Barry Fun English- Enough free stuff to be useful?

YOUR ADVICE NEEDED! Please read!

Hopefully you've found this blog useful over the last few weeks as you've started classes. If not, please let me know what I can do to improve it.

As I've also been using the site in my own planning, I've developed some mixed feelings about Barry Fun English. When I first stumbled upon this site, I thought "Holy cow, this is AMAZING!" There are flash games, a custom worksheet builder, a flashcard maker and more. Everything is bright colored and seemingly well-designed.

photo from Barry Fun English

Since I've started really digging in hopes of finding games and materials for my classes, I've found that most of the things I'm interested in are not free for all users. Ugh. In fact, it's difficult to figure out what's free at all without a lot of trial and error.

I'm excited when I see something perfect and then disheartened when I click on it and find it's for members only. The membership is not expensive at only $20 per year, but paying for this membership requires us to have a bank account outside of Morocco and money in that bank account that we're willing to spend on "business" expenses.

For those who are interested, I've also discovered that you can get a one month free membership by submitting two worksheets or powerpoints that you've created.

In the end, I need your advice. Should Barry Fun English be kept on the resource list? Are you finding things that you can use for free in your classes? To remove or not to remove- Please leave your answer in a comment below.

Spotlight On: American Inside Out Pre-Intermediate 1, Unit 2- Place (page 14)

This is a 1.5 hour lesson plan that corresponds to page 14 of Unit 2- Place in the American Inside Out Pre-Intermediate 1 course.

Screen time: 30 mins
Supplementary materials:  10 mins
Bookwork: 45 mins

Materials needed: Tape, countable/uncountable nouns written on pieces of paper, photocopy of the countable/uncountable sort for each student, countries and nationalities powerpoint downloaded

The Lesson:

Warmer (15 mins): Showdown Adjective Opposites game from ESL Games World to review adjectives from the last class

1. This game is a bit confusing at first, be sure to practice beforehand and know that you have the ability to deduct points manually if teams answer incorrectly.
2. I would modify the game slightly in order to review so/such and very/too from page 13. When a team answers the question given, tell them they can win an extra 10 points by putting the adjective in a sentence using one of the modifiers. 
3. Optional: Let teams earn up to 40 extra points by creating a sentence using each of the four modifiers. Other team can steal points if answering team is incorrect or can't use one of the modifiers.

Introduce the topic (5 mins): Brainstorm things that are countable or uncountable

1. Students learned this concept in regards to food in Elementary 3. Have them shout out food for each category.
2. Review the basics of countable/uncountable and explain that other nouns can also be divided.

Bookwork (20 mins): Grammar Exercises 1-3 on page 14

1. To begin, have nouns written on pieces of paper and stuck to the board with tape. Have students add the words into the appropriate category with the foods already listed.
2. Once they've been properly divided, students complete matching activity. Correct as a class.
3. Students complete the table with singular and plural forms and discuss the questions with a partner.
4. Question and answer about cities they know.

Game (10 mins): Countable/Uncountable sort from English Club

1. In pairs, students race to sort the nouns on this worksheet into the right category. First team to correctly sort is the winner!
2. Review new vocabulary before to make the game easier or after to keep it challenging.

Bookwork (10 mins): Vocabulary & Pronunciation exercises 1&2 page 14

1. Students work together to fill in the missing countries and nationalities and then identify the stressed syllable.
2. Listen, check and repeat
3. Exercise 2

Quiz/Discussion (15 mins): Countries and Nationalities Powerpoint from Busy Teacher

1. Show a picture from the powerpoint and ask students to name the country and the nationality.
2. Follow up questions: Would you like to go there? What kinds of food do they eat? Do you know anyone from that country?
3. Optional: Make it a competition by dividing the class into teams and alternating who guesses. Other teams can "steal" if the guessing team is incorrect. Assign points for correct answers.

Bookwork (10 mins): Speaking activities 1 & 2 on page 14

1. Students discuss statements in small groups and then create their own using the nouns in the box. 
2. In the end groups share their statements and classmates agree or disagree.
3. Variation: Put the nouns on pieces of paper in an envelope. A student draws a noun and creates a sentence. Class agrees or disagrees.

