The document outlines the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum for secondary level English in the Philippines. It seeks to develop citizenship and address students' communication needs through adopting a communicative-interactive approach. The curriculum is grounded in theories of language and language acquisition, and informed by global trends and requirements for global citizenship. It aims to produce autonomous learners who can cope with global changes. The curriculum provides learning competencies and expectations for each year level, covering topics like self and community, nature, science and technology, and education for life and justice. Suggested teaching strategies include process writing, simulations, and cooperative learning.

1. 2002 Basic Education Curriculum
Secondary Level
Department of Education
BUREAU OF SECONDARY EDUCATION
DepEd Complex, Meralco Ave., Pasig City
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2. DESCRIPTION
The secondary English language curriculum for 2002 seeks to develop
citizenship and to address the communication needs (i.e. interpersonal, informative and
aesthetic) of Filipino students for English, which is emerging as the international lingua
franca. In line with developments in applied linguistics and pedagogy, and in
consonance with the government thrusts and globalization, this emerging English
curriculum adopts a communicative-interactive collaborative approach to learning
as well as reflection and introspection with the aim in view of developing autonomous
language learners aware of and able to cope with global trends.
Theoretical Framework
Underlying the curriculum as its theoretical framework is the prevailing theory of
language, theory of language acquisition and current pedagogical thrusts enriched
by other inputs to the curriculum such as global trends and the concomitant
requirements for global citizenship.
Where the theory of language is concerned, language is viewed as a means of
communication in the real world. Hence, the goal is to develop the four competencies-
linguistic, sociolinguistic, discoursal and strategic with emphasis on cognitive
academic language proficiency based on the students’ need for the language.
Both aforementioned theories of language and of language acquisition are in
keeping with the prevailing pedagogical emphasis on constructivism which is learner-
centered and which underscores reflection and collaboration to develop autonomy.
Through the years, government thrusts have served as an additional input to the
curriculum. In the emerging secondary education English curriculum, however, other
additional inputs have to be considered in consonance with paradigm shifts that have
taken place. These additional inputs mark the difference between this curriculum and
what preceded it.
• The advent of the information age necessitates computer literacy over and
above functional literacy
• Globalization and what it entails calls for a scrutiny of global trends and
the concomitant requirements of global citizenship
• Content-Based Instruction (CBI) underscores the need to develop
higher order thinking skills which enables one to acquire academic as well
as communicative competence
• The focus on developing learner autonomy has resulted in strategy
training in addition to skills development.
The schematic diagram, which follows, shows the inputs and outputs of the
emerging secondary English curriculum.
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3. ∗Communication goals ∗Higher order thinking skills
∗Information exchange ∗Macro-language skills
∗ ∗Affective expression ∗Competencies (communicative
and academic)
∗Global trends
∗Global
citizenship
∗Focus on Education
(Government thrust)
∗Pillars of learning
Theoretical Basis
Theory of language
Theory of language
acquisition
Current pedagogical
thrusts
As indicated in the diagram, the prevailing theory of language, language
acquisition and pedagogical thrusts provide the theoretical basis for the curriculum. The
boxes on the sides of the figure give other inputs to the curriculum and the boxes on the
top show what the expected outputs are.
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4. The English language curriculum provides for the development of language and
language-related skills in a meaningful purposeful and interesting manner. This is
attained through the adoption of an integrated approach in the teaching of language.
Central to the framework of this curriculum is the need for language learning that
is contextualized, interactive and integrated. This is achieved through the use of
themes covering a wide range of topics to cater to the varied interests and maturity
levels of students as they progress through their school years.
Each of the themes, explored through meaningful tasks and activities, provides
the context in which grammar and other language and language related skills are taught
and learned. Themes also provide the means for the integration of the various
language components. This integration makes language more purposeful, meaningful
and thus more motivating for the students.
UNIT CREDIT/TIME ALLOTMENT
See DepEd Order No. 37, s. 2003, “ Revised Implementing Guidelines of the
2003 Secondary Education Curriculum Effective School 2003-2004”
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5. EXPECTANCIES
At the end of the Fourth Year the student is expected to have acquired skills of
assessing, evaluating and using relevant information to meet their various needs,
thereby enabling them to adapt and respond flexibly to a rapidly changing world; and to
have developed listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills and appreciation of
literature resulting in a deeper understanding of the ideas, experiences and cultures of
other people, customs and traditions as well as values.
At the end of the Third Year, the student is expected to utilize a variety of
sentences and expository methods in persuasion and argumentations; break down
complex sentences to get the message in different text types: journalistic, scientific,
literary and technical; and single out the devices employed in fiction works and non-
fiction works (foreshadowing, flashbacks, figurative language, etc.) used by authors for
intellectual, emotional and aesthetic purpose with emphasis on Philippine and British-
American literature.
At the end of the Second Year, the student is expected to exhibit skills in utilizing
the prosodic features in oral texts and signals and cues in written texts to follow the
development of ideas; show understanding and appreciation of the different genres with
emphasis on types contributed by Afro-Asian and Philippine countries; and to
manipulate formal devices used to combine sentences to create continuous prose
employing different rhetorical patterns.
At the end of the First Year, the student is expected to determine how sentences
are used to perform communicative acts, such as describing, defining, classifying, etc;
make use of real world knowledge and experience with emphasis on cross-cultural
items; work at the denotative meanings of a text; identify and explain different literary
types with emphasis on Philippine literature; and show appreciation of art forms and
familiarization with the more common mass media forms.
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6. SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
First Year
Quarter 1 Getting in Touch with Self and Others
1. How do I see myself?
2. How does my family see me?
3. Through the eyes of my friends
4. I, as a member of the community
5. How informed and concerned am I about national and global
issues?
6. Reaching out to others
7. Being open to contrary opinions
8. Do I step on the right of others?
9. My relationship with God
Output: My profile: A thumbnail sketch (An autobiography, a collage or a self
portrait)
Quarter 2 I, as a Learner
1. I am a learner
2. Making sense of what I’ve learned
3. When communication bogs down
4. When memory fails me
5. Planning my learning activities
6. Becoming a resourceful learner
7. Working harmoniously with others
8. Reflecting on what I’ve done
9. Synthesizing my learning experiences
Output: My portfolio as a learner
Quarter 3 My Relationship with Nature
1. Learning from nature
2. Bounties of nature
3. Taking care of nature
4. Coping with the wrath of nature
5. The 3Rs of waste management
6. Being a responsible steward of nature
7. Communing with nature
8. Nature in us
9. Drawing inspiration from nature
Output: A campaign for change: treating nature right
Quarter 4 Science and Technology: Friend? or Foe?
1. Development in transportation
2. Development in communications
3. Medical breakthroughs
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7. 4. Food for all
5. Consumerism
6. Science and technology master or slave?
7. Our throw- away society
8. Experiencing information overload
9. Necessity: the mother of all inventions
Output: Round table discussion on the topic: science and technology; friend or
foe?
Second Year
Quarter 1 Learning to Know
1. A wealth of knowledge
2. Learning to learn
3. Learning from experiences
4. Learning from others
5. Learning from events
6. Learning from information technology
7. An analytical learner
8. Reflecting on what I learned
9. Reflecting for an informative talk show
Output: An informative talk show related to national and global issues
Quarter 2 Learning to Be
1. Being true to ourselves
2. Tracing our roots
3. Being a nationalist
4. Being an Asian citizen
5. Being an open- minded but discerning global citizen
6. Being a team player
7. Being concerned about people
8. Being concerned about nature
9. Being responsible for one’s decisions
Output: A peace book/wall or board
Quarter 3 Learning to Become
1. Responding to differences of opinions and culture
2. Responding to personal problems
3. Responding to societal problems
4. Responding to uncertainties
5. Responding to changes
6. Responding to media
7. Taking risks
8. Listening to events
9. Time out for reflection
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8. Output: A showcase of growth, through colors, shapes, objects, sounds and
language
Quarter 4 Learning to Do
1. Viewing problems and issues from different vantage points
2. Reading up on previous efforts
3. Noting trends
4. Drawing up plans
5. Trying things out
6. Analyzing results
7. Reflecting and evaluating processes
8. Creating new applications
9. Presenting and sharing results
Output: A project proposal and end-of-project reports
Third Year
Quarter 1 In the Realms of Thoughts
1. Seeing patterns
2. Perception versus reality
3. Reconciling contradictions
4. Breaking down walls
5. Up-down and up again: The S-curve
6. People change
7. What’s new?
8. Green housing ideas
9. Looking back, looking forward
Output: Making ideas take shape through songs, painting, collage, etc.
Quarter 2 Interactions
1. Informal interaction with people
2. Formal interaction with people
3. Interaction through technology
4. Interaction with nature
5. Interaction with ideas: A self-talk
6. Non-Verbal interactions
7. Reducing language barriers
8. Language of power
9. A Cross-cultural perspective
Output: A phrase book of basic conversational expressions
Quarter 3 Quality, not Quantity
1. Uniqueness
2. Impact
3. Multi-Modal
4. Inter-connectedness integration
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9. 5. A work of art
6. A labor of love
7. Transcending time and space
8. Source of pride
9. Beyond the unexpected
Output: Standards of quality: a primer
Quarter 4 Making a Difference
1. People who make a difference
2. Earth-shaking events
3. Moving ideas
4. Inventions and discoveries that change the world
5. What If?
6. Both sides of the coin
7. Taking a stand
8. Refuting arguments
9. Where lies the truth?
Output: Debate
Fourth Year
Quarter 1 Education for Life
1. Learning to think
2. Expanding and refining knowledge
3. Applying for college admission or employment
4. Process and product
5. Language in the content areas
6. Developing a sense of responsibility
7. Service for others and willingness to share
8. Making my voice heard
9. Previewing and evaluating
Output: Letters of application for college admission for employment opportunities,
annotated bibliography and note cards
Quarter 2 Education for Justice
1. Sharing resources equitably
2. Tempering justice with mercy
3. In defense of life
4. Defending basic human rights
5. The culture of non-violence
6. Trial by publicity
7. Justice delayed is justice denied
8. In fairness to all
9. Speaking out in defense of others
Output: Debate and letters to the editor
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10. Quarter 3 Education for Sustainable Development
1. Education: A lifelong process
2. Values for sustainable growth and development
3. Change is costly
4. Networking
5. Self--management
6. Concern for the environment
7. Recognizing and seizing opportunities
8. Using language to establish relationships
9. Constant self-assessment
Output: Research paper. Draft for chapters 1-3
Quarter 4 Education for Global Citizenship
1. Stressing interconnectedness
2. Looking at problems in a global context
3. Accepting cultural differences
4. Working cooperatively and responsibly
5. Thinking in a critical and systematic way
6. Going “global”
7. Adjustments and readjustments
8. Language for survival in a global culture
9. Envisioning possible, preferred, and plural future scenarios
Output: Research paper or a simple feasibility study
SUGGESTED STRATEGIES AND MATERIALS
• Process writing The students’ written expression is held to be personal,
sensitive and valued. The process suggested accepts that few, if any, writers get
their writing correct at first try. They plan, review, seek other opinions, and revise
many times. The steps of the process are variously described, one set is:
gaining and considering impressions, writing, conferencing, sharing, editing,
revising, and publication.
• Simulation games offer a model of some situation (reality) and thus allow
students to learn about that situation vicariously through competition,
cooperation, empathy, research skills, critical thinking and decision-making.
• Advance organizers designed to increase the efficiency of a student’s
information processing capabilities and relate bodies of information by presenting
introductory materials before the learning task and at a higher level of abstraction
and inclusiveness than the task itself
• Cloze involves deleting specific words (or parts of words) from a sentence
extract or story. Students are then required to fill the gap with a word that fits,
both syntactically and semantically. The value of cloze is that it can require
students to use all their reading strategies to complete the text.
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11. • Cooperative learning in which students learn and use the skills necessary to be
effective cooperatively with all group members contributing to get a task done
and developing positive relationships at the end of the task.
• Debate aims to develop confidence and competence in oral communication and
requires participants to listen carefully, or analyze opposing points and
arguments, to anticipate criticism, to summarize concisely and clearly, and
support and rebut arguments.
Materials;
All SEDP, SEMP approved books
GRADING SYSTEM
See DepEd Order No. 37, s. 2003, “ Revised Implementing Guidelines of the
2003 Secondary Education Curriculum Effective School 2003-2004”
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12. LEARNING COMPETENCIES
IN
INTERACTIVE SECONDARY ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM
2002
FIRST YEAR
At the end of the first year, the student shall have developed the following
competencies:
Listening
1. Listen closely to determine what to do and what not to do in
announcements, instructions or directions given orally
1.1 Listen to instructions given in connection with classroom procedure
1.1.1 Note down details in instructions or directions given orally
1.1.2 Carry out instructions given orally
1.2 Explore opportunities offered for speedy and economical access to
information by listening to broadcasts and weather bulletins
1.2.1 Distinguish what to do and what not to do in emergency
situations (fire, earthquake, etc.)
1.2.2 Listen closely to instructions and cautions pointed out
1.2.3 Listen for specific details and warnings in weather bulletins
2. Determine the content and feeling levels of utterances
2.1 Identify the speech event, interlocutors and objective of the speaker
2.2 Note the use of intonation to express feelings
2.3 Identify attitudes and feelings signaled by prosodic features (e.g.
intonation and stress)
3. Adjust listening strategies (marginal, selective, attentive, critical) in relation
to the main purposes of listening, one’s familiarity with the topic and level
of difficulty of a text describing a process and narrating longer stories
3.1 Determine the type of listening suited to a given text
3.1.1 Use TQLR (Tune in-Question-Listen-Respond) as a strategy
to make sense of listening texts
3.1.2 Employ selective strategies to find out answers to questions
raised in a listening text
3.2 Listen to informative texts specifically descriptions of processes
3.2.1 Listen to determine steps in a process
3.2.2 Transcode descriptions of a process using flowcharts
3.2.3 Listen to explanations of specific processes noting cause-
effect relationships
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13. 3.3 Listen to narratives
3.3.1 Infer links and connections between ideas
3.3.2 Determine the information map suited to the type of narrative
listened to
3.4 Listen to issues pertaining to the home and the family
3.4.1 Listen to class discussions on home and the family
3.4.2 Identify the place and the person speaking
3.4.3 Identify the stand of the speaker based on explicit
statements made
4. Get information from rapid speech
4.1 Listen to process speech including pauses, errors, corrections
4.1.1 Get information from rapid and “distorted” speech
4.1.2 Restate a commentary on a basketball game
4.2 Make sense of broadcasts and telecasts
4.2.1 Listen to get information on current events and issues aired
over the radio and television
5. Express appreciation for entertaining texts (anecdotes, jokes, fables, tales
in sharing sessions)
5.1 Listen to simple narratives to develop appreciative listening skills
5.1.1 Point out the (situation-problem-attempted solution-result)
discourse pattern in tales
5.1.2 Point out the distinctive features of tales, anecdotes, fables,
etc. listened to
5.1.3 Identify cause-effect relationships in anecdotes and tales
5.2 Single out the punch lines in jokes
Speaking
1. Speak in clear correct English appropriate to situations and adjust rate,
volume, and choice of register to suit the audience
1.1 Observe correct pronunciation of critical vowel and consonant
sounds
1.2 Use correct pronunciation, intonation and stress patterns, pausing,
and blending
2. Give information and express needs, opinions, feelings and attitudes in
explicit terms
2.1 Give short talks to entertain
2.2 Give and convey information obtained over the telephone and from
radio broadcasts
2.3 Use visual aids (e.g. graphs, charts, etc.) when conveying
information on topics dealing with science and mathematics
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14. 3. Use English when offering things to classmates and teachers, and identify
the functions of utterances taking into account the context of the situation
(seeking information, giving directions, expressing approval/disapproval,
etc.)
3.1 Use gambits when offering things to classmates, teachers, etc.
3.1.1 Respond to offers made (accept, turn-down or negotiate
changes in offers made)
3.2 Give clear commands, requests and directions to get things done
3.2.1 Give instructions, prohibitions, warnings
4. Ask and answer different types of questions (yes-no, wh- questions, core
and follow-up) using the basic sentence structures and sound patterns of
English
5. Arrive at a consensus by citing proof statements
5.1 React to information shared in small group discussions
5.2 Agree/disagree with assertions and observations made in radio
broadcasts and when sharing experiences on topics dealing with
Science and Mathematics
6. Observe social and linguistic conventions in oral transactional discourse
(e.g. interview, asking, and giving directions, etc.)
6.1 Interview classmates to get to know them better
6.2 Use communication strategies (e.g. paraphrase and translation) to
make up for inadequacies in the language
6.3 Ask and give directions and instructions on specific processes
Reading
1. Get information from the different parts of a book, current information from
newspapers and data from general references in the library
1.1 Use the card catalogue to locate reference materials in the library
1.2 Use locational skills to derive data from general sources of
information: encyclopedia, dictionary
1.3 Get information from the different parts of a book
1.4 Get current information from newspapers
2. Use different reading styles to suit the text and one’s purpose for reading
2.1 Scan for specific information
2.2 Skim rapidly for major ideas using headings as guide
2.3 Read closely to find answers to specific questions, note sequence
of events, etc.
3. Use ideas and information gained from previous readings and personal
experiences to better understand a text
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15. 3.1 Use background knowledge or schema as basis for conjectures
and hypothesis made while reading a text
3.2 Recall ideas from previous readings to better understand a given
text
4. Explain non-linear visuals most commonly used in content texts
4.1 Transcode orally and in writing the information presented in
diagrams, charts, table, graphs, etc.
4.2 Use illustrations to activate background knowledge and to get a
pictorial representation of what is discussed in the text
4.3 Give the meaning of signs and symbols used (e.g. road sign,
prohibited signs, etc.) and evaluate their effectiveness
4.4 Locate places and follow directions using a map
4.5 Transcode information in linear texts into information maps
5. Conduct a covert dialogue with the writer as a basis for predictions and
formulating hypothesis about a text
5.1 Interact with the writer by responding to statements made in the
text and using this as basis for predictions and formulating
hypothesis
5.2 Formulate and modify hypothesis based on information given in the
text
5.3 Distinguish fact from opinion, fantasy from reality
5.4 React to assertions made in the text
5.5 Make predictions and anticipate outcomes
6. Make generalizations and significant abstractions from different reading
materials designed for information, pleasure and appreciation
6.1 Show improvement of one’s command of the language as a result
of reading
6.2 Determine the concept or information map embedded in a text
7. Use structural, lexical and contextual devices in deriving the meaning of
unknown words and ambiguous and information-dense discourse
7.1 Identify the sense and reference of words in reading texts for a
better understanding of a selection
7.2 Show recognition of collocations and semantic relationships by
arranging words in clines and clusters
7.3 Single out cohesive markers that signal relationships
Writing
1. Effectively express thoughts and feelings in writing book reports and
correspondence for specific social purposes
1.1 Write personal letters
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16. • friendly
• thank you
• excuse
• congratulatory
• condolence
1.2 Make diary entries of significant events
1.3 Write summaries in book reports
2. Give personal information in school forms and write announcements of
school events
2.1 Fill out forms needed for effective functioning in school
• library card
• enrollment/registration forms
• information sheet
• application form
2.2 Write announcements of school events
3. Produce different text types, narrative (diary entries), expository (process
explanation, interviews, etc.) and descriptive (comparison and contrast)
3.1 Write well-constructed paragraphs utilizing the macro-discourse
patterns (PSn) Problem-Solution or (TRI) Topic-Restriction-
Illustration suited to the discourse type
3.2 Use appropriate rhetorical functions and techniques to express
one’s ideas, needs, feelings and attitudes
3.3 Expand ideas in writing using cohesive devices and employing
different rhetorical modes
3.4 Use key idea sentences, support sentences, transition devices and
restatements in texts
4. Present information in graphic and non-linear texts
4.1 Take down notes utilizing information maps
• linear and cyclical flowcharts
• two-level tree diagrams
• three columnar grids
4.2 Use two-step word and phrasal outlines to organize ideas
4.3 Make a write-up of charts and graphs
5. Edit one’s composition following guidelines concerning content, format
and mechanics
6. Acknowledge resources used
6.1 Use quotation marks to enclose direct quotations from resources
6.2 Use expressions like “according to …” to indicate citations made
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17. Literature
1. Discover Philippine literature as a means of having a better understanding
of man and his environment
1.1 Express appreciation of one’s identity and cultural heritage
1.1.1 Show appreciation for worthwhile local traditions and
practices expressed in Philippine literature and the values
they represent
1.2 Show appreciation of literature specifically Philippine literature as a
means of highlighting human rights in varied genres
1.3 Appreciate poetry and the essay expressive of the Filipino identity
and pride as a nation
2. Discover through literature the need to work cooperatively and
responsibility in today’s global village
2.1 Infer motives, attitudes and values of a character from what he
does (action/manner), says and what others say about him
2.2 Anticipate events and outcomes from a series of details or acts
3. Show understanding and appreciation of various literary types/(with
emphasis on Philippine literature) (i.e. legends, fables, myths, folktales)
3.1 Identify the elements of a literary form which distinguishes it from
other literary forms; short story, poem, essay, drama/play
3.1.1 Explain the characteristics of fables, legends, myths,
folktales
3.1.2 Single out events that form the plot of a short story
3.2 Distinguish between the language of science and the language of
literature
4. Determine the conflicts presented in literature (man vs. man, man vs.
himself, man vs. institutions) and the need to resolve those conflicts in a
non-violent way
5. State whether a literary piece affirms, modifies or changes one’s value
system
6. Edit one’s composition following guidelines concerning content, format,
and mechanics
6.1 Identify and explain poetic devices, use of local color, figurative
language and sensory images in literary forms
6.2 Point out the author’s technique for characterization
6.3 Point out and express appreciation for sense image in poems
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18. SECOND YEAR
At the end of the second year, the student shall have developed the following
competencies:
Listening
1. Determine the social issues addressed in an informative talk, the objective
of the speaker and his attitude on the issues
1.1 Listen for clues and links to show the speaker’s trend of thought
1.1.1 Describe the speaker’s attitude towards the subject
1.1.2 Arrive at conclusions regarding the attitude of the speaker
toward his subject by noting clues and links to show the
speaker’s stand and assumptions
1.2 Explore opportunities for speedy and economical access to
information by listening to talks, informative, political, religious
2. Identify prosodic features, stress, and intonation features as carriers of
meaning that may aid or interfere in the delivery of the message in stories
and informative texts
2.1 Note prosodic features (e.g. stress, intonation, pauses) and rate of
speech as carriers of meaning
2.2 Identify changes in meaning signaled by stress, intonation and
juncture
2.3 Listen for points the speaker emphasizes as important signaled by
contrastive sentence stress
3. Employ varied listening strategies (marginal, selective, attentive, critical) to
suit the listening text and task
3.1 Supply gaps in listening texts caused by acoustic disturbance
3.1.1 Predict what is to follow considering the text type and macro
discourse pattern
3.1.2 Use context to guess items not heard in a listening text
3.2 Listen to longer stories
3.2.1 Employ projective listening strategies when listening to
stories
3.2.2 Predict outcomes from events described in stories as they
unfold
3.2.3 Listen to determine if one’s predictions are borne out
3.2.4 Listen to events and note developments in narratives as they
unfold
3.2.5 Note the dramatic effect of sudden twists in surprise endings
3.3 Listen to issues pertaining to the community
3.3.1 Identify the attitudes of the speaker on an issue
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19. 3.3.2 Determine if the speaker is neutral, for or against an issue
4. Process speech at different rates by making inferences from what was
said
4.1 Use syntactic and lexical clues to supply items not heard in a
listening text
4.1.1 Anticipate what is to follow considering the function of the
statements made
4.2 Listen to determine conflicting information aired over the radio and
television
5. Express appreciation for oral interpretations noting harmony, unison, and
rhythm
5.1 Listen to appreciate the tune and narrative structure of ballads
5.2 Listen to appreciate harmony, unison, and rhythm in choric
interpretations
Speaking
1. Give a short, informative talk using appropriate registers to suit the
intended audience and variation in intonation and stress for emphasis and
contrast
1.1 Make use of stress and intonation for emphasis and contrast
1.2 Express feelings and attitudes by utilizing contrastive stress and
variations of tone and tempo
1.3 Use stress, intonation and juncture to signal changes in meaning
2. Give information and express needs, opinions, feelings and attitudes
explicitly and implicitly in informative talk
2.1 Formulate response to questions noting the types of questions
raised (yes-no, wh-questions alternative, modals, embedded)
2.2 Use the telephone to make inquiries
2.3 Give information obtained from mass media: newspapers, radio,
television
2.4 Use audio-visual aids to highlight important points in an informative
talk
3. Infer the function of utterance and respond accordingly taking into account
the context of the situation and the tone used (asking information, making
suggestions, expressing wants, dislikes, approval, disapproval
3.1 Respond orally to the ideas and needs expressed in face-to-face
interviews in accordance with the intended meaning of the speaker
3.2 Include instructional information and constraints
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20. 4. Arrive at a consensus on community issues by assessing statements
made
4.1 React to information obtained from talks
4.1.1 Agree/disagree with statements and observations made
concerning community issues
4.2 Agree/disagree with statements, observations and responses made
in political and religious talks when discussing issues affecting the
community
4.3 Interview persons to get their opinions about social issues affecting
the community
5. Use appropriate turn-taking strategies (topic nomination, topic
development, topic shift, turn-getting, etc.) in extended conversation
6. Use communication strategies (e.g. paraphrase, translations, and
circumlocution) to repair break down in communication
Reading
1. Gather data using library resources consisting of general references,
atlas, periodical index, and periodicals to locate information
1.1 Use the periodical index to locate information in periodicals
1.1.1 Determine the content and stand of a newspaper
1.2 Extract and organize information from different text types
2. Adjust and vary reading speed based on one’s purpose for reading and
the type of materials read
2.1 Use different reading styles to suit the text and one’s purpose for
reading
2.2 Scan rapidly for sequence signals or connectors as basis for
determining the rhetorical organization of texts
3. Demonstrate the ability to activate background knowledge (e.g. use
advance organizers, illustrations, comprehension, questions, titles, etc.) to
better understand a text
3.1 Relate ideas from previous readings to a given text
4. Demonstrate the ability to interpret and if necessary reproduce in linear
verbal forms and graphics relationships calling for inferential
interpretations
4.1 Interpret and compare orally or in writing information presented in
tables, charts, graphs, etc.
4.2 Choose the chart (flow chart, tree diagram or grid) most suited to
illustrate thought relationships in a given text
4.3 Organize information into a concept map
20

