sábado, 21 de diciembre de 2013

FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS

We have made this project to work on children emotions and feelings. Normally, in our nowadays classrooms isn´t very important this topic and we think that the emotions and the feeling have a big importance because the children have to know how to brig feelings to the surface. To carry on the project we will take in account these points:
-   The main purpose is to make the children be in touch with English in a natural way.
-   Improve the communicative competence of students, especially oral and listening skills.
-    Activities to promote active participation of children.

CONTEXT

The school that we have chosen for our project is situated in Ibarra. It is a small town which has approximately 4500 habitants and the Basque is the main language in this town. Generally there is a middle socio-economic level. The name of the school is Uzturpe Ikastola and go children between two to sixteen years old. This school works with Urtxintxa project and they start learning English when the children are 4 years old.
Our students are five years old. They started learning English last year, so we know what they know and the behaviour of the children. We are going to be only English teachers, in this way the children could connect a language with a person. This project is going to start in the second trimester of the year. The relation between family and school isn´t very close, but they are there when somebody need them. Also they organize meetings with parents every trimmest to speak about their child development. 
            We are going to work on this project for three weeks. We will have three classes per week and each class is going to be thirty minutes long. We will work on the project on the three weeks of December.
Our project is going to be focused on emotions. We think is important that the children know how to express their emotions and to identify them. In this way, apart from their mother tongue, children will be able to show and share their emotions using English. So these are the main objectives of our project:
-       They learn ways to express emotionally.
-       Know the vocabulary of emotions.
-       Identify the emotion they feel each day.
-       Get used to recognize they and classmates emotions.
-       Identify the emotions associated with different situations.
-       Learn to identify their own and classmates emotional expressions through the face.

            All the classes have the same structure, in the beginning of the class we will do an activity to say hello and start with the class. After, we will do a specific activity of the project. Finally, we will finish with an ending activity. We think that with little children is very important to establish routines, in this way they will know what they have to do during the class and they will feel more comfortable. 


ACTIVITIES

In all the classes during our project we will repeat the structure of the class. So we will start with a beginning song, it can be very useful for children to realize that it has begun the class and get used to it. To end the class we will sing the ending song, so children will realize that the class ended and the song will be useful to see off the teacher.

Hello!

       EXPLANATION: This is the start activity that we will repeat in all the classes. As our project is focused on the emotions we chose this song because there appears the vocabulary of emotions. But we are aware that in the first class we can´t do this activity in the same way as we will do in the middle of the project.
So in the first class the teacher will start singing this song alone with a lyric which helps her to sing. The teacher repeats the song using different emotions, such as, happy, sad, angry, hungry, sleepy, etc. Then, she or he suggested them to sing the song helped with the teacher and seeing the lyrics. This will be repeated until the children had learned the song. But, the main aim of the teacher won´t be to learn the song, just try it and have a good time with it.
When children have learned the song, around the third o fourth class, we will sing the song but now we will also ask to each child. So, we will ask only to one child “how are you today?”, the child who was asked has to answer with the emotion he or she feels. This will be repeated for all of our students.
Hello,
hello,
how are you today?
I am happy,
happy,
happy.

Also, there is a nice video in this reference, which will be show in the first classes; it will be easier to learn the song. 

How are you today?

TEACHER´S ROLE: The teacher is going to sing slowly and repeatedly gesturing the song. Also, she or he is going to take in account that she o he has to ask to all of the student, so all the children can participate. 

GROUPING: The children will be placed in circle. In this way, the teacher will be able to see all the children, also children can see each other easily.           
MATERIAL: The lyrics of the song.                                                               
TIME: About 5 minutes.                                                                                                                                                                                       
Bye bye!
                                                                                                    
EXPLANATION: This is the end activity that we will repeat in all the classes. We are aware that in the first class we can´t do this activity in the same way as we will do in the middle of the project.
So in the first class the teacher will start singing this song alone with lyrics which help her to sing. The teacher repeats the song some times, then, she suggested them to sing the song helped with the teacher and seeing the lyrics. This will be repeated until the children had learned the song. But, the main aim of the teacher won´t be to learn the song, just try it and have a good time with it.
Bye bye girls and boys
Bye bye girls and boys
Bye bye girls and boys
It's time for us to go (bis)
                                                                                                                                                   Bye bye song                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
TEACHER´S ROLE: The teacher is going to sing slowly and repeatedly the song. Also, she or he is going to take in account that she o he asked all of student, so all the children can participate.                                   

