for students. And, students who

are active and extrovert like a lot of interactive actives in the class; however, introvert

students don’t like those. In the future, I need to develop more interesting activities to

motivate introvert students.

From the feedbacks provided by the students in the department of the National

Kaohsiung Normal University, they think the teacher made the instruction clearly by

explaining things again in Chinese. Students collaborated to work together and learned

together. They were encouraged to speak up in class. The teacher especially encouraged

quiet students to speak up. However, they also think some directions were not clear

enough and students didn’t understand what mind maps were.

VII. Conclusion

Differentiate instruction does help a lot in the class. Students are actively involved

in the activities. The teacher should control the time well so students have enough time to

complete the worksheets; if not, students feel stressed to write too many worksheets. If

time permits, the teacher can use two periods of class to teach the grammar part because

students seem to take more time making sentences with the new words and sentence

patterns they learned in the lesson.

To my surprise, I didn’t expect that students would like to make movies and didn’t

expect that they could do so well. Some of them really made a lot of efforts to make the

movies by shooting a scene on location. They even researched the local superstitions or

legends to make their movies.

13
The results of their writing also surprised me a lot because I didn’t expect a senior

high first-grader can write so well, which proves that with the teacher’s proper and inspiring

guidance, all students can write and even write well.

In conclusion, differentiated instruction is very useful for students and teachers

should make the best use of it to help students with diverse abilities.

VIII. Reference

Brown, H. Douglas (2007). Teaching by Principles An Interactive Approach to Language


Pedagogy.

各國⼈人的不同迷信: Infamous Superstition (World Edition) (YouTube)


[Link]

Reading Response Forms and Graphic Organizers | [Link] (Scholastic Teachers)


[Link]
graphic-organizers

14
Appendix

1. Appendix 1—Seat arrangement

Students Seat Arrangement

37 27

36
34 38 30 32 18 10

33 26 31 17 9
20 16 23 35 11 6

19 14 29 24 3 4
15 13 25 22 8 2

5 12 28 21 7 1

Podium

15
2. Appendix 2—Text of the lesson

Dear Diary,
I can’t believe that Jonathan finally popped the question today! I’m
engaged! I was so happy that I called Angela and asked her to be one of my
bridesmaids. She screamed with me when she heard the news and said “yes”
immediately. And, oh, I MUST lose ten pounds before the wedding! I’ve got
to look perfect on my wedding.
What this woman wrote in her diary might sound familiar to you—
inviting the bride’s close friends to be her bridesmaids. However, the origin of
this custom may not be known by many people. In Roman times, people
believed that evil spirits might attend a wedding ceremony and hurt the bride.
Therefore, bridesmaids tried to cheat these unwanted visitors by dressing in
almost the same way as the bride. This is one superstition. Can you think of
any other superstition in everyday activities?
A superstition is a belief that one event can result in—or prevent—
another, especially when the two are in no way related. Take a rabbit’s foot.
Rabbits, unlike most other animals, touch the ground with their back feet first
when they are running. Many Westerners thus think that this is unusual and
regard a rabbit’s foot as a lucky sign. However, there is no scientific proof of
this superstition. Knocking on wood is another similar example. Americans are
used to saying “knock on wood” or actually doing so to prevent something bad
from happening when they have just said it won’t occur or hasn’t occurred.
This is because they are afraid that tree spirits would affect their luck. Many
people stick to these beliefs because they tend to superstitiously associate one
event with another.
In addition to the above superstitions for good luck, some customs that
have long been practiced grow out of people’s fears. Most people practice these
customs to deal with the unknown. In Taiwan, for instance, the word for the
number “four” sounds like the word for “death.” Because of this association,

16
the number “four” has long been viewed as an unlucky number by most
Taiwanese people. The reason why people in some Western countries often say
“Bless you” when someone sneezes is also based on superstition. In the past,
they used to believe that devils might enter a person’s body when that person
sneezes.
Nowadays, because of changing ideas, some superstitious customs are
practiced in different ways. People are now turning to artificial feet of a rabbit
to take the place of real ones, since this will help to stop the unnecessary
killing of animals. However, many people still find comfort in following
superstition-based customs. Though people are unable to predict the future,
they still try their best to find a chance to control it.
—Adapted from “A Rabbit’s Foot and a Piece of Wood.”