21. 5. Utilize varied reading strategies (covert dialogue with the writer and the
sectional approach) to process information in a text
5.1 Note the function of statements made as the text unfolds and use it
as the basis of predicting what is to follow
5.2 Suggest modifications to be made considering the context of the
situation when the text was written
5.3 Distinguish between facts and opinion and note expressions that
signal opinions (seems, as I see it)
5.4 Identify propaganda strategies used in advertisements and other
texts and consider these when formulating hypothesis concerning
claims made
5.5 Abstract information from the text by noting both explicit and implicit
signals used by the writer to serve as directions on how the text is
to be interpreted
6. Develop the ability and the desire to read different text types for
information, pleasure and appreciation
6.1 Derive from the written text varied ways of expressing an idea
7. Develop strategies to make sense of unfamiliar words, ambiguous
sentence structures, and information-dense discourse
7.1 Arrange words in a cline to differentiate between shades of
meaning
7.2 Guess the meaning of idiomatic expressions by noting keywords in
expressions, context clues, collocations, clusters or related words,
etc.
7.3 Get the meaning of complex sentence structures by deleting
expansions to come up with the kernel sentence
Writing
1. Communicate thoughts, feelings, one’s needs in letters, journal entries,
book reviews, interview write-ups, etc. using appropriate styles (formal
and informal)
1.1 Employ the interactional functions of language in pen-pal letters,
letters of invitation, “yes” and “no” letters
1.2 Write reflections on learning experiences in diary and journal
entries
1.3 Summarize and write reactions to books read (book reviews) or
movies seen (movie review)
1.4 Prepare interview guides and make a write-up of an interview
2. Accomplish forms (school, evaluation, survey) and order slips and prepare
posters and captions calling attention to drives
2.1 Fill out personal data sheets (school forms, bank forms, etc.)
21

22. 2.2 Accomplish order slips, telecom forms
2.3 Call attention to school events and drives
2.3.1 Make captions for posters
2.3.2 Write slogans
2.3.3 Prepare advertisements for school drives
3. Write different types of discourse: narration (personal experiences),
exposition (book reviews) and description (apparatus, objects, etc.)
3.1 Write well-constructed texts employing alternative forms of the
overall macro discourse patterns
P-Sn Situation, Problem, Attempted Solution-Result-Evaluation
TRI Topic-Restriction, Topic-Illustration, and Topic-Restriction-
Illustration
3.2 Use appropriate modes of development to express one’s ideas,
needs, feelings, and attitudes
3.3 Expand ideas using a variety of and cohesive devices to make the
flow of thought from one sentence to another smooth and effortless
3.4 Write short personal narratives to support an assertion
4. Organize ideas in non-linear texts
4.1 Use information maps and other concept maps as aids in note
taking
• Linear, branching, cyclical flow-charts
• Three-level tree diagrams
• Grids
4.2 Use three-step word, phrasal and sentence outlines to organize
ideas
4.3 Explain in writing the data presented in non-linear texts
5. Do self and peer-editing using a set of criteria
6. Use writing conventions to indicate acknowledgement of resources
Literature
1. Discover Philippine and Afro Asian literature as a means of expanding
experiences and outlook and enhancing worthwhile universal human
values
1.1 Express appreciation for worthwhile Asian traditions and the values
they represent
1.2 Assess the Asian identity as presented in Asian literature
1.3 Assess one’s self in the light of what makes an Asian
1.4 Identify one’s self with other people through literature and note
cultural differences so as to get to the heart of problems arising
from them
22

