Learning and Teaching Materials on Promoting Positive Values and Attitudes through English Sayings of Wisdom (SOW) at Primary Level

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Learning and Teaching Materials on Promoting Positive Values and Attitudes through English Sayings of Wisdom (SOW)

at Primary Level

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Learning and Teaching Resources on Promoting Positive Values and Attitudes

through English Sayings of Wisdom (SOW) at Primary Level

“Promoting Positive Values and Attitudes through English Sayings of Wisdom” is a cross- curricular campaign that connects English Language education with values education.

Sayings of wisdom (SOW), which include proverbs, quotes, maxims and adages, usually provoke thinking, share insights and experience, and explore meaning in life. In this connection, four sets of learning and teaching materials, each of which centring around an inspirational English saying of wisdom, are developed to support the campaign.

Aims

Exposing students to narrative texts enhances their literacy skills and helps promote positive values and attitudes. The captioned learning and teaching materials aim to support English Language teachers in

 promoting positive values and attitudes through English sayings of wisdom (SOW) in line with the themes of My Pledge to Act (MPA), i.e. cherish what we have, be grateful, be proactive and be optimistic;

 promoting reading of inspirational texts and developing students’ writing skills; and

 developing students’ multimodal literacy, which is one of the key emphases of the English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 6) (CDC, 2017).

Content

Among the four sets of learning and teaching materials, which are based on a selected SOW respectively, two of them are designed for use at Key Stages 1 and 2 and the other two at Key Stage 2. Each set of materials comprises an inspirational text adapted from a fable and suggested reading and writing activities with teaching steps to illustrate the meaning and use of the SOW, cultivate positive values and attitudes, introduce different elements of a story and analyse the personality of the characters. The writing task (i.e. creating a 4-panel comic strip or writing a story with a moral) provides opportunities for students to further explore and reflect on the SOW introduced in the learning and teaching materials / the appendix.

To enrich students’ knowledge of SOW, promote self-directed learning and multimodal literacy, a list of 20 selected SOW under the moral themes “SOW a grateful heart”, “Cherish what we have”, “SOW a proactive attitude” and “SOW an optimistic mind” is provided in the Appendix of each set of the materials.

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Learning Task 1 – The Crow and the Pitcher (KS1/KS2)

Students learn the SOW “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” and understand the positive values and attitudes behind (e.g. be optimistic) through reading an adapted fable “The Crow and the Pitcher”. In the writing task, students are asked to write a 4-panel comic strip to convey one of the moral themes and one of the related SOW in the appendix.

Learning Task 2 – The Dog and the Reflection (KS1/KS2)

Students learn the SOW “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” and understand the positive values and attitudes behind (e.g. cherish what we have) through reading an adapted fable “The Dog and the Reflection”. In the writing task, students are asked to write a 4-panel comic strip to convey one of the moral themes and one of the related SOW in the appendix.

Learning Task 3 – The Farmer, His Son, and the Pigeons (KS2)

Students learn the SOW “A stitch in time saves nine.” and understand the positive values and attitudes behind (e.g. be proactive) through reading an adapted fable “The Farmer, His Son, and the Pigeons”. In the writing task, students are asked to write a story to convey one of the moral themes and one of the related SOW in the appendix.

Learning Task 4 – The Lion and the Mouse (KS2)

Students learn the SOW “One good turn deserves another.” and understand the positive values and attitudes behind (e.g. be grateful) through reading an adapted fable “The Lion and the Mouse”. In the writing task, students are asked to write a story to convey one of the moral themes and one of the related SOW in the appendix.

How can the resources be used?

The resources consist of learning tasks and teaching ideas for teachers’ reference on how to promote positive values and attitudes among students with SOW in the primary English classroom. Teachers might like to select and use the learning materials and teaching ideas in the resources or adapt them to suit their students’ needs, interests and abilities. Posters and videos on selected SOW are available on the website of the Education Bureau (http://www.edb.gov.hk/sow) for teachers’ further development of other learning tasks.

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Learning Task 1

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

Theme Be optimistic Saying of Wisdom

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Suggested Key Stage KS1 and KS2

Task Description

Students read the adapted version of the fable “The Crow and the Pitcher” to learn to be optimistic and the English saying of wisdom “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Teachers first guide students to identify different elements of a fable. Students then learn to analyse the personality of the crow based on its actions and thoughts. In the main writing task, students brainstorm new ideas using a story map and add dialogue to write a new version of a 4-panel comic strip. The new version has to convey one of the moral themes (i.e. cherish what we have, be grateful, be proactive and be optimistic) and one of the related English sayings of wisdom introduced in the appendix.

Learning Objectives Content

 To understand the content and features of a fable

 To analyse the personality of the characters

 To write a new 4-panel comic strip

 To develop positive values and attitudes (e.g. be optimistic)

Language

 To practise reading skills, e.g. skimming and scanning, identifying specific information, understanding the connection between ideas

 To construct a story using story elements

 To use dialogue to show words spoken by the characters and words in their minds

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4 Suggested Learning Activities

Pre-reading

1. Introduce students to the theme of the fable by asking questions such as,

 When facing a problem, will you give up easily or will you try your best to solve the problem?

Why?

 Have you ever heard of a story about a crow and a pitcher? What is it about?

