Actualización en Inglés y Pedagogía / Metodología

para Profesores de Enseñanza Básica y Media

 
FINAL PROJECT: ​Lesson Design

Target Group:​ The following English lesson has considered 12th graders

Learning Objective: We, as teachers, want to help our students to develop their oral skills, for this
reason our learning goal is:

Learners  will  be  able  to  narrate  the  life  of  a  famous  character  using  the  simple  past 
form. 

Lesson
 
Warm up

Teacher presents students the learning goals of the class, then shows a powerpoint presentation with
pictures of famous people and asks students what they know about these people. The whole class can
make comments either in English or Spanish. Finally, teacher asks students what all these people have in
common and guide them to the idea of ​being famous​.
The purpose of this activity is to prepare students to learn by stimulating their minds (showing them
the famous characters' pictures)

Listening activity 

Pre-Listening:
Activating prior knowledge

Teacher shows students a picture of the singer Amy Winehouse, and asks them: ​What do you know
about this person?​ Students’ answers are written on the board.

In this stage we want to generate interest and to build confidence in students by asking them something
that they already know about someone. This kind of activity also helps students to facilitate
comprehension.

Grammar presentation:​ ​The simple past.

Teacher picks ideas from the previous activity and writes the following sentences on the board:
Actualización en Inglés y Pedagogía / Metodología
para Profesores de Enseñanza Básica y Media

She ​was​ a singer

She ​consumed​ drugs
She​ ​lived​ in England

Then, teacher asks students to work in pairs and look at the underlined verbs and pay attention to their
form. Groups answer the following questions:

Are these sentences in present or past?

Which is the difference between saying: ​She ​is​ a singer ​and ​She w
​ as ​a singer?

Groups share their answers, then teacher helps students to understand that when we speak about past
facts or events that are over, such as talking about someone dead, we have to use verbs in the past
form.
Teacher gives students a list of verbs that they are going to see in the following activities. Students have
to look for their infinitive form and meaning to complete the chart.

List of verbs:

Past Infinitive Meaning

Sang
Released
Consumed
Wrote
Was (born)
Got (married)
Ingested
Was
Had
Won

Finally, the teacher asks students to look at the verbs ​Released​, ​Consumed and ​ingested and to recognise
what they have in common and why are different from the other verbs. Teacher explains that there are
regular (-ed) and irregular verbs.

This activity focuses on teacher presenting a grammatical item to students and they have to think and
discover how it works in this specific context.
Actualización en Inglés y Pedagogía / Metodología
para Profesores de Enseñanza Básica y Media

After teacher and students check the information from the chart, teacher presents students the
following statements about Amy Winehouse.

The aim of this true and false exercise is to help students to generate ideas and vocabulary that may
appear in the video. This activity will help students to pay attention on the listening activity and build
their expectations of what they might hear.

Decide if the following statements are True or False.

1) Amy Winehouse ​sang r​ ock music _______

2) Amy Winehouse ​ ​released​ ​an album called “Rehab” _______
3) Amy Winehouse​ c ​ onsumed​ drugs and alcohol _______
4) She ​wrote​ ​ song lyrics about her own life _______
5) She ​was​ born​ in New York city, United States _______

While-Listening 

Task 1: Identify specific information

Students listen to Amy Winehouse’s biography. Teacher gives them the transcript to read and listen at
the same time. Teacher asks students to read the statements (activity) before listening.

Students are asked to listen and identify specific information by recognising key words like cognates or
some verbs seen previously.
Actualización en Inglés y Pedagogía / Metodología
para Profesores de Enseñanza Básica y Media

Listen to the audio carefully and order the Amy Winehouse’s life events from 1 to 8.

____ Amy Winehouse ​released ​an album called “Frank”

____ Amy Winehouse ​was ​born in september 14, 1983 in London England

​ arried
____ She​ got m

____ She ingested lethal levels of alcohol

____ When she ​was​ thirteen she ​wrote th

​ eir own song lyrics

____ She ​released a​ n album called “ back to black”

____ Amy Winehouse​ released​ an album called “Frank”

____ She ​divorced

After doing this activity students will compare their answers with their partners. Teacher asks groups to
read aloud one of the statements following the correct order.

