1. Teaching with Scenarios
An Integrated Strategy-based Approach to Teaching Communication Skills
Heide Spruck Wrigley
Literacywork International
Adapted for TISESL
Tips and Strategies

2. Lesson Flow Retelling Interactive Teacher Presentation
Preview
Story Map Discussion
Think-Pair-Share Comprehen-sion Check
Retelling
Shared Reading
Discussing Options
Create Dialogue and Role Play
Language and Vocabulary Practice
Culture Notes
Literacywork International

3. Literacywork International
Preview the Scenario
Lesson Flow
Show students the cover picture and in a few words summarize the story. Include the title, the people, place, and problem in your summary. Make the connection to students lives by saying something like, “do you ever go to a clinic?” or “do you know the (local) factory.” Give students a minute to look at the front page and discuss the key words with each other.
Literacywork International

4. Mini-Presentation with Pictures
Lesson Flow
Present the story to the students orally. Speak slowly but naturally and use pauses between sentences. Ask question as you go along to keep the class engaged and to make sure they understand. Use transition phrases such as, “Ok, let’s see what happens next”. Repeat and rephrase key information and act out the story as you go along. Alternatively, play the audio CD and ask students to fill out the Story Map.
Literacywork International

5. True/False Comprehension Check
Lesson Flow
When you have finished the story, make a set of statements about the story and ask students to decide if the statement is true or false. Use Think/Pair/ Share: Students evaluate individually if a statement is True or False and then share the answer with a partner or in a small group. Ask the question again and have everyone hold up their True or False Cards. Ask students to justify their answer by providing evidence from the story.
Literacywork International

6. Literacywork International
Story Map Discussion
Lesson Flow
Ask students to work in pairs to discuss the story using the Story Map. They should talk about what happened, who was involved, or why someone felt a certain way. Encourage students to talk about what happened and discourage writing. After students finish, check answers.
Literacywork International

7. Literacywork International
Retelling
Lesson Flow
Ask students to work in pairs or small groups to retell the story using the pictures only (students need not write). For variation, cut pictures up and have students put them in the right order as they tell the story. Ask a couple students to present the story orally to the class (consider enlarging and laminating a set of story cards for this purpose).
Literacywork International

8. Literacywork International
Shared Reading
Lesson Flow
Read the story aloud to the students while they follow along, looking at the pictures (ask beginners to follow with their fingers or a ruler). Then ask students to work in pairs reading the text without pictures to each other. Ask them to underline the words they don’t understand and have trouble with and discuss them. After students finish explain problems.
Literacywork International

9. Literacywork International
Discussing Options
Lesson Flow
Quickly review and highlight the problem in the story involving students. Ask students for ideas on how the problem could be solved and draw a chart on a flip chart (use the Options Chart in the text as a model). Ask students what the consequence of a particular option would be. Use the Think-Aloud Strategy to illustrate your thinking. Ask students to work individually and then in pairs or groups to discuss answers.
Literacywork International

10. Literacywork International
Dialogue and Role Play
Lesson Flow
Ask the same pairs or groups to pick their best option and create a dialog for the end of the story. Students can finish the dialogue in their book or can create their own. Encourage students to be creative. Ask a couple of pairs of students to role play their dialogue in front of the class. The other students evaluate how well they did, using the rubric. Discuss with the class if the problem was handled appropriately.
Literacywork International

11. Language and Vocabulary Practice
Lesson Flow
Highlight the key vocabulary from the scenario once more and put students who share the same language in pairs so they can discuss the vocabulary and complete the match-up activity (model the activity first!). If there is an odd person, work with that student. Ask students to put words they want to remember in the Personal Dictionary. Explain and model the language activity and have students complete the activities in pairs.
Literacywork International

12. Literacywork International
Cultural Notes
Lesson Flow
Culture notes are designed to have students grapple with key issues through thinking and discussion. Introduce a few of the culture notes and ask students if they agree or disagree with the statement. Probe for why they agree or not. Then ask students to work in pairs or small groups to tackle the rest of the questions. Debrief with the students and highlight expectations of the American workplace (see comments in notes).
Literacywork International

13. Making Language Come Alive
Instructional Strategies
Literacywork International

14. Scenarios for Problem Solving
Strategy
Use Scenarios for problem solving.
Wrigley 2008
Literacywork International

15. Scenarios for Socio-cultural Skills
Strategy
Wrigley 2008
Literacywork International

16. Literacywork International
PowerPoint
Strategy
Use PowerPoint (or transparency) to set context and illustrate language.
Literacywork International

