Comparing Animals Name: Cody Parmley Email: [email protected] Student Age & Level: Middle school (ages 12-14), upper-beginner level Aims: Have students use the comparative grammar point (-er) to compare animals by eliciting peer interaction Class Time: 10 minutes Preparation Time: 5 minutes Teacher must prepare Animal Cards found in Appendix by printing and cutting them out. Enough Animal Cards should be made for every student to have a different animal. Materials: Animal Cards (see above) Introduction & Rationale: Students should have already learned what comparatives are, and were introduced to how the designated grammar point (-er) is used. In this activity, the teacher takes a step back and changes the classroom from a teacher-led one to a more student- led type. Peer interaction in the form of pair- or group-work can offer many benefits including more opportunities for interaction and less pressure than speaking to the entire class (Harmer, 2007). These can lead to students taking charge of their own learning, more participation, and individualized focus. It is the goal of this activity to have students interact through speaking in order to learn the comparative grammar point. Resource : Harmer, J. (2007). How to teach English. Essex, UK: Longman Procedure: Teacher (T) Activities T gives each S an Animal Card (all Ss will have different animals). T then pairs Ss up. Student (S) Activities Ss receive a picture of an animal, “Animal Cards”. Ss get into pairs.