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Upgrade your Lessons in a minute! Teacher s notes All teachers know how difficult it is to cater for their students needs in the classroom. Each of them has certain learning situations to tackle, but then again, each has some special skill, a special way of learning. Here is a simple idea to put them all to work on the same text but doing different activities. In the end, every piece of work can complete the puzzle and take them one step further! Topic: A Halloween story Level: Intermediate (mixed ability) Aim: Allow students to develop their reading skills according to their particular way of learning Time: 45-50 minutes Material: Text; handouts; dictionaries (1 per group) Class management: Group work Procedure: Step 1 Divide the class into 5 groups depending on different ways of learning and individual skills. Give each group an envelope with one of the following activities related to the text The King of the Cats. Group 1. Cut the text into paragraphs (Worksheet 1A). Students work together to put the paragraphs in the correct order and then complete Worksheet 1B. Group 2. Give Worksheet 1C to group 2 and get them to complete the text using the words in the boxes. Group 3. Give students Worksheet 1D and get them to conclude the story themselves. Group 4. Hand out the complete text (Worksheet 1E) and ask students to write a dialogue between two characters of the story (Worksheet 1F). Group 5. Hand out the complete text (Worksheet 1E) and ask students to write a short summary of the story in about 1/3 of the words (Worksheet 1G). Step 2 Set a defined period of time for the tasks. Monitor and help students as necessary. Step 3 Ask students to share their task with the rest of the class by means of a spokesperson, for example. Assessment: peer assessment (students exchange their work and check the results); teacher assessment (written feedback; formative assessment). Variation: the text given here is just a suggestion any other text can be used, with a similar structure. Isabel Filipe, Isabel Martins, Maria Adelaide Rabaça, Paula Simões 1

worksheet 1a The King of the Cats Once upon a time there were two brothers who lived in a lonely house in a very lonely part of Scotland. An old woman used to do the cooking, and there was no one else, unless we count her cat and their own dogs, within miles of them. One autumn afternoon the elder of the two, whom we will call Elshender, said he would not go out - so the younger one, Fergus, followed the path where they had been shooting the day before, far across the mountains on his own. He meant to return home before early sunset but he didn t, and Elshender became very worried as he watched and waited in vain till long after their usual suppertime. At last Fergus returned, wet and exhausted, but he didn t explain why he was so late. Later, after supper when the two brothers were seated before the fire, on which the wood crackled cheerfully, the dogs lying at their feet, and the old woman's black cat sitting gravely with half-shut eyes on the floor between them, Fergus recovered his composure and began to tell of his adventures. "You must be wondering," said he, "what made me so late. I had a very, very strange adventure today. I hardly know what to say about it. I went, as I told you I would, along the track we took yesterday. A mountain fog came down just as I was about to turn back home, and I completely lost my way. I wandered around for a long time not knowing where I was, till at last I saw a light, and walked in its direction, hoping to get help. "As I came near it, it disappeared, and I found myself close to an old oak tree. I climbed into the branches the better to look for the light, and, low and behold! there it was right below me, inside the hollow trunk of the tree. I seemed to be looking down into a church, where a funeral was taking place. I heard singing, and saw a coffin surrounded by torches, all carried by... but I know you won't believe me, Elshender, if I tell you!" His brother eagerly begged him to go on, and threw a dry log on the fire to encourage him. The dogs were sleeping quietly, but the cat was sitting up, and seemed to be listening just as carefully and attentively as Elshender himself. Both brothers, indeed, turned their eyes on the cat as Fergus took up his story. "Yes," he continued, "it s as true as I sit here. The coffin and the torches were both carried by CATS, and upon the coffin were marked a crown and a scepter!" He got no farther, for the black cat started up, shrieking: "My stars! Old Peter's dead, and I'm the King o' the Cats!" Then it rushed up the chimney, and was seen no more. 2