GROUPING: The children will be placed in circle. Like this the teacher will be able to see all the children, also children can see each other easily.           
MATERIAL: The lyrics of the song.                                                     

TIME:About 2 minutes.                                                                                                                                                                               
1st week
1st class

To start with the class we are going to sing the beginning song.                                                                                                             
Speaking about children knowledge                                                 

EXPLANATION: The teacher is going to explain the project a little bit. She or he will say that they will learn some emotions during three weeks and they will work in it.

TEACHER´S ROLE: She or he will use very simple sentences, like this the children could understand something. Also, she or he will ask to the children if they know the emotions. They are going to have a little conversation. Most of the children will reply in Basque, so the teacher has to say again what the children say but in English and the children will have to repeat it.

GROUPING: The children will be placed in circle. Like this the teacher will be able to see all the children, also children can see each other easily.

TIME: About 3 minutes.                                                                               

Feelings explanation


EXPLANATION: The teacher will have some flashcard with faces showing different emotions (happy, sad, bored, scared, angry, surprise, sleepy, hungry) and the teacher will teach this emotions. During the project the flashcards will be in the wall to see when they need or want.


TEACHER´S ROLE: She or he is going to show the flashcard doing the body expression and saying the name. Also the teacher will connect the emotion with a short sentence, like: when we play with friends, we are happy. The sentences have to be simple.

GROUPING: The children will be placed in circle. Like this the teacher will be able to see all the children, also children can see each other easily.

MATERIAL: 8 flashcards with a picture and its name.


TIME: About 10 minutes.


Emotionometro


EXPLANATION: The teacher will present the emotionometro. The emotionometro has pockets and each pocket has written and drawn an emotion. To start, each child will have to prepare a stick with his or her photo. Then, each child will have to put the stick into the pocket indicating the emotion that they feel in that day. First, the teacher will give the material. Then, they will take the stick and they will have to paste their photo. Finally, the teacher will say children to put the stick inside the pocket and the reason to put in it. 

TEACHER´S ROLE: She or he will be a model, so the teacher has to do the activity. 

GROUPING: They will do the stick alone, with the teacher help. Then, they will sit in circle and each child will put their stick inside the pocket.

MATERIAL: Emotionometro, sticks, pupils photos, glue and scissors.

TIME: About 10 minutes. 

Finally we will sing the class ending song to say good bye to all the children.  



2nd class

To start with the class we are going to sing the class beginning song.

Emotionometro

EXPLANATION: The teacher is going to ask to each child how they feel. So they will say how they feel saying the emotion, doing it with body expression and putting the stick in the emotionometro.

TIME: About 8 minutes.

What feeling am I?

EXPLANATION: All the children will be placed in circle except one. This child will be stand up in front of them. The teacher is going to put in her or his bag a flashcard with an emotion. The child will have to show the picture to the others. Then, she or he will turn around and she or he is going to guess the emotion that she or he has in the bag, seen the face expression of the other children. When the child guess what emotion has in the bag, other child will stand up and they will repeat the same.

TEACHER´S ROLE: The teacher will help to the pupils when they need, making questions and doing body expressions.

GROUPING: All the children will be placed in circle and one child will be stand up in front of them.

MATERIAL: Flashcards.

TIME: About 15 minutes.

Finally we will sing the class ending song to say good bye to all the children. 

3rd  class

To start with the class we are going to sing the class beginning song.

Emotionometro

EXPLANATION: The teacher is going to ask to each child how they feel. So they will say how they feel saying the emotion, doing it with body expression and putting the stick in the emotionometro.

TIME: About 8 minutes.


Making faces


EXPLANATION: The teacher will show and point with the finger the elements of the face (mouth, nose, eye, eyebrows). Then, she or he suggested to children to repeat it with her o him the name of the elements of the face and touch them. When they learn this vocabulary they will do this exercise. The teacher is going to divide the children in groups of four. Then, she or he will give the elements of the face in different ways (close eye, open mouth…). With these elements each child will have to create a face with emotion. For example, an open moth represents the surprise face. To finish the exercise, they will have to say in front of other classmates the emotion that they have created. 

TEACHER´S ROLE: The teacher explains to the children how they have to do the exercise. She o he will do the example of what they have to do, in this way they will know what to do. Then the teacher, observe what they are doing and give ideas or suggestions to improve or make their face expression.