23. 2. Discover literature as a means of having a better understanding of man
and the forces he has to contend with
2.1 Discover through literature the symbiotic relationship between man
and his environment and the need of the former to protect the latter
2.2 Demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to the needs of others for a
better understanding of man
2.3 Discover through literature the links between one’s life and the lives
of the people throughout the world
2.4 Highlight the need for a more just and equitable distribution of
resources
3. Show understanding and appreciation of the different genres with
emphasis on types contributed by Asian countries (i.e. haiku, tanka etc.)
3.1 Point out the elements of plays and playlets
3.2 Determine the macro discourse patterns (PSNTRI) of essays and
the micro discourse signals used to establish meaning relationships
in the essay
4. Point out the role of literature in enabling one to grow in personhood
4.1 Note the values underscored by the writer in literary pieces
4.2 Distinguish literature s a means of gaining vicarious experiences
4.3 Discriminate what is worthwhile from what is not through literature
4.3.1 Distinguish as a positive value the ability to look into oneself
and to accept one’s strengths and weaknesses
4.3.2 Single out humility, resourcefulness and self-reliance
5. Employ reading skills as an aid in comprehension and appreciation of a
literary piece
5.1 Select appropriate details from a selection (i.e. contrasts,
illustration, etc.) used by an essayist to attain his objective (to
persuade, to inform, to call attention, etc.)
5.2 Point out how the choice of title space allotment, imagery, choice of
words, figurative language, etc. contribute to the theme
5.2.1 Single out and explain figurative language used
5.2.2 Point out and express appreciation of sensory images in
literary forms
5.3 Show relationship between the man idea and significant details
5.4 Draw conclusions and make inferences based on details/specific
ideas
5.5 Determine the author’s tone and purpose for writing a literary
selection
5.6 Paraphrase passages to demonstrate understanding
23

24. THIRD YEAR
At the end of the third year, the student shall have developed the following
competencies:
Listening
1. Show openness when listening to statements contrary to one’s beliefs
1.1 Take into account the context and situations that gave rise to
statements contrary to one’s stand
1.1.1 Take note of cultural differences underlying contradictory
views
1.2 Explore opportunities for obtaining varied views on a given issue by
listening to debates and talk shows
1.2.1 Infer links and connections between ideas
2. Determine the claims, perspectives, assumptions, and the line of
argumentation in oral presentations
2.1 Listen for important points signaled by pausing and a slow rate of
speech
2.2 Identify explicit signals given by the speaker (e.g. “this is
important…”) to underscore a point
2.3 Listen for clues to enable one to tune in to the topic discussed
3. Shift from one listening strategy to another depending on the text and
one’s purpose for listening
3.1 Shift from marginal to attentive listening depending on the topic
listened to
3.1.1 Employ listening strategies suited to the type of text
3.1.2 Use attentive listening with informative texts and critical
listening with argumentative texts
3.1.3 Use TLQR (Tune-in to raise Questions, then Listen and
Respond) when listening to informative and argumentative
texts
3.2 Listen to argumentative discourse
3.2.1 Listen to single out reasons cited in argumentative texts
3.2.2 Determine the logic of arguments cited
3.2.3 Determine the stand of a speaker on a given issue
3.2.4 Determine the assumptions underlying the arguments of a
speaker
3.2.5 Determine the effectiveness of closing statements in
arguments
3.3 Listen to social, moral and economic issues affecting the nation
3.3.1 Listen to get the different sides to an issue in panel
discussions
24

25. 3.3.2 Identify the speaker’s stand on an issue by noting explicit
and implicit signals (e.g. choice of words to highlight or
downplay assertions made)
4. Process speech at different rates when listening to informative and
argumentative texts
4.1 Determine what was left out and highlighted in informative and
argumentative talks
4.1.1 Listen to determine the worth of ideas based on a set of
criteria
4.1.2 Listen to determine whether conclusions are logical or
illogical
4.1.3 Determine inconsistencies
4.1.4 Pick out discrepancies in supporting ideas
4.1.5 Determine the information map suited to informative
classificatory texts (tree diagrams), informative process texts
(flow charts), and contrastive argumentative texts (grid)
4.2 Compare the stand and attitudes of newscasters and panel
discussants
5. Express appreciation of award-winning protest and patriotic songs and
radio plays
5.1 Listen to appreciate the sound effects and dramatic interpretations
employed in radio plays
5.2 Listen to appreciate the melody, rhythm, and words of award
winning songs used as musical themes in movies
Speaking
1. Give a persuasive talk on an issue adjusting one’s rate/volume of
speaking and register to suit the topic, audience and setting in a
communication situation
1.1 Use pausing and a slow rate of speech to signal important points in
one’s talk
1.2 Use explicit signals (e.g. ”This is important…”) to underscore or
highlight a point in one’s talk
2. Give information and express needs, opinions, feelings, and attitudes
implicitly through analogy
2.1 Elicit and give information using different types of questions and
seek clarification and verification of responses made
2.2 Present arguments in debates and argumentative texts
2.3 Give information obtained from varied sources: talks, periodicals,
mass media
2.4 Use technological aids when conveying information (e.g. projectors)
25

26. 3. Use form, function, and context to express one’s intended meaning
4. Arrive at a consensus by reconciling views
4.1 React critically to issues raised in talk shows and discussions of
issues affecting the nation
4.2 Agree/disagree with assertions made, justify one’s stand and
suggest modifications in open forums following informative talks,
panel discussions and debates on national issues
5. Use conversational gambits in face-to-face interactions to obtain
information, express modified agreements, etc.
5.1 Conduct ambush interviews to determine opinion on issues
affecting the nation
5.2 Use verbal (paraphrase, translation, circumlocution) as well as non-
verbal communication strategies and communication check to
forestall and repair breakdown in communication
6. Use verbal (paraphrase, translation, circumlocution) as well as non-verbal
communication strategies in extended oral reports
Reading
1. Gather data using library resources, newspapers, other print materials
(periodicals, brochures, pamphlets) and non-print resources like audio and
video tapes
2. Adjust and vary reading styles to suit the text, one’s background
knowledge of the topic discussed and one’s purpose for reading
2.1 Scan rapidly for sequence signals or connectors as basis for
determining the macro discourse pattern and rhetorical organization
of the texts
2.2 Suit one’s reading style to the different text types: informative,
journalistic, and literary
3. Demonstrate the ability to use titles and sub-titles as a means of getting
an overview of the text and linking it with previous knowledge of the topic
3.1 Assess a text in the light of previous readings
3.2 Assess advance organizers, titles, sub-titles, illustrations, etc. in the
light of information given in a text
4. Demonstrate the ability to interpret and transcode information from linear
to non-linear texts and vice versa
4.1 Interpret and match information presented in diagrams with
corresponding reading texts
26

27. 4.2 Demonstrate the ability to use varied ways of organizing
information (outlining, graphic representation, etc.)
4.2.1 Take down notes from a reading text using abbreviations,
symbols, and diagrams
5 Use varied approaches to make sense of and develop appreciation of
different text types (covert dialogue with the writer, the sectional approach
discourse analysis)
5.1 Use genre analysis as a means of determining the written
conventions of different text types
5.2 Note the new data provided as the text unfolds and use them as
basis for modifying expanding or affirming hypothesis made
5.3 Re-structure original hypothesis to incorporate new information and
avoid sweeping generalizations
5.4 Note the use of emotion-laden terms to express opinions
5.5 React critically to what is read by judging the relevance and worth
of ideas, soundness of the author’s reasoning, and the
effectiveness of the presentation
5.5.1 Express emotional reactions to what is explicitly stated and
implied in a text
6 Choose from varied reading materials/designed to give information and
pleasure, and to develop appreciation for reading
6.1 Utilize reading as a means of developing language skills
6.2 Express emotional reaction to what is explicitly stated and implied
in the text
7 Employ varied strategies to make sense of unknown words (word
derivations, context clues, word analysis, etc.) and ambiguous sentences
(e.g. processing kernel and embedded clauses)
7.1 Identify the derivation of words
7.2 Arrive at the meaning of words through context clues, word analysis
(root words, affixes, compounds)
7.3 Use structural analysis on the word, sentence, and discourse levels
to make sense of a text
7.4 Note the strategies employed (restatements, definition, synonyms,
antonyms) to clarify meanings in a given selection
7.5 Identify the features of the written language that distinguish it from
the spoken form (e.g. “according to”, “may we conclude”, “as
previously stated”, “the following points to consider”, etc.)
7.6 Pick out cohesive devices/discourse markers which introduce
conclude topics
27

28. Writing
1. Express opinion in writing (e.g. stand on certain issues, complaints, etc.)
and write summaries of survey reports on a given issue
1.1 Call attention in writing to good/objectionable practices in open
letters, letters of commendation and complaint
1.2 Express in writing satisfaction or dissatisfaction over services,
performances, etc. (e.g. plays, movies, etc.) in journal entries,
reviews
1.3 Prepare survey forms and make a write-up of survey results
1.4 Write a library research paper on a national issue
2. Fill out forms in line with business promotions and give information
concerning group undertakings and activities
2.1 Accomplish business promotion forms
• warranty return forms
• raffle contest forms
2.2 Prepare notices, agendas and minutes of meetings
2.3 Call attention to school events and drives
3. Demonstrate imagination in writing different text types: narratives both in
text and script forms, description, definition, critiques of a movie or play
3.1 Write texts with the overall text structure (P-Sn or TRI) and generic
structure in mind suited to the text type
3.2 Suit the rhetorical techniques and functions to the objective and
purpose of the written discourse
3.3 Produce a unified text by using cohesive devices, coordination and
subordination to enhance clarity of ideas, and the appropriate
micro-discourse signals to establish meaning relationships
3.4 Provide examples and illustrations as well as non-examples to
clarify definitions of abstract concepts
4. Use maps and other non-linear texts to present information
4.1 Use concept maps (linear, bubble, tree diagrams, grids) to show
relationships between and among ideas abstracted from texts
4.2 Use different types of outline (word, phrasal, clausal) to organize
ideas
4.3 Make a write-up of non-linear texts used to present information
5. Give and respond to feedback on how to revise compositions or refine
ideas by citing details, giving explanations, examples where necessary
6. Use bibliographic and footnote entries to acknowledge citations made in a
research paper
28

29. Literature
1. Pick out worthwhile human experiences underscored in Philippine, English
and American literature
1.1 Single out the Eastern and Western cultural values evident in our
heritage as a result of historical development
1.1.1 Express appreciation for Filipino cultural values and its
similarities to or differences from English-American values
1.2 Show appreciation for Western traditions, practices and the values
they represent
1.2.1 Underscore the Western values of candid frankness and
humor as presented in British and American literature
1.2.2 Stress the importance of task-orientedness and efficiency as
values worth emulating
2. Discover literature as a means of understanding man and society (i.e. the
bonds/links between man and society) as presented in Philippine, English
and American literature
2.1 Sow a keener sense of values that last in spite of changes brought
about by science and technology
2.2 React to experiences or actions of the characters in relation to real
life situations
2.3 Express the belief that people can change their ways depending on
their motivation and determination as shown in literature
2.4 React to the experiences of the characters in relation to real life
situations
2.5 Analyze and explain how the environment influences the person’s
character and actions
2.6 Deduce recurring themes underscored in literary pieces
3. Show understanding and appreciation of varied genres focusing on the
contributions of British and America (i.e. sonnets, short stories, etc.)
3.1 Note the form and functions of different types and sub-types of
texts
3.2 Differentiate comedy from tragedy, formal from informal essays
3.3 Trace the development of character and conflict in narratives and
dramas, and discuss the devices used to achieve unity of effect
3.4 Determine the objective of the essayist and the means employed to
attain them
4. State the effect of a literary piece on one’s value system
4.1 React to the values underlying responses to situations in literary
pieces
4.2 Single out worthwhile human values
4.3 Point out one’s attitudes that contribute to a person’s values
29

30. 5. Single out the devices employed in fiction works and non-fiction works
(foreshadowing, flashbacks, figurative language, etc.) used by the author
for intellectual, emotional and aesthetic purposes
5.1 Account for the devices used by a writer to highlight significant
points in a text
5.1.1 Interpret and explain figurative language used to achieve
certain effects and assess it in the light of its contributions to
the overall theme of the selection
5.1.2 Point out and express appreciation for the author’s choice of
words
5.1.3 React to the figurative language used in the selection
5.2 Point out relationships of time, place, cause-effect, general
concepts, examples, analogy, etc. used by the writer to underscore
the theme of the selection
5.3 Point out the sequencing of details and account for such
sequencing
30

31. FOURTH YEAR
At the end of the fourth year, the student shall have developed the following
competencies:
Listening
1. Show courtesy while listening to the ideas and feelings of others
1.1 Listen attentively to what is uttered
1.2 Allow the speaker to expound on the topic before reacting to what
is said
2. Derive information that can be used in everyday life from news reports,
speeches, informative talks, panel discussions, etc.
2.1 Explore opportunities for obtaining comprehensive information and
varying perspectives by listening to global television newscasts
2.2 Point out the effectiveness of the devices used by the speaker to
attract and hold the attention of the listener
2.3 Identify the roles of discourse markers (e.g. conjunctions, gambits,
adverbs) in signaling the functions of statements made
2.4 Identify implicit and explicit signals-verbal as well as non-verbal
used by a speaker-to-highlight important points
2.4.1 Single out direct and indirect signals used by a speaker
2.5 Respond to intonation used to signal information structure
3. Assess the effectiveness of listening strategies employed considering the
text types, the listening task and one’s purpose for listening
3.1 Match the strategy employed with the type of text, the objective of
the listener and the level of difficulty of the text
3.1.1 Demonstrate flexibility in switching from one strategy to
another in accordance with the situation and text type
3.1.2 Employ analytical listening in problem solving
3.1.3 Use varied approaches (e.g. selective listening TQLR, etc.)
to process listening tasks
3.2 Listen to detailed reports, lecturettes and issues
3.2.1 Listen to take down notes from lecturettes or oral reports
3.2.2 Determine when to listen and when to take down notes in
lecturettes or oral reports
3.2.3 Listen to determine what further elucidation is needed in a
report or a lecture
3.2.4 Listen to supply items not heard in reports and lecturettes
3.2.5 Use prosodic as well as lexical clues to distinguish important
points in a lecture
3.2.6 Determine the content and functions of statements in a
lecture
31

32. 3.3 Listen to global issues
3.3.1 Listen to get different viewpoints on global issues in talk
shows
3.3.2 Listen to get specific information from global television
newscasts
4. Process speech at different rates when evaluating tasks and taking down
notes
4.1 Assess the effectiveness of a material listened to with a view of
determining the speaker’s purpose and assessing whether it was
achieved or not
4.1.1 Give reactions to what was said
4.1.2 Analyze what was heard on the bases of a given set of
criteria
4.1.3 Analyze and evaluate listening texts in point of accuracy,
validity, adequacy and relevance
5. Show appreciation for songs, poems, plays, etc.
5.1 Listen to appreciate varies types of dramatic oral interpretations
and songs with emphasis on protest songs
5.1.1 Note the prosodic pattern used in dramatic readings
5.1.2 Listen to chamber theater and reader’s theater presentations
5.1.3 Describes the emotional appeal of a piece
5.2 Give the theme/message of protest songs
Speaking
1. Speak clearly and spontaneously adapting one’s speech to situations,
circumstances and people addressed
1.1 Use accompanying non-verbal language clues (e.g. gestures) to
highlight significant points in extended discourse
2. Use appropriate language, idioms, figurative language, analogy to express
one’s feelings, thoughts and ideas
2.1 Ask and respond to questions raised in different situations e.g.
interviews, open forums, giving directions, etc.
2.2 Express varied outlooks on a given issue
2.3 Give information obtained from the internet and other sources
2.4 Use interactive media as aids when conveying information
2.4.1 Analyze and use sales psychology that underlies
advertisements on radio and television when conveying
information
2.4.2 Use idioms in expressing one’s feelings and attitudes
3. Employ alternative ways of expressing speech acts and functions
32