17
3. Appendix 3—Listening worksheets

Listening worksheet A

Superstition Listening Worksheet


Before listening:
Questions: 1. Are you a lucky person? Why or why not?
2. Have you ever seen a ghost? Do you believe in ghosts
3. Are you superstitious? Why or why not?
4. Is superstitious science? What is the difference?
During listening:
Task one: (Circle the right one.)
What is the main idea of the video clip? It’s about science/superstition.
Task two:
Matching (Clue: What’s the superstition in ___(country name)____?)

1. Don’t cut the bread upside down.

.
Republic of
2. Look in the eyes of the person China
you cheer with. If not, you will (Taiwan)
have seven years of bad luck.

.
3. Kiss on the seventh step United
between the house we are living Kingdom
in. If not, you will have seven
years of bad luck.
4. Don’t walk underneath a ladder.
Don’t break a mirror. Knock on
. United States
of America

wood to make something bad


not happen.
5. You shouldn’t walk alone at
night. There are ghosts.
. France

.
6. Number 13 is an unlucky
Germany
number. Black cats are
associated with witches.

. Mexico

Task three:
Why do you think some people are superstitious? Please show it with a mind map.

18
Listening worksheet B

Superstition Listening
Worksheet
Before listening:
Questions: 1. Are you a lucky person? Why or why not?
2. Have you ever seen a ghost? Do you believe in ghosts
3. Are you superstitious? Why or why not?
4. Is superstitious science? What is the difference?
During listening:
Task one:
What is the main idea of the video clip? It’s about ________________.
Task two:
Matching (Clue: What’s the superstition in ____________?)

1. Don’t cut the bread ______________. Write down

.
country names:
2. ____________________ of the person
you cheer with. If not, you will
have seven years of bad luck.

.
3. ___________ on the seventh step
between the house we are living
in. If not, you will have seven
years of bad luck.
4. Don’t walk ______________________.
Don’t __________________.
.
__________________ to make
something bad not happen.
5. You shouldn’t ______________ at
night. There are _____________.
.
6. ______________ is an unlucky
number. Black cats are
associated with _____________.
.
.
Task three:
Why do you think some people are superstitious? Write down the reasons.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

19
4. Appendix 4—Listening activity evaluation form

Oral Presentation Evaluation

Group ___________
Group Leader ____________

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Group 7 Group 8 Group 9 Group 10

Creativity
and visual
aids 10%

Content
20%

Attraction
15%

Time
control
20%

Q&A
15%

Teamwork
20%

Total

Summary

Overall
Comments

20
5. Appendix 5—Video transcripts

Infamous Superstitions Transcripts

0:02when I first came to Taiwan I was actually quite surprised by all the
0:05stoop
0:05superstition that was around I heard so many things about ghosts
0:10and I heard so many things about why should I walk alone
0:14my
0:16the name in France you cannot get the bread
0:21upside down although I it will bring you back
0:25if you sit around with friends and have a drink %uh
0:28even ever formal meeting with business people everybody
0:31take this class don't like cheers and drink
0:34now you can't do this and Germany you have to cheers to everyone
0:39and clink look them in the eye and
0:42clink at the same time if you don't do that the
0:46that mean seven years bad the we have this
0:49typeof Romeo and Juliet story you have to
0:53give someone a care on the 7th that between the houses that
0:57they were living in and if not I do get
1:00seven years about lock if you break a mirror that you have
1:03so many years a bad look like 30 years bad luck if you walk underneath the
1:07latter
1:08as someone's working something Bad's gonna happen to you are you are bad
luck
1:11if you're talking about a particular something and
1:15and it something bad in order to make that bad thing not happen to you then
1:20you knock on wood
1:21one is the number 13 like we don't have any house numbers that teams usually
1:26if I get number thirteen when I go to sit a test or an exam
1:30I would not write my chances very high number two
1:34you've got black cats we see a black cat in the street
1:37most people with associate them with which is
1:40as a black cat sees the bad luck so
1:44he was then this is the deal ciskei that I should the
1:56yesAppendix 4—Reading worksheets

21
6. Appendix 6—Superstition reading worksheets

Superstition Reading Worksheet A

Superstition Reading Worksheet


Name:____________
[Link] title: _________________________________

Ask questions
before, while
and after Answer
Ask questions
reading to
understand the
questions
text better.
1.What________________? 1._________________________
__________________________
2. Where_______________?
2._________________________
3. When _______________?
Before __________________________
4. Who________________? 3._________________________
Reading
__________________________
5. Why________________?
4._________________________
6. How________________?
5._________________________

1.What________________? 1._________________________
__________________________
2. Where_______________?
2._________________________
3. When _______________?
While __________________________