GROUPING: All the children will be placed in circle listening teachers explanation, after they will placed in groups of four.

MATERIAL: Nose, mouths, eyes, eyebrow in different ways, a face without any element and glue.

TIME: About 15 minutes.

Finally we will sing the class ending song to say good bye to all the children.  



2nd week

1st  class

To start with the class we are going to sing the class beginning song.

Music and emotions

EXPLANATION: After the beginning song, we are going to do an activity, which objective is to identify our own emotions depend on the music that we are listening in that moment. For that, the teacher has to put in all the corners of the class, flashcards with faces representing the next feelings: happy, sad, scared and bored. Also, the teacher has to find different songs, which make you feel the four emotions that before we have mentioned.
Before start with the explanation, she or he will tell to the students, if they can see the flashcards that are in the corners of the class, and she or he will ask to the students to say what emotion express each flashcard. After identify each flashcard´s feelings, the teacher is going to tell to the students, that she or he has also different songs. After comment all this things, the teacher is going to explain how the following activity is. She or he will tell to the students that she or he will put a song and when they are listening that song depending on what they feel, they have to run to the flashcard which represents that feeling. However, before all this, the teacher is going to put few minutes of each song. In this way it could be easier to take a decision for the children. For being easier for the students, the teacher should do first as example. She or he will ask to the students to stand up and they will start with the activity.

TEACHER ROLE: The teacher will explain the activity making an example.

GROUPING: All the children will be placed in circle.

MATERIAL: Flashcards with different faces representing some emotions, music machine and different songs.

TIME: About 12 minutes.

Emotion die

EXPLANATION: The next activity that they are going to do, is going to be an activity where the children have to connect some face expressions with different situations. For this activity, we will use some flashcards with photos of different situations and a die with different face expressions.

To start with the activity, the teacher will ask to the children about the emotions that there are in the die. They have to say which emotion is each one. After comment that emotions, they will also speak about flashcards situations. They have to indentify and describe each situation. After that, the teacher will put the flashcards and the die in the floor and she or he will explain that each student one by one is going to throw the die and the face expression that is above of the die, he or she has to connect with the correct flashcard.

The situations and emotions that could appear in the flashcards and in the die, are the followings:
Situations:
-A child in a dentist.       
-Children playing, etc.
Emotions:
-Happy
-Scared, etc.

TEACHER ROLE: The teacher will explain the activity slowly.

GROUPING: The children will be placed in circle.

MATERIAL:  die with different faces representing some emotions and flashcards with different situations.

TIME: About 11 minutes.

Finally we will sing the class ending song to say good bye to all the children.  

2nd class

To start with the class, we are going to sing the class beginning song.

Taking photos

EXPLANATION: The teacher is going to take photos to each student. First, the teacher will explain to the students that we are going to create our own album with all the emotions that we have already learned. For that, the teacher will tell to the students that we need take photos and that when they are taking photos they have to put the expression connected with the feeling that we want to express. The teacher will show to the students her photos and a album that she made before and in this way the students will understood better what they have to do. She or he will prepare one part of the class for that, and all the students are going to come to this place one by one.

GROUPING: The explanation is going to do with all the group together and when we have to take photos, they will do one by one.

MATERIAL: A camera.

TIME: About 23 minutes.

Finally we will sing the class ending song to say good bye to all the children.

3rd class

To start with the class we are going to sing the class beginning song

Album of emotions

EXPLANATION: The teacher is going to give to each student the photos that we took the last class. Then, the students have to create their own album with their photos and emotions. When they create their own album, they have to write behind each photo which emotion it is. At the end of the class each child will have their own album, which can share with friends and family.

TEACHER´S ROLE: The teacher will be observing the children work and give some ideas to improve or make their album.

GROUPING: The children work individually.

MATERIAL: Photos, white papers, glue, pencil or colored pens.

TIME: About 23 minutes.

Finally we will sing the class ending song to say good bye to all the children.  

3rd week

1st class

To start with the class we are going to sing the class beginning song.

Emotionometro

EXPLANATION: The teacher is going to ask to each child how they feel. So they will say how they feel saying the emotion, doing it with body expression and putting the stick in the emotionometro.

TIME: About 8 minutes.

