1. Crystal Rose
02/22/12
ESL 210—Intermediate Grammar
Jones 30
Required Textbook: None, but Focus on Grammar 3 can be used to reference grammar rules (p.
248-250).
Other materials: Each student will need a computer in the lab, access to the internet
(www.worldoftales.com/audio_fairy_tales.html for audio,
http://worldoftales.com/fairy_tales/Grimm_fairy_tales_Taylor_Edwardez.html for text, and
http://wordcentral.com/ to look up any unfamiliar vocabulary), and DILL software with headsets.
Students: 18 adult learners from various countries (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Venezuela, Russia,
China, and South Korea). Most students are at the intermediate level in all modes of
communication.
Background Info: The class meets once per week (Wednesdays) in the computer lab (Jones 30).
The lessons presented in the lab are usually designed to be presented with some computer
assisted activities, using various mediums (Moodle, Dill, the internet, etc).
Learning Objectives:
a. Students will be able to recognize types of nouns and articles in an online text (accompanied by
audio).
Students will be able to use articles (definite & indefinite) appropriately with different kinds of
nouns (singular/plural & count/non-count).
Students will be able to answer comprehension questions orally with group members.
Students will be able to write a summary of a fable/fairy tale using complete sentences.
b. Students will be able to navigate the fable website and use the text and audio to notice articles
and nouns.
Students will be able to work in a group using Dill to complete the handout (finding articles and
nouns).
Students will be able to work independently to write a summary about their story including their
cultural perspective through their opinion of the story or by writing about a fable from their own
culture (part C of handout).
Assumptions: Students are all adult learners who have completed beginning levels of grammar, so they
should have a basic understanding of the meta-language regarding parts of speech, parts of a sentence,
and other grammar terms. Some students may still need definition in more simple terms (refer to pg.
234-236 & 248-250 for grammar explanations). Students have covered nouns and articles in previous
grammar courses, and should have a basic understanding of what a noun is, what an article does, and
how they go together before the start of the unit. Students will have been introduced to the unit on
nouns and articles in the previous class period, and should have a general understanding of when to use
which articles and how to look that information up if they are unsure.
Anticipated Problems: Students may not fully understand the differences between count and non-count
nouns. Additional explanation may be necessary during the lesson (refer to pg. 234-236, 248-250, A-4, &
A-5 in textbook for grammar explanations and examples).
Parts of the Lesson:
a. Pre-activities: Students will have been introduced to fairy tales/fables in a previous class period
when grammar explanation was given.
Class will discuss what fables/fairy tales are to review and activate prior knowledge by teacher
asking questions like:

2. 1. What is a fable/fairy tale? (a story for children, a fantasy story, a story with a lesson to
be learned…)
2. What kinds of characters are often in these stories? (animals, people, imaginary
creatures…)
3. Why are fables/fairy tales written? (to present morals and entertain…)
Students will be put into groups of 3-4 students (suggestion: groups can be formed randomly or
by purposely assigning students to particular groups by using DILL software). Each group will be
assigned a story from the World of Tales website
(www.worldoftales.com/audio_fairy_tales.html for audio, and
http://worldoftales.com/fairy_tales/Grimm_fairy_tales_Taylor_Edwardez.html for text) to
assure stories have ample examples of articles and nouns, and students are reading at the
appropriate level.
Stories can be assigned randomly to each group, and the names of the stories written on the
board as a reference as students search for them on the sites. Alternative: a Moodle page could
be set up with the following links to each story in order to save search time, depending on how
proficient your students are at following directions and navigating web pages.
Stories:
The Seven Ravens
http://worldoftales.com/fairy_tales/Brothers_Grimm/THE%20SEVEN%20RAVENS.html
#55 on audio page
The Straw, the Coal, and the Bean
http://worldoftales.com/fairy_tales/Brothers_Grimm/THE%20STRAW,%20THE%20COAL,%20AN
D%20THE%20BEAN.html (text)
#6 on audio page
The Golden Goose
http://worldoftales.com/fairy_tales/Brothers_Grimm/THE%20GOLDEN%20GOOSE.html
#50 on audio page
Rapunzel
http://worldoftales.com/fairy_tales/Brothers_Grimm/RAPUNZEL.html
#16 on audio page
b. During-activities: Students will access their stories (both audio and text pages) and listen to
while following along with the text page (individually).
Teacher will monitor activity by walking around the room.
Students will access DILL after listening to their stories and meet virtually with their group
members to complete the handout part A.
Teacher will have to link group members together on DILL prior to students starting discussion.
Students will then use the text to work with their group members (still through Dill) to complete
part B of the handout.
Groups can use http://wordcentral.com/ to look up vocabulary they may be unfamiliar with.
c. After-activities: After most students complete parts A and B of the handout, the class will come
back to the large group and go through some of the examples groups found for each type of
article use.
Each group will have different answers since they read different stories, but the whole class
should be able to discuss examples out of context of story with explanation from group that
read the story.

3. The teacher will ask each group to provide one of the examples until all examples have been
given (ex: Rapunzel group, please give example of a definite article used with a singular count
noun from your story, etc).
The class should discuss why the author chose each article in their examples. (ex. Definite article
to show prior knowledge of noun, indefinite article to introduce new noun, etc.) Students can
reference pages 249-250 in their grammar textbooks for assistance.
Assessment: Students will complete part C of their handout individually as homework. The summaries
should show comprehension of the plot and main idea. The sentences should be complete, and article
use should be correct. The answers to part C should show some consideration for cultural aspects of
story/student’s own culture via their opinion or summary of a fable from their culture.
Follow-up: The students will turn in their completed handouts for the teacher to correct. The teacher
will highlight or underline mistakes made, but not correct them as students will have a chance to correct
their mistakes for half credit. The teacher should make note of any reoccurring problem areas (using
incorrect articles, incorrect sentence structures, etc) and address them at the beginning of the following
class (perhaps by asking students to correct mistakes on sentences on the board). Class will also go over
each fable summary the next day in class.
What I would do differently next time: (to be completed after the lesson is presented for reflection)

4. Fairy Tale Article Activity
Grammar 210
Your Name: ____________________________
Story Title: _____________________________
A.) Please discuss your story with your group members by answering these questions aloud (it
may be helpful to take notes). You may use http://wordcentral.com/ to look up any vocabulary
that you do not understand:
1. Who are the characters in your story?
2. Where does your story take place?
3. What is the main idea of your story? What makes you think so?
4. What do you think of the story? Do you like it? Why or why not?
B.) Please give examples of each use of articles with nouns from your story. Please work with
your group and copy the complete sentences from the story with the examples.
Find examples of:
Definite article with a singular count noun: ______________________________________
Definite article with a plural count noun: ________________________________________
Definite article with a non-count noun: __________________________________________
Indefinite article with a singular count noun: _____________________________________
Indefinite article with a plural count noun: _______________________________________
Indefinite article with a non-count noun: ________________________________________
No article with a plural count noun: _____________________________________________
C.) Please choose one of these questions to answer in complete sentences on the back of this
handout. You must write at least 10 sentences, but you can write more if you want to. Please
pay attention to the articles you use in your writing.
1. Write a summary of your story. Include the main idea or moral, the characters, and
the setting of the story. Also, please write your opinion about this story. Do you like it?
Why or why not? Use at least 10 complete sentences.
2. What is the main idea or moral of your story? Write about a story from your own
culture that has a similar main idea or moral. If you can’t think of one with a similar
main idea, summarize any fable/fairy tale from your own culture that you like. Why do
you like it?