LP+Katie+Hansen

 MDE Middle School (Grades 7 & 8) ESL class Content: Short skit/parable Big Ideas/Themes:  __MDE ELP Standards__:
 * Looking through the eyes of others
 * Not being prideful
 * Strength of friendship
 * Verb Tenses-telling a story (past) vs. happening right now (present)

S.4.2.b Participate in classroom discussions S.4.1.a Recite rhymes, songs and simple stories R.5.4.a Recognize the theme (general observation about life and human nature) within a text R.5.3.c Demonstrate knowledge of story structure and sequence R.4.1.a Identify nouns and verbs (subjects and predicates) W.4.1.b Compose multiple sentences around a topic  W.2.3.e Use verb tenses appropriately in present, past, future, perfect and progressive

__Warm-up/motivation__:
 * Explain parables (story with a moral lesson).
 * Ask if the students have heard of any parables.
 * Explain short skits and roles.
 * Review past tense and present tense.

__Lesson__:
 * I would have students get into groups of five. They would all get numbered 1-5 which each number representing one of the characters. They would have 20-30 minutes to prepare the skit. (They will be able to read their lines from the paper so they don't have to memorize them.) They will practice going through the skit a few times and they will be encouraged to act it out with enthusiasm while still doing a good job. They will perform the skit for their classmates. (In a classroom, I would probably have different skits so the performances would not all be the same.) After performing, we would discuss the verb tenses found in the skit. They will be asked to find and write down at least three examples of both past and present tense verb found in the skit. After a bit, I will ask for volunteers. We will discuss the differences and why some are past and why some are present. I will introduce the writing assignment for the next week about creating your own parable with both past and present tenses used correctly throughout it. Each parable will have a narrator figure like the Griot in this story and they will speak in the past tense because they are telling a story. This will help the students understand that when telling a story, they should use the past tense. The main characters like the two friends and the Trickster in this story will speak in the present tense mostly because the action will be "happening now." There might be a bit of past tense if the characters are explaining something that already happened. This will help the students see that when we are talking about something going on right now we use the present tense and that we use the past tense for something that already happened. I would have them come up with specific characters like family, friends, famous people, etc. so that there is more of a distinction when looking at who is using past, present, or a combination of the two tenses. We would start brainstorming ideas with the rest of class time of how we could use both tenses and ideas for the parable theme in general.

__Assessment__:
 * I will assess the students by making sure that they have the narrator figure in the past tense. I will also make sure that the main characters and action in the present tense unless they are talking about something that has already happened and then we would use past tense. If the students are confused about past vs. present tense then I would give them examples. I would ask them what they did yesterday and explain that since it already happened, it is in the past and so we use past tense. I would then give the example sentence of, "We are talking right now. Right?" Then I would explain how we use present tense because it's right now. I would show that you can use both past and present within the story but that it just depends on it the action already happened or if it is happening now. I would like to have the students present their parables to me individually while the other students are working on their own parables. I will have them tell me about their narrators and the past tense being used there. I will then have them explain their main characters and the present tense being used there. If they still do not understand, I will show it to them by acting out the parables we did in class and physically showing how the past and present tenses are different within the story. I will follow them up and let them ask any questions during the parable writing process.

__Text__: (Red words are past tense and blue words are present tense. All other tenses are in black because they are not focused on. The only verbs we are looking at are the ones spoken by the characters.) The Tale of The Two Color Coat

Characters: 5 ( not gender specific) Griot 1 Griot 2 Friend 1 Friend 2 Trickster

Griot 1: Once in a far village

Griot 2: A village that sat in the side of a very green hill.

Griot 1: Lived two fine friends

Griot 2: In two fine houses.

Griot 1: These two friends were friends from childhood. Griot 1: They <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">planted their fields together.

Griot 2: Together they <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">collected their grain.

Griot 2: And even their farms <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">stood side by side.

Griot 1: A simple path

Griot 2: of simple sand

Griot 1: <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">divided the house of one

Griot 2: from the house of the other.