33. 4. Arrive at a consensus by resorting to varied strategies, assessment,
negotiation and accommodation
4.1 Analyze and react critically to ideas presented in speeches, news
reports, discussed, etc.
4.2 Indicate affirmation of and/or objections to ideas expressed in
discussion on global issues
4.2.1 Agree/disagree with panelists expressing varied outlooks on
a given issue
5. Observe conversation strategies in face-to-face extended oral interactions
5.1 Interview business and educational establishments to determine
their policies and social orientation
5.2 Use verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to forestall
and repair communication breakdown
6. Analyze and react critically to ideas presented in speeches, news reports,
discussions, etc.
Reading
1. Derive information from various text types (journalistic, literary, scientific,
practical, technical, etc.) and sources using the card catalogue, vertical file
index, microfiche, CD-ROM, Internet, etc.
1.1 Use locational skills to gather and synthesize information from
general and first hand sources of information
1.2 Get information from websites through the Internet
1.3 Distinguish between primary and secondary sources of information
1.4 Extract accurately the required information from sources read and
reject irrelevant information
2. Adjust and vary reading speed and style to suit the text, one’s background
knowledge and purpose in reading, and the constraints of the material
read
2.1 Employ different processing approaches (discourse analysis, genre
analysis, SQ3R, P2RST) best suited to a given text
2.2 Scan for specific meanings and information
3. Demonstrate the ability to use previous experiences as a scaffold for
processing information in a given text
3.1 Test new insights against previous learnings
3.2 Synthesize previous learnings with new insights
3.3 Note the effectiveness of textual aids like advance organizers,
titles, sub-titles, non-linear illustrations, etc. in activating
background relevant to the selection
33

34. 4. Explain visual-verbal relationships illustrated in tables, graphs, information
maps commonly used in context area texts
4.1 Transcode information from linear to non-linear texts and vice-versa
4.2 Explain illustrations and schematic diagrams in Science and
Technology texts
5. Show familiarity with the argumentation and rhetorical conventions of a
discipline
5.1 Note the functions of statement as they unfold
5.2 Consider the data that might disconfirm hypothesis
5.3 Examine opinions for bias
5.4 Determine the validity and adequacy of proof statements to support
assertions
5.5 React critically to the devices employed by a writer to achieve his
purpose
5.6 React to assertions and proof statements made in a text and how
they are presented
6. Show discrimination in the choice of reading materials designed to give
information and pleasure and to develop appreciation for reading
6.1 Utilize reading as a means of improving one’s language skills
7. Develop strategies for coping with unknown words and ambiguous
sentence structures and discourse
7.1 Identify the derivation of words
7.2 Define words from context and through word analysis (prefix, roots,
suffixes)
7.3 Use collocations of difficult words as aids in unlocking vocabulary
7.4 Arrive at the meaning of structurally complex and ambiguous
sentences by kernel sentences as from modification structures and
expansions
Writing
1. Organize one’s thoughts and adopt then appropriate writing style in letters,
resumes, critiques, etc. with the addresses-audience in mind
1.1 Write letters of application (job and/or admission to a university)
and the accompanying documents (e.g. resume)
1.2 Use the interactional and transactional functions of language in
letters of appeal, inquiry, etc.
1.3 Put down in writing in journal entries reflections and insights
resulting from “growth-in-personhood” experiences
1.4 Write a research paper on a global issue
1.4.1 Analyze, choose and synthesize information from varied
resources
34

35. 1.4.2 Employ varied strategies (condensing, deleting, combining,
embedding) when summarizing materials read
2. Fill out application forms (school, job, bank, etc.) and write project
proposals
2.1 Prepare school project proposals, on-going project evaluation and
end-of-the-project reports
3. Produce different text types and sub-types (e.g. descriptions, essays,
critique, reviews)
3.1 Organize information in texts bearing in the mind the overall macro-
discourse pattern and generic structure suited to the objective of
the written discourse
3.2 Utilize alternative forms that may be used with the different
rhetorical functions and techniques (e.g. varied types of definitions;
different micro-discourse signals for cause-effect)
3.3 Expand ideas in well-constructed paragraphs observing cohesion,
coherence and the appropriate modes of paragraph development
4. Transcode information from linear to non-linear texts and vice-versa
4.1 Employ concept mapping (circle, bubble, bridge, linear, etc.) as
aids in taking down notes and organizing ideas
4.2 Use outlines to sum up ideas taken from or to be expanded into
texts
4.3 Use non-linear text outlines and notes as aids in the preparation of
a research paper
4.4 Make a write-up of the visuals used in texts (visual-verbal
relationship)
5. Give and respond to feedback on one’s paper in the revision process
6. Show respect for intellectual property rights by acknowledging citations
made in reports and research
• quotation marks or hanging indentions for direct quotes
• internal footnoting
• bibliographic entries of text cited from books and periodicals
Literature
1. Show appreciation for the significant human experiences expressed in
various types of literary genres in world literature
1.1 Identify the values reflected in various text types in world literature
1.2 Show value and respect for diversity evident in world literature
1.3 Point out how writers build a system of values through their
selection of words and details and the way they shape reality
35

36. 2. Express the belief that people can make a difference as highlighted in
literature
2.1 Abstract from literary works how local and global are inter-
connected in our daily lives
2.2 Respond to the idea of “cultural imperialism” in the global scenarios
presented in literature
2.3 Stress the universality of generosity and service to others as
reflected in world literature
3. Show the difference in the generic structure of various literary types
across cultures: for narratives, drama, essays, etc.
3.1 Differentiate between journalistic literary, scientific texts where
situations and text structures are concerned
3.2 Point out the interdependence of plot, setting and characterization
in narratives to achieve the author’s purpose
3.2.1 Note the time line in narratives: historical, flashback,
juxtaposition
3.2.2 Describe the various types of conflict evident in the selection
3.2.3 Deduce the themes from narratives
3.3 Determine the information map used by an essayist in his essay
3.3.1 Determine the rhetorical functions and techniques used in
essays
3.4 Pick out the elements that distinguish drama as a literary form and
explain dramatic devices
4. Show a keener sense of value for what is worthwhile through exposure to
literature
4.1 Discriminate between positive and negative values
4.2 Indicate commitment to social justice and equality as portrayed in
world literature
4.3 Show concern for the environment for sustainable development
5. Discuss and react to the literary techniques and styles (e.g. choice of
symbols, imagery, juxtaposition) adapted by an author to achieve his
purpose
5.1 Single out imagery and poetic devices (e.g. figurative language,
rhyme, etc.) used for unity of effect and express appreciation for its
use
5.2 Identify flashback, foreshadowing, juxtaposition and their
contribution to the text structure
36

37. SAMPLE LESSON PLAN
First Year
QUARTER 3 MY RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE
Week 6 Being a responsible steward of nature
I. OBJECTIVES:
After going through the activities in this weekly plan, the students will be
able to do the following:
1. Determine the objective of a listening piece, who is referred to and what is
talked about
2. Observe correct pronunciation of critical consonant sounds : /f/, /v/, /sh/,
/ch/ and /dzh/
3. Arrive at a consensus
4. Use prepositions to show location and direction
5. Arrange in a cluster words that go together
6 Give the meanings of idiomatic phrases
7. Note the change in the reactions of a character and single out
the cause of the change
8. Use literature as a resource for developing a better understanding
of man and his environment
9. Determine the macro discourse pattern (Problem-Solution) of a selection
10. Carry out instructions in sketching activities focusing on prepositions
11. Transcode information obtained from a listening text into a grid
12. Verbalize that for sustainable development we should not deplete our
natural resources
13. Write a text on how one might help in the conservation of our natural
resources
14. Express feelings about man’s treatment of nature.
II. SUBJECT MATTER:
Reading Selections
1. “The Destruction of Mother Earth” by Lolita M. Andrada
2. “The Bad Fisherman”
Listening Texts and Instructional Aids
1. “What Kind of Stewards Are We?”
2. Information and semantic maps: grid, cluster
3. Sketching activity
References
1. English 1 SEDP
2. English Arts I by Edna Alcala and Lourdes Ribo
3. The MST English Quarterly Vol. 1980
4. The MST English Quarterly 1970
37

38. III. Procedure:
A. Preparation
1. Pre-listening
a. Recall of previous lessons to tie them up with the current
week’s theme.
1. What have you learned about our relationship with nature so far?
2 .Who should take care of nature?
3. What will happen if we do not take care of her?
b. Our lesson this week will center on how we can be “responsible
stewards of nature”
2. Listening (Depending on the ability of the class you may choose
to take up one text a day as the listening activity)
a . Listen to three texts and write down in column 2 of the chart the
objective of the speaker. Is it to call attention to a worthy cause or to
a malpractice?
Text no. Objectives Person/Company Problem
Referred to
1.
2
3.
b. Listen again and determine the person or company referred to. Enter
your answer in column 3 of the chart.
c. Listen to the text a third time and enter in the chart the problem talked
about.
3 Post listening
a. What helped you determine the problem that was talked about?
b. How did you single out the person or company referred to?
c. How did you determine if the objective of the speaker was to call
attention to a worthy cause or a malpractice?
4. Speaking (Pronunciation – the sets may be spread out, one set a day for
the five days of the week.)
a. Critical sounds
Here are words taken from the texts you listened to or will read this
week. These words contain sounds difficult for Filipino learners of
English because they may not be present in our language. Say these
words after me paying attention to the sound given to the underlined
letters.
- f-
fish flowed suffocated
found filings affected
forests fishermen testified
food Philippines lifts
fortunately enough
38

39. -v- (dzh) - ch –
villagers judge children
villain jobs rich
verdict imagine inch
have oxygen much
river endangered launched
conservation bridge nature
livelihood general fortunately
- sh –
shot decision conservation
wash nation destruction
washing attention population
fish prevention
b. Blending and vocabulary (Phrase – strip activity and practice)
1. Here are phrases taken from the texts listened to and other texts you
will read. Place the strips containing the phrases under the column that
show the relationship signaled by the underlined preposition in the
phrase. Does it signal position, that is location or direction specifically
movement.
* To be written on the board
Prepositions showing Prepositions indicating
____________________ _____________________
position (location) direction (movement)
_____________________ _____________________
* To be distributed to small groups of students, one strip per group for
them to decide whether the underlined preposition in their strip signals
position or direction and to place the strip in the proper column.
in Bolinao, Pangasinan
fishpens in the area
fish in the pens
plant life in the water
in our country
in Mindoro
copper filings in the
washings
39

40. fished in the river
swoops down to our
forest
lifts upwards monkeys
shot down by hunters
washings from the mine
flowed down
found its way into the
nearby river
pointed to the mine
look at her
abuse suffered from the
hands of the villain
cast a glance at the
plaintiff
2. Say the phrases after me. Be sure to blend the sounds joined by
curve lines.
fish in the pens lifts upward
hands of the villain found the way into the river
in our country cast a glance at the plaintiff
A. Presentation
1. Sketching Activity focusing on prepositions indicating position on
location (in the form of a contest).
a. A rectangle is sketched on the board to symbolize a box.
40

41. b. These prepositions are written on strips of paper and distributed to
some students.
in inside high above
on outside way below
under beside (to the right)
between next (to the left)
in between by (not too close to it)
adjacent to
c. The students are to put a dot to show its location in relation to the
rectangle. Feedback is given. Here are some possible representations.
in or inside high above (also outside) beside (to the right)
or by (not too close)
next (to the left) or
on or outside way below under by ( not too close) or
adjacent to
between or in between
2. Matching Activity focusing on prepositions indicating direction. These
directions are written on strips and the sketches are placed on cards.
41

42. This time the students are to look at the direction or movement
indicated by the arrow in relation to the rectangle, the dot or another
arrow.
Expessions
up upward down downward
outward into
inward out of
along around from
alongside through away from
side by side upon to towards
over with
under without
Sketches Note: The expected responses are given under the sketches.
(up or upward) (down or downward) outwarsd or out of
inward or into through along, alongside or
side by side
upon to or towards from or away from
42

43. around
·
over under with without
C. Practice
1. On prepositions indicating location
Here are a number of possible exercises
a. Distribute scenic views (calendar, postcards, etc.) to small groups. Have
each group give sentences indicating what is found in the scene using the
prepositions indicating location. They are to mention what might be seen
in the background, in the middle ground and in the foreground.
b.. Have the students pair off and take turns indicating landmarks close to
their homes. They are to use prepositions indicating location.
c. Let the class play a guessing game. One student thinks of a notable place
or building in the community. The class take turns asking yes-no and wh
questions to find out what might be found in the vicinity of that place or
building. After they have gathered enough clues,they are to guess what
that place or building is.
2. On prepositions indicating direction
a. Have the students come up with the prepositions to complete this text about
“A Day at theBeach.”
Last weekend we went h the beach. We got a boat and
i The beach we rowed out isea. A lot of fish swam
our boat. Some swam i it. We even some flying fish jump i
the waves. Our boat went and with the rolling waves. While we
were going i the bay, the waters started to beome rough. We paddled
the choppy waters and retunred i the shore. It was indeed
a boat ride to remember.
b. Divide the class into groups and have them prepare a paragraph
similar to the one worked on using prepositions signaling direction.
Here are some topics thay mught want to develop.
43

44. 1) Malling
2) Camping in the wilds
3) Mountain climbing
B. Enrichment
1. Taking up the reading selection
a. Pre-reading
1) Here are words that are associated with each other because
they have to do a court case. Arrange them in a cluster to
show how they are related to one another.
accused banged the gavel
clerk of court decision of the court
court testified against
judge hear the verdict
plaintiff the case was lost
guilty
2. Demonstrate these actions
looked askance cleared his throat
cast a glance banged the gavel
looked at the accused, no pity in his eyes
3. Answer these questions
a) Which of these two descriptions of a court case has a more
negative meaning: sensitive case or sordid case?
b) What does scoops mean in this sentence?
The press have been pressuring him for scoops on the case
c.) Do these sentences have similar, opposite or unrelated meanings:
His case was lost His fate was sealed
44

