Giving directions (middle school, low-tech)

[Brian]

Here is a basic low-tech lesson I did on giving directions.  Like I said, I don’t have A/V resources, and I like to keep things pretty basic.  I’d be interested to see how people integrate things like Google Maps into lessons like this. 

As I explain below, this can be extended into two lessons.  I did that recently, and I found it to be effective, although everybody’s situation will be a little different.  Anyway, here’s the basic layout: 

1) Brainstorm vocabulary.
There’s probably a chapter in their books about this, and even if there isn’t, by the time they hit middle school they’ve had several lessons on directions already.  Write on the board: left, right, straight, turn, go, between, behind, across from, next to, and any other words the students may bring up.  I also wrote down “block,” “corner,” “nearest,” and “U-turn” (these will be used in the activity later, and the students were interested to see that U-turn means turning in a U-shape).

2) Dialogues
You’ll have sample dialogues in your book, I’m sure.  If not, dig them up online or make your own.  Have them repeat after you for a few times, and have them practice with their partners (or however you normally do dialogues).  Only spend about 5 minutes on this.

3) Directing students around the room.
I do it by dividing the students into 3 or 4 teams (according their rows), or if you don’t want teams you can just do it by asking for single volunteers.  Explain that one student will go out, and when that student is outside you will choose another student as the destination.  When the student comes back in, the other students on the team will have to guide him/her to the chosen students using directions.  It’s pretty easy, and most students have no problems with it.  The only hard part for them is speaking only English, because they always sneak in a “쭉” (straight) or “계속” (continue).  Also, make sure the other teams are quiet when one team is guiding.  For the last group I normally pick me as the target, and casually walk around the room as the student tries to find the chosen person.  I’ve seen this activity done with elementary school students using blindfolds, so that’s another way to do it. 

This activity will take a little less than 10 minutes, putting you about 20 minutes into the class (including warm-up and brainstorm).  During the activity I introduce any vocabulary they bring up in Korean, or that they may need (“keep going,” “turn around” “s/he/its on your left/right.”)  It’s also a good idea to agree on a uniform way of moving, because the activity later will depend on it.  What I mean is, when a student says “turn right,” does that mean “turn right and go straight,” or “turn right and stop.”  I normally tell them that “turn” means “turn,” and you have to add “and go straight ____ block.”  Do whatever you want, but keep it consistent. 

4) Map activity – part one.
You’ll give them a sheet of paper with something printed on both sides.  On one side is a completed map that you filled in, and on the other side is a blank map with the roads filled in but with empty blocks. 

Let me backtrack a little . . . I found it hard to find blank map templates, so I just made them myself.  I got a sheet of graph paper (use this one or do a google image search) and drew a few streets and blocks.  I attached a sample below, and if you use that ugly old thing you just have to: (1) label the streets, (2) fill in the buildings, and (3) add a few starting points.  I label the buildings as the basic things you’ll find around town, and I’ll throw in an 임대 and a prison.  I also add “doors” to each building, so the students will have to be more specific with their directions.  So, on one side of the paper will be the map, whichever map you choose, all filled in, and on the other will be a blank one with just the streets.  You’ll use the filled-in one now. 

Take a few minutes to introduce the streets and all the buildings.  Have the students repeat after you all the way around the map.  Have the students tell you where certain things are: “Where’s the bank?” “it’s on 3rd street,” “it’s next to the police station,” and if they can’t do that, model the sentences for them. 

Then have the students put their finger on one of the starting points, and have them follow your directions.  Have them repeat after you (because they’ll eventually be giving their classmates directions.)  Do this three or four times. 

Then, give them directions and have the students follow you (but not repeat).  Tell them that when you say “where are you?” they should raise their hands and tell you where they are.  The first student with the correct answer gets a piece of candy from me, and this is one of the very few times I give out candy in my classes.  At first I’ll make it easy, telling them “turn right on East Street” or “it’s next to the police station . . .where are you?”  Eventually I won’t use street names any more, or refer to other buildings.  Also, if you have a starting point at each corner, the ones on the top will be reverse the ones on the bottom, which is hard for students.  For example, if a starting point is at the top of the paper “going down,” moving right across the paper will actually require the students to “turn left,” so make sure you explain this.  You can also ask for a volunteer to guide students around their maps, too.

If I break this lesson into two parts, I’ll do this game for several turns and stop here.  For the next class I’ll review a new set of dialogues, do the above map activity a few times to jog their memory, and then do part two of the map activity.

5) Map activity – part two
The students have a blank map on the back of their other map.  On the bottom of the map or on the black board you should write “A” and “B,” and under “A” write a half-dozen place names, and under “B” write another half-dozen place names.  The students will work with partners.  One person is A, the other, B.  The students will plot their respective places on their blank maps, but will keep them hidden from their partners.  After they’ve finished drawing the places on their maps, they will have to guide their partners to each location.  See how it goes, but you might end up having to assign "A" and "B" to certain spaces (divide up the blocks and write A on some, B on the other), because there might be too much confusion if A and B student plotted their buildings on the same spot.  (Does that make sense?)

