Trees: Linguistic and cultural aspects
Introductory information
| Author |
Christoph SUTER |
| E-mail |
christoph.suter@phzh.ch |
| Institute |
Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich, Switzerland |
| Target group |
12-16 |
| Subjects |
- English,
- Geography,
- Biology
|
| Aims |
- to label common parts of trees on different types of trees in English
- to learn about connotations and collocations of the word tree and of a specific tree in English
- to research connotations and collocations of trees in learners‘ L1 and compare and present findings in class
- to learn about the specific distribution of nutrients in tropical rainforests and in central European forests
- to understand the multiple functions of a tree in an ecologic system through the example of the baobab tree
|
Key competences
|
| Communication in language(s) |
COMMUNICATION IN L1
- Learners communicate with three members of their family about additional meanings of trees in general, certain trees or parts of trees.
L1 is considered and appreciated for work in school.
COMMUNICATION IN FL(S)
- Learners acquire topic vocabulary and interact with peers in FL
- The matematical term root is mentioned in materials. Activities provide starting points for further work on the functions of the parts of a tree as well as their structures.
|
| Learning to learn |
Learners research the information regarding their L1 in their social network. In this way they learn to see their surrounding as a resource for learning. |
| Digital competences |
|
| Social and civic competences |
- Learners work in pairs, groups, and in class in order to develop interactive skills.
- Learners identify and contact speakers of their L1 who they think might be able to answer their questions. They document the answers and present them to classmates.
- Learners develop an understanding of differing connotations of similar items in different cultures.
|
| Timing of the overall activities |
160’ |
| Resources and materials needed |
Worksheets 1, 2, 3, 4 |
Worksheets
Labelling parts of a tree; figurative senses of parts of a tree
Notes for the teacher
- Learners label different trees with these terms: roots, trunk, crown, branches, leaves.
- Learners find different uses of these terms with the aid of a monolingual dictionary.
- Learners say what parts of a tree are called in their L1 and what other uses of these terms exist.
According to your class‘ needs, either start with projecting a picture of a tree and talking about it, using the terms roots, trunk, crown, branches, leaves, or ask learners to tackle Worksheet 1 in pairs straight away
| Timing |
40’ |
| Material required |
Worksheets 1&2 |
| Grouping |
 / / |
| Focus on content |
Parts of a tree: roots, trunk, crown, branches, leaves
Figurative meanings |
| Focus on language |
botanical terms
other uses of these terms in English (e.g. crown)
parts of a tree in learners‘ L1 and their figurative uses
Learner worksheets |
Worksheet 1
|
Material for Teachers |
Material for Students |
Worksheet 2
|
Material for Teachers |
Material for Students |
Connotations of trees in English and in learners‘ L1
Notes for the teacher
Learners examine the connotations the word tree is carrying in English and explore connotations of the word tree or of specific trees in their first language.
| Option |
Learners bring a picture they like of a tree to the classroom and explain what they like about the picture. |
| Timing |
50’ |
| Material required |
Worksheet 3, poster sheets, pens |
| Grouping |
/ |
| Focus on content |
Cultural connotations of trees |
| Focus on language |
Figurative use of language |
Worksheet 3
|
Material for Teachers |
Material for Students |
The forestal nutrient cycle in different climates
Notes for the teacher
Learners compare forestal systems in differing climates.
| Option |
Learners present their findings to the class in the form of a role play, e.g. one learner is playing a person saying I am a little girl living nearby and the baobab is good for me because I like to hide in the baobab tree.
If you would like to extend the topic of benefits of trees, see also http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/tree_benefits.aspx |
| Timing |
30’ |
| Material required |
Worksheet 4 |
| Grouping |
/ / |
| Focus on content |
Forestal nutrient cycles
Risks of cutting down tropical forests |
| Focus on language |
Percentage
Comparing |
Worksheet 4
|
Material for Teachers |
Material for Students |
The Baobab tree: Exploring the multiple functions of a tree in an ecologic system
Notes for the teacher
Learners research the manifold benefits of the baobab tree for humans and animals. They collect and sort the different aspects involved and create a poster displaying their findings.
| Timing |
40’ |
| Material required |
Internet access, poster sheets, pens |
| Grouping |
(individual) or (pairs) or (small group) or (whole class) |
| Focus on content |
A tree as a resource for life around it.
Different benefits of the baobab tree. |
| Focus on language |
Processing authentic text
Writing short descriptions. |
Worksheet 5
|
Material for Teachers |
Material for Students |
References/ References/ Referencias
Illustrations Activity 1: Wikipedia, see worksheet for url.
Illustration Activity 2: flickr.com, see worksheet for url.
Connotations Activity 2: http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/SESLL/EngLang/LILT/connotn.htm
Collocations Activity 2: Corpus research with the Cobuild Corpus.
Illustrations Activity 3: Lehrmittelverlag des Kantons Zürich: Die Erde (copyright?)
http://www.baobab-solutions.com/the_baobab.htm
http://www.yozuna.com/baobab