worksheet 1b Text Report Title: Place / Setting: Time: Characters: The story in two sentences: Text Report Title: Place / Setting: Time: Characters: The story in two sentences: 3

worksheet 1c Once upon a 1. there were two 2. who lived in a lonely 3. in a very lonely part of Scotland. An old 4. used to do the 5., and there was no one else, unless we count her 6. and their own dogs, within miles of them. house time woman cat cooking brothers One autumn afternoon the elder of the two, whom we will 7. Elshender, said he would not 8. out so the younger one, Fergus, 9. the path where they had 10. shooting the day before, far across the mountains on his own. followed call been go He meant to return home before 11. sunset but he didn t, and Elshender became very 12. as he watched and waited in vain till 13. after their 14. suppertime. At last Fergus returned, wet but 15., but he didn t explain why he was so 16.. long worried late usual exhausted early Later, after supper when the two brothers were 17. before the fire, on which the wood 18. cheerfully, the dogs lying at their feet, and the old woman s black cat sitting gravely with half-shut eyes on the floor between them, Fergus 19. his composure and 20. to tell of his adventures. seated crackled recovered began You must be wondering, said he, what made me so late. I had a very, very strange 21. today. I hardly know what to say about it. I went, as I told you I would, along the 22. we took yesterday. A mountain fog came down just as I was about to turn back 23., and I completely lost my way. I wandered around for a long time not knowing where I was, till at last I saw a 24., and walked in its 25., hoping to get help. home track direction light adventure 4

worksheet 1c As I came 26. it, it disappeared, and I found myself close to an 27. oak tree. I climbed into the branches the 28. to look for the light, and, low and behold! there it was right below me, inside the 29. trunk of the tree. I seemed to be looking down into a church, where a funeral was taking place. I heard singing, and saw a coffin surrounded by torches, all carried by... but I know you won t believe me, Elshender, if I tell you! better old near hollow His brother eagerly 30. him to go on, and threw a dry log on the fire to 31. him. The dogs were 32. quietly, but the cat 33. sitting up, and seemed to be listening just as carefully and attentively as Elshender himself. Both brothers, indeed, 34. their eyes on the cat as Fergus took up his story. encourage sleeping begged turned was "Yes," he continued, "it s as true as I sit here. The 35. and the torches were both carried by CATS, and upon the coffin were marked a 36. and a scepter!" He got no farther, for the 37. cat started up, shrieking: "My stars! Old Peter's dead, and I'm the 38. o' the Cats!" Then it rushed up the 39., and was seen no more. black coffin chimney crown King 5

worksheet 1d Once upon a time there were two brothers who lived in a lonely house in a very lonely part of Scotland. An old woman used to do the cooking, and there was no one else, unless we count her cat and their own dogs, within miles of them. One autumn afternoon the elder of the two, whom we will call Elshender, said he would not go out so the younger one, Fergus, followed the path where they had been shooting the day before, far across the mountains on his own. He meant to return home before early sunset - but he didn t, and Elshender became very worried as he watched and waited in vain till long after their usual suppertime. At last Fergus returned, wet and exhausted, but he didn t explain why he was so late. Later, after supper when the two brothers were seated before the fire, on which the wood crackled cheerfully, the dogs lying at their feet, and the old woman s black cat sitting gravely with half-shut eyes on the floor between them, Fergus recovered his composure and began to tell of his adventures. You must be wondering, said he, what made me so late. I had a very, very strange adventure today. I hardly know what to say about it. I went, as I told you I would, along the track we took yesterday. A mountain fog came down just as I was about to turn back home, and I completely lost my way. I wandered around for a long time not knowing where I was, till at last I saw a light, and walked in its direction, hoping to get help. As I came near it, it disappeared, and I found myself close to an old oak tree. I climbed into the branches the better to look for the light, and, low and behold! there it was right below me, inside the hollow trunk of the tree. I seemed to be looking down into a church, where a funeral was taking place. I heard singing, and saw a coffin surrounded by torches, all carried by... but I know you won t believe me, Elshender, if I tell you! His brother eagerly begged him to go on, and threw a dry log on the fire to encourage him. The dogs were sleeping quietly, but the cat was sitting up, and seemed to be listening just as carefully and attentively as Elshender himself. Both brothers, indeed, turned their eyes on the cat as Fergus took up his story. in Ernest Rhys (ed.), Fairy Gold: A Book of Old English Fairy Tales (adapted) imagine your own version of the end of the story! 6