45. d) Who was Pilate? Which famours case did he preside over? What
did he show when he “washed his hands off the case”?
e) When do you say a sight is horrendous?
Are pockmarks pleasant or unpleasant to look at?
e) When do you say a person would not “budge an inch”? Will he give
In, stay put, or avoid taking sides?
b. Reading
As you read the text, look for answers to these questions:
1. What case is talked about?
2. Who is the plaintiff?
3. Who is the accused?
4 .Who testified against the accused?
5. The first paragraph talks about the feelings of the judge before
the trial and the second paragraph shows how he felt during the
trial. What did he feel during the pre-trial? What about during
the trial? Pick out the expressions that show how and why he
felt that way. What brought about the change?
45

46. The Destruction of Mother Earth
Lolita M. Andrada
The judge looked at the gathering crowd in the court. It was a
highly sensitive case he was handling. The press had been pressuring
him for scoops on the case, but he wouldn’t budge an inch for fear of
criticism from the general public. He wanted to play Pilate and wash his
hands off the sordid case, but moral guilt had made him stay on. And now
comes that day when the decision had to be made.
The judge cast a glance at the bedraggled face of the plnaintiff. It
was Mother Earth, her whole body sdtill bearing the pockmarks of
destruction. The judge couldn’t bear to look at her nor recall the abuse
that she suffered from the hands of the villain. Mother Earth was a
horrendous sight. The Judge then looked at the accused, no pity in his
eyes. With a grim face, the Judge banged the gavel to silence the crowd.
The clerk of court then cleared his throat to read the decision of the
courth. The accused was called to hear the verdict. Nations had testified
against him and the accused knew even before that his case was lost.
The accused was Man and as he stood there waiting for the decision, he
knew that his fate was sealed. He would be judged “Guilty!”
C. Post Reading
1) Processing the answer to the questions raised earlier.
2) In small groups, discuss your answers to these questiions.
a) If you were the lawyer of the accused, what defense would
you put up ?
If I were the lawyer of the accused,
I would say. . . .
I would point out that . . .
b) If you were the judge, would you have arrived at the same
decision?
How would you feel about his decision?
I believe
feel that the judge was . . .
c. What sentence would you pass on man?
Why?
I think I would -------------------------------because --
46

47. d. What punishment would you mete out to him? Why?
Personally I would ____ because
As I see it, ___________
D. In bright classes, the students may role play a mock trial “Mother Earth
VS. Man : Trial of the Century”
2. Taking up the literature selection
a) Pre-reading
1. Recalling the listening activity to tie it up with the literature lesson.
a) Recall the fish kill that took place in Bolinao, Pangasinan.
b) What caused the loss of fish in that incident?
c) Can we say that greed and dishonesty played a big role in
the fish kill? Explain.
2. Vocabulary
Get the meaning of the underlined word from the sentence given.
What served as clues?
b) Each banca was equipped with outriggers, bamboo poles that
extended to their side in the form of a rectangle to keep the
boat steady even in the roughest sea.
c) Soon the nets were teeming with live fish.
d) Lucio, seeing that it was hopeless to try to dissuade the
villagers, went sadly back to his own hut.
b. Reading the text
The reading text may be assigned the day before.
47

48. THE BAD FISHERMEN
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
Lubay was a village situated along the east coast of Luzon. It was a sleepy little
place made up mostly of small, neat huts of nipa and bamboo. These huts were almost
exactly like the other nipa huts all over the Philippines. Under each of them there were
huge brown fishing nets hung up for drying or mending. These nets were the most
valuable possession of each family in the village, because the men of the village earned
their living by fishing.
Very early in the morning, so early that it was still dark, the lights went on in
kerosene lamps all over the village. Smoke curled up from fires cooking the fishermen’s
breakfasts. The men of Lubay always started out very early in their fishing boats and
the women of the village were up earlier to feed them and to help them get their fishing
things ready.
Before the sun was up, the fishermen were in their large bancas ready for a day
of fishing. Each banca was equipped with outriggers, bamboo poles that extended to
their side in the form of a rectangle to keep the boat steady even in the roughest sea.
Each banca was also equipped with a large fishing net. The men threw this net into the
sea at certain places where they knew fish was plentiful. Soon the nets were teeming
with live fish. Then the men drew their nets up and emptied the fish into their boats.
At the end of the day, when enough fish had been caught, the boats headed for
home. On the beach the women and children were waiting to see if the day’s catch had
been good. Among the crowd of women and children was Mang Terio, the only man in
the village who did not go out in the fishing boats.
Mang Terio did not go out fishing with the other men because he was the owner
of the only store in the whole village of Lubay. The villagers bought all their supplies
from his store. They bought the rice that they ate with their fish, the salt that they
seasoned their fish with, the clothes that they wore, the lamps that they lighted, and the
kerosene that they put in those lamps. They bought practically all their needs from
Mang Terio, and since they had very little money, they paid Mang Terio with the fish that
they caught.
That was the reason Mang Terio waited on the beach with the moment and
children to watch the fishing boats come in. He was interested in the catch each
fisherman brought home. Almost every man owed him for something bought on credit
from his store, and so he had a share in every catch that came in.
“Juan,” he said to one of the fishermen, “for the can of kerosene you got from me
yesterday I will take half of your catch.”
To Pablo, he said, “You can give me one fourth of your catch in payment for the
three yards of cloth your wife used for her Sunday saya.”
To Sinto, he said, “The khaki you got from me costs eight pesos. You will have
to give me all your catch I will let you keep a couple of fish for your supper,”he added
thinking himself very generous.
After collecting from each fisherman who owed him something, Mang Terio was
able to gather together a large quantity of fish. This he loaded in his carretela to take to
the town nearby where he would sell it to owner of a market stall. The market stall
48

49. owner kept the fish on ice so it would not spoil. The next morning he sold it in the
market.
Often the people of Lubay watched Mang Terio getting much of their catch. They
said to themselves, “We work hard all day to catch this fish, but Mang Terio gets most
of it. Why can’t we sell our fish ourselves?” But they all owed Mang Terio money and so
were forced to pay him in fish. Besides, they were all poor, simple folks. Mang Terio
was the only one among them who could afford to keep a horse and a carretela.
So things went on the same way for many years. While they had their house and their
bancas and enough rice and fish, the villagers were satisfied.
It was Mang Terio who was not satisfied. He had his store, his house and
carretela and the money that he got from the work of the villagers, but he wanted more.
He thought to hiimself. “If these people would only catch more fish, I could make more
money. I could buy their catch from them very cheaply. They will be satisfied with a
few pesos. Then I could take the fish to town ansd sell it at a big profit. Who knows if
soon I could even buy a truck and take the fish to Manila to sell? My profit would be
even greater.”
The more Mang Terio thought of the idea, the more he liked it. One evening
when the men of the village were sitting after supper on the benches in front of his
store, Mang Terio asked them. “Is it not possible for you to catch more fish? If you
could catch more fish you would make more money.”
“That would be good,” said Lucio, who was one of the best fishermen in the
village. “But I don’t see how we can catch more fish than we are catching now. We can
only set our nets a few times a day. Setting the nets and hauling them in takes a lot of
time and work.”
“That is right,” the other fishermen agreed. “After we make our first haul, the
school of fisf goes away. We could catch more if only we could catch the whole school
at the same time. But that is impossible.”
“Why should it be impossible?” asked Mang Terio with a scheming look on his
face. “There is a way in which you can catch a whole school of fish all at the same
time.”
“What way is that? chorused all the men. “If you can show us such a way, we
will catch all the fish you want.”
“Why not use dynamite?” said Mang Terio.
“Dynamite!” exclaimed the fishermen, “ but that is against the law.”
“What of it?” Mang Terio asked with a shrug of his shoulders. Who will know that
you are using dynamite?”
“That is right. Mang Terio is right; nobody will know.” All the men seemed
convinced except Lucio.
“Nobody else will know, perhaps,” he said, “but we would know and we would
know we were breaking the law.”
“Oh,” scoffed the other fishermen. “Don’t talk like a judge. Nobody would know
and we can catch a lot of fish and make a lot of money. Let us not talk of laws. What
harm will the dynamite do to anybody but the fish?”
“When we fish with nets,” said Lucio, “we catch only the big ones. Soon there will
be no fish left.”
49

50. “You are talking nonsense, Lucio,” said the other fishermen. “There are millions
of fish in the sea. There always will be, whether you fish with nets or with dynamite.
The only difference is that dynamite is easier and will get us more money.”
The arguments flew back and forth. All the fishermen were in favor of dynamite
fishing except Lucio. Mang Terio was pleased that he had won over most of the
fishermen to his way of thinking. “Are you agreed then to try dynamite?” he asked.
“Yes,” chorused all the men except Lucio, who kept quiet, knowing that he was
outnumbered.
“Tomorrow I will go to the city. I know a man there who can get us all the
dynamite we need. In two or three days I will be back with dynamite for all of you.”
“Do not bring back any for me, Terio,” said Lucio. I will not break the law for all
the money you can offer me. And I will not destroy the livelihood of my children and
grandchildren because of the money I can get now.”
So saying, Lucio stood up and went home. The other fishermen went on
discussing their new plans and figuring out how much more money they would soon
make.
Mang Terio left the next day for the city where he was to buy the dynamite. While
Mang Terio was gone, Lucio went the rounds of all his friends in the village trying to
convince them not to try the new idea. “It is not good,” he told them. “It will kill all our
fish. For generations the people in this village have lived by fishing. Our fathers did,
and their fathers before them. Before they were not greedy, they left enough fish for us
and for our sons to live on. If you use dynamite you will kill all the fish. Soon the fish
will be gone and there will be nothing left for our sons and those who come after them.”
“Lucio, you are a fool,” the other men answered him. “Go ahead and fish the old
way if you want to, but do not try to keep us from earning more money.”
Lucio, seeing that it was hopeless to try to dissuade his fellow villagers, went
sadly back to his own hut.
In the meantime, Mang Terio had come back from the city. He was met by
almost all the villagers. The women and children stood by as the men helped him
unload the heavy packing cases from the jitney which he had hired to bring the
dynamite from the city. When each packing case had been stowed away in Mang
terio’s bodega, Mang Terio announced, “Tomorrow we begin. Come here early in the
morning to get the stuff.”
Early that morning, when it was still dark, all the fishermen were at Mang Terio’s
store. All the fishermen except Lucio who refused to go. Mang Terio distributed among
them several sticks of dynamite. Once out at sea where the fish was plentiful, they
were supposed to light these sticks and throw them into the sea. Weighed down by
heavy stones the sticks would sink and soon explode. The explosion would kill all the
fish in the vicinity.
When the fishermen came home that evening, their boats were loaded with fish
and they were all jubilant over the success of their new method. Their laughter and loud
voices could be heard all over the village.
”It was the easiest boat load I ever hauled,” said one man. “After the explosionall you
needed to do was scoop the fish up from the water.”
“You should have come with us.” said another to Lucio who was standing silently
by. “It was a sight to see! All the fish floating around us.”
50

51. “Yes,” said Lucio, “all the fish, including the small ones that nobody can eat and
that are now wasted.
“Are you still talking that way?” hooted the other fishermen. “Even after you have
seen how successful the new method is?”
“You are like greedy children who take more than they can eat,” said Lucio, “and
then find that there is no more food left when they are really hungry.”
But the other fishermen did not even hear what he was saying. They were all too
busy hauling their fish to Mang Terio’s store to be weighed and sold. Mang Terio paid
them as little as he could. “Dynamite is very expensive,” he said, “and since I pay for it,
I have to subtract the cost from the money I give you. I have to hire a truck to take the
fish to town; I have to think of that, too.”
In the end, the fishermen got very little more for their catch, but since that was
more than they ever got before, they were happy.
For months, the fishermen of Lubay fished with dynamite. They kept urging
Lucio to join so he could get some of the money but Lucio steadfastly refused. “I will
fish the old way,” He said.
“Stubborn Lucio,” every body said, and they went on using dynamite. Nothing
that Lucio could say would convince them that dynamite fishing was wrong and
dangerous.
Then one day an accident occurred. Mang Ipe was in charge of the dynamite
that day. For some reason or another, when he lighted the fuse and started to throw the
dynamite, it exploded while he was still holding it. The explosion blew off his whole arm.
There was a big commotion as the other fishermen helped Mang Ipe ashore. He
was taken to the hospital in town in Mang Terio’s truck. He was bleeding so much that
for a while it seemed that he was going to die. But the doctors at the hospital were able
to stop the bleeding, and he did not lose his life, only his arm.
The accident frightened the people of the village. For several weeks they
refused to go out fishing with dynamite. “It is dangerous,” they said. “Perhaps Lucio
was right and the old way is really the best.”
But Mang Terio talked to them and told them, “It was just an accident. It would
never have happened if Mang Ipe had been careful. It will not happen again.”
After a while, the fishermen were convinced and went out fishing again. They
began saying to one another, “That accident was only one in a million. It will never
happen again.” But every time they went out fishing they came back with less and less
fish. “Why do you bring back so little fish?” Mang Terio complained. “You used to
bring back more when you were just fishing with nets.”
“That is all the fish there is,” said the fishermen. “Maybe the fish have been
frightened away by the dynamite.”
“You have been killing the small ones, that is why,” said Lucio. “You have
exhausted the supply of fish. It will take years before they will be as plentiful as before.”
The fishermen looked at each other and muttered, “Maybe he is right.”
“He is a stupid fool,” said Mang Terio angrily, and you are stupid, too, if you
believe him. It just happened that there were very few fish the last few days. If you go
out again, you will surely catch as many as you did at first.”
The fishermen were doubtful but they had to follow what Mang Terio told them to
do because they still owed him money. The next morning they went out to sea again.
51

52. They were out at sea when it happened. All of a sudden they heard a loud
explosion. They looked towards the shore and saw a huge column of smoke and fire
rising in the sky. “It is in the village!” they cried.
Each man thought of his family and his house. Hurriedly they rowed back to
shore.
As soon as their bancas touched the beach, they were out running towards their
homes. Running towards them came their wives and children, their faces pale with
fright. “What happened?” the men cried. “What was the explosion we heard?
“It’s Mang Terio’s house,” the women gasped. “There was a loud noise and then
it just flew into the air.”
“Where is Mang Terio?” the men asked.
When the smoke had cleared, the villagers went to where Mang Terio’s house
had been. A fearful sight met their eyes. There was nothing left but a few stones and
sticks. “It was the dynamite,” the villagers said to one another in low, frightened voices.
“He must have set fire to it by accident. There was enough dynamite in his storehouse
to blow up this whole village.”
“We should never have used dynamite,” said the fishermen to each other.
“Lucio,” they said, “you were right. “The old way is the best way after all.”
Lucio just nodded his head. “ I will help you mend your nets,” he said, “and as
soon as the fish comes back, we shall go out with our nets again. Besides, I have
heard of newer and better ways of fishing with nets. We shall learn them and make a
little more money.”
C Post reading
Classroom Interactions
1. What word or phrase would best describe Mang Terio? The other
fishermen?
2. Would you like to have Mang Terio as a friend? Give reasons. Would the
other fishermen make good friends? Explain briefly.
3. Teacher fills in the grid on the borad as the students answer the following
questions:
Macro Discourse Pattern Lucio Villagers Mang Terio
a) Situation
b) Problem
c) Attempted solution
d) Result
e) Evaluation
a) Why did the village fishermen have economic difficulties?
b) What incidents made them realize that they should do something
about their situation?
c) How did they plan to remedy this situation?
52

