Introduction
Talking about school is relevant to all the children in your class and the subject should arouse their interest. They should all have their opinion whether it be positive or not! It’s also a good opportunity for you to introduce English culture into the classroom. Use this theme to compare and contrast what they do at school and what English children do at school. These activities are aimed at older primary children who can write and already have a background in learning English.

Aims

• Review ‘days of the week’

• Review ‘telling the time’

• Introduce school subjects and cultural related school words i.e. playground, hopscotch, conkers…

• Introduce people at school and associated verbs

• Asking questions to friends

Materials

• Flashcards of school subjects

• Conkers/marbles/elastic

• A3 paper

• Copies of empty timetables

• Strips of coloured card

Picture Flashcards
This is one way of putting people into groups and changing who they work with.

• Stick up around the room pictures of different school subjects.

• Use simple, easy to recognise symbols like a Union Flag for English or a calculator for Maths.

• Ask people to go and stand next to their favourite subject.

• Then ask them to stand by the subject they don’t like. These can be the groups they work in for the lesson if they are evenly spread out.

Task 1 Filling in a timetable

• If you have access to an overhead projector then copy a filled in timetable onto a slide so that everyone can see it easily. Otherwise you can give out copies per pair.

• Have a photo of a child their age (it could be one of your school photos!) and stick it next to the timetable. Explain that this was your timetable. You can tell them which was your favourite subject and which subject you didn’t like. If you choose to use a photo of a child then explain that this child lives in England and this is a typical English timetable.

• You may need to explain what some subjects are.

• Distribute a photocopy of a simplified empty timetable. Tell them to choose ten subjects and fill in the timetable. They can decide what they put where. It doesn’t have to be real.

Task 2 Telling the time
This is when they can practise asking each other questions. Before doing this activity you should check they know ‘9 o’clock’ ’11 o’clock’… and the days of the week. Do this by simply drawing a clock on the board and asking for the class to tell you what time it says. For the days of the week when you start the lesson ask them to tell you what day it is. You can naturally lead onto ‘What day is it tomorrow?’ ‘And the next day?’ etc At this stage of their English lessons they should already know both the time (on the hour) and the days of the week.

• Once they have their filled in timetables they can go around the class with their timetables and ask their friends the question: “When is your English class?” or “What time is your maths lesson?”

• The answer should be for example: “On Monday at 9 o’clock.”

• Demonstrate with a pupil or two in front of the class before getting the children to do this themselves.

• Write the questions and answers on the board so that they can refer to them. This way they are more likely to remember the sentences and use the English effectively.

• When they find someone who has a lesson at the same time as them they write their name on their timetable next to the lesson they have in common.

• Give them five minutes to ask as many people as possible – the objective being to write down as many people’s names as possible onto their timetables.

• At the end of the time limit ask for feedback as a class by using the same questions they’ve been practising; “Jean, when is your science class?” “On Tuesday at 2 o’clock.” “Who is in your class?” “Sébastian.” or “Nobody.” This is of course dependent on whether Jean found any one with the same class, on the same day, at the same time. By limiting the number of classes they can use (say 5-10) they are more likely to have classes in common.

Task 3 People at school

• In groups of about five pupils give them a sheet of A3 – one per group.

• Onto the paper they draw all the different types of people that are in their school.

• Show them an example on the board with a drawing of a teacher. People they draw could include language assistant, dinner lady, head teacher, nurse, cleaner… Find out before the class the different jobs that exist in your school so you can help them at the brainstorming stage.

• Then feedback as a class. They call out the people they have drawn - take one example per group to work round the class and to let more people participate. Instead of you drawing the people onto the board you can write up the words in English. As you write up the word i.e. ‘teacher’ you can say “Yes, good.” “What does a teacher do?” “Yes - a teacher teaches” “…a pupil learns…” “… a cleaner cleans…” “… a dinner lady cooks…” etc

• This can lead into a poster activity with one group drawing the school onto a very large piece of paper, another drawing the teachers, another drawing the children, another the dinner ladies etc. Then they can cut out their figures and stick them onto the school picture and display their work.

• For the faster finishers you can allocate labels for them to write and stick onto the poster.

• They could also write the verbs onto strips of card and stick them around the poster too.

Task 4 School games
In order for the children to really take something cultural away from this class you can tell them about some games children play in England.

• Something that’s seasonal is conkers. Take some in to class with you. Make sure you check with the teacher first though. Explain and demonstrate how children play with them. Have a couple already on strings but avoid making holes or giving out string in the classroom! Just make sure you have enough conkers for one for each child.

• You can tell them about hopscotch and if you have enough space in the classroom you could lay out a grid on the floor using paper and write the numbers on the paper. Do draw an example on the board for them to see and show them that it’s normally done with chalk on the ground outside.

• If it’s possible to take the children outside with the help of a teacher then you could let the children experiment with playing these sorts of games; hopscotch, conkers, elastic and even marbles. Inside the classroom it’s obviously less feasible!

• You could also teach them a clapping song that they can practise in pairs like “number one stole the cookie…” etc

Homework

• They could choose their favourite game they play at school and their favourite subjects and write a letter to an English friend telling them about what they do at school.

• They could fill in another timetable but using only activities, games, hobbies (or lessons) that they enjoy doing. It could be their dream school timetable that they can share with the class in the next class.

Follow up suggestions
Using the school games they came up with for homework they could compile a class booklet to give to an English school.

• Inside they could draw pictures illustrating the games and for each game write simple instructions.

• You could put them into small groups with each group in charge of a game.

• You could choose a couple of the classroom friendly games to be used in class with the children explaining to you how to play it. They will love the role reversal!

Internet links
http://www.ciep.fr/malletgb/docs/fiche14B.pdf This site has a few flashcards for school subjects and an empty timetable to print out:
http://www.teachnet.com/how-to/clipart/school/index.html This site has printable school related icons.
http://ecs.lewisham.gov.uk/youthspace/ca/Rosieskip/playtime_games.htm This site has ‘Down in the valley’ a skipping song.
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/conkers.html This site is all about playing conkers over the world
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/ourschool/index.html This is a website written by pupils at an English primary school here talking about life at school in Britain

By Jo Bertrand