There are tons of variations, but this is the basic lesson I did.  For a longer class you could give the students the map to a shopping center, or the map of Everland and also introduce names of amusement park rides, or the map to a zoo, or whatever. 

Below are two attachments.  One is the map on a .doc file so you can print it.  The other is the blank map that you can use for the second map activity, or open in Paint to edit it, or whatever.  You can easily just make your own map with graph paper, but if you’re in a pinch . . .

Edit:Shane had a lesson plan on his computer with a map copyandpasted on it.  I just attached it, and since the streets and a few things are already labeled, you can print it out and use it in a pinch.  And I have no idea why the file is so huge.

[capebretonbarbarian]

Like the ideas!

Something different I used for giving directions was I made a town map.  It's huge, 8 feet by 8 feet or so.  This can be done with an extra class because there is a lot of additional work involved. 
I made the outline with bristol board and added streets, some cars, trees, benches, bus stops and what ever you may see on the streets.  I named the streets and left
the blocks empty.  Each block was big enough to fit about 6 A4 sized buildings.   
Then in one of my extra classes, I had each student draw an A4 sized  building or something that could be found in a town (park, bridge etc...)  I made sure the students all did something different because if not you may have 15 Singing Rooms and 10 PC rooms.  I encouraged them to use building that lower level students may not be familiar with.
I then let the students add the buildings to the map and we practiced dialogues  using a cut out man I have.     
How do I get to the _____?
Go  ______.
Where is the ______?
It's ________. 

Not a great lesson for the extra class, but they did have fun drawing and I enjoyed seeing their awesome artwork. 
What made this worthwhile is that I now have this giant map that I can bring out anytime I need to  discuss giving direction or where  something is. 

The students and teachers love it.       

One additional thing I would like to share is the use of my cutout man.  I have a woman, too.  They are Tom and Mary.  I drew them myself, head only, and fastened them to chopsticks.  I use these for two things. 
1. Doing dialouges so the students know who is talking.  Instead of just hearing me, they can put a face on the speaker it it seems like there is two people conversing rather than just me speaking. 
2.  Sometimes the kids are shy.  They can hold Tom or Mary in front of thier face and talk.  It takes the "edge" off for them.  I figured this out with kindergarten kids but it even works at my middle school now.

I also have a plastic mic which comes out when they are really shy.

[Samuel]

I love Tom and Mary!!

[wattawoman]

My directions lesson included a map of the classroom I drew on the whiteboard.  I had the kids direct me to someplace in the classroom.  I would run into chairs, walls, etc if that's where they directed me.  I also walked like an Egyptian, which they loved.  Then I directed them and the little monkeys also walked like an Egyptian.  It was fun for me and I hope for them, too.

[goulash]

Another map that could be used in this lesson...

[Brian]

That's a good looking map, thanks. 

Nice work on those lessons you uploaded.  You havin' a going out of business sale?     Look good from the ones I've seen.  They work pretty well with the students?  They seem to be at a good level for my kids. 

[goulash]

No worries.

I guess it's kind of a going out of buisness sale... for a while at least.
I'm heading back to Oz for 4 months & jsut thought I'd share all the lessons I've made (although some of them very possibly came from this site).

As with all lessons, some work better than others. Generally speaking, the ones made to go along with a chapter in the text book weren't as much fun as the ones I made up myself... but I guess it depends on how you teach it. I'm leaving that up to the teacher. I just thought I'd put up the handouts & let others do with them as they will.

[Brian]

Now that I'm in my second year at the same school I'm teaching the same units over again.  I've changed up my lessons from last year because
a) my lessons last year sucked, and
b) I have to teach more to the tests, which means lots more grammar practice and more rushing through the book.

Anyway, I switched up this lesson a little and split the time between the book and a map activity.  Because I don't think I'll have time to spend two periods on the same theme, I cut the map by 1/3 and have reattached it here along with some vocabulary for giving directions. 

Customize as you want and when you print it out write down about a dozen places for your city (apartment building, police station, Mini Stop, etc.) 

My teachers now have me giving and collecting homework, so after I go through the vocabulary I pass out last lesson's homework.  Since I don't know the students names or where they are, the students guide me through the class with the directions from the sheet.  Good practice for five minutes or so.  Then I go to the textbook and do it for fifteen or twenty minutes, then I go to the map on the worksheet.  I've written places in all the spaces, and first I have the students follow along to my directions.  Then I write a few places on the board and have the students practice writing out the directions.  Time permitting I give directions and they try to follow me.