Assign homework from the workbook!

Any lesson requests?

Hi all!

Hope the semester has started out well and that you're finding the resources here to be useful.

I'm about to start a second round of sample lesson plans for the "spotlight on" series. I hope to post three new ones by the end of the month and am happily taking requests!

Any particular level or unit that you'd like to see? Keep in mind that it'll be a week or two, so you'll want to flip forward in your book a bit.

If there are no requests I will choose at random.

TTFN
teresa

Tips & Tricks for Easy Blog Use

As discussed in our training session, being able to easily find and navigate this blog is a huge key to using it easily and successfully!

For easy reference, the first step is to create a bookmark button for the blog on your toolbar. To do this, click on the star/arrow button to the right of the Favorites button.

Once you're navigating within the blog, you'll find that clicking on a link replaces your current webpage, thus requiring lots of "back" button use and more often than not taking you far from where you started with no easy way to return. To combat this issue you have two options.

1) Use the toolbar button you just created to return to the blog's home page. You can also make buttons that link directly to the individual class resource pages.
2) Push "control" while selecting a link in order to open it in a new tab. This way when you're finished with the new site, you can close it and pick up just where you left off. This also allows you to have many sites open at one time for easy reference.

Spotlight On: In Company Intermediate, Unit 2- Making Contacts (pages 8 & 9)

This is a 1.5 hour sample lesson that could be used to begin unit 2- Making Contacts.

Screen time: 25 mins
Supplementary materials:  25 mins
Bookwork: 40 mins

Materials needed: Activity sheets and business profiles printed for the role-play activity, internet connection

The Lesson:

Warmer (10 mins): Business Hangman from Business English

Introduce the Topic (10 mins): Class discussion

1. Read the quote on the top of page 8- Ask students what they think it means, why it's funny and if they agree.
2. Ask students about their personal experience with conferences- Have they ever been to one? When and Where? What were the best and worse parts?

Bookwork (15 mins): Exercises 1-5 on page 8

1. Work through the exercises, elicit feedback or encourage discussion in pairs as appropriate.

Role-Play (25 mins): Introducing Your Business from Lanternfish

1. Tell students that they are being sent to a conference. On the plane ride, they'll sit next to different people and introduce themselves and their business.
2. Print enough activity sheets for each student and one copy of the business profiles to cut and pass out.
3. Give each student a business profile, they should read and ask questions before the activity begins.
4. Students role-play meeting new people and introducing their business.
5. Variation: If your students are already in business, have them fill out their own, true business profile

Bookwork (15 mins): Conference Venues activities 1-4, pages 8-9

1. Listen and complete exercises as explained, correct answers as a class.
2. Students discuss in small groups which venue they'd prefer to attend.

Game (15 mins): Geography Spin the Wheel Game from ESL Games World

1. If they're going to be going to conferences and doing business on the world stage, your students will need some basic geography knowledge. Divide the class into 2-4 teams and assign a color.
2. Teams can "buzz in" by raising their hand, or a sheet of paper with their team color.
3. Play until class is over, most points wins!

Spotlight On: Engage 3, Unit 1- My Future (pages 11 & 12)

This is a two hour sample lesson that could be used for the first meeting of an Engage 3 class.

Screen time: 30 mins
Supplementary materials: 30 mins
Bookwork: 50 mins

Materials needed: downloaded powerpoint, life events written on full sheets of paper, internet connection

The Lesson:

Warmer (15 mins): Hidden pictures competition as students trickle in

1. Divide the class into two halves and display the school supplies powerpoint from ESL Games .
2. Slowly send colored squares to the back of the slide to uncover the picture.
3. First team to guess what the picture is gets a point!

"Get to know you" Ice Breaker (20 mins): Personal star from Busy Teacher

1. Draw a star on the board and put your name in the middle.
2. On each point, write a name/fact pertaining to you.
3. Students ask yes or no questions to figure out what the names and facts represent.
4. Each student draws a star in their notebook and includes information about themselves.
5. Students interview each other in pairs using yes or no questions.
6. Variation: For small classes, have students draw their star on the board.

