MEC Product Trainer, Sarah Milligan, writes:
Using Interactive Worlds with adult learners
Why should young learners get all the fun?! During some of my Interactive Worlds online clinics several teachers mentioned that they would be using the resources with their adult learners. I was a little surprised at first I must admit but the more I thought about it the more it made sense!
There are plenty of resources you could use with adult learners. All you have to do it adapt them slightly to fit the right age. The first type of resource that springs to mind is video. There are three videos in Interactive Worlds and below is a lesson idea on the resource 'Butterfly video'. You can also download this lesson plan in pdf form by clicking the link below.
Interactive Worlds video lesson plan.pdf (KB)
Preparation for intro:
Go to MEC, Interactive Worlds and then select Animal World. From here hover over the zone 'Survival Strategies' and choose the resource 'Camouflage or movement?'
This page explains the words 'camouflage' and 'movement'. If you have an IWB use the pen tool to cover the text and vocabulary on the page. If you are using a data projector create a screenshot and cover the text and vocabulary using Paint or a similar program. Your screen should look something like the one below.
Preparation for video resource:
Go to the resource 'Butterfly video' and click on Read. Print a text for each pair of learners in your class. Cut each text up so that learners will have to put the text back in order. If you want to challenge your learners cut sentences in half.
Intro:
1. Show learners your 'Camouflage or movement' screen with the text covered up. Ask learners what they see. Elicit the names of the animals.
2. Get learners in pairs to discuss what qualities a leopard and butterfly have eg butterflies can fly, leopards can run fast. Encourage more complicated discussions if your learners have a higher level.
3. Feedback as a class. Try to ask learners about the leopard’s coat and the patterns on the butterfly to guide them towards the covered vocabulary.
4. Reveal the words 'camouflage' and 'movement' and ask students to give a definition if they can. Reveal the rest of the text and read it out to your learners. Clarify learners understand both texts. Ask them if they can think of another animal that uses camouflage. Ask them if they can describe the movement of a crab or any other animal that has a distinct way of moving.
1. Click on the butterfly to move on to the resource 'Butterfly video'. Give learners the cut up text and tell them that they are going to watch a video about butterflies. Before they watch they must try to put the script in the right order.
2. Go around and help learners with difficult vocabulary. If they are using computers they can click on the A-Z icon and look up meanings themselves. Stress that the order they put the text may be different from the video script but not necessarily wrong.
3. Learners watch the video and sort the text into the right order or check to see if their text is already in the correct order.
4. Elicit the answers to the questions on the resource as a class.
Follow up:
Click on Forward and get learners to complete the resource 'Butterflies and birds'.
Or
Ask learners to write down six questions using vocabulary from the A-Z box and then to go round asking and answering questions.