Generic Skills and Attitudes

Generic Skills

 Creativity

 Critical Thinking

 Collaboration skills

 Communication skills

 To show respect for classmates

 To understand the meaning of “more haste, less speed”

Students are able to:

 understand the story development

 describe the video player they redesign

 apply the use of video player buttons in other situations

 apply the vocabulary learnt in different contexts

 write an ending to the story

Text-type: Story

1. Adjectives for describing colour, shape and texture

2. Action verbs for describing the physical conditions of sick people
Language items and communicative functions

1. 
   Use – “when” phrases to state the conditions for what actions to take
   

2. 
   Use statements of “bare infinitives” to list the functions that a device performs
   

Activities: guessing, blank filling, sequencing, drawing, matching

Language skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing

Story text and the task sheets

Catering for Learner Diversity

No gradation is built into the tasks students are requested to do but teachers can vary their requirements on students according to their abilities and form them into groups so that they can render peer support to each other.

8 - 10

Students watch a cartoon video called the Wrong Trousers. They will engage themselves in some interactive activities which are grouped under 3 stages: previewing; while viewing and post viewing. Worksheets are prepared to help them learn the selected vocabulary items, language functions/ structures, and apply the language to different tasks such as designing a pamphlet that explains the functions and operation of the techno-trousers, completing a witness report and reflecting upon the use and misuse of tools and equipment. The students will also be guided in analysing the structure of the story through a story map.

It all begins in the morning of Gromit’s birthday, when Wallace gives his beloved pooch the gift of his latest invention—a pair of mechanical “techno-trousers” that can be programmed to take Gromit out for walks while Wallace sits comfortably at home. Gromit’s not exactly thrilled with the new gadget, and things go from bad to worse when Wallace rents a room to a new boarder—a rather suspicious-looking penguin—to offset his rising expenses. As it turns out, the penguin’s a notorious thief and the amazing techno-trousers provide a foolproof method of pulling off a diamond heist! (taken from the Video)

Generic Skills

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  Collaboration skills
  
• 
  Creativity
  
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  Critical thinking skills
  

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  To show respect for rule of law
  
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  To distinguish between proper and improper use of tools / equipment
  

Students are able

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  to describe the purpose of some tools
  
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  to describe the operation of the mechanical techno-trousers
  
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  to design a pamphlet introducing the special functions of the techno-trousers
  
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  to apply the above learning to the design of a new invention
  
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  to complete a witness report by filling in missing prepositions to provide details of how the burglary took place
  
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  to critically reflect on the proper and improper use of certain tools/equipment
  
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  to develop a story map collaboratively with the teacher
  
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  to write an extension to the story
  

household objects

e.g. postcard, toaster, dog collar, lead, piggy back, bills, safe, techno-trousers

words relating to the surroundings of the museum

e.g. alley, museum, window ledge, roof top, air vent
Language Function & Structure:

Use of nouns followed by (i) an infinitive clause or (ii) for + gerund to refer to tools and their use

e.g. We can use the techno-trousers to carry us around.

We can use the techno-trousers for walking the dog.

e.g. move the lever up/down, press the button, move forward/backward, turn right/left, lift the leg up, turn the power on/off, set the pace to fast/slow

e.g. walk behind/along/past/up/down/into/out/upside down, stop below, arrive at, turn over, jump on/onto, stand outside

e.g. We use a knife for cutting food, but we shouldn’t use it to frighten people.

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  Intensive viewing, listening, predicting and interpretation
  
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  Speaking: discussion (pamphlet design), giving instructions (robot game), sharing views (use and misuse of tools / equipments), pronunciation / reading aloud
  
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  Writing and artwork: pamphlet design, new inventions, extended story writing, story map completion
  
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  Reading: a cloze witness report
  

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  Wallace & Gromit : the Wrong Trousers* (EITHER the ELT version, produced by Oxford English video, OR the original DVD of Wallace & Gromit: 3 Cracking Adventures produced by BBC. The former contains simplified dialogues but the visuals, music and sound effects are identical to the original. The latter, i.e. the original, captures the language of authentic speech and is not too difficult to understand because of the wonderful body language of the characters.)
  
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  Worksheets 1 to 8
  
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  The Wrong Trousers, a reader adapted by Bill Bowler published by OUP (optional -- for students who are interested in reading the story on their own)
  

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  Worksheet 2 Section II: Cue words for the common use of the given objects are given as language support. More able students can be encouraged to write more sentences about other uses of the objects on their own.
  
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  A sample promotional pamphlet is prepared for students who need more language support and ideas with the task on designing a promotional pamphlet of techno-trousers.
  
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  Two extended tasks are included. They require imagination, creativity and an integrated use of language and ideas learned in the other activities. These extended tasks can be used for classes that are keen on the story. They can also be used for more able students as enrichment tasks.
  
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  Weaker students who are interested in the video are strongly encouraged to read the reader the Wrong Trousers (adapted by Bill Bowler) which contains a lot of pictures and word meaning and allows them to read at their own pace.