Happy

EXPLANATION: The teacher is going to tell a story, called Happy. In this story Mies Van Hout, the autor, shows all the emotions that the young children live, showing a particular emotion with a fish in each double page.

TEACHER´S ROLE: The teacher is going to sit in front of the children and will tell the story slowly and with face and body expression, so the children could understood better the story. The teacher will put attention to the children, like this he or she will know if they have understood or not.

GROUPING: The children will be placed in circle. Like this the teacher will be able to see all the children and children could play attention easier. 

MATERIAL: The book Happy written by Mies Van Hout.

TIME: About 15 minutes.


Finally we will sing the class ending song to say good bye to all the children.  


2nd class

To start with the class we are going to sing the class beginning song.

Questions about the book Happy

EXPLANATION: The teacher will show each page of the book that was read in the previous class, and she or he will ask to the children how the fish is. Then the children will have to say the name of each emotion and will have to symbolize it.

TEACHER´S ROLE: The teacher is going to help the children when they need, gesturing and showing the emotions flashcards. And when they answer in Basque the teacher will repeat the same that they have said in English, and the children will have to repeat this. The teacher is going to ask to the children one by one, like this all the children will participate.

GROUPING: The children will be placed in circle. In this way they will work all together and the teacher could help them more easily.  

MATERIAL: The flashcard of emotions and the book Happy.

TIME: About 10 minutes.

If you are happy

EXPLANATION: We are going to sing a song called “If you are happy”. Initially the teacher is going to play the song in internet, and the children will have to listen to it and watch the video. Then the teacher is going to start singing and teaching the song to the children. To do this she or he will pronounce very well and will make gestures, during the song. The children will have to try to sing and make the gestures. We are going to repeat this activity more than ones, like this the children could learn it.

TEACHER´S ROLE: The teacher is going to sing slowly and gesturing.

GROUPING: The children will be placed in circle and stand up. Like this they will be able to see the teacher and the other children. As they are standing they will be able to dance with the song.  

MATERIAL:  The song “If you are happy” 

If you are happy happy happy clap your hands
If you are happy happy happy clap your hands
If you are happy happy happy
Clap your hands, clap your hands
If you are happy happy happy clap your hands
If you are angry angry angry stomp your feet
If you are angry angry angry stomp your feet
If you are angry angry angry
stomp your feet, stomp your feet
If you are angry angry angry stomp your feet
If you are scared scared scared say, “Oh no!”
“Oh no!”
If you are scared scared scared say,” Oh no!”
“Oh no!”
If you are scared scared scared
Say, “Oh no!” Say, “Oh no!”
If you are scared scared scared say, “Oh no!”
“Oh no!”
If you are sleepy sleepy sleepy take a nap
If you are sleepy sleepy sleepy take a nap
If you are sleepy sleepy sleepy
Take a nap, take a nap
If you are sleepy sleepy sleepy take a nap
If you are happy happy happy clap your hands
If you are happy happy happy clap your hands
If you are happy happy happy
Clap your hands, clap your hands
If you are happy happy happy clap your hands


TIME: About 13 minutes.

Finally we will sing the class ending song to say good bye to all the children.   
3rd class
            
To start with the class we are going to sing the class beginning song.

If you are happy

We are going to sing a song called “If you are happy”.

TIME: About 5 minutes.

Emotions bingo

EXPLANATION: Each child will have a piece of page. In it they will have different emotions pictures. The teacher is going to take piece of papers with names of emotions from a box, one by one. While the teacher is taking out each name, the children will have to make a mark in the emotion that has been named. If they don´t have this emotion they will have to wait for the next piece of paper. The game will finish when someone have all the emotions marked, and he or she will have to say bingo.  When this happens this child could go to help to other child. Like this, there will be two children in each piece of page. And like that until mark all the emotions. 

TEACHER´S ROLE: The teacher will help the children during the game, pointing the flashcard with the finger and repeating the emotion until all the children understand. 

GROUPING: The children will be placed in circle. Like this the teacher will be able to see all the children and could help them.

MATERIAL: Bingo flashcards, pencils, emotion flashcards and name of emotions.

TIME: About 18 minutes.




Finally we will sing the class ending song to say good bye to all the children. 
  
REFERENCES

The main idea for this project we have taken from this page, where there are activities for the recognition of emotions in early childhood education.
 Recognition of emotions in early childhood

Also, we take some ideas and suggestions from “some advice to debate” and “English learning activities for preschool” readings.