Ruth Fleishman sent us this today and thank you Ruth! –
Hi Ben –
I’ve done a few “Watch & Discuss” (or whatever we are calling it) last year and this year. The discussion here on the blog and Eric’s video have given me some ideas to improve what I do.
I just started one this past week with my beginner 6th graders and then with one group of 7th graders (I just upped the discussion a bit for them). It felt intentional but also free, a nice combination and a little less haphazard than what I’d done in the past.
I actually haven’t gotten to Day 2 yet since I have a horrible not-every-day schedule, but I like the way Day 1 went. I wrote it all out for future reference for myself because I get really scattered. Maybe this is useful to other people as well.
One Way to Do Watch & Discuss
Day 1 prep:
1. Choose short clip with repetitive action.
2. Make a list of all the verbs in the clip that you will use (acquired, familiar, new).
3. Optional – Choose screenshots and create a presentation if you want (no text) This takes time.
I did not use screen shots on Day 1 this time.
Day 1 in class:
1. Establish meaning and TPR the new target verbs first (3 + 1 cognate this time)
2. TPR all the verbs for this clip, extra practice for all – new and old
3. Brief comprehensible introduction to the story in TL
4. Show the clip (all, part, or screen shots depending on you, your classes, and the clip) I showed the whole thing this time without saying anything.
– Sometimes it’s good to not show the end at first.
– Sound off if there is speaking, sound on if it’s just music and sound effects and not distracting.
5. Show the clip again, stopping to ask questions (1-2 word answers), circle, and narrate. Get in as many reps as possible. They’ve already seen it so they won’t be so impatient.
6. Show the clip a third time straight through while students call out words, phrases, whatever they can as they see things happen. They liked this.
Day 2 prep:
1. Create presentation with screenshots if you haven’t already – This takes time.
2. Add text to screenshots.
3. Alternatively, write up the story as an embedded reading. Takes less time than screenshots.
4. OR do both. Use the embedded reading another day.
5. Follow-up activity idea (parallel story, act out, Textivate, cooperative mural – thanks, Angie, essential sentences…)
It’s great how you can use and reuse the same clip, same screenshot PP at different levels; just change the targets, the discussion, and the text. The screenshots take a lot of time, so it’s good to be able to reuse them. Of course, you can also just make fewer of them! I got a little carried away perhaps with my newfound skill.
Day 2+ in class:
1. ROA the story with the screenshots or Embedded Reading – Include as much circling as possible. I sometimes forget to work the story as much as I should.
2. Follow-up activity if time (parallel story, act out, Textivate, cooperative mural, essential sentences…) or another day
Here is my rather long screenshot presentation with text in French and link to the video on the title page. Feel free to make a copy and use as is, change the language, or whatever. It has lots of basic action verbs:
https://docs.google.com/a/hartfordschools.net/presentation/d/1E26X7mwnQN6NH9eVhwk5Eir4tEWvglnuGVB6n7OIjgE/edit#slide=id.p
Here is the YouTube clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tuf61OjvoPQ.