Task 2​: ​Identify past verbs that appeared in the oral text

In this while listening activity students answer some multiple choice questions about Amy Winehouse’s
biography in order to identify specific sentences in the text and they have to complete them with the
correct verb. In this activity students are not only listening for comprehension but also practicing simple
past form (grammar).

Choose which of the verbs is the correct to complete the sentence.

1.- ​ Amy wine house ____ from a long tradition of jazz singers.

a. came
b. come
c. coming

2.-​ It was not a surprise when she ____ up music.

Actualización en Inglés y Pedagogía / Metodología
para Profesores de Enseñanza Básica y Media

a. take
b. took
c. taken

3.-​ She _______ the album back to black in 2006

a. released
b. release
c. releasing

4.-​ She ______ to experience breathing problems.

a. begin
b. began
c. begun

5.- ​ She _____ lethal level of alcohol

a. ingest
b. ingested
c. ingestening

Post Listening Activity :

EdPuzzle activity

Teacher asks students to answer some questions about the biography by using Edpuzzle. Students can
discuss and compare their answers in pairs.
The aim of the multiple-choice comprehension question is to determine how well the students have
understood what they have listened to.

1.- What were the personal facts that inspired the album "Back to Black"?

a) Relationship problems and drug addiction

b) Early childhood issues and eating disorders
c) Drugs overdose and breathing problems

2.- Who were her early musical influences?

Actualización en Inglés y Pedagogía / Metodología
para Profesores de Enseñanza Básica y Media

a) TLC and Salt-n-Peppa

b) Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald
c) Tyler James

3) Why did she start to suffer breathing problems?

a) because she suffered asma

b) because of her eating disorders
c) because of her excessive use of cocaine

4) What were the causes of Amy Winehouse death?

a) she suffered a heart attack

b) she ingested lethal levels of alcohol
c) She committed suicide

5) According to what you listen to about Amy Winehouse's life . What were the problematic issues which
she had to deal with?

a) drug and alcohol addiction, mental health issues and paparazzis

b) physical disease, violence and drug addiction
c) paparazzis and violence

After students answer the multiple choice questions they will discuss in pairs about Amy Winehouse life
events . Students will make a list about good events and bad events in her life .

Bad life experiences Good life experiences

After students make the classification about the events they are asked to move to other groups and
discuss the following question :

Was Amy Winehouse happy?

The aim of this activity is to practice actions (verbs) and vocabulary about past events. Students should
try to include the target structure they have learnt into their speaking.
Actualización en Inglés y Pedagogía / Metodología
para Profesores de Enseñanza Básica y Media

Teacher asks the groups if they think Amy was happy or not? And why (they should give one reason for
the answer)

Speaking activity

Narrate the life of a character.

Teacher shows students pictures about different famous characters who are already dead. In pairs they
have to choose one of those characters. After pairs choose their character they have to look for the
biography of the corresponding character. Students have to read and identify specific information
following the transcript and the chart given by the teacher for this purpose.

Information Example (from Amy Winehouse biography).

Date and place of birth Amy Jade Winehouse w ​ as born September 14th, 1983 in
Southgate, London, England.

Information about childhood (as a child) she ​received h

​ er first guitar and joined several bands

Information about adult life ​ ot married​ in 2007 with ….

Amy g

Career Winehouse ​released her jazz tinged debut record, “Frank” in

2003.

It (Amy’s record) ​won five Grammy Awards, and ​was the United
Kingdom’s best-selling record of 2007.

Death … on July 23rd, 2011 Amy Winehouse w ​ as found d

​ ead in her
home after she ingested lethal levels of alcohol.

Legacy Amy Winehouse ​left ​introspective, timeless and unique music

that will last beyond her lifetime.