Reading 4. Who________________? 3._________________________


__________________________
5. Why________________?
4._________________________
6. How________________?
5._________________________

1.What________________? 1._________________________
__________________________
2. Where_______________?
2._________________________
3. When _______________?
__________________________
After 4. Who________________? 3._________________________
Reading __________________________
5. Why________________?
4._________________________
6. How________________?
5._________________________

22
Superstition Reading Worksheet B

Superstition Reading Worksheet


Name:____________
[Link] title: _________________________________

Ask questions
before, while
and after Answer
Ask questions
reading to
understand the
questions
text better.
1 3

Before
Reading

2 4

While
Reading

5 6

After
Reading

23
7. Appendix 7—Superstition Graphic Organizers

Superstition Graphic Organizer A

Superstition Graphic Organizer

Main Idea:

Superstitions for Good Superstitions to Deal


Luck: with Fears:
1.___________________ 1. __________________
because rabbits touch the At a wedding ceremony,
ground with their back feet, bridesmaids dress like the bride
and this unusual act to fool evil spirits that might
hurt the bride.
causes the feet of a rabbit
to be regarded as a lucky
2. __________________
because in Taiwan it sounds like
sign. the Chinese word for “death.”
2. __________________ 3. __________________
because people wanted to because Westerners believe
prevent tree spirits from that devils might enter their
affecting their luck. bodies.

Conclusion:

24
Superstition Graphic Organizer B

Superstition Graphic Organizer

Main Idea:

Superstitions for Good Superstitions to Deal


Luck with Fears

Conclusion:

25
8. Appendix 8—Writing Worksheets

Writing Worksheet A

Writing Worksheet
Class: __________ Name: ____________
After we read the text, we understand what superstition is. Therefore, we will write about
superstition by following the hints below.
A superstition is _________________. Some people are superstitious because they want to have
good luck. For example, in___(country)___, people ______________because __________________. On
the other hand, in ________, people ______________ because of _________. However, some people are
superstitious because they have to deal with their fears. For instance, people in __(country)__
____________________ because ________________. In addition, in _(country)_, people ___________
because of ________. In conclusion, because of changing ideas, some superstitious customs are practiced
in different ways. People still __________________________.

Needs Improvement Fair Good Excellent

Punctuation
1 2 3 4
Student uses accurate punctuation

Capitalization
Student uses capital letters to begin sentences 1 2 3 4
and for names.

Grammar
Student uses subject/verb agreement and writes
1 2 3 4
complete sentences that make sense.

Content/Ideas
Student writes on topic and adds details. 1 2 3 4

Spelling
Student writes most sight words correctly and 1 2 3 4
applies spelling rules.

Summary:

26
Writing Worksheet B

Writing Worksheet
Class: __________ Name: ____________
After we read the text, we understand what superstition is. Therefore, we will write about
superstition by following the hints below.
1. What is superstition? Why are we superstitious?
2. What are the examples of superstitions for good luck?
3. What are the examples of superstitions to deal with fears? What do people do in Taiwan?
4. What do superstitious people do today? (Make a conclusion.)

Needs Improvement Fair Good Excellent

Punctuation
1 2 3 4
Student uses accurate punctuation

Capitalization
Student uses capital letters to begin sentences 1 2 3 4
and for names.

Grammar
Student uses subject/verb agreement and writes
1 2 3 4
complete sentences that make sense.

Content/Ideas
Student writes on topic and adds details. 1 2 3 4

Spelling
Student writes most sight words correctly and 1 2 3 4
applies spelling rules.

Summary:

27
9. Appendix 9—Storyboard planning worksheets

Storyboard Planning Worksheet

Storyboard Planning Worksheet


Segment Display Content Length

Introduction Students words/ What’s the most 10 sec


students works/ written interesting part in the
introduction movie?

Topic Table of contents/ What’s the topic in the 5 sec


School/ Participants/ clip? Who is the
Teacher participant?

Transition subtitle

Objective statement Subtitle with music/ What's the objective of 20 sec


students, teacher or the clip? Why do you
guest interviews/ photos want to talk about it?

Transition Subtitles

Activity statement Words with music/ What's special about it? 20 sec
Students explanation

Transition Subtitles

Display of the activity Videos or photos Behind the scene and 60 sec
interesting facts

Transition Subtitles

Learners statements Group or individual clips/ What did I do? What did 60 sec
Students words I learn? How did I make
it? What’s the process?
What’s the feedback
from my partners?