2. Have students predict the possible content of the adapted version of the fable.

3. Pre-teach some vocabulary items in order that the students could complete Worksheet 1.

While-reading

1. Refer students to different elements of a fable using headings in Worksheet 2.

2. Guide students to skim and scan the fable to complete Worksheet 2 by asking questions such as,

 Why did the crow feel very thirsty?

 What did the crow see in front of a house?

 Was there a lot of water in the pitcher? How do you know?

 Could the crow drink the water in the pitcher? Why?

 What would happen if the crow had no water to drink?

 What did the crow do to drink the water in the pitcher?

3. Have students read the 4-panel comic of the fable.

4. Explain the meaning of “will” (e.g. mental power), “way” (e.g. method to do something), and the English saying of wisdom “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” (e.g. if you want something very much, you can find a way to get what you want, even if it is very difficult)

5. Have students complete Part A of Worksheet 3 to practise reading skills such as identifying specific information and understanding the connection between ideas.

Post-reading and Values Education

1. Engage students in the discussion of the story ending.

2. Have students work in groups of four and complete Part B of Worksheet 3. Choose some students to share their ideas in class (Part C of Worksheet 3). Guide students to reflect and find out the moral of the fable by asking questions such as,

 What was the problem of the crow?

 The crow could solve the problem. What qualities did the crow have?

 Imagine that you were the crow. What would you do if you could not drink the water in the pitcher?

 What lesson have you learned from this fable?

3. Introduce students to the term “moral”, the theme “be optimistic” and reiterate the English saying of wisdom “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”.

4. Encourage students to learn other English sayings of wisdom introduced in the appendix by playing card games in the games kit “English Fun Games with Sayings of Wisdom”.

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5 Reading and Writing

1. Point out that a comic strip has story elements, speech bubbles and thought bubbles.

2. Discuss with students the functions of speech bubbles and thought bubbles.

3. Guide students to analyse the personality of the crow by asking questions such as,

 Did the crow give up easily when facing a problem?

 Why could the crow solve the problem?

 Was it easy to raise the level of the water in the pitcher?

 What adjectives would you use to describe the crow?

4. Conclude that the personality of the crow can be reflected from what it does (actions) and thinks (thoughts).

5. Guide students to complete Worksheet 4 to learn about character traits.

6. Practise the use of thought bubbles and speech bubbles in a 4-panel comic strip in Worksheet 5.

7. Revisit the features of a 4-panel comic strip and discuss with students the task requirements using Comic Strip Rubric.

8. Arrange students in groups and have them rewrite the 4-panel comic strip about another crow which had different character traits and the same / a different problem. The suggested steps are as follows:

 Prepare 4 pieces of A4 paper, one piece for one panel of a 4-panel comic strip.

 Number the students.

 Have students discuss the storyline together (e.g. how the story begins and goes, what special or interesting things are to be included, what and how dialogue and thoughts of the characters are to be added).

 Based on the storyline and elements agreed among the group-mates, have Student No.1 draw pictures, thought bubbles and/or speech bubbles in the first box.

 He/She then passes the paper to Student No.2 when the first panel is finished.

 Continue the story by drawing pictures, thought bubbles and/or speech bubbles by the group- mates.

 Finish until all four boxes are completed.

9. Conduct a class sharing and encourage constructive feedback from classmates.

10. Ask students to create a 4-panel comic strip individually, by finishing Worksheets 6 & 7, completing the self-assessment checklist, and revising the 4-panel comic strip, if necessary. They can make reference to the ideas gained from the group work and class sharing.

11. Instead of creating a 4-panel comic strip, students may create their short stories based on this SOW “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”, or one of the SOW in the appendix.

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(Reading Text)

The Crow and the Pitcher

It was a long, hot summer. There was no rain for a long time. All the rivers and streams ran dry. A crow could not find water to drink. It was very thirsty.

One afternoon, the thirsty crow was flying over a village, looking for water.

It saw a pitcher in front of a house. It flew down and landed near the pitcher.

When it looked carefully down the long neck of the pitcher, the crow could see that there was still some water at the bottom. “Hurray! I found some water in the pitcher,” thought the crow with joy.

The crow lowered its beak to try to reach the water but it failed. The neck of the pitcher was far too narrow and the water was too low down. After several rounds, the poor crow could not take a sip of the water. “I can’t give up. I must find a way to drink this water,” it thought.

The crow walked around, looking for something that might help. After a while, it saw some pebbles. “Oh, I know what to do!” thought the crow. Then, it picked up some pebbles with its beak and dropped them into the pitcher, one by one. The water level rose higher and higher as the crow dropped more and more pebbles into the pitcher. At last, it was high enough for the crow to drink the water. The crow saved itself from dying and flew away happily.

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English saying of wisdom: Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Sample sentence:

I know that she can do this if she makes up her mind because where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Aesop’s Fable: an adapted version

The Crow and the Pitcher

1. 2.

3. 4.

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(Worksheet 1) Adapted text: The Crow and the Pitcher

English Saying of Wisdom: Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Read the clues and solve the crossword puzzle below. You can find the word in the given paragraph.

