Monday 3 May 2010

Imperative

Tomorrow I'm going tto start with imperative in grade six. You know, the structure (even if it's almost too simple to be called that) for giving orders and instructions. Like they listen to orders. Or instructions. Huh! Okay, most of them do. The loud ones don't and they give the wrong impression of the class.

There is this material in the textbook. Like "be quiet! or "do your homework" and "tidy up your room" and o on. Good. A bit boring, though, isn't it?

So I thought I might use something to just break the monotony. I hate monotony. Children don't like it either. Besides, it doesn't work.

I found this great video, full of imperatives (among other things). I'm sure they will like it, but how much will they understand.

I think I'll just let them listen two or three times (not in a row) and then try to get some feedback. I'm sure they will remember three or four imperatives. Many more, some of them. And the rest will (hopefully) remember what imperative is all about.

So - what do YOU think?

Imperative in music

9 comments:

  1. Repeatedly chanting "do your homework" should do the trick! You could even chant to a drum beat.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That song is hilarious (a little grating, perhaps, but still really funny)! It's certainly not the same old boring textbook learning; you're a great teacher to mix things up for the kids.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Throw in a few silly ones to break up the monotony...like pat your head and rub your belly at the same time...try to open one eye while keeping the other shut...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, Jen, you've just made me laugh ... I could do that, I guess. I did it once, actually, years ago when I saw a boy doing it, but unsuccessfully. Then I said to him: WhenI was your age, i had time to learn this AND things for school and you don't even do the silly part properly.

    t another time there was one talking in a silly language (when you add a "p" sound after each vowel and then repeat the vowel). He looked at me with a cheeky face, thinking I wouldn't understand his funny talking - and I replied in the same way - a long sentence, only much more fluent than his stummering.

    Oh yes, there have bgeen a few highlights when dealing with the cheeky ones - I must admit though, that vistories are rare. Sigh.

    ReplyDelete
  5. hah, that's a funny song.
    And I can agree.. you're childish enough to challenge kipids in all thepese thipings :P

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bepe caparefupul! Ipin APALL thepese thipinghs... LOPOL !!

    And yes, I can be quite childish! I remember thinking that the people around me had always been the same: I felt my great aunt had always been sixty! Do you remember that feeling from your early childhood? I guess our students, too, often forget that we were kids once. Years ago, but still. I remind them of that with these silly things (not very often, though) or when I know exactly where to look for their cheat sheets.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think it sounds like a great idea Minka! Good luck with it!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Minka, thanks so much for your kind comment on my blog! You have definitely added to my pot of hope that I'm not such a dweeb after all! :-)

    I think that if the video doesn't work, try like a reverse version of Simon Says. Like, if you obey the order from Simon Says, you're out, but if you listen to the imperative you get to stay in. It would definitely throw the kids for a loop!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I must admit I have never thought of that! Thanks!

    We've done the lesson with the video already and they surprised me. I only asked them to listen and write down as many orders as they could. We listened to it three times or so and they came to thirty-five, some of them. I was impressed! It is such a fast song and it's not their language. And they though it was very funny. They actually had fun with it.

    My comment - I just wrote what I meant. You're welcome. I followed Poppy's link and I found a very nice blog there!

    ReplyDelete