53. d) How did Lucio prove he was a responsible steward of nature?
What arguments did he put up against dynamited fishing? What
counter arguments did the villagers give?
Objectives of Lucio to the use of Counter arguments of Mang Terio
dynamite fishing and the other villagers
e) What evils did the villagers learn about dynamite fishing?
f) Are you satisfied with the ending of the story? Give your reasons.
g) What is the story telling us about our “stewardship” of nature?
h) Do you agree with the author?
2. Writing
(Note: The different steps in process writing may be distributed
throughout the week)
a) Tying up the writing activity with the theme.
b) Have the students choose a topic which they can write about to
show how they might be “good stewards of nature.” Here are some
possible topics. They can work in groups.
Practical Ways of Conserving Water
What Might Be Done to Save our Trees
Recycling for Better Waste Management
What We Can Do to Revive Dying Rivers
Saving Endangered Animals
c) Ask them to brainstorm and write down everything they know about
the topic.
d) Have them decide what their output will look like. Here are some
possible forms their output could take. (Show samples of these
different forms.)
1. Posters
2. Comments to send through the Internet to the program
“Save Our Planet”
3. Handbills to be distributed in the neighborhood
4. Brochures to be made and displayed in school or in the
Barangay Center especially during Earth Day
5. Stickers for transports
e. Call attention to the features that might be emphasized
1 Situation Our river is dying or is already dead.
2. Problem It could be a source of marine life if it .
were not polluted.
3. Solution Let’s contribute to the “Save Our River”
53

54. project.
4. Result if nothing is done about this problem- We will have
A smelly, dirty but oversized canal.
5. Evaluation- Nature provides us with our needs. Let’s take
care of her.
f. Editing
The group does group editing of their work using these
pointers as guidelines:
1) Did you call attention to a problem?
2) Did you suggest a solution?
3) Did you focus on our stewardship of nature?
4) Do you have any slips in grammar? In
capitalization, spelling and punctuation?
5) How do you think your reader will respond to
your output?
g. Finalization of output
D. Evaluation and Closure
1. Test on the prepositions learned
Look at the figure below and do what you are told to do.
(Directions are flashed)
1. _______________ 2.______________________
R
a) Draw a circle around the 2 circles.
b) Write your age in the square.
c) Draw a broken line from D to R.
d) Write your initial below the rectangle.
e) Write the opposite of ‘Yes” above the square.
f) Write a three-letter word on line 1
g) Draw a small triangle inside the big triangle
h) Write the sum of 12 and 11 on line 2.
i) Write the date today in the upper right corner of the
box.
j) Draw a vertical line down the middle of the
rectangle.
54

55. 2. Test on expressing reactions and feelings.
Complete these open-ended lines to come up with your feelings
about man’s disregard for nature.
a. Personally, I feel that we ______ nature.
b. I think that ______________________.
c. After all, we all know that___________.
d. We should ______________________.
e. In this way we can say that _________.
IV. Assignment:
A. Present your outputs next week.
1. Mock trial “Mother Earth VS Man: Trial of the Century”
2. Writing group project.
LISTENING
TEXT 1
Have you heard about the fish kill that took place in Bolinao, Pangasinan?
Imagine, a lot of fish died- they suffocated to death. And who was responsible for this?
We, the people of this town. We put up so may fish pens in the area. And with so much
fish in the pens, they competed with the other plant life in the water. Soon there was
not enough oxygen for them. They died.
Text 2
One of the animals found only in our country is the Philippine Eagle. It is a
monkey-eating eagle, a big eagle that swoops down to the forests below and lifts
upward monkeys that serve as its food. It helps keep the balance of nature by
preventing the monkey population from becoming too big. Sad to say, the Philippine
eagle is an endangered specie. They are shot down by hunters. Fortunately, lovers of
nature have called attention to the plight of the Philipine eagle. Laws have been passed
to protect it and drives have been launched to raise money for the conservation of the
place where the eagles live.
Text 3
A copper mining company has been operating for many years now in Mindoro, a
province rich in copper. For a time, this meant extra income for the community because
of the jobs it offered to the people there. But after a while, problems cropped up. The
washing from the mine flowed down and found its way into the nearby river. The lead
55

56. and copper filings in the washings killed the fish, the villagers’ means of livelihood.
Even the fishermen who fished in the river were affected. Sores that would not heal
covered their legs. Children who swam in the polluted river got sick and died. The
citizens pointed to the mine as the cause of the problem.
Sample Lesson Plan
Second Year
QUARTER 1 LEARNING TO KNOW
Week 6 Using information technology to learn
OBJECTIVES:
1. Point out that listening strategies should suit the listening texts and tasks
2. Identify the speech event, the source, and objectives of messages heard
over technological gadgets that spread information
3. Give information and express opinions, feelings and attitudes
4. Express opinions, ideas and feelings using modals
5. Pick out words whose meaning differs from the other words in a group
6. Single out similarities highlighted in a text
7. Arrange in an outline the information obtained from a text
8. Transcode information into information maps
9. Assess and react to contrasting views on the Filipino psyche presented in
different genres (an essay and a poem)
Subject Matter
Titles
1. “Pliant Like the Bamboo”
by: I V. Mallari
2. “Man of Earth”
by: A Daquio
3. “The Wonder Machine”
by: L. Poole
References
1. English in Progress pp. 230-232
2. Frontiers of Science, pp. 34-35
Instructional Aids
1. Pictures
2. Charts/pentel pen
3. Strips of paper
56

57. Procedure
A. Preparation
1. Establishing linkage with the themes of the preceding weeks.
In week 1 we focused on “The Wealth of Knowledge” we can
avail of. In week 2 the thrust was on “Learning to Learn” so
that we can make use of the wealth of knowledge available to
us. In weeks 3, 4 and 5 we looked at how we can learn from
our experiences, from others and events. This week, we
examine how we might use technology to learn even as we
review other sources of knowledge: experiences, other
people and events
2. Motivation
a. Will you mention some examples of information
technology that we are enjoying at the present time. Use the
diagram below. (Note: Some expected answers are given in
parenthesis)
(computer)
Information
radio Technology (cell phones)
(telephones
(television)
b. Look at this picture. What form of information technology is enjoyed by
the secretary? How do these forms help her in her job?
B. Presentation
1. Listen to some pre-recorded remarks heard over those gadgets. Identify the
gadget and the objective of the message. Enter your answers in this grid
Message No. Source Objective
57

58. Listening Text
Note: You may choose to tape authentic texts similar to these or you may say these
texts aloud at normal speed pausing after each item to give the students time to
enter their answers in the grid.
1. Thank you from BPI. If you want to know your balance press D. If you want
to pay your bills dial 1. If you need operator assistance dial 2.
2. Your computer cannot communicate with your printer. Use your Printer User’s
Guide.
3. This is Station DZBB operating under License No.. . .
4. This is CNN World News bringing to you breaking news worldwide. Stay tuned
for Business News.
5. Please load paper on the paper tray.
Speaking/
Structure
2. Divide the students into several groups with each group assigned a particular
technological tool used to spread information. They are to discuss these
questions in their respective groups for presentation to the class later on.
Tools or Gadgets
a. television c. cell phones e. print media
b. radio d. computer
Questions to Answer Sentence Patterns to Use
1) What sort of information 1. With the (gadget) we can
can you get from that gadget or medium? ___________________
2) What should we bear in mind concerning 2. We have to ___________
the use of those sources of information
3. What are some undesirable 3. It is possible that ______
things we might encounter in the use (might) ______________
of those gadgets?
4. What might be done in such a case? 4. We could ___________
3. Have the group discuss the kind of listening they should employ concerning
these items aired
58

59. C. Development
Pre-reading 1. Of all the information technology tools which one to you is the most
significant to date? Why do you say so?
2. Clearance of difficulties
a. Give the meaning of the underlined words. Write your answers on the boxes
found after each sentence.
1. The computer is an all round tool. V S E
2. It can simulate your habits. I T E
3. It feeds relevant information. R L D
b. Answer these questions.
1. What do you do when you keep tab on anniversaries? Do you keep track
of them or do you keep celebrating them?
2. What does mean in the expression a mean game of chess signify? Does
it signify “to stand for” or “difficult” or “cruel”?
3. When you say the computer can be programmed, does it mean “it can
come up with a program of activities” or “it can be made to do some task”?
4. When you say “thumbs its magnetic memory” do you mean, “goes
through,” “asks a lift” or “shows it is okay”?
5. When you confront someone did you “follow him” or “challenge him”?
c. Read the selection below. Find out why it is called “The Wonder Machine”.
59

60. THE WONDER MACHINE
In today’s world the computer is the all-round, all-powerful tool. It runs factories,
plans cities, teaches children, and even forecasts the future.
In the home, you can program the computer to keep tab on family anniversaries
such as birthdays, weddings, or deaths. You can also depend upon it to make out
grocery lists, plan family budgets, prepare and compute income tax return, and even
play a mean game of chess for you and your family’s entertainment.
If you take a vacation trip, the computer can be set to water your lawn and turn
on and off the light to make it appear as if you were home. And, if someone knocks on
the front door or rings the back door buzzer, the computer can also be programmed to
bark like a hundred-pound German shepherd. In fact it can be set to simulate your at-
home habits.
In a computerized hospital, the computer attends to your needs and comfort as a
patient. In the admissions office, the computer is fed with data about your case. It
searches its memory for your records of previous visits. It orders standard blood tests
and other laboratory tests necessary for your particular case. It also assigns you to a
room. It interprets your electrocardiograms. These are complex waveforms that are the
pictorial representations of the electric potential produced by the contractions of your
heart.
By feeding in the relevant information such as your blood pressure, weight,
temperature, age, sex, and the symptoms of your illness, your attending or examining
physician seeks the advice of the computer in much the same way as he would a
medical consultant. The computer thumbs its magnetic memory and supplies all the
diseases that might explain your symptoms.
Then it offers the treatment. For his part, your doctor is free to accept or put aside
the computer’s advice. If your doctor feels that the computer has failed to mention a
particular disease as a possible explanation for your symptoms, he may confront the
computer with his observations or findings.
“Why,” he can ask the computer, “didn’t you conclude such and such diseases as
possibilities”? The computer gives its reasons for omitting the possibility.
The computer rightly deserves its name as the “wonder machine of science and
technology ” It is indeed solving in milliseconds the problems which would take years to
solve. It is helping mankind gain an understanding of the farthest reaches of space and
the depths of the oceans. And scientists are hopeful that the computer may yet lead
man to an understanding of the mystery of life and death and of his own being.
While it is admitted that the computer is one powerful tool that can do many
things, there is nothing mysterious about it compared to a human being. It is, after all, a
60

61. man-made, man manned tool. Without man, there could be no computer. Without man,
the computer could not work. Whatever danger, therefore, from the computer lies not
within the machine itself but within man himself - its inventor and master!
Questions to Ask Patterns to Use
Note: The words in parenthesis may be replaced
1. How can this wonder machine 1. It can (provide the information we need)
develop and be successful?
2.What should be done so we may 2. We should/must/have to (learn how to use
enjoy the benefits of this it)
machine?
Here are the modals you have been using to express your opinions. Put a check
mark on the column that tells you the additional meaning expressed by these modals.
Additional Meaning Signaled
MODALS Ability Possibility Obligation
1. can
2. could
3. may
4. might
5. should
6. must
7. have to
Reading/Writing: Organize in an outline the information presented in the text.
“The Wonder Machine”
I. Characteristics of a computer as a tool
A. _____________________________
B. _____________________________
II. Uses of the Computer
A. At home
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
4. ____________________________
5. ____________________________
61

62. B. In computerized hospital
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
4. ____________________________
5. ____________________________
III. Reasons for its being a “wonder machine”
A.
B.
D. Enrichment
1. Establishing a tie-up between this week’s thrust and the thrust of the preceding
weeks (Weeks 3,4, and 5)
While it is true that we can use information technology to get information, let us
not forget the sources of information especially about ourselves, namely, recalling
and reflecting on the past experiences as a people, on what others say and on
events we go through.
Here are two selections, an essay and a poem that show contrasting reactions to
information about ourselves as a people. Which of these two reactions do you
accept?
2. Taking up the essay “Pliant Like the Bamboo” by I.V. Mallari
a) Motivation
1) If you were given a chance to become a tree what would you want to be?
Here are five suggested trees (bamboo, narra, coconut, balete, acacia)
2) Have students pair off and explain why they prefer to be that kind of tree.
b) Vocabulary
You will find 6 boxes containing 4 words. Encircle the word which you think
should not be kept in each drawer.
Box A Box B Box C
a. yields a. rude
a. robust b. cruel
b. gave way b. bends
c. bow c. benevolent
c. strong
d. stood fast d. relentless
d. sturdy
62

63. Box D Box E
a. embrace a. onslaughts a. stoop
b. welcome b. vicissitudes b. carry on
c. protest c. angry blasts c. pliant
d. cooperate d magnanimity d. flexibility
c). Selection 1
PLIANT LIKE THE BAMBOO
(I. V. Mallari)
There is a story in Philippine folklore about a mango tree and a bamboo tree.
Not being able to agree as to which was strongest of the two, they called upon the wind
to make the decision.
The winds blew its hardest. The mango tree stood fast. It would not yield. It
knew it was strong and sturdy. It would not sway. It was too proud. It was too sure of
itself. But finally its roots gave way, and it tumbled down.
The bamboo tree was wiser. It knew it was not as robust as the mango tree.
And so every time the wind blew, it bent its head gracefully. It made loud protests, but it
let the winds have its way. When finally the wind got tired of blowing, the bamboo tree
still stood in all its beauty and grace.
The Filipino is like the bamboo. He knows that he is not strong enough to
withstand the onslaughts of superior forces. And so he yields. He bends his head
gracefully with many loud protests.
And he has survived. The Spaniards came and dominated him for more than
three hundred years. And when the Spaniards left, the Filipinos still stood – only much
richer in experience and culture.
The Americans took the place of the Spaniards. They used more subtle means
of winning over the Filipinos who embraced the American way of life more readily than
the Spaniards’ vague promise of the hereafter.
Then the Japanese came like a storm, like a plague of locusts, like a pestilence
rude, relentless and cruel. The Filipino learned to bow his head low to “cooperate” with
the Japanese in their “holy mission of establishing the Co-Prosperity Sphere.” The
Filipino had only hate and contempt for the Japanese, but he learned to smile sweetly at
them and to thank them graciously for their “benevolence and magnanimity.”
And now that the Americans have come back and driven away the Japanese,
those Filipinos who profited most from cooperating with the Japanese have been
63