Down: Across:

1. Small smooth round stones (para 4) 5. A group of houses in the countryside (para 2)

2. Needing to drink (para 1) 6. Small, narrow rivers (para 1)

3. The opposite of “wide” (para 3) 7. A black bird with a loud, unpleasant cry (para 2)

4. A container for holding water that has a handle (para 2)

8. The hard, pointed part of a bird’s mouth (para 3)

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(Worksheet 2) Circle the correct words to complete the story map below.

Adapted text: The Crow and the Pitcher

English Saying of Wisdom: Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Complete the story map by circling the correct words.

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(Worksheet 3) A. Answer the following questions by circling the best option.

1. In paragraph 1, a crow could not find water to drink because ___.

A it was a long summer B the sun was warm C the crow was sick

D all the rivers and streams ran dry

2. In paragraph 2, the crow found a pitcher near ___.

A a river B a house C a village D a stream

3. In paragraph 3, the crow’s beak could not reach the water because ___.

A the crow was thirsty

B the crow was not feeling well C the neck of the pitcher was narrow D the crow gave up

4. What did the crow do to drink the water in the pitcher? The crow ___.

A dropped pebbles into the pitcher B had a bright idea

C lowered its beak D overturned the pitcher

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B. Work in groups of four. Brainstorm the answers to the following questions. Write your answers in the space provided.

Questions Answers

1. What was the problem of the crow?

2. The crow could solve the problem. What qualities did the crow have?

3. Imagine that you were the crow. What would you do if you could not drink the water in the pitcher?

4. What lesson have you learned from this fable?

C. Share your ideas in class.

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What are character traits?

Character traits are words that describe characters’ personality or qualities that make them who they are. We can determine character traits by looking at what a character says, does, thinks and feels.

What are the character traits of the crow?

Circle the adjectives / words that best describe the personality of the crow as shown by its behaviour at that moment.

Para 3 (lines 8-11)

Para 4 (lines 12-17)

a. gave up easily

b. tried its best to solve the problem

c. cherished what it had

a. lucky b. clever c. brave

a. cute b. careless c. patient

Where in the text Where in the text Where in the text

e.g.

After several rounds, the poor crow could not take a sip of water. “I can’t give up.

I must find a way to drink this water,” it thought.

Colour the relevant sentence(s) in red in the reading text.

Colour the relevant sentence(s) in blue in the reading text.

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Can you add dialogue (speech or thought bubbles) to the 4-panel comic strip? Remember to use the tense correctly, e.g. use the simple present tense to talk about present states, the present continuous tense to describe actions taking place at the time of speaking, the simple past tense to talk about past events, etc.

Read the story and the comic strip again. Add a speech / thought bubble to 1 of the 4 panels of the comic strip.

Add a speech / thought bubble below.

a thought bubble

a speech bubble

__________

(panel no.)

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(Worksheet 6) Writing Task

Write a new version of a 4-panel comic strip about another crow which had different character traits and the same / a different problem. Remember to add speech bubbles and thought bubbles in your comic strip. You may use the following story map to brainstorm ideas.

Theme: cherish what you have / be grateful / be proactive / be optimistic (circle one)

English saying of wisdom: (write)

the crow

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(Worksheet 7) Title: ____________________________________

1. 2.

3. 4.

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A 4-panel comic strip

Task requirements:

 Create a 4-panel comic strip.

 Have a clear storyline and include basic story elements (e.g. title, characters, events).

 Use colourful drawings to portray what happened in the story.

 Add speech bubbles or thought bubbles to express what the characters are saying, thinking, doing or feeling.

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A 4-panel comic strip rubric (Self-assessment)

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class: _________ ( ) Title of the 4-panel comic strip: _______________________________________________________

Read the draft of your group’s 4-panel comic strip. Consider the following criteria and circle a number to indicate how well you think you’ve done in each area. Give comments on how you think the 4-panel comic strip can be further improved.

A. Content and Organisation

Criteria Needs

work

Fair Good Very

good 1. Characters: Do they have feelings and actions? 1 2 3 4 2. Use of speech bubbles or thought bubbles: Do

the characters speak or think?

1 2 3 4

3. Do the drawings and the speech/thought bubbles match well with each other?

1 2 3 4

4. Do the drawings and speech/thought bubbles show creativity?

1 2 3 4

5. Does the story have an ending? 1 2 3 4

6. Does the main character learn a lesson? 1 2 3 4

B. Use of Language

7. Grammar: Is the tense used correctly? 1 2 3 4

Comments: _______________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

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18 Suggested Answers to Worksheet 1

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Suggested Answers to Worksheet 3 A

1. D 2. B 3. C 4. A

B

1. The crow could not drink the water in the pitcher. Q2-4 (Accept any reasonable answers)

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Para 3 (lines 8-11)

Para 4 (lines 12-17)

a. gave up easily

b. tried its best to solve the problem

c. cherished what it had

a. lucky b. clever c. brave

a. cute b. careless c. patient

Where in the text Where in the text Where in the text

e.g.

After several rounds, the poor crow could not take a sip of water. “I can’t give up.

I must find a way to drink this water,” it thought.

Colour the relevant sentence(s) in red in the reading text.

After a while, it saw some pebbles. “Oh, I know what to do!” thought the crow. Then, it picked up some pebbles with its beak and dropped them into the pitcher, one by one.

