Grade 3 Semester Outline 1

Grade 3 Semester Outline

English Conversation (生活美語)

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June 14, 2011/6/14

Students in our school begin studying English in grade 3.  For this reason, giving them a good start in English is of paramount importance.  Many of the habits they acquire during this first year will remain with them for the duration of their English studies, and their level of mastery over the grade 3 English curriculum will largely determine how well they learn English throughout the entirety of their elementary school years.

While sight words and sentence patters are introduced through the grade 3 curriculum, the alphabet is the primary focus of study.  Given the nature of the tests they will take, and even on what material can be effectively tested in the English classroom, the critical nature of learning the alphabet should be obvious.  Many students leave third grade thinking they have mastered the alphabet, only to find that they haven’t learned all of their letter sounds, or are unable to identify the letters in a spoken context.  Other students never realize the importance of spelling and memorization in English, and the role the alphabet plays in learning these important skills.

Beyond the alphabet, students in grade 3 are also introduced to simple vocabulary words, the numbers from one to ten, and simple phrases.  While these simple vocabulary words might seem to be of secondary importance, learning this set of vocabulary well – from the beginning – can set the stage for future success in English.  The numbers from one to ten are also very important, and their value transcends even the English language, given the importance of these numbers with respect to technology.

The simple phrases mentioned above, such as “My name is ______” and “How are you?” are perhaps of lesser importance, and can be relearned in grade 4.  Just the same, learning these phrases early is bound to increase the confidence of every student; the more fully these phrases are understood the better.

With the above ends in mind, this semester’s English conversation class will be following the outline below.  This outline will also be a reflection of the Longman English Level 3 textbook, which the students will also use in their regular English class.

Week	Topics Covered
1	ABCs, 1-10, Commands/Actions
2	ABCs, 1-10, Commands/Actions, art project
3	ABCs, 1-10, Commands/Actions, ball game
4	ABCs, 1-10, Commands/Actions, review
5	Written Test #1/DVD
6	ABCs, classroom objects, names and introductions, commands/actions
7	ABCs, classroom objects, names and introductions, commands/actions, art project
8	ABCs, classroom objects, names and introductions, commands/actions, ball game
9	ABCs, classroom objects, names and introductions, commands/actions, review
10	Written Test #2/DVD
11	ABCs, family members, commands/actions
12	ABCs, family members, commands/actions, art project
13	ABCs, family members, commands/actions, ball game
14	ABCs, family members, commands/actions
15	ABCs, family members, commands/actions
16	ABCs, commands/actions, likes and dislikes
17	Special Topic #1
18	Special Topic #2
19	Special Topic #3/DVD
20	Oral (Speaking) Test #1

Notes

l   This class follows a month-by-month schedule, with an art project, a ball game, a test, and a DVD presentation presented with a four-week timeframe.  Not every class will have their lessons on the same week.

l   Written tests are tests of written English and reading comprehension.  The oral test is a test of listening comprehension and speaking ability.  All of the material tested is to be found within the book.

l   Every class will be made as interactive as possible, with a variety of learning styles accommodated.  I use songs, movement, and other methods throughout the semester.

l   Each semester we have a “special topic,” which is an extension of something in the textbook.  The subjects/vocabulary covered during these “special topic” sessions will not be the subject of any test.

Overview of Longman English Book 1

Unit	Vocabulary Introduced	Sentence Patterns
Starter Unit: Get Ready	Letters Aa-Zz, good, morning, hi, hello, I’m, stand, up, sit, down, open, your, book, close, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten	Good morning. Hi, I’m _________. Hello, I’m _________. Stand up. Sit down. Open your book. Close your book.
Unit 1: At School	What’s, name, goodbye, see, you, later, it’s, a, book, pen, pencil, book bag, no, try, again, yes, good, job, take, out, put, away, raise, hand, put, down, apple, ant, boy, bird, cat, cap, dog, desk, and, ruler, flower, write, numbers, here, choose, from, now, let’s, play, Bingo	What’s this? It’s a __________. Yes. No.  Try again. Take out your book. Put away your book. Raise your hand. Put down your hand.
Unit 2: My Family	Oops, sorry, that’s, OK, are, you, ready, am, this, is, my, father, mother, sister, brother, who’s, he, he’s, my, she, she’s, talk, about, your, family, look, point, listen, be, quiet, egg, elephant, fish, fox, gift, girl, hen, hand, Mr., Mrs., it’s, me	This is my __________. Who’s he? Who’s she? He’s my __________. She’s my __________. Look. Point. Listen. Be quiet. It’s __________.
Unit 3: Food	Ice cream, please, here, are, thank, you, have, some, pizza, thank, mmm, yummy, you’re, welcome, I, like, cake, don’t, milk, do, don’t, friend, clap, jump, turn around, stop, ink, insect, jam, juice, king, kite, lamp, lion, man, too, circle, it, now, you, draw, your, family, spin, say	I like __________. I don’t like __________. Do you like __________? Yes, I do. No, I don’t. Clap. Jump. Turn around. Stop. Here you are. Me, too. __________, please.
Culture 1 Christmas	Star, decorate, the, tree, bell, gift, open, we, wish, merry, Christmas, happy, new, year, sing, carols, stocking, Santa Claus
Culture 2 Chinese New Year	Clean, house, eve, dinner, rice, red, envelope, tangerine, get, eat, great, watch, lion, dance, firecrackers, fish