In this activity, students are asked to draw scenes from a song before listening to it. This activates ideas, key vocabulary and grammatical structures contained withing the lyrics.
- Language level: Intermediate (B1)
- Learner type: Young learners; Teens; Adults
- Time: 40 minutes
- Activity: Drawing
- Topic: Love
- Language: Second conditional
- Materials: Song
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Lesson plan outline
- Tell students that you want them to draw two sketches. Tell them to listen to your complete instructions before they start. Give the following instructions:
- Ask students to repeat the instructions back to you before drawing. If possible, give access to colour pencils. Ask students not to write anything in the thought bubbles at this stage.
- Let students compare their work with each other.
- Ask students to consider what their man might be thinking about. Elicit as many possible thoughts as you can and write the best ideas on the board. For example:
- “I wish it was warmer”
- “I should get a dog”
- “I hate winter”
- Explain to students that the man would love to be somewhere else but that he can’t leave. Ask them to guess why (the answer is that he is involved with a woman that he can’t leave).
- Write the following second conditionals on the board and ask students to copy them in or beside the man’s thought bubbles: * Thought bubble one: I’d be safe and warm if I was in L.A.
- Teach students the full song lyrics to California Dreaming. The song lends itself perfectly to a drill-type chant because of its call and response format. Ask students to repeat after you. Note that you don’t have to tell students that they are dealing with a song. Let them work it out for themselves.
- Let students hear the song.
I want you to draw a scene from a winter’s day: the trees are bare; the leaves on the ground are brown; the sky is grey. There is a man going for a walk. There is a thought bubble coming from his head. I also want you to draw a second picture. In this one the man is in a church. He is down on his knees and he is praying. The preacher is beside him. There is another thought bubble coming from the man’s head.
Note that to ensure students’ comprehension of the instructions you can:
* Use gesture and body position: get down on your knees and put your hands together to communicate the second scene.
* Demonstrate what a thought bubble is by using your finger to draw an imaginary one in the air coming from your own head.
* Speak clearly and write any new language on the board.
* Repeat the instructions 2 or 3 times.
Note that you could restrict the task: ask students to think of second conditional sentences that could go in the man’s thought bubbles.
* Thought bubble two: If I didn’t tell her, I could leave today.
All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
I’ve been for a walk
On a winter’s day
I’d be safe and warm
If I was in LA
California dreaming
On such a winter’s day
I stopped into a church
I passed along the way
Well, I got down on my knees
And I pretend to pray
You know the preacher likes the cold
He knows I’m going to stay
California dreaming
On such a winter’s day
All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
I’ve been for a walk
On a winter’s day
If I didn’t tell her
I could leave today
California dreaming
On such a winter’s day
Variation
After eliciting possible thoughts (see step 4) ask students to write a short story about the man in the scene.
Follow up
Scan your students’ drawings and use video-editing software (Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, etc) to create a collage to accompany the song.
Welcome back. A great idea from a favourite song. We have a gig on Friday and will be playing this :) Mama Cass and John Phillips RIP
Good luck Alan!
A very nice lesson. Advantages for the students – interesting and motivating. Advantages for the teacher – fits the curriculum perfectly and takes only a few minutes to prepare. Thanks a lot ;)
Thank you Rita
I’m glad you like it. If your students ever make the video, send it this way and I’ll link to it.
Jamie :-)
I loved this lessons the first time I saw it. And I used it for a Christmas activity a couple of years ago, with a different song (Soul Cake, by Sting), and with a different language topic (present progressive). Kids enjoyed it, too, specially when they saw their drawings in the video!
Thanks for sharing such useful ideas.
(if you want to see the result … http://clil2009.blogspot.com/search/label/students%27%20works)
Thank you Elena
I went to your blog but couldn’t see the video. Is it on YouTube.
Would love to see it
Jamie :)
Sorry! This is the link to the video:
http://clil2009.blogspot.com/2009/12/soul-cake-video_19.html
Love it Elena!
Great sketches and song choice.
Thanks for sharing the clip. I have bookmarked it.
Jamie
What a creative lesson! I love it! As imitation is the highest form of flattery, I have every intention of flattering you! Thanks so much!
I am flattered Sonda!
If you make your own video, please share it here.
Thank you for the nice comment
Jamie :-)
Such a great lesson!! I really love it, and the instructions are so clear and simple. Thanks!!
Thank you Olga!
Jamie :)