Transition Subtitles

Learners comments and Students interviews/ Impressive events and 60 sec


reflection photos/ subtitles learners feelings
What needs to be
improved next time?

The End Subtitles/ Ending words Thanks/ participants/ 5 sec


Ending words

28
Storyboard Planning Sheet

Storyboard Planning Sheet Name:__________________________________________


Text_________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Transition, sound and animation
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Text_________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Transition, sound and animation
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Text_________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Transition, sound and animation
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

29
10. Appendix 10—superstition questionnaire

Superstition Questionnaire

30
11. Appendix 11—Questionnaire reports

31
32
12. Appendix 12—Students works

Listening activity (Bats)

33
Spiders

34
Evaluation forms

Reading worksheets

35
Reading graphic organizers

36
37
Nouns and grammar worksheets

38
39
Verbs and grammar worksheets

40
41
Storyboard planning sheets

42
43
Writing worksheets

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13. Appendix 13—Classroom Observation Form

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14. Appendix 14—PPT for the listening activity

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15. Appendix 15—Class photos

First Period—Video watching

Second Period—Reading activities

Third Period—Grammar activities

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Forth Period—Micro-movie making

Fifth period—writing activity

Happy learning

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Common questions

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The lesson plan caters to varied learning styles by using a mix of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activities. Visual learners benefit from video clips and PowerPoint presentations; auditory learners engage with listening and speaking activities; and kinesthetic learners participate in creating mind maps and filming projects. This approach ensures that different preferences are addressed, enhancing overall comprehension and retention of the topic .

The lesson plan differentiates activities by tailoring tasks to the students' ability levels. High achievers, labeled as "bats," tackle more complex tasks such as writing down complete sentences and organizing text, while low achievers, labeled as "spiders," are provided with scaffolded tasks like filling in blanks and matching exercises. Both groups, however, participate in activities like watching videos and practicing dialogue, ensuring engagement at varied levels of difficulty .

Mind maps are used to facilitate students' understanding of the reasons behind superstitions by encouraging them to organize their thoughts visually. This method helps to enhance critical thinking skills by allowing learners to connect ideas more effectively, thus making complex concepts more accessible. Students can gather ideas from online sources, allowing for deeper exploration of why people might hold superstitious beliefs .

The lesson plan uses several feedback mechanisms, including distributing evaluation forms after paired demonstrations and involving students in evaluating each other's dialogues. Additionally, students fill out self-evaluation questionnaires to reflect on their learning and participation. Through these mechanisms, teachers can assess student understanding and engagement, facilitating targeted support and improvements in future lessons .

The lesson involves students comparing superstitions from different countries via dialogue demonstrations and evaluations. Each group addresses superstitions in a chosen country, highlighting specific customs and beliefs such as issues with the number 13, black cats, or breaking mirrors. Through discussions and presentations, students identify both the differences and commonalities between cultural superstitions, facilitating a broader understanding of how cultures interpret superstitions differently .

Multimedia elements such as video clips and PowerPoint presentations are employed to introduce the topic of superstition and build background knowledge. These tools aim to engage students visually and promote active learning, helping to convey complex ideas in an easily digestible format. The video clips are used not only to present information but also to prompt discussion and further inquiry, fostering an interactive learning environment .

Storytelling is integral to the lesson as it is employed through the creation of microfilms about superstitions. This approach allows students to narrate stories that incorporate vocabulary and grammar structures learned in class. It enhances understanding by prompting students to apply their knowledge creatively and meaningfully, offering a narrative lens that makes abstract concepts tangible and memorable .

The microfilm project is intended to enhance students' application of vocabulary and sentence patterns learned in class, while also encouraging creative expression. By making microfilms, students integrate and demonstrate their understanding of superstitions through storyboarding and filming. This hands-on project expects students to collaborate, reinforce their language skills, and synthesize cultural insights about superstitions, thereby deepening their conceptual clarity and engagement with the material .

Superstitions are contextualized by relating them to the students' personal experiences and existing knowledge through ice-breaker questions that invite students to share personal beliefs and encounters with superstitions. This strategy is aimed at bringing abstract concepts closer to students' reality, making the topic more relatable and stimulating their curiosity and engagement .

Peer interaction is a key component of the lesson. Students work in heterogeneous groups, allowing high achievers to assist peers with pronunciation and encourage language use. During activities such as dialogue demonstration and mind map creation, students discuss and exchange information, which fosters a cooperative learning environment where they learn from each other's insights and feedback .

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