Colour the relevant sentence(s) in blue in the reading text.

The water level rose higher and higher as the crow dropped more and more pebbles into the pitcher. At last, it was high enough for the crow to drink the water.

Suggested Answers to Worksheets 5-7 (Accept any reasonable answers.)

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Selected Sayings of Wisdom (SOW)

Themes SOW

SOW a grateful heart

1) Count your blessings.

2) Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

3) Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.

4) One good turn deserves another.

5) Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Cherish what we have

6) A friend in need is a friend indeed.

7) A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

8) Home is where the heart is.

9) The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

10) Opportunity only knocks once.

SOW a proactive attitude

11) Rome was not built in a day.

12) The early bird catches the worm.

13) Time and tide wait for no man.

14) Prevention is better than cure.

15) A stitch in time saves nine.

SOW an

optimistic mind

16) All roads lead to Rome.

17) Every cloud has a silver lining.

18) Every dog has its day.

19) There is light at the end of the tunnel.

20) Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Appendix

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Learning Task 2

A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush

Theme

Cherish what we have Saying of Wisdom

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Suggested Key Stage KS1 and KS2

Task Description

Students read the adapted version of the fable “The Dog and the Reflection” to learn to cherish what we have and the English saying of wisdom “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Teachers first guide students to identify different elements of a fable. Students then learn to analyse character traits based on actions, thoughts and speech. In the main writing task, students brainstorm new ideas using a story map and add dialogue to write a new version of a 4-panel comic strip. The new version has to convey one of the moral themes (i.e. cherish what we have, be grateful, be proactive and be optimistic) and one of the related English sayings of wisdom introduced in the appendix.

 To understand the content and features of a fable

 To analyse character traits

 To write a new 4-panel comic strip

 To develop positive values and attitudes (e.g. cherish what we have)

Language

 To practise skimming and scanning

 To construct a story using story elements

 To use dialogue to show words spoken by the characters and words in their minds

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Suggested Learning Activities Pre-reading

 Are you satisfied with what you have now?

 What do you want to have more? Why?

 Have you ever heard of a story about a dog and its reflection? What is it about?

2. Have students predict the possible content of the adapted version of the fable.

While-reading

1. Refer students to different elements of a fable using headings in Worksheet 2.

2. Guide students to skim and scan the fable to complete Worksheet 2 by asking questions like,

 How did the dog feel when an old woman gave it a bone?

 Why did the dog bark at the water?

 What did the dog do in order to get another piece of bone?

 How many bones did the dog have in the end? Why?

3. Have students follow the instructions in Worksheet 3 and colour relevant details in the fable.

4. Have students write down new vocabulary items they have learned in Worksheet 1.

2. Guide students to reflect and find out the moral of the fable by asking questions such as,

 Did the dog get all the bones it wanted? Why?

 Why did the dog lose his bone?

 If you were the dog, what would you do if you saw another piece of bone?

 What lesson have you learned from this fable?

3. Introduce students to the term “moral”, the theme “cherish what we have” and the English saying of wisdom “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”.

Reading and Writing

1. Point out that a comic strip has story elements, speech bubbles and thought bubbles.

2. Discuss with students the functions of speech bubbles and thought bubbles.

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3. Guide students to analyse character traits by asking questions such as,

 How did the old woman think of the dog?

 What adjectives would you use to describe the dog?

 How did the dog behave when it saw another piece of bone?

 What did the dog think and say when it dropped its own bone into the water?

 What adjectives best describe the dog (a) when it saw another piece of bone and (b) after it dropped its bone?

4. Conclude that character traits can be reflected from what people/animals do (actions), think (thoughts) and say (speech).

5. Guide students to complete Worksheet 4 and Worksheet 5 to learn about character traits, speech bubbles and thought bubbles used in 4-panel comic strips.

6. Revisit the features of a 4-panel comic strip and discuss with students the individual writing task requirements using Comic Strip Rubric.

7. Arrange students in groups and have them write a group 4-panel comic strip following the steps below,

 Prepare 4 pieces of A4 paper, each paper representing one panel of a 4-panel comic strip.

 Number the students.

 Have students discuss the storyline together (e.g. how the story begins and goes, what special or interesting things are to be included, what and how dialogue and thoughts of the characters are to be added).

 Based on the storyline and elements agreed among the groupmates, have Student No.1 draw pictures, thought bubbles and/or speech bubbles in the first box.

 He/She then passes the paper to Student No.2 when the first panel is finished.

 Continue the story by drawing pictures, thought bubbles and/or speech bubbles by the groupmates.

 Finish until all four boxes are completed.

8. Conduct a class sharing and encourage constructive feedback from classmates.

9. Ask students to create a 4-panel comic strip individually, by finishing Worksheets 6 & 7, completing the self-assessment checklist, and revising the 4-panel comic strip, if necessary.

They can make reference to the ideas gained from the group work and class sharing.

10. Instead of creating a 4-panel comic strip, students may create their short stories based on this SOW “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”, or one of the SOW in the appendix.

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(Reading Text)

The Dog and the Reflection There was a cute dog living with his owner in a village. He was the apple of

everyone’s eye and so many people offered him a lot of food to eat.

