Be a guide to a famous building in Chicago

Target Course: Intermediate level EFL class in DePaul/Loyola University Target Students: Young adults. International freshmen in the university Length of the task: Two weeks Language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Task work-plan:
Sub-task 1 Decide which building to present. I. In class, talk about a famous building in your hometown. Explain the reason why it is famous. II. Watch a video clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB_f5T6jYU&feature=relmfu ) about Chicago architecture features to get familiar with several Chicago landmark buildings. III. Take notes while listening. IV. Learn some new vocabulary used in the video to describe the buildings. V. In groups of two, discuss what features of the buildings are introduced in the video. Use the notes to help you remember the content. VI. Within the ten options the instructor provides, pick one as your choice as the building you would like to introduce. Make the decision with your partner. Your groups choice cant be the same with others. Research on the building and make a brochure with information. I. After class, Following the checklist (appendix 1), search online individually for information about the building. II. In class, discuss your findings with your partner. III. See some sample brochures provided by the instructor. IV. Use the information you find through research to make a brochure with your partner. (evaluation rubric see appendix 2) Write the introduction essay I. Read an introduction of the Empire State Building. (appendix 3) II. Analyze the material. Focus on the structure of the article, the vocabulary choice and the sentence forms. III. Learn more vocabulary about architecture. IV. Write your own introduction article about the building. V. Peer review your partners article. Use the checklist. (appendix 4) VI. Work with your partner; make two articles into one final version of your written introduction article. (evaluation rubric see appendix 5) Introduce the building to the class I. In class, learn important presentation skills with a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt8YFCveNpY) and the handout from 1

Sub-task 2

Sub-task 3

Sub-task 4

II. III.

the instructor. (appendix 6) Practice your presentation with your partner. In the field tour, pretend to be a guide and introduce the building to the tourists (your classmates and the instructor) with your partner. Provide your brochure to the audience. (evaluation rubric for oral presentation see appendix 7)

Appendix 1:
General facts

Research information checklist Location Year Style Designer Reason why its famous Interesting stories about it Best time to visit Must-do in the building Height Stories Function

Special features

Visitor tips (optional)

Appendix 2:

Brochure rubric A B C D

Category Attractiveness & Organization: The brochure has exceptionally attractive formatting and wellorganized information. Writing Vocabulary: The authors correctly use several new words and define words unfamiliar to the reader. Writing - Grammar: There are no grammatical mistakes in the brochure. Spelling & Proofreading: No spelling errors remain after one person other than the typist reads and 2

corrects the brochure. Content Accuracy: Information is accurate, sufficient and with necessary references.

Appendix 3: a reading article about the Empire State Building

(http://www.esbnyc.com/visit_empire_state_building.asp) The Empire State Building was designed in the Art Deco period. The building does not have zigzag Art Deco decoration, but its shape is typical of the Art Deco style. The Empire State Building is tiered, or stepped, like an ancient Egyptian or Aztec pyramid. The spire, designed as a mooring mast for dirigibles, adds to the Empire State Building's height. When it was constructed in 1931, the Empire State Building was the tallest building in the World, and it remained the world's tallest until 1972, when the New York World Trade Center Tower was completed. After terrorist attacks destroyed the World Trade Center in 2001, the Empire State Building became New York's tallest building. Located at 350 Fifth Avenue, the Empire State Building has an observation deck and is one of New York City's most popular tourist attractions. Unlike most skyscrapers, all four facades of the Empire State Building are visible from the street. Ever since it was built, the Empire State Building has captured the attention of young and old alike: every year, millions of tourists flock to the Empire State Building to get a glimpse from its 86th and 102nd floor observatories; the image of the Empire State Building has appeared in hundreds of ads and movies (who can forget King Kong's climb to the top or the romantic meeting in An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle?) ; not to mention the countless toys, models, postcards, ashtrays, thimbles, etc. that bare the image if not the shape of the towering, Art Deco building. Yet, why does the Empire State Building appeal to so many? When the Empire State Building opened on May 1, 1931, it was the tallest building in the world - standing at 1,250 feet tall. This building not only became an icon of New York City, it became a symbol of twentieth century man's attempts to achieve the impossible. Some visitor tips: What's inside the Empire State Building right now? The Empire State Building is mostly filled with rentable space for businesses. No one lives in the building (inadequate bathing facilities). The building is also used as a tourist attraction and offers views from the 86th and 102nd floors. 3

How do I buy tickets to visit the Empire State Building? You can purchase tickets online or at the Empire State Building. I recommend you get there early because there is often a long wait for tickets and for the view. You can find out information about purchasing Empire State Building

Appendix 4: Peer review checklist

Readers Name: Writers Name: Directions: Read your partners paragraph. Then complete this form. When you are finished writing the peer review, exchange peer reviews with your partner and discuss your comments if necessary. 1. Did your partner organize the paragraphs in a logical sequence? Yes or No If yes, write the sequence here exactly as you see it on your partners paper.

2. Does the article include a story when introducing the building? Yes or No If yes, briefly write down the main idea of the story.

3. Did your partner include enough information (details and examples) to help you picture the building and understand its special traits?

4. Do you feel that the sentences in your partners paragraph begin with information familiar to the reader and end with new information the reader would not anticipate? Yes or No If no, write a suggestion here.

5. Did your partner finish the article with a good concluding sentence? Yes or No If no, please give your partner advice for improving the concluding sentence. 6. Can you understand all the sentences your partner had in the article? If no, which sentences made you confused? Write them / it down, and give the reason why you cant understand. 4

7. Identify one sentence that an added adjective would help the reader picture the building more vividly.

When you are finished, give this paper to your partner and DISCUSS your comments together.