Griot 1: For they <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">were friends.

Griot 2: The best that friends might be.

Griot 1: Until the day that Trickster <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">c <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">  <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">ame.

Griot 2: The day that Trickster <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">came.

Trickster: I <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">see these <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">are two friends

Two friends alike.

Two friends of one mind.

(directly to the audience)

But <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">wait. <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Let us <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">see .....!

Griot 1: So, Trickster <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">made a coat.

Griot 2: A coat with two sides.

Griot 1: On the side of one friend red.

Griot 2: On the side of one friend blue.

Trickster: Do you <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">see my coat?

Do you <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">see its colors

On one side red.

On one side blue.

And now I'll walk

Along the path

The sandy path

That <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">divides the homes

Of one friend from the other.

And we will see

Just what friends can be!

Trickster struts upstage to reveal his coat - one side only to each friend. As he walks, he carries a wooden clacker to attract the attention of the two friends.

Friend 1: My friend, my friend, have you seen

Seen the beautiful coat?

The coat that traveler <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">was wearing?

The beautiful coat of blue?

Friend 2: My friend, my friend, have you seen

Seen the beautiful coat ?

The coat that traveler <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">was wearing?

The beautiful coat of red?

Friend 1: The coat of blue?

Friend 2: The coat of red?

Friend 1: But surely you <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">are mistaken.

The coat <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">was blue.

Friend 2: But surely YOU <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">are mistaken.

The coat <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">was red.

Friend 1: My friend

You <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">are my friend.

But the coat <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">wa  <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">   <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">s blue.

Friend 2: My friend

You <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">are my friend

But the coat <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">was red.

Friend 1: I <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">know what I <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">saw.

Friend 2: I<span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);"> know was I <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">saw

Friend 1: The coat <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">was blue. Friend 2: The coat <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">was red.

Friend 1: But surely you <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">are wrong,.

Friend 2. But surely YOU <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">are wrong.

(The following exchange is said at the same time.) _ __Friend 1; THE COAT <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">WAS BLUE!__

__ Friend 2: THE COAT <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">WAS RED! __

Friend 1: You <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">know nothing!

Friend 2: YOU <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">know nothing!

(The following exchange is said at the same time.) _

__ Friend 1: OUR FRIENDSHIP <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">IS OVER!

Friend 2: OUR FRIENDSHIP <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">IS OVER !

___

(The two friends stand stark still. Trickster appears before them.)

Trickster: (to the first friend) Look well. What do you <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">see ?

Friend 1: Blue

Trickster: ( to the second) Look well. What do you <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">see ?

Friend 2: Red.

(Trickster now turns.)

Trickster: (to the first) Look well. What do you <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">see ?

Friend 1: (astonished) Red!

Trickster: ( to the second) Look well. What do you <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">see ?

Friend 2: (astonished) Blue!

Trickster: Ha! Ha! Ha! Foolish ! Foolish!

Friend 1: Foolish? Foolish! Not we!

Friend 2: Foolish? Foolish! Not we!

Friend 1: All our lives we have been friends.

Friend 2: All our lives friends have we been.

Friend 1: But you have brought trouble!

Friend 2: You have made strife!

Trickster: I have caused trouble?

I have brought strife?

You have brought trouble

To your very own lives.

You <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">look at the world

From you own point of view

Each in your corner

Each standing still.

One seeing red,

One seeing blue.

But <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">look at the world

From more than one place:

Beyond your own home

Beyond your front gate.

Griot 1: And so the two friends,

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Became friends once again.

Griot 2: And now they each <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">see

the world with new eyes.

Griot 1: So go on your way.

Griot 2: on your way to your homes.

Griot 1: And remember the tale

Griot 2: of THE TWO COLOR COAT.

__Text Analysis__:
 * Verb tenses: Past vs. present
 * When is each used and why - 3 examples of each.
 * Response: Create your own parable (continue in next classes) using both past and present tenses correctly.