One day, the dog was passing through the backyard of a house. An old woman saw him. She said, “Oh! What a lovely dog! Let me feed him a piece of bone”. The dog picked the bone up and was ready to run back home. He was happy to have his lunch.

As the dog was crossing a narrow footbridge, he looked down and saw a reflection in the quiet water. “That bone is bigger than mine. It must be tastier than mine. I want to have it too!” thought the dog.

However, he did not know that it was only his own reflection. He thought that it was another dog. So he tried to grab that piece of bone by growling at the reflection.

Unfortunately, when he opened his mouth growling, he dropped his bone in the river and the bone was swept away.

“My bone! I dropped it in the river! Where is it now? I must get it back!” cried the dog. He jumped into the river at once and tried to look for the bone in the river. Unluckily, the dog could not find his bone. “My bone is lost! Why did I have to get another bone?

Why wasn’t I happy with the bone I had?” the dog cried more loudly. He was very upset and felt sorry for losing his bone. He left the footbridge and went home with sadness.

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10

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English saying of wisdom: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Sample sentence in context:

You may not like your job, but don’t quit just on the hope of finding a better one. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Aesop’s Fable: an adapted version

The Dog and the Reflection

1. 2.

3.

4.

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(Worksheet 1) Adapted text: The Dog and the Reflection

English Saying of Wisdom: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

A. Read the clues and solve the crossword puzzle below.

Across: Down:

3: A narrow bridge which is used only by people who are walking

1: A small space with walls around at the back of a house

5: Making a low sound, usually in anger 2: The image of something in a mirror or on any surface

4: To fall or to allow something to fall 6: To get hold of something suddenly B. Write down some new vocabulary items you have learned with their meanings.

Vocabulary items Meanings (pictures or words)

e.g. cherish

To love and care for someone or something that is important

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(Worksheet 3) Can you answer the following questions by colouring the important words in the text below?

There was a cute dog living with his owner in a village. He was the apple of everyone’s eye and so many people offered him a lot of food to eat.

One day, the dog was passing through the backyard of a house. An old woman saw him.

She said, “Oh! What a lovely dog! Let me feed him a piece of bone”. The dog picked the bone up and was ready to run back home. He was happy to have his lunch.

“My bone! I dropped it in the river! Where is it now? I must get it back!” cried the dog.

He jumped into the river at once and tried to look for the bone in the river. Unluckily, the dog could not find his bone. “My bone is lost! Why did I have to get another bone? Why wasn’t I happy with the bone I had?” the dog cried more loudly. He was very upset and felt sorry for losing his bone. He left the footbridge and went home with sadness.

Red How did the dog feel when he was given a piece of bone by the old woman?

Yellow Where did the dog meet “another dog”?

Blue What did the dog want to do?

Green Why did the dog want to do that?

Purple How did the dog feel when he was unable to find the bone?

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Character traits are words that describe characters’ personality or qualities that make them who they are. We can determine character traits by looking at what a character says, does and thinks.

What are the character traits of the dog?

(a) Read the speech bubble and circle the most suitable adjective provided below.

When people saw the dog

What did people say and do? What do you think about the dog?

(b) Read paragraph 3. Find the thought bubble from the text to support the adjective you choose.

When the dog saw another piece of bone

What did the dog think and do? What do you think about the dog?

generous / greedy / helpful cute / fierce / lazy

Oh! What a lovely dog! Let me feed him a piece of bone.

________________________________

__________________

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Character traits are words that describe characters’ personality or qualities that make them who they are. We can determine character traits by looking at how a character feels.

(a) Read the speech and thought bubbles below. Then draw the face of the dog in the three boxes.

Beginning (lines 7-8)

Middle (line 13)

Ending (lines 15-16)

greedy careless regretful

(b) Many adjectives can be used to talk about how a character feels. Look at the pictures and circle the correct adjectives below.

(a) surprised (b) overjoyed

(a) joyful (b) furious

(a) worried (b) frightened

(a) grateful (b) scared

(a) shocked (b) angry

(a) panicky (b) shy

(a) sad (b) tired

(a) confused (b) cross My bone! I dropped it in

the river! Where is it now? I must get it back!

is it now? I must get it back!

My bone is lost! Why did I have to get another bone?

Why wasn’t I happy with the bone I had?

That bone is bigger than mine. I want

to have it too!

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Brainstorm new ideas using the story elements below. Then write your new version of a 4-panel comic strip. Remember to add speech bubbles and thought bubbles in your comic strip.

Theme: cherish what we have / be grateful / be proactive / be optimistic (circle one)

English saying of wisdom: (write) ,

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(Worksheet 7) Now write your new comic strip. What do the characters say, do and think? How do they feel?

Remember to use speech bubbles or thought bubbles in your comic strip.

Comic strip: __________________________________________________________________(title)

1. 2.

3. 4.

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A 4-panel comic strip

Task requirements:

 Create a 4-panel comic strip.

 Have a clear storyline and include basic story elements (e.g. a title, characters, events).

 Use colourful drawings to portray what happened in the story.

 Add speech bubbles or thought bubbles to express what the characters are saying, thinking and doing or how they feel.