17. Literacywork International
True-False Cards
Strategy
Use True-False cards to check understanding. Use Think-Pair-Share to make it a meaningful activity.
TRUE
FALSE
Literacywork International

18. Literacywork International
Evocative Pictures
Strategy
Use compelling visuals to support presentation
and foster discussion.
Source: Material World
Source: Material Worlds
Literacywork International

19. Literacywork International
Think-Pair-Share
Strategy
Use Think-Pair-Share to build engagement. Students think about the answer individually first then pair up and share their answers.
Literacywork International

20. Literacywork International
Click and Clunk
Strategy
Use Click and Clunk to monitor reading comprehension. As students read with you, they say “click” when they understand a word or phrase and “clunk” when they don’t.
Click
Click
Clunk
Literacywork International

21. Oral and Written Language
Strategy
So you see, it’s really quite easy if you just listen to me.
Thanks you so much. I was looking for guidance.
Connect oral and written language to deepen language learning. Have students listen and retell before they read the story
Literacywork International

22. Literacywork International
Cloze Tests
Strategy
Use Cloze Tests and Dictations to focus on language.
Alex overslept and was ____ for work. He ____ his cell phone at home. He couldn’t call his ____ to tell him he ___ late. Alex was in ____.
Literacywork International

23. Literacywork International
Fix-up
Strategy
Teach Fix-up strategies to help students repair miscommunication or lack of understanding. Fix up includes double checking, admitting fault and saying, “It won’t happen again.”
Literacywork International

24. Analyzing Options and Consequences
Strategy
Ask students to outline a problem and generate options. Have them consider the consequences of each option. Use charts to help them organize their ideas.
Literacywork International

25. Role Plays
Strategy
I shouldn’t say this, but…
Oh, please do.
Use Role Plays to foster spontaneous communication. Build the Role Plays around dialogues students have created and practiced. Discourage memorization or reading the dialogues.
Literacywork International

26. Literacywork International
Flash Cards
Strategy
Use Flashcards to build vocabulary. Use large picture cards in front of the class to have students generate language and have students practice with smaller cards.
Gossip
Literacywork International

27. Literacywork International
Conversation Cards
Strategy
To practice and extend Role Plays make up conversation cards that act as prompts for students.
Talk about the weather.
Talk about your family.
Literacywork International

28. Literacywork International
Graphic Organizers
Strategy
Use graphic organizer such as Story Maps or tables for options and consequences to help students organize their ideas
Literacywork International

29. Think Alouds
Strategy
OK, so here’s how I came up with the answer.
Make thinking process visible by articulating your thoughts to students. Explain how you would solve a scenario (“ok, here I am a nurse. I have very little time….”
Literacywork International

30. Literacywork International
Mini-Poems
Strategy
Three Things I Like About Home
Family events
Familiar places
Mother’s cooking
Two Things I Don’t
Dusty roads
Cousin Robert
Use Mini-Poems to promote writing.
Literacywork International

31. Sketches and Picture Stories
Strategy
Use sketches to illustrate scenarios. Encourage students to retell the story using storyboards.
Literacywork International

32. Literacywork International
Chalk-Talks
Strategy
Use Chalk-Talk to extend the scenarios and tell new stories.
Literacywork International

33. Literacywork International
Videos
Strategy
Use videos to extend scenarios and foster listening comprehension. Modern Times is fun as are various I Love Lucy episodes. Consider the English for All videos.
Literacywork International

34. Literacywork International
Songs
Strategy
Use songs to extend scenarios.
Literacywork International

35. Computer and Web - Background
Strategy
Use Computer & Web to build background knowledge.
Literacywork International

36. Literacywork International
Preview
Strategy
Use preview to activate background knowledge.
Literacywork International

37. Question Generating & Answering
Strategy
What is a utility knife?
Why is Manny in trouble?
Who is Manny?
Use question generating & answering to increase comprehension. Students make up questions about a story and a partner tries to find the answer in the story
Literacywork International

38. Use Realia to Set the Context
Strategy
Bring in items that help iillustrate the story, such as dolls, utility knives, belts, switches and other items to make the scenarios come alive
Literacywork International

39. Literacywork International
Mini-Projects
Strategy
Use Mini-Projects to reinforce language, culture & work skills. Have students work in teams to create an ad campaign for a new product or write a Public Service Announcement
Literacywork International