64. loudest in their protestations of innocence. Everything is as if the Japanese had never
been in the Philippines.
For the Filipino will welcome any kind of life that the gods offer him. That is why
he is contented, happy and at peace. The sad plight of other peoples of the world is not
his. To him, as to that ancient Oriental poet, the past is already a dream and tomorrow
is only a vision but today, well-lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and
every tomorrow, a vision of hope. In like manner, the Filipino regards vicissitudes of
fortune as the bamboo tree regards the angry blasts of the blustering wind.
The Filipino is eminently suited to his romantic role. He is slender and wiry. He
is nimble and graceful in his movements. His voice is soft, and he has the gift of
languages. In what other place in the world can you find people who can carry on a
fluent conversation in at least three languages?
This gift is another means by which the Filipino has managed to survive. There
is no insurmountable barrier between him and any of the people who have come to live
with him – Spanish, Americans, Japanese. The foreigners do not have to learn his
language. He easily manages to master theirs.
Verily, the Filipino is like the bamboo tree. In its grace, in its ability to adjust itself
to the peculiar and inexplicable whims to fate, the bamboo tree is his expressive and
symbolic national tree. It will have to be, not the molave nor the narra, but the bamboo.
Questions to answers
1. What dominant characters of the Filipinos are compared to those of a bamboo?
Can you name some?
2. How does a Filipino face the changes of life?
3. Using the overlapping map, make a comparison between a bamboo and a Filipino.
Bamboo
Filipino
4. Taking up the poem “Man of Earth” by A. Daguio
64

65. MAN OF EARTH
Amador T. Daguio
Pliant is the bamboo,
I am a man of earth;
They say that from the bamboo
We had our first birth.
Am I of the body,
Or of the green leaf?
Do I have to whisper
My every sin and grief?
If the wind passes by
Must I stoop and try
To measure fully
My flexibility?
I might have been the bamboo,
But I will be a man.
Bend me then, O Lord,
Bend me if you can.
E. After You Read
Answer the following questions.
1. Which two words in the first stanza suggest an origin?
2. Which two words in Stanza 3 suggest the same meaning as pliant
in Stanza 1?
3. Which word in Stanza 4 also suggests the same meaning as pliant?
4. What do the underline modals in these lines suggest?
a. Do I have to whisper
My every sin and grief?
b. Must I stoop and try
To measure fully
c. I might have been the bamboo
But I will be a man,
d. Bend me if you can.
B . The ideas of a reading piece are linked one to another to form a
web of some sort. Complete the sketch below which shows the
relationship of the ideas expressed in the poem. Use the questions that
follow as your guide. The numbers in the sketch correspond to the
numbers of the questions.
1. What two origins of man are indicated in Stanza 1?
65

66. 2. What two possible parts could he have come from if he originated
from a tree?
3. What qualities would he have and what would he do if he came
from those parts?
4. What kind of man would these make him?
5. What qualities would he have and what would he do if he were the
other sort of man?
6. What kind of man would these make him?
7. What transformation is hinted at?
8. Do you agree with the poet’s observation?
9. Whose stand do you subscribe to regarding the Filipino psyche-
that of Daguio or of Mallari?
10. Do you find any wrong statements made by Mallari? Point them
out.
Core Question
What two origin of
man are indicated in
Stanza 1?
Man of the Man of ----
2 2 5
From the From the
3 3
6
4
7 7
66

67. F. Closure
How much have you learned?
How well have you learned the ideas and skills developed/presented in these
lessons. Please put a check mark on the column or your preference.
Skills/Ideas Very much Much To some Very little Not at all
extent
1.Identify the speech
event the source and
objective of a
listening text
2. Express opinions,
feelings and attitudes
using modals
3.Pick out words
whose meaning
differs from other
words in a group
4. Single out
similarities
highlighted in a text
5. Arrange
information in a three
step outline
6. Transcode
information into
information map
7. Assess and react
to contrasting views
Evaluation
1. Fill the blanks in this dialog with the missing modals
A. Our teacher gives difficult assignments in Biology.
B. Don’t worry, we ___________ do it right away. We _____ visit the library.
A. When? This project ______ be submitted tomorrow. How ______ we meet the
deadline?
B. If you want to finish it by tomorrow, we _____________ use a computer. This
device _____ give information on so many things.
A. Really! That is a wonderful machine.
67

68. 2. Look for a partner. Make your own dialogue using the modals. Use the situation
below. Present it in class.
Situation
You and your friend at are your
home. It is midnight you hear a
noise. You discuss the noise:
What may/might/must can be the
cause? What should be done?
Assignment (For week 7)
A. Vocabulary
Read the following sentences carefully and take note of the underlined words.
Encircle the words in each sentence that will help you get the meaning of the
underlined words. Then give the meaning of each vocabulary word or expression.
(Note to the Teacher: The clues are in italics.)
1. The whole family stared and marveled at the books which differed from all other
books they had seen before.
2. The fact that the books would cost them so much became a cause for
depression.
3. The boy took his father’s instructions to heart so he studied very well and never
played truant.
4. The boy diligently did his work, carefully and conscientiously reading his book.
B. Motivation Pre reading
Here are two lines from the selection you will read. From these sentences, guess
what the selection is about. (Note: teacher reads aloud the following lines.)
“An official proclamation had been issued in the city to the effect that unless a boy
six years of age is sent to school, some adult in the family will have to go to jail.”
68

69. The boy’s father discharged a day laborer. The teacher marked the boy’s absence
in the record book at school.
C. Assignment
1. Read “A Country Boy Quits School” by Lao Hsiang and find out if your guess is
correct.
2. Read up or interview an authority about the Philippine Law on compulsory
education. Be able to compare it with the proclamation mentioned in the story.
Sample Lesson Plan
Second Year
QUARTER 1 LEARNING TO KNOW
Week 7 An Analytical Learner
I. OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the week, the students should be able to:
1. state the importance of education in meeting the needs of an individual,
the role it plays in improving the quality of his life
2. assess the relevance of what they learn in school to their development as
individuals;
3. identify the characteristics of a satire;
4. a. give the meaning of vocabulary words through the use of contextual
clues e.g. synonyms, collocation, etc.
b. use expressions signaling personal opinions
e.g. I think . . ., In my opinion . . . . , etc.
5. distinguish facts from opinions expressed in a given text:
6. use noun clauses correctly in expressing opinions and taking a stand
about a problem or an issue:
7 write a letter to the school paper editor asking for action that will
address a current school problem or issue
8. present facts and opinions and the ideas supporting them in table
form
9. point out the importance of voicing out one’s opinions and becoming
instrumental to instituting positive changes in the community
10. Discuss the reactions of characters in a selection
69

70. I. Subject Matter
A. Selections
1. “A Country Boy Quits School” by Lao Hsiang
2. An Excerpt From The 2002 Curriculum, Sept. 6, 2001
3. “Unwise DECS Curriculum Merger Plan” by Antonio Calipjo Go
(Letters to the Editor, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Nov. 2, 2001.)
B. Function: Expressing opinions/Taking a stand
Form: Noun clauses in complex sentences
Output: A letter to the school paper editor
C. Instructional Aids
Newspapers from which current problems and issues may be identified
(To be provided by the teacher)
D. References
Laurente, Felipe T. 1976. Insights 2. Quezon City: JMC Press
Tayao, Ma. Lourdes G. et.al. 1999. Meeting My Needs for English II
Quezon City: Rex Printing Company Inc.
Weiner, Harvey S. and Charles Bazerman. 1991. Basic Reading Skills
Handbook (2nd Ed). Boston: Houghton Miffin Company.
E. Evaluation
Writing a letter to the editor stating one’s opinions and stand on a school
issue or problem using noun clauses in complex sentences
II. Procedure
Literature
A. Preparation
Were you able to guess what the story is about based on the two lines I
read to you yesterday? How did the title help you make the correct guess?
Let us check if you can recall some of the details about the story you read.
Check-up quiz (N.B. Expected answers are enclosed in parenthesis.)
1. How old was the country boy? (9 years old)
2. At what age were the children required to go to school? (6 & above)
3. How many books did the boy bring home on his first day in school?
(8)
4. How much did the book cost? ($1.20)
5-6 What were the first two lessons in the reader book?
(This is mama and This is papa)
7. What things did the teacher say the book contained?
(make- believe things)
8. What did the boy and some of his classmates decide to hold? (a tea
party)
9. Who among the boy’s relatives got so upset about the book’s
leaving out comments about grandparents?
70

71. 10. What was the final decision of the boy’s father? (have the boy stop
going to school)
Motivation
1. In your notebook, list down at least three problems in your school.
2. Rank them in a scale of 1 to 3 where 1 is the most serious and 3 is
the least serious problem.
3. Pair off. In 5 minutes, share your answers with your partner and
explain to him/her your ranking
Speaking
B. Development
Activity 1. Group Discussion
1. Let us divide the class into 6 groups with each group representing
a particular character in the story
2. In 10 minutes, discuss with your groupmates the character’s
reaction/s to the proclamation as well as the lessons and activities
the students had in school. (By drawing lots, the teacher will
assign these roles: grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, the
boy and the other schoolchildren as one, and the relatives of the
schoolchildren also as one. Instruct students to assign specific
roles to each group member, e.g. facilitator, recorder,
summarizer, reporter, artist, etc.
3. Record the proceedings of your group discussion in the form of
reaction map. Do this on a Manila paper
e.g.
Reaction Character Reaction
#1 #2
action 1 action 1
action 2, etc action 2, etc.
Legend:
Character - the target character
Reaction - a descriptive word or phrase specifying the
character’s behavior or feeling
Action - a phrase of brief statement stating an action taken as
an effect or a reaction
71

72. Speaking/Listening
Activity 2. Group presentation
Present your group output to the class.
(Instruct students to listen carefully to the presentations and to take
note of similarities and differences in the characters’ reactions)
Activity 3. Synthesis and Processing of Group Activity
1. What is common in the reactions of the different characters?
2. Was it a normal reaction? Explain your answer.
3. Could the negative reaction of the characters have been avoided? How?
4. What could the government and the school teacher have done?
5. In what way/s does education affect your life?
6. How do you maximize the use of the things you learn in school to develop
yourself?
7. The story talks about a serious problem in the educational system. In what
manner was this presented?
8. In a scale of 1-5 with 5 as the highest, how would you rate the anecdotes or
the little stories within the story that told us about the boy’s experiences, on
the following points: a. humor; b. exaggeration
9. Is the story just trying to entertain readers? What else is it trying to?
10. What do you call that type of story that actually talks of a serious topic but
presents it in a light and humorous manner?
C. Closure
Let us make graffiti of your ideas about school and education. Add your
honest idea to either of the following:
1. School ______________________________________________
e.g. School can be boring.
2. Education __________________________________________
e.g. Education makes a nation.
(Teacher posts a manila paper on the wall and asks students to do the
graffiti during their fee time.)
Reading
A. Preparation
Distinguish Facts from Opinions
Following is a list of statements taken from the selection. Put a check
(/) before the items that tell what really happened, the facts; and a
cross (x) before the items that make them statements of belief,
judgment or feeling, the opinions. Underline the clue words in the
statement of opinions.
72

73. 1. On his first day at school the boy came back with eight books.
2. The books cost a dollar and twenty cents.
3. A boy in the country gets to be at least half as useful as a
grownup by the time he is 8 or 9 years old
4. Classes don’t start until nine. It’s only five thirty.
5. One book ought to be enough to start with.
6. The books cost so much considering that there are only 3 or 4
characters on a page.
7. The boy came back from school at three thirty, just as his father
was going back to work.
8. The price of the books had a great deal to do with the their
temper.
9. It couldn’t be said that the boy was not diligent.
10. He reviewed his lesson every day after school.
B. Development
Read the following headlines and be able to tell which ones express a
fact and which ones express an opinion. Underline the words which
signal that the headline is an opinion.
1. a. RP’s all-out support for US-led war pays off.
b. RP supports US-led war.
2. a. House approves 2002 budget.
b. House approves bloated budget.
3. a. Washington basilica looks like Quiapo.
b. Faithful flock at Washington Basilica.
4. a. Business should take a look at itself.
b. Business grows by 5%.
5. a. GMA reports to the nation.
b. GMA gives positive report to the nation.
Remember
Facts are statements that tell what really happened or what really is the case. It
is based on direct evidence and shows by actual experience or observation
Opinions are statements of belief, judgment, or feeling. They show what
someone thinks about a subject. They are somebody’s views and are not facts.
• Some words give an opinion by evaluating or making judgment, e.g. sage,
clever, good, dangerous
• Some expressions clearly state that an opinion will follow, e.g. I believe, I
think, In my opinion, I feel, I suggest, etc.
• Some words show that some doubt may exist about a statement. They show
that a statement is not always true or that other opinions are possible, e.g.
probably, likely, sometimes, etc.
73

74. Activity 3 Distinguishing facts from opinions in a text
Read texts A and B. In your notebook, list down the facts and opinions
expressed in them. Write only key ideas. Follow this format.
Text FACTS OPINIONS Supporting Ideas
A. Paragraph 1
2
B. Paragraph 1
2
3
4
Text A: “An Excerpt from the 2002 Curriculum”
1. The revised Philippine Development Plan of 2004 mandates the Department
of Education, Culture and Sports to institute changes that will make the
curriculum more relevant to students’ needs. These reforms are meant to
address three objectives:
1. to make the curriculum more-learner centered;
2. to make it more responsive to developments in the field of education
as well as to the demands of the market; and
3. to ensure continuing evaluation.
2. The 2002 curriculum includes only five subjects: Mathematics, Science,
Filipino, English, and Makabayan which includes Sining, Kultura, Musika,
Physical Education, Produktibong Pamumuhay, Edukasyong Pantahanan at
Pangkabuhayan, Heograpiya, Kasaysayan, Sibika, Araling Panlipunan,
Technology and Home Economics, Health, and Character Education.
Excerpted from: The 2002 Curriculum
Sept. 6, 2001
Text B; “Unwise DECS Curriculum Merger”
1. The Department of Education, Culture and Sports plan to merge three non-
core subjects into one in its New Basic Education Curriculum slated for
implementation next year is both unwise and impractical. Relegating the
teaching of values to what seems to be a token concession or a mere
afterthought, at a time when it really needs to be reinforced and emphasized,
sends the wrong message to our students that character and morality are not
that important after all. We have seen the disastrous effect of too much
74