Finally, students will have to narrate orally the biography about their chosen character in front of their
classmates using visual material like a powerpoint presentation, videos, pictures, among others and
using too the simple past grammar structure.
The purpose of this activity (talk as a performance) is that learners demonstrate that they can organize
and present specific information to their classmates using appropriate vocabulary and using correct
grammar structures and pronunciation.

Materials
Actualización en Inglés y Pedagogía / Metodología
para Profesores de Enseñanza Básica y Media

● Video

​ my Winehouse Biography
Here you can find the video:​ A

● Video Transcript

Biography of Amy Winehouse

Her jazzy vocals and brash, introspective lyrics made her a star. Welcome to WatchMojo.com,
and today we’ll be learning more about the life and career of Amy Winehouse.

Early Years

Amy Jade Winehouse was born September 14th, 1983 in Southgate, London, England to Jewish
parents. Winehouse came from a long tradition of jazz singers and enthusiasts, so it was no
surprise when she took up music.

Influences

After beginning formal training, she received her first guitar and joined several bands. By age
13, she was writing her own music modeled after influences like Frank Sinatra and Ella
Fitzgerald. Her classmate, singer Tyler James, soon introduced her to the industry, and labels
began battling over this authentic songstress.

Style

Winehouse mimicked the wild style of hip hop and R&B acts like TLC and Salt-n-Pepa, and
gushed profanity-laced, sometimes humorous lyrics in her trademark cockney twang to
emphasize it. That, combined with the girl group groove of 1960s’ bands like The Ronettes,
created her signature style and sound. In fact, the bouffant beehive and exaggerated winged
eyeliner became signatures.

Debut Album

After being kept an industry secret, Winehouse released her jazz tinged debut record, “Frank”
in 2003. The effort’s pop, soul and hip hop vibe was felt on singles like “Take the Box.” Positive
reviews and sales eventually helped the album go triple platinum, and earned her several award
nominations. The song “Stronger Than Me” even won her the prestigious Ivor Novello Award
for Best Contemporary Song.
Actualización en Inglés y Pedagogía / Metodología
para Profesores de Enseñanza Básica y Media

Early Struggles with Addiction

However, even this early in her career, Winehouse began struggling with alcohol and eating
disorders. She was often seen at clubs, or arriving to gigs drunk. She also began a
tempestuous on-again-off-again relationship with video production assistant Blake Fielder-Civil,
who introduced her to more serious addictions like hard drugs.

“Back to Black”

Despite her personal troubles, Winehouse was on the cusp of international success. Her
sophomore effort “Back to Black” was released in 2006, with production by Mark Ronson and
Salaam Remi. The album took cues from girl groups of the past, and added contemplative lyrics
about Winehouse’s life. That was the magic formula that made the album an international
smash. It won five Grammy Awards, and was the United Kingdom’s best-selling record of 2007.

“Rehab”

“Back to Black” generated numerous singles, many of which were inspired by her relationship
with Fielder-Civil. However, her most famous track was based on her struggles with addiction:
“Rehab” became a signature tune for Winehouse.

Downward Spiral

Hot on the heels of this triumph, Winehouse married her beau in 2007. Unfortunately, this did
nothing to stop her bad habits: she continued showing up to shows inebriated and even got
booed off the stage by U.S. crowds. Tabloids followed her violent outbursts, arrests and general
bad behavior, and it was reported she suffered a drug overdose. Finally, her tour plans were put
on hold to address her health.

Old Habits Die Hard

Winehouse did eventually go to rehab, but constantly slid back into her old habits. In 2008, a
video allegedly showing the star smoking crack cocaine surfaced, and soon she began
experiencing breathing problems due to her excessive use of that drug. She reportedly gave up
illegal drugs at that point in a bid to save her life, but still battled alcoholism.

Possible Comeback
Actualización en Inglés y Pedagogía / Metodología
para Profesores de Enseñanza Básica y Media

Meanwhile, Winehouse’s husband was jailed for several months, during which time Winehouse
seemingly moved on from their codependent relationship, and performed live to varying
degrees of success.

Death

The pair’s divorce in 2009 coincided with the early stages of Winehouse’s comeback.
Unfortunately, this fast-living star did not release another