Survival! A Lesson for Language Arts and Novice ESL Students

Students brainstorm to orally identify and agree upon ten elements necessary for survival. Students will create a categorized chart of the items necessary for survival. Using the chart and working within groups, students will use the chart to create a Survival board game.

This lesson serves well as an introductory activity for students who will read a novel with a setting in another country or culture, or as the basis of comparing two different time periods or cultures.

It is modified for the Novice High English Language Learner.

A lesson plan for grade 7 English Language Arts and English Language Development

By Cynthia Moretz

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Related topics

• Learn more about English language learners and language arts.

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Learning outcomes

Students will work as a class orally discussing, reflecting, and then creating a chart of items necessary for survival. From the chart, students will then create a Survival board game.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 days

Materials/resources

• poster paper for each group to complete game board
• colored markers for drawing
• scissors
• glue
• old magazines
• 10 large (3X5) Post-It Notes for each group of students
• 3 X 5 index cards

Technology resources

None

Pre-activities

• As a class, students brainstorm items necessary for survival while the teacher writes them on the board.
• Working within groups of 3-4, students choose 10 items from the brainstorming list they think are essential for survival. They are to write these items on the Post-It notes.
• Meanwhile, the teacher draws on the board a large chart with categories such as “physical,” “mental,” “emotional,” etc. as titles. (New categories may need to be added if an item does not fit into any of these categories.)
• Students from all groups are asked to place their Post-It notes listing their choice of items necessary for survival under under of the categories on the board.

Activities

It is recommended that the teacher print off and provide a copy of the two rubrics attached to the bottom of this page for each student. Teacher with groups of students should read and analyze items listed on the rubric that tell how the student and her/his group will be assessed in this lesson.

Each group creates a Survivor board game using the 10 essential items for survival. Students create picture cards of items necessary for survival to be used as part of the board game. These may be drawn or cut from old magazines.

The game can be made as simple or as challenging as the students choose to make it. Before creating the game, students are told they have to use the “Survivor” cards created from the items from their chart.

Students may create a game board using posters, markers and index cards. An “S” shaped path or any shape they choose is marked with a “Begin” square and an ending square--”Success”??

Here’s one way to play the game to get you started:

1. A stack of Survivor cards are in the center of the “S” shaped game board squares. On the cards there is either a picture or a label depicting the survival skill or item.
2. (In this instance, students have created a game that depicts situations calling for specific survival skills.) Under the survival skill, “courage,” is written a situation; for example: “You must speak in front of the class.”
3. The squares on the game board are marked with “Safe,” “Survivor” or some consequence for landing on the squares. One square may be labeled “Instant Death” with the consequence of being eliminated from the game.
4. The student rolls a die, and if she/he rolls a 1, 2, or 3--Great! Her/his courage helped. The student moves ahead 2 spaces. If the students rolls the number 4, 5, or 6--Sorry! she/he lacked the courage to speak and stays put without moving.
5. The student who finishes the game with the most “Survivor” cards wins the game.

Keep in mind the above is to provide ideas to start students. You will be surprised at the ingenuity and creativity students will exhibit in creating their games!

Assessment

Assessments are the activities, and include:
Board Game and Completion of Chart in addition to a group and self evaluations.
See rubrics at bottom of this page to assess participation and the game that students make.

Supplemental information

This lesson will also work for creating a survival chart listing skills for many scenarios such as:
“Skills Necessary to Succeed in School”;
“Skills Necessary for A Newcomer into the U.S.”
(or any student coming into a new school).

Related websites

N/A

Modifications

• Place students in groups. Do not put all English Language Learners in one group.
• Bilingual dictionary to translate unknown words in Second Language into First Language
• Total Physical Response including demonstrating and visuals (pictures, realia, etc.) to describe words and situations.

Alternative assessments

ELL students are assigned to work with another student in the group to create picture cards of items necessary for survival to be used as part of the board game. These may be drawn or cut from old magazines.

Critical vocabulary

survive/survival, needs, physical, mental, emotional

Comments

This lesson plan was developed during the English Language Development Standard Course of Study lesson planning institutes hosted by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and LEARN NC, June and July, 2004. It includes specific strategies, instructional modifications, and alternative assessments which make this lesson accessible to limited English proficient students. Please note that this lesson has been aligned with the goals and objectives of the N.C. English Language Development standards.