Introduce the Topic (10 mins): Class discussion

1. Ask: "Did anyone include the job they hope to have in the future when you made your star? What do you want to be?" Discuss answers, write jobs on the board.
2. Introduce the topic: "Today we start talking about the future. What other things will you do in the future?" Discuss answers, write other events on the board.

Bookwork (15 mins): Vocabulary exercises 1&2, page 11

1. Students complete exercises individually or in pairs. Check answers.

BREAK (10 mins)

Warmer (5 mins): Order the events (vocabulary exercises 3, page 11)

1. Hand out pieces of paper containing the phrases from exercise 1.
2. Students arrange themselves in order based on a path typical in Morocco.
3. Variation: For a large class, have students arrange themselves in smaller groups, then discuss discrepancies.

Bookwork (25 mins): Reading exercises on page 12

1. Pre-teach difficult vocabulary- add to vocabulary bank.
2. Students complete exercises individually or in pairs. Check answers.
3. Discuss other new vocabulary-add to vocabulary bank.

Game (10 mins): Jobs Hangman from ESL Games World

Wrap up (5 mins)

1. Students write down their homework: WB page 8
2. Students put things away, clean up their area and stand behind their pushed in chairs until dismissed.

Spotlight On: Take Shape 2, Unit 1- Family and Friends (pages 4-6)

Greetings!

"Spotlight On" posts will highlight ways to use the resources linked on this site to supplement actual AMIDEAST classes. I'll make every effort to highlight units that you've not yet reached in hopes of saving you time in planning.

Feel free request help with particular units or classes by leaving a comment, but make sure to request at least two weeks before you'll need to teach it.

Our first spotlight is the first Take Shape 2 unit- Family and Friends lessons one and two

Screen time: 20/35 mins (depending on last activity)
Supplementary materials: 20/35 mins
Bookwork: 50 mins

Materials needed: "Me drawing" template, crayons, ball, body cards printed and cut out or body powerpoint downloaded and edited, internet connection

The Lesson:

Warmer + Ice breaker (20 mins): "Me drawing"

1. Give each student a sheet of paper with a circle in the middle (head) and a line at the top (for their name). 
2. Students draw their faces, write their name and also draw three things that they like around their head.
3. Each student presents themselves to the class (teacher should go first to demonstrate!)
4. Tape pictures to desks to learn names

Introduce the topic (5 mins): Elicit facial features from the class by pointing and asking "What is this?"

Bookwork (15 mins): Lesson 1, pages 4&5

1. Listen & point, listen & repeat, review orally
2. Exercise 3 "Why do we have.....?" Complete and ask about other parts
3. Students label their own facial features on their "Me drawing"

Sing (10 mins): Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (with music and lyrics from KIDiddles!)

Game (10 mins): Body Parts Memory from ESL Games +

BREAK (10 mins)

Bookwork (30 mins): Workbook page 4 and Lesson 2 in student book (page 6)

1. Students complete workbook page individually, correct using stamps
2. Read and Listen to the dialogue 
3. Students read in pairs, then act out in front of the class
4. Highlight the "Take Note" box and write on the board
5. Ask students questions about their family members, toss ball to select student

Game (15 mins): Body cards from MES English

1. Students play in groups of 2 or 3. Start with all cards face down on the desk (remove cards that you don't want to use from the stack).
2. Student picks up a card and makes a sentence using the verb "have" and the body part indicated. If correct, student keeps the card. If incorrect, student returns card to the bottom of the pile.
3. Student with the most cards at the end wins!
4. Variation: Elicit the same sentences using the powerpoint presentation. Be sure to edit the powerpoint as is appropriate 

Wrap up (5 mins)

1. Students write their homework in the front cover of their workbook: WB page 5
2. Students put their things away, clean up their area, then push in and wait behind their chairs until dismissed by the teacher.