Developing fun and educational activities to lessen the boredom during writing lessons is possible. In this workshop, participants will examine several writing activities based on local field trips. Then participants will design an assignment that makes students leave the classroom and write about the city in which they are living. Through local field trips, students are forced to look at places they see every day with a more critical eye, which creates new topics for classroom discussion.

1. sex Writing &
The City
Monique Simpson
msimpson@yachaytech.edu.ec
Making writing fun & relevant
1Tuesday, August 4, 15

2. Sex And The City
“Not Writing and Not Having a Good Time”
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3. What do i see?
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4. 4Tuesday, August 4, 15

5. 5Tuesday, August 4, 15

6. 6Tuesday, August 4, 15

7. 7Tuesday, August 4, 15

8. what do these
images have in
common?
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9. writing prompts
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10. sex Writing &
The City
10Tuesday, August 4, 15

11. Loja,
ecuador
From October 2009 to
February 2011, I taught
at UTPL in Loja,
Ecuador. It was there
that I began using field
trips as a teaching tool.
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12. Field trip #1:
Literary Tours
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13. #1. Have students read literature
about their city.
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14. • #2: Students
Select a place in
their city.
• #3. Students
write about their
selected place.
• #4. the class
plans a tour
route to visit all
of the locations.
Literary Tours
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15. 5. conduct a
Student
Literary
Tour
& Listen to
the pieces.
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16. Field trip #2:
Promotional City
Video
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17. Video
Activity
Have students Make a
commercial advertising
their city and post it on
youtube
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18. Loja Lost Paradise
Video can be found on youtube
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19. detailed assignment
vs
Freedom & camera
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20. Other city tour ideas
• Create a brochure that provides a walking tour
of your city with specific tourist attractions
and/or cultural tradition/events
• Speciality Tours:
• Horchata Lojana Tea Tour
• “Musical Capital of Ecuador”
• Visit famous places that have been written
about and discuss the writing(s)
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21. Guess
the Field
Trip’s
theme?
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22. Field trip #3:
City Architecture
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23. Loja’s Architecture
Digital Platform Assignment #1: Take a picture of
your favorite building/architecture in Loja. Write a
single paragraph (5-8 sentences) about the
architecture. Use the information from Unit 10 to
help you write a vivid description. Post your
paragraph to the class website. You must comment
on at least two (2) other students’ postings. (7.5%)
23Tuesday, August 4, 15

24. Independent field trips
•Landmarks
•Writing Assignment: Critique the art shown at Puerta la Ciudad
(city museum). You must write five complete paragraphs, using
complete sentences. If needed, refer to Unit 8 for examples of
critiquing art. (Tues., Jan. 4th) (7.5%).
•Architecture
•EVA Assignment #1: Picture and description of your favorite building/
architecture in Loja. Using the information from Unit 10 to help you write
a vivid description. You must comment on at least two (2) other students’
postings. (7.5%)
•Landscape
•EVA Activity #2: Using the information from Unit 11, post your favorite
landscape image and discuss it. You must comment on at least two (2) other
students’ postings. (Thurs., Jan 11th) (7.5%)
24Tuesday, August 4, 15

25. Specific Textbook
Themed Field Trips
• English 5, Field Trip for June 22, 2012
You all have decided to visit the shopping center with
SuperMaxi. Please visit Todo Hogar, SuperMaxi and the food
court and answer these questions.
Todo Hogar & Technology
* In Chapter 10, we looked at the question, “Does
technology always live up to its promises?”
* Visit Todo Hogar’s household appliances section.
* Do these appliances live up to the promise that “new
household appliances were supposed to increase free time
and cut back on time spent doing chores.”
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26. Specific Textbook
Themed Field Trips
The Food Court & Food/Advertisemnt
* Many people like to visit new restaurants in their free time. How would you
describe a trip to the food court using the vocabulary from page 113 (i.e.,
physically challenging, emotionally satisfying, just plain fun)?
* Describe the advertisement used in the food court. Do they use the
techniques described on page 80?
SuperMaxi & Family behavior
*Many people in Loja enjoying going to SuperMaxi with their families.
*Observe a family’s interaction for a few minutes. Describe their actions
using vocabulary from page 90 (i.e., the children are spoiled, the parents are
overprotective).
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27. Where have
students gone in
Loja?
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28. El Cafe Sendero Tour (a youth cafe where you
can practice your English, play games & have
fun with new and old friends)
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29. Central
Market
The main shopping
center where you can
buy fresh fruits &
veggies, traditional
gifts, tasty ice cream
and delightful sweets.
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30. Howard Johnson
HoTel
A five-star hotel in Loja
City
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31. C&C II: The lovely Tessa shares
details about life in London.
Activity: Invite a speaker to have
tea with students
in a different room on campus
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32. Note:
• When students have to go on
independent field trips, they must take
a group photo at the location.
• This is how I know they were together
at the place one day.
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33. Let’s Plan A field
Trip assignment
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34. Let’s Plan A field
Trip assignment
★ Work in small
groups to create a
field trip
assignment.
★ Location?
★ Activity to do at the
location?
★ Textbook theme?
★ Independent or Group?
★ Share thoughts?
(YouTube, EVA, FB)
34Tuesday, August 4, 15

35. The City is Poetry
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36. sex Writing &
The City
Monique Simpson
msimpson@yachaytech.edu.ec
Making writing fun & relevant
36Tuesday, August 4, 15