worksheet 1E The King of the Cats 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Once upon a time there were two brothers who lived in a lonely house in a very lonely part of Scotland. An old woman used to do the cooking, and there was no one else, unless we count her cat and their own dogs, within miles of them. One autumn afternoon the elder of the two, whom we will call Elshender, said he would not go out so the younger one, Fergus, followed the path where they had been shooting the day before, far across the mountains on his own. He meant to return home before early sunset - but he didn t, and Elshender became very worried as he watched and waited in vain till long after their usual suppertime. At last Fergus returned, wet and exhausted, but he didn t explain why he was so late. Later, after supper when the two brothers were seated before the fire, on which the wood crackled cheerfully, the dogs lying at their feet, and the old woman s black cat sitting gravely with half-shut eyes on the floor between them, Fergus recovered his composure and began to tell of his adventures. You must be wondering, said he, what made me so late. I had a very, very strange adventure today. I hardly know what to say about it. I went, as I told you I would, along the track we took yesterday. A mountain fog came down just as I was about to turn back home, and I completely lost my way. I wandered around for a long time not knowing where I was, till at last I saw a light, and walked in its direction, hoping to get help. As I came near it, it disappeared, and I found myself close to an old oak tree. I climbed into the branches the better to look for the light, and, low and behold! there it was right below me, inside the hollow trunk of the tree. I seemed to be looking down into a church, where a funeral was taking place. I heard singing, and saw a coffin surrounded by torches, all carried by... but I know you won t believe me, Elshender, if I tell you! His brother eagerly begged him to go on, and threw a dry log on the fire to encourage him. The dogs were sleeping quietly, but the cat was sitting up, and seemed to be listening just as carefully and attentively as Elshender himself. Both brothers, indeed, turned their eyes on the cat as Fergus took up his story. Yes, he continued, it s as true as I sit here. The coffin and the torches were both carried by CATS, and upon the coffin were marked a crown and a scepter! He got no farther, for the black cat started up, shrieking: My stars! Old Peter s dead, and I m the King o the Cats! Then it rushed up the chimney, and was seen no more. in Ernest Rhys (ed.), Fairy Gold: A Book of Old English Fairy Tales (adapted) 7

worksheet 1F Imagine the dialogue between Fergus and the black cat and write it down. worksheet 1G Write a summary of the text in about 1/3 of the total number of words. 8

ANSWER KEYS Worksheet 1B Title: The King of the Cats. Place / Setting: A lonely house in a very lonely part of Scotland. Time: Once upon a time on an autumn afternoon. Characters: Two brothers and their dogs; an old woman and her cat. The story in two sentences: Two brothers lived alone in Scotland, with an old woman who cooked and her cat. Fergus (one of the brothers and their dogs) was coming back home when he saw what looked like the funeral of the king of the cats, and this made the old woman s cat very happy because it meant he was the new king and he disappeared forever Worksheet 1C 1. time 2. brothers 3. house 4. woman 5. cooking 6. cat 7. call 8. go 9. followed 10. been 11. early 12. worried 13. long 14. usual 15. exhausted 16. late 17. seated 18. crackled 19. recovered 20. began 21. adventure 22. track 23. home 24. light 25. direction 26. near 27. old 28. better 29. hollow 30. begged 31. encourage 32. sleeping 33. was 34. turned 35. coffin 36. crown 37. black 38. King 39. chimney Worksheet 1D to 1G Open answers. 9