WHEN THE VOLCANO CAN CHANGE THE SPEED OF A GEOGRAPHY LESSON

 


Shared by Mª Isabel Gejo

My 1st Year ESO students (this school year) hate or do not like speaking. They say almost nothing in class, or they are playing.

Aim

To get students talking to each other as much as possible.
British Council Project ESO students love to speak. However, this school year, they are frightened of making mistakes, of saying things their peers may consider foolish, of not having anything to say.

Creating the conditions for speaking


-We need to build an atmosphere where students want to say things (being asked to say something should feel like a great chance for students to give their ideas, for instance, volcanoes. They are curious about La Palma volcano).
-Frame this topic as questions or problems, rather than as statements.
-Show pictures and short videos to help inspire reactions and ideas (colours, smells & sounds are very important to describe an active volcano).
-Let students use google, YouTube, etc. to research before a debate starts. His could be for homework the evening before.
-Teach useful vocabulary beforehand can make a difference (crater, lava, dormant volcano, chimney, eruption, tectonic plates, cone, composite volcano, emergency services, ashes, semi-molten layer, etc.)
-Scaffold where helpful: support speakers by using conversational techniques that help them build what they want to say: suggesting words they cannot find, showing vocabulary flash-cards, asking short questions, echoing key words, etc.
-Do not jump on errors and allow thinking time
-Let students make a few notes for “bigger questions” or allow a short time for students to tell each other what they think in pairs or in small group, before feeding back to me.
-Train students to listen to each other.
-Talk less myself.


-Congratulate students for speaking, it doesn't matter if they did it right or wrong. Teachers need to show support and encouragement to students who speak.


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