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A 4-panel comic strip rubric (Self-assessment)

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class: _________ ( ) Title of the 4-panel comic strip: _______________________________________________________

Read the draft of your group’s 4-panel comic strip. Consider the following criteria and circle a number to indicate how well you think you’ve done in each area. Give comments on how you think the 4-panel comic strip can be further improved.

A. Content and Organisation

Criteria Needs

work

Fair Good Very

good 1. Characters: Do they have feelings and

actions?

1 2 3 4

2. Use of speech bubbles or thought bubbles:

Do the characters speak or think?

1 2 3 4

3. Do the drawings and the speech/thought bubbles match well to each other?

1 2 3 4

4. Do the drawings and speech/thought bubbles show creativity?

1 2 3 4

5. Does the story have an ending? 1 2 3 4

6. Does the main character learn a lesson? 1 2 3 4

B. Use of Language

7. Grammar: Is the tense used correctly? 1 2 3 4

Comments: _______________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

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(Suggested Answers to Worksheet 1) Adapted text: The Dog and the Reflection

A. Read the clues and solve the crossword puzzle below.

Across: Down:

3: A narrow bridge which is used only by people who are walking

1: A small space with walls around at the back of a house

5: Making a low sound, usually in anger 2: The image of something in a mirror or on any surface

4: To fall or to allow something to fall 6: To get hold of something suddenly

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(Suggested Answers to Worksheet 3) Can you answer the following questions by colouring the important words in the text below?

There was a cute dog living with his owner in a village. He was the apple of everyone’s eye and so many people offered him a lot of food to eat.

One day, the dog was passing through the backyard of a house. An old woman saw him.

She said, “Oh! What a lovely dog! Let me feed him a piece of bone”. The dog picked the bone up and was ready to run back home. He was happy to have his lunch.

“My bone! I dropped it in the river! Where is it now? I must get it back!” cried the dog.

He jumped into the river at once and tried to look for the bone in the river. Unluckily, the dog could not find his bone. “My bone is lost! Why did I have to get another bone? Why wasn’t I happy with the bone I had?” the dog cried more loudly. He was very upset and felt sorry for losing his bone. He left the footbridge and went home with sadness.

Red How did the dog feel when he was given a piece of bone by the old woman?

Yellow Where did the dog meet “another dog”?

Blue What did the dog want to do?

Green Why did the dog want to do that?

Purple How did the dog feel when he was unable to find the bone?

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Character traits are words that describe characters’ personality or qualities that make them who they are. We can determine character traits by looking at what a character says, does and thinks.

(a) Read the speech bubble and circle the most suitable adjective provided below.

When people saw the dog

What did people say and do? What do you think about the dog?

(b) Read paragraph 3. Find the thought bubble from the text to support the adjective you choose.

When the dog saw another piece of bone

What did the dog think and do? What do you think about the dog?

generous / greedy / helpful cute / fierce / lazy Oh! What a lovely dog! Let me

feed him a piece of bone.

That bone is bigger than mine.

It must be tastier than mine.

I want to have it too!

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Character traits are words that describe characters’ personality or qualities that make them who they are. We can determine character traits by looking at how a character feels.

(a) Read the speech and thought bubbles below. Then draw the face of the dog in the three boxes.

Beginning (lines 7-8)

Middle (line 13)

Ending (lines 15-16)

greedy careless regretful

(b) Many adjectives can be used to talk about how a character feels. Look at the pictures and circle the correct adjectives below.

(a) surprised (b) overjoyed

(a) joyful (b) furious

(a) worried (b) frightened

(a) grateful (b) scared

(a) shocked (b) angry

(a) panicky (b) shy

(a) sad (b) tired

(a) confused (b) cross My bone! I dropped it in

the river! Where is it now? I must get it back!

is it now? I must get it back!

My bone is lost! Why did I have to get another bone?

Why wasn’t I happy with the bone I had?

That bone is bigger than mine. I want

to have it too!

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Suggested Answers to Worksheets 6 & 7 (Accept any reasonable answers.)

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Selected Sayings of Wisdom (SOW)

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Themes SOW

SOW a grateful heart 1) Count your blessings.

2) Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

3) Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.

4) One good turn deserves another.

5) Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Cherish what we have 6) A friend in need is a friend indeed.

7) A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

8) Home is where the heart is.

9) The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

10) Opportunity only knocks once.

SOW a proactive attitude

11) Rome was not built in a day.

12) The early bird catches the worm.

13) Time and tide wait for no man.

14) Prevention is better than cure.

15) A stitch in time saves nine.

SOW an optimistic mind 16) All roads lead to Rome.

17) Every cloud has a silver lining.

18) Every dog has its day.

19) There is light at the end of the tunnel.

20) Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Appendix

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Learning Task 3

A Stitch in Time Saves Nine

Theme Be Proactive Saying of Wisdom

A stitch in time saves nine.

Suggested Key Stage KS2

Summary of the Learning Task

Students read an adapted fable “The Father, His Son, and the Pigeons” to learn to be proactive and the English saying of wisdom “A stitch in time saves nine.” Teachers first guide students to identify different elements of a story. Students then analyse the personality of the characters based on their actions, thoughts and speech. In the main writing task, students write a short story or their new version of the fable using the above strategies. The story has to convey one of the moral themes (i.e.

cherish what we have, be grateful, be proactive and be optimistic) and one of the related English sayings of wisdom introduced in the appendix.