75. learning on people without the concomitant tempering balm of compassion –
they become politicians, they become corrupt, and then they become mad.
2. There is in fact a greater need to lengthen the time a student is supposed to
be in school, both in terms of extending the daily schedule and of changing,
for example, the present four year high school course to five years. The
solution really lies in the judicious management of the little time that is allotted
to the student in the school.
3. What is more important is the need to institute immediate and meaningful
reforms in the area of textbooks, a large percentage of which I have
discovered to be substantially defective. Faulty textbooks institutionalize
mental mediocrity by teaching what are false or incorrect.
4. The subject Values Education assumes the guiding and counseling role which
many of today’s parents have relegated to the schools. It is the one
redeeming factor in the present curriculum which tends to promote the
ascendancy of mind over heart, mental acuity over spiritual fortitude. Keeping
in mind that character is the end of life, we must lobby for the retention of
Values Education as a full-time sovereign subject. We should also demand
that reforms be made in the system of textbook development, evaluation and
selection to ensure quality education for all schoolchildren.
Antonio Calpjo Go
Academic Supervisor
Marian School for Q.C.
Comprehension Questions
1. What is the topic of Text A? of Text B?
2. Which of the two texts is factual?
3. Which one expresses opinion?
4. What is the stand of the writer on the issue?
5. What is the objective of the letter to the editor?
6. What technique did the writer use to meet his objective?
7. Does the series of causes and effects help the writer in proving his point?
8. What other techniques can help you express and support your opinion?
Language
There is a way by which opinions or ideas about a certain topic can be
expressly indicated. You can do this by following a pattern of putting together
words in a sentence as shown in these activities.
Activity 4. Expressing personal views using opinion clue words and expressions
1. Go back to the sentences identified as Opinions in Activity 1 of the
Reading lesson
2. Expand those sentences by adding a clause that will
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76. a. specify the person/s who has/have a particular opinion; and
b. use appropriate words or expressions which signal an opinion,
doubt, etc.
e.g. A boy in the country gets to be at least half as useful as a
grownups by the time he is 8 or 9 years old.
Answer: The elders believed that a boy gets to be at least half as
useful as a grownup by the time he is 8 or 9 years old.
What did we add to the original statement?
What pattern did we use to express an opinion?
S + V + that + Noun clause
Using the same sample sentence, we can also say:
I believed that a boy . . . . 8 or 9 years old.
The family thought that a boy .. . . 8 to 9 years old.
Grandmother’s opinion is that a boy. . . 8 or 9 years old.
Activity 5
1. Pair off.
2. Study and compare your lists of opinions in the table you did in f the Reading
Lesson.
3. Using the key ideas you listed down, construct sentences expressing opinions
just like those you made in the previous activity. Try to vary the opinion clue
words or expressions you use.
Pre-Writing
Activity 6. Expressing opinions about the school issues
1. Form groups of 4.
2. Get your notebook and go back to the list of problems and issues in our
school which you identified and ranked before our discussion of the selection
“A Country Boy Quits School.”
3. Share the ideas in your respective lists.
4. Choose one and brainstorm on it. Be sure to take down notes as you discuss.
5. Take turns in giving your personal views and opinions about your chosen
issue or problem. Then make suggestions as to how the issue may be
effectively addressed.
Writing
In the previous activities, we were able to do several things.
(N.B. Teacher should elicit the following from the students.)
1. We went over and studied a sample letter to the editor.
2. We distinguished facts from opinions.
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77. 3. We studied a way of effectively expressing our opinions.
4. We identified school issues, expressed our opinions about them, and
suggested ways by which those issues may be addressed.
Activity 7 . Text analysis of a letter to the editor
1. What is presented in the opening sentence of paragraph one?
2. What do the other sentences in that paragraph express?
3. What does the writer do in the 3rd paragraph?
4. How does he bring his letter t a close in the 4th paragraph?
Activity 8. Writing a letter to the school paper editor
1. Break your original group into 2 pairs.
2. Work cooperatively with your partners. Use the notes you took down in the
Activity 6 to develop a 3 to 4 paragraph letter to the editor of your school
paper/
3. Keep the following in mind.
3.1 The issue or problem must be clearly presented in your opening
paragraph
3.2 Your opinions, strongly supported by facts, should all address the issue
you presented.
3.3 The development of your thoughts must be logical and clear. You can
ensure this by using certain writing techniques like: giving examples,
giving supporting details, showing cause-effect relations, etc.
III. Evaluation
1. Exchange works with the other pair in your original group.
2. Read and rate their work according to the following criteria:
Points
The issue is clearly presented 3
Opinions are clear, and supported by facts 5
Ideas are developed one at a time in a logical manner 5
Use of the English language is correct and effective 5
Work follows the conventions of a letter to the editor 2
(There is no address, no date, no opening greetings nor
closing, but the name address or the letter writer are
provided)
20 points
Assignment:
These past seven weeks we have been taking up how we learn to know things.
Recall what you have found out about how we get to know things and list at least ten of
them. Number them as the most important.
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78. A COUNTRY BOY QUITS SCHOOL
By Lao Hsiang
Translated by Chin-Chen Wang
A boy in the country gets to be at least half as useful as a grownup by the time he is
nine years old. He can weed in the spring or tie up harvest bundles in summer; he is
able to pass bricks when a house is built or open and shut the furrows to the irrigation
ditches. That being the case, who’d want to send him to school? But an official
proclamation had been issued in the city to the effect that unless a boy over six years of
age is sent to school, some adult in the family will have to go to jail. This was how it
happened that the country boy of our story went to school.
On his first day at school, the boy came back with eight books. His grandparents
and his father and mother all gathered around him and marveled at the pictures in the
books; said Grandfather: “The Four Books and the Five Classics never had any pictures
like these.”
“The people in the pictures are not Chinese!” Father suddenly exclaimed. “Look
carefully and you’ll see that none of them wear the kind of clothes we do. See, these are
leather shoes, this is a foreign costume, this is what is called a dog stick. They remind
me of the old missionary who preaches at the cross street in the city?
“This woman at the spinning wheel is also a foreigner,” Grandmother said. “We use
the right hand to spin but she uses her left.”
“If that makes her a foreigner, then this driver is not a Chinese, either. Look, have
you ever seen a Chinese driver standing on this side of the cart?” commented
Grandfather.
“The teacher says, the books costs a dollar and twenty cents,” the boy suddenly
said, taking courage in their absorption in the books. The statement stunned everyone
like a sudden clap of thunder.
Grandmother was the first to speak, “They certainly have nerve to make us pay for
the books after we give up the boy for them! He’s gone to school hardly a day and it costs
us over a dollar already. Who can afford to such school? We can’t save that much money
if we go without light for half a year, and we’ll have to sell at least eight bushels of corn to
raise that much money.”
“I should think one book ought to be enough to start with. They can get another after
they have finished that,” Grandfather said.
“Moreover, why should it cost so much when there are only three or four characters on
a page?” Grandfather continued. “The almanac had both large and small characters and
is closely printed and it costs only five coopers. How could these be worth more than a
dollar?”
The books which they had marveled at a few minutes before had mainly become a
cause of depression. The family discussed the matter at supper and all through the rest of
the evening and finally decided that they would accept this calamity and pay the amount
required, since it was the first time. In order to make up the sum, the boy’s mother had to
contributes the proceeds from two pairs of earrings that she had recently sold. His father
gave him a solemn lecture saying, “You are now nine, no longer so young. We’re sparing
you from work and sending you to school, though we can’t afford it in our circumstances.
You’ll be very ungrateful if you don’t study hard and learn something.
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79. The boy took his father’s instructions to heart and set out for school the next day at
dawn. When he got home there, however, the porter said to him in a low voice, “Classes
don’t start till nine. It’s now only five thirty. You are too early. The teacher is asleep and
the classroom isn’t unlocked. You had better go home now.” The boy looked around the
yard and found that he was indeed the only student there; he listened outside the
teacher’s window and heard him snoring; he walked around the lecture room and found
no open door. There was nothing for him to do but run back home. Grandfather was
sweeping the yard when he suddenly caught sight of the boy. He threw down his broom
and said, “What is the use of trying to make a scholar of a boy whom Heaven had
intended for the hoe? Look at him. It’s only the second day and he is playing truant
already!” The boy was just about to explain when his mother gave him two resounding
slaps and made him tend the fire for breakfast. Needles to say, the price of the books that
they had to buy had a great deal to do with their temper.
When the boy went to school again after breakfast, the teacher was already on the
platform and was holding fort on the subject of being late to school. To illustrate his point,
he told a story about a little fairy that waited by the wayside with a bag of gold to reward
the earliest boy. Our boy was enchanted with the story and the words “fairy” and “gold”
but he could not figure out just what was meant by “earliest.”
In the afternoon, our young hero came back from school at three thirty, just as his father
was going back to work after his midday nap. Luckily his father happened to see the other
boys also coming home from school and the teacher taking a stroll with his “dog stick,”
and concluded that his son was not playing truant. He kept wondering, however, about
the strange ways of these foreign schools.
The first six days of school were taken up with the first lesson in the reader with the text,
“This is my Mama.” It couldn’t be said that the boy was not diligent. He reviewed his
lessons every day after school, reading over and over again, “This is Mama,” until dusk.
With his left hand holding the book open and his right following the characters, he read on
faithfully and conscientiously, as if afraid the characters, would fly away if he did not fix
his entire attention on them.
But every time he read, “This is my Mama,” his mother’s heart would jump. On the sixth
day of school, she could stand it no longer. She snatched the book from him and said,
“Let me see who your mama is!“ Thinking that his mother was eager to learn, the boy
pointed to the accompanying picture and said, “This is Mama – the lady with leather
shoes, bobbed hair, and long dress.” One glance at the picture and Mother burst out
crying. Grandfather, Grandmother, and Father were frightened, thinking that she might
have possessed by some evil spirits. At first, she only cried and would not say anything
when they asked her what the matter was, but they persisted, she said, “Where did that
boy get that vampire-like mama?”
When they found the cause of her distress Father said, “We’ll have the boy ask his
teacher whose mama this really is. Maybe it is the teacher’s mama.
The next morning before dawn, Mother woke up her son and made him go to school
and ask the teacher for a solution to the problem that had bothered her all night. Arriving
at school, the boy found that it was Sunday and that there would be no school. Moreover,
the teacher had drunk more wine than was good for him the night before and was still
sound asleep. The boy told Mother the circumstances, which made her curse the
institution of Sunday.
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80. At general assembly on Monday, the teacher said gently to his charges, “One who
wants to learn must not be afraid to ask questions. Anyone who has any question should
raise it at once, to his teacher at school or to his parents at home.” They’re upon our hero
stood up and asked. “The reader says, “This is Mama.” Whose mama is she really?” The
teacher answered even more gently than before. “It is the Mama of anyone who happens
to read the book. Do you understand now?
“No,” the boy said. This embarrassed the teacher a little but he said patiently, “Why
don’t you understand?”
“Baldy is also reading this, but his mama is not like this lady,” the boy said.
Baldy’s mother is lame in one arm and had only one eye,” Hsiao Lin said.
“And you have no mama at all. She died a long time ago,” Baldy said in self-defense.
“Don’t talk among yourselves!” the teacher said, knocking at the blackboard with his
ferule. “We are going to have the second lesson today: “This is Papa, Look everyone.
This is Papa, the man with spectacles and parted hair.”
After school, Mother was still worried about who the picture woman was, but when she
heard his son reiterating, ‘This is Papa,’ she did not dare to pursue the question, being
afraid that her husband might want to know when she’d found a new papa for their son.
She was puzzled more than ever and wondered why the book insisted on presenting
people with papas and mamas when they had them already.
A few days later, the boy learned two new sentences: “The ox tends the fire; the horse
eats noodles.” He read the text over thousands of times, but he could not get over the
feeling that there was something queer about the assertions. They had an ox and a horse
and he had himself taken them over to graze in the hills, but he had never once seen a
horse eat noodles and he was sure that their ox could not tend to fire. But could the book
be wrong? Since he could not answer these questions, he obeyed his teacher’s injunction
of the week before and asked his father about it. Father said, “I once went to a foreign
circus in the city and saw a horse that could ring a bell and fire a gun. Perhaps the book is
talking about such horses and oxen.”
Grandmother, however, did not agree with Father’s explanation. She said, “The ox must
also a demon. Don’t you see that they all wear human clothing? They haven’t changed
their heads for human heads yet, but that alone will take five hundred years.” The old lady
than went to tell stories about demons that could command the wind and summon rain;
the result was that the boy dreamed that night of being hazed by a winged-wolf demon
and woke up crying.
The following day, the boy asked his teacher, “Is this ox that can tend the fire a foreign
ox?”
The teacher laughed and said, “You are too literal! The book has only made those
things up. It is not true that oxen can really tend to fire or that horses really eat noodles.”
The explanation cleared up at one stroke many things in the book that had puzzled the
boy. He had read about such things as bread, milk, park, ball, and the like which he had
never seen and which had made him wonder. It dawned upon him that the book dealt
only with make believe things.
One day, the boy and his schoolmates decided that they would play a tea party as they
had read about it in their reader. They agreed that each would contribute twenty cents so
that they could send to the city for oranges, apples, chocolates, and things. Our boy
knew, of course that he would only be inviting a beating to ask money for buying
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81. sweetmeats. Grandmother always mumbled that school would bankrupt them yet,
wherever he had to buy a sheet of writing paper. But he could not resist the glowing
picture that his book gave of the tea party, and decided to help himself to the money that
his mother had just got from selling more of her jewels and which she had set aside for
buying cabbage seedlings.
Grandfather had been suffering for a long time from a chronic cough, and someone had
told him that orange peels would give him a relief. He kept on asking what orange peels
were like and where they could be gotten. Thinking that this was a chance for him to
ingratiate himself into his grandfather’s favor, the boy said, “We are getting some
oranges.”
“You are getting some oranges?” Grandfather asked. “What are you getting oranges
for?”
“We want to hold a tea party,” the boy said.
“What is a tea party?”
”It means to get together and eat things and drink tea,” the boy said. ”It is in the book.”
“What kind of book is that which is either making animals talk or teaching people to eat
and play? No wonder the boys have become lazy and choosy about their food since they
went to school!” Grandmother said.
“And it was always foreign food. There doesn’t seem to be any corn stew or bean curd
with onions in it,” Grandfather said.
“Remember, Son, to bring back some orange peels for your grandfather’s cough,” said
Mother.
Where did you get the money to buy oranges?” asked Father.
“The teacher – “ but before the boy could finish up his story, they heard Baldy, who lived
in the next dwelling to the east, suddenly begin to cry, Then they heard his father shout,
“We can’t even afford salt, and yet you want to buy candy.”
This was followed by the voice of Hsiao Lin’s uncle who lived to the west. “I let you buy
books with my hard-earned money because it is for your good, but I haven’t any money
for you to buy sweetmeats. You can asked whoever wants you to hold tea parties for it.”
The truth came out. The boy’s father aimed a kick at him, but fortunately the table
intervened. He only upset the table and broke a few rice bowls. Grandfather was of the
opinion that it might be better to take the boy out of school, but Grandmother did not want
her son to go to jail. After a long argument, it was decided that they would let the boy try
school for a few more days.
After this humiliation, our young scholar vowed to study harder and to recover his lost
prestige in the family. Every day after school, he read without stopping until it was dark.
He did not realize that the source of his troubles laid in the textbooks itself.
For Grandmother had been feeling that her son was no longer as close to her as before
his marriage and that her position in the family had been gradually slipping. Now, as he
listened to the boy reading aloud his latest lessons, she heard him say, “In my family I
have a papa, a mama, a brother, and a sister,” but nothing about Grandfather and
Grandmother. She became very indignant and shouted. “So this house is now all yours
and I have no longer a share in it!” She was mad with fury. She picked up a brick and
broke their iron pot into pieces.
“Don’t be angry anymore!” the boy’s father said. “We won’t let him read this kind of book
any longer. I would rather go to jail.”
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82. And so the next day, Father discharged a day laborer and the teacher marked the boy’s
absence in the record book at school.
Vocabulary
Give the meaning of the italicized words:
1. shut the furrows
2. playing truant
3. to ingratiate himself
4. after this humiliation
Discussion
1. Describe the setting of the story
2. What prompted the country boy to go to school?
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