Appendix 5: Evaluation rubrics for essay writing

Category 1. The paper has a logical and clear organization. 2. The paper contains sufficient information about the building. 3. There are main sentences and supportive details in the paragraphs. 4. The grammatical forms are used correctly. 5. The vocabulary choice is proper. 6. The sentences show variety in length and structures. 7. The relationships between sentences are logical. A B C D

Appendix 6: Presentation Checklist

1. Body Language

Eye contact Head up, not reading from the script Gestures used effectively Posture displaying self-confidence and a relaxed nature 2. Verbal Skills

Enunciation: The speaker uses a clear voice and correct pronunciation so that all audience members can understand the presentation. 3. Content

 Organization: The speaker presents information in a logical and interesting sequence that audience can follow. Conciseness: The presentation is an appropriate length with a well-rounded description. It is neither wordy nor redundant. The audience can get the full knowledge about the building after the presentation.

Appendix 7: Evaluation rubrics for oral presentation

category Preparedness A Student is completely prepared and has obviously rehearsed. Shows a full understanding of the topic. Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, and mispronounces no words. Stands up straight, looks relaxed and confident. Establishes eye contact with everyone during the presentation. Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members throughout the presentation. B Student seems pretty prepared but might have needed a couple more rehearsals. Shows a good understanding of the topic. Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, but mispronounces one word. Stands up straight and establishes eye contact with everyone during the presentation C The student is somewhat prepared, but it is clear that rehearsal was lacking. Shows a good understanding of parts of the topic. Speaks clearly and distinctly most (94-85%) of the time. Mispronounces no more than one word. Sometimes stands up straight and establishes eye contact. D Student does not seem at all prepared to present.

Content

Speaks Clearly

Does not seem to understand the topic very well. Often mumbles or cannot be understood OR mispronounces more than one word. Slouches and/or does not look at people during the presentation.

Posture and Eye Contact .

Volume

Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 90% of the time.

Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 80% of the time.

Volume often too soft to be heard by all audience members.

Rational
This task is designed to improve English speaking, listening, reading and writing skills with culturally meaningful information. By actually having a field tour to the buildings to fulfill the final task, students will have an opportunity to use the language in a real-life situation. The goal of the task includes communicative skills development and social-cultural understanding. Besides, learning-how-to-learn (Nunan, 1989; Clark, 1987) is also an important part during students independent and teamwork for the task. The principle of the sequencing of the sub-tasks is providing sufficient authentic input before expecting output from the students. The instructor will provide adequate scaffolding during each step of the task, while students also have enough chance to develop self-learning and cooperation strategies. It is a learn-centered task. Teachers role in the whole task will be a facilitator, to provide scaffolding support and conduct the progress. The first subtask will begin with students discussion about their own previous knowledge of famous architectures in hometown. This activity is designed to build a personal connection to the theme of the task. Then students will be provided authentic input about Chicagos buildings with a video clip. Afterwards, they will discuss about the video and learn some key vocabularies that are frequently used in introducing buildings. Following, students will be given five options of famous buildings in loop area; they will discuss in groups and make a decision for the final presentation. This sub-task involves oral communication skills practice with classmates, listening practice, and vocabulary learning. This setting (Nunan, 1989) of this step is in the classroom, with teachers facilitating. The second sub-task will be carried out partly out of the classroom by individuals and partly in the classroom with partners corporation. The teachers scaffolding for this step is a list of information categories that they can follow to research on the building. Students search for information about the building and use it into their brochure making. The authentic input for this step would be some brochure samples of buildings and other tourist spots. Students can follow the patterns of the brochures to create their own. The activity involves basic reading and writing skills, but the major goal for this step is to help students learn how to learn (Nunan, 1989) through independent research and group discussion. The third sub-task is designed for reading and writing skills development. In this step, students will be offered a sample introduction of the Empire State Building as the authentic input. Analyzing the introduction, students will learn some more vocabularies and the way of organizing an introduction essay of a building. They will then write an essay by themselves, and peer review for each other with the help of a checklist. This sub-task will be done in the classroom, focusing on reading and writing. The teacher will lead the students in reading and vocabulary learning. After peer review, the teacher will collect all the students draft and give evaluation and suggestion. With the improved draft, students will work in groups and combine their essay into one final version for the presentation. 7

The last step of the task would be a presentation at the location of the building. Before that, students will be provided help on how to improve presentation skills. They will have time to practice with their partners in the classroom. The final presentation will be carried out outside of the classroom. Teacher and students will go to the buildings in the loop area one by one. Students will give presentation in front of the building to the classmates and hand out the brochures. The audience and the teacher will then evaluate the presentation with the rubric and checklist. Overall, the task will provide various types of authentic input to students. The activities allow students to practice oral and written English abilities with classmates, and develop autonomy learning by individuals. The four skills involved in the task are integrated together with a general sequence from speaking/listening to reading/writing, and back to speaking/ listening. By comparing the outcome of the discussion on the famous building in the first step with the final presentation in the last step, students can have a clear concept of what they have learned through the whole task. They may have difficulty in describing buildings, organizing the information or sentence forms at first, but with the subtasks that focus on those particular aspects, they will be provided authentic input and instructions, as well as opportunities to practice, to improve particular skills and achieve the final goal. The setting of the task includes classroom and real-world locations. Through the whole task, learners will be the dominant participants, while the teacher will offer scaffolding instructions and input materials. The task will be assessed and evaluated by the teacher and the students.

Reference: Nunan, D. (1989). Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Clark, J. 1987. Curriculum Renewal in School Foreign Language Learning. Oxford: Oxford University Press.