 To understand the content and features of a fable

 To analyse the personality of the characters

 To write a short story / a new version of the fable

 To develop positive values and attitudes (e.g. be proactive)

Language

 To practise reading skills, e.g. skimming, scanning and identifying main idea, identifying specific information, understanding the connection between ideas

 To construct a short story using story elements

 To add dialogue to show words spoken by the characters to add to the characterisation

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44 Suggested Learning Activities

Pre-reading

 When there is a problem, will you take action to solve the problem immediately or will you wait and see first?

2. Have students discuss and predict the possible content of the fable.

While-reading

1. Refer students to different elements of a story using headings in Worksheet 2.

2. Guide students to skim, scan and identify the main idea of the story to complete Worksheet 2 by asking questions such as,

 Why did the farmer take no action in the beginning?

 In paragraph 2, why did the pigeons leave the field immediately one day?

 Why did more and more pigeons settle on the field later?

 What did the farmer and his son do to get rid of the pigeons?

 Why did the farmer feel sorry in the end?

 What lesson did the farmer learn?

 What is the core message or main idea of this story?

3. Have students complete Worksheet 3 to practise reading skills such as identifying specific information and understanding the connection between ideas.

4. Explain the meaning of the English saying of wisdom “A stitch in time saves nine.” (e.g. it is better to deal with problems immediately in order to prevent more work later).

2. Guide students to reflect and find out the moral of the story by asking questions such as,

 If you were the farmer, would you take action to get rid of the pigeons in the beginning? Why?

 Have you ever missed the critical time to solve a problem? What are the consequences?

 What lesson have you learned from this story?

3. Introduce students to the term “moral”, the theme “to be proactive” and reiterate the English saying of wisdom “A stitch in time saves nine.”

Reading and Writing

1. Revisit the elements of the story using Worksheet 2.

2. Remind students that characters are one of the five important elements (i.e. characters, setting, plot, conflict and resolution) in a story as they determine the way the plot will develop, and are usually the ones who will solve the problem.

3. Guide students to analyse the personality of the characters by asking questions such as,

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 What was the attitude of the farmer when his son first told him about the pigeons?

 Why did the farmer feel sad even if he could get rid of the pigeons?

 What was the attitude of the son towards the pigeons?

 What other qualities of the son can you observe?

 Can you think of some adjectives to describe the farmer and his son?

4. Point out that the personality of the characters can be reflected from their actions, thoughts and speech. Have students complete Worksheet 4 about the character traits of the farmer and his son.

5. Practise dialogue writing using in Worksheet 5.

6. Introduce the writing task to students, i.e. to write a new story or rewrite the story “The Farmer, His Son, and the Pigeons” with new plots and a different ending.

7. Tell students that they can make use of Worksheet 6 to brainstorm ideas about the theme, the moral, the related saying of wisdom and the story elements.

8. Arrange students in groups, share their story outline and give comments to one another.

9. Ask students to write their stories individually in Worksheet 7, complete the self-assessment checklist, and revise their writing, if necessary.

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46

(Reading Text) Sample sentence in context:

If you have a problem, deal with it immediately. Don’t wait, because a stitch in time saves nine.

The Farmer, His Son, and the Pigeons A farmer and his son had just sown a field of wheat.

Some pigeons kept settling on the field. “Dad, do we need to keep these pigeons away from our field?” asked the son.

Looking at the field and the pigeons, the farmer explained,

“Don’t worry. The pigeons just want to take a rest here.

They won’t eat our grains.” Both the farmer and his son left the field.

One day, the son saw the pigeons on the field again. He found that the pigeons not only took a rest but also ate the grains there. He ran quickly to the farmer and cried, “Dad, we have to do something about the pigeons! They are eating our grains!” The farmer looked at the field and the pigeons. He thought for a while and replied, “Take out the bow and arrow in your bag. When the pigeons see them, they’ll fly away at once.” The pigeons really left the field immediately when the son took out the bow and arrow.

After that, the son took out the bow and arrow when he saw the pigeons on the field. However, the pigeons soon discovered that the son only pretended to shoot them. They were no longer afraid of the bow and arrow. More and more pigeons flew and settled on the field and ate the grains.

Some time later, the son pleaded, “Dad, our grains have all gone. We must get rid of all the pigeons right away.” The farmer agreed, “Yes. Let’s work together.” The farmer and his son took turns to shoot the pigeons with bows and arrows. The pigeons were so scared that they flew away and never returned. Then the farmer whispered to his son in despair, “I’m sorry, Son. I should have dealt with these pigeons as early as possible!”

Line

5

10

15

20

25

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47

(Worksheet 1) The text: The Farmer, His Son, and the Pigeons

A. Match each word/phrase with the correct meaning. The first one has been done as an example.

Answer 1. bow (line 13) e.g. f

a. did the same thing one after one

2. discovered (line 18) b. send away someone or something annoying

3. settled (line 20) c. frightened or worried 4. get rid of (line 23) d. taken appropriate action 5. took turns (line 25) e. the feeling that there is no hope 6. scared (line 27) f. a weapon for shooting arrows 7. in despair (line 28) g. relaxed into a comfortable position 8. dealt with (line 28) h. found out about something

B. Fill in each of the blank with a word / phrase in Part A.

1. The mother wants her daughter to ____________________ the habit of staying up late as it is not good for health.

2. My mother is a nurse. She has ____________________ different kinds of people in her job.

3. My father was ____________________ about the wallet he had lost.

4. John and Mary ____________________ to do the washing-up after dinner to share the work of their parents.

5. Grandma _______________ on the new sofa and read newspapers last night.

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48

English Saying of Wisdom: __________________________________

Based on the story and the subheadings, write the key information in complete sentences below.

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49

(Worksheet 3) The text: The Farm, His Son, and the Pigeons

Answer the following questions by circling the best option(s).

1. In paragraph 1, the farmer thought that the pigeons kept settling on the field because they wanted to ___.

A sing songs B take a rest C eat the grains D play on the field

2. In paragraph 2, the pigeons left the field immediately when the son took out the bow and arrow because they ___.

A were afraid of getting hurt B knew that the farmer was angry C did not want to play with the son

D did not like the farmer and his son anymore

3. In paragraph 3, more and more pigeons settled on the field because ___.

(You can choose more than one answer.) A there were grains to eat

B they would like to stay with their friends C the son was friendly to them

D the bow and arrow would not hurt them

4. In paragraph 4, the pigeons never returned to the field because ___.

A the grains were eaten up B they found a better field

C the farmer and his son worked together

D the farmer and his son shot the pigeons with bows and arrows 5. At the end of the story, the farmer felt sorry because ___.

(You can choose more than one answer.) A some pigeons were scared

B the grains were eaten up

C the pigeons were not afraid of the bow and arrow D the action to get rid of the pigeons was not taken in time

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50

Character traits are words that describe characters’ personality or qualities that make them who they are. We can determine character traits by looking at what a character says, does, thinks and feels.

Match the adjectives below with the characters and colour the relevant sentences in the reading text.

Characters Adjectives to describe the characters Evidence from the reading text

a. Colour the relevant sentence(s) in

red.

b. Colour the relevant sentence(s) in

yellow.

c. Colour the relevant sentence(s) in

blue.

d. Colour the relevant sentence(s) in

green.

passive proactive regretful observant

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51

A. Dialogue is used in stories to make them more interesting, vivid and dynamic. Look at the dialogue in the story. Circle the capital letters and punctuation marks in the dialogue below.

1. “Dad, do we need to keep these pigeons away from our field?” asked the son.

2. Looking at the field and the pigeons, the farmer replied, “The pigeons just want to take a rest here. They won’t eat our grains.”

Can you find out some rules for writing dialogue? What do you notice?

(1) (2)

(1) If you write the dialogue first, use commas for sentences, question marks for questions and exclamation marks for exclamations. Then end them all with a full stop.

(2) If you write the tag first, use a comma to separate. End the dialogue with the correct punctuation inside quotation marks.

B. Read and rewrite the dialogue with the correct punctuation marks and capital letters.

1. Dad the pigeons not only take a rest but also eat our grains said the son worriedly

____________________________________________________________________________

2. Looking at the pigeons flying away immediately the farmer said hurray the pigeons were terribly scared of the bow and arrow

____________________________________________________________________________

“You are very clever,” said the teacher.

Dialogue Tag

The teacher said, “You are very clever.”

Tag Dialogue

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C. When writing dialogue, we can use different speaking verbs to give more information about the thoughts and feelings of the characters who are speaking. Can you find the speaking verbs in the story? Can you think of more speaking verbs? Complete the following table.

Saying something

(e.g. opinions, suggestions, facts, etc.)

Asking questions

Speaking verbs found in the story

e.g. explained e.g. asked

Other speaking verbs

D. Read the farmer’s remark. What will the son say to his father to cheer him up?

The farmer’s remark

Then the farmer said to his son, “I’m sorry, Son. I should have dealt with these pigeons as early as possible!”

The son’s response

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53

Write a new story or rewrite the story “The Farmer, His Son, and the Pigeons” with a new plot and a different ending. Choose one of the four given themes and think of a relevant saying of wisdom when constructing your story. Brainstorm new ideas using the story elements below. Remember to add dialogue to show what your characters think, say and do in the story.

Theme: cherish what we have /be grateful / be proactive / be optimistic (circle one)

English saying of wisdom: ______________________________________________________ (write)

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54

(Worksheet 7)

Title: ____________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

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55

_________________________________________________________________________________

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56 Complete the self-assessment checklist.

(Please tick “”the box if you did it.)

 My story includes story elements, i.e. characters, setting, events, problems and solutions.

 My story has a theme and a moral.

 I added dialogue to make my story more interesting.

 I used speaking verbs to give more information about the thoughts and feelings of the characters who are speaking

 I used adjectives to describe the characters (e.g. proactive, passive, brave, hard-working, etc.)

 I proofread (e.g. check spelling, capitalisation, the use of punctuation marks) my writing before handing it in to my teacher.

Based on the checklist above, revise the story if necessary.

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A.

1. f (e.g.) 2. h 3. g 4. b

5. a 6. c 7. e 8. d

B.

1. get rid of 2. dealt with 3. in despair 4. took turns 5. settled

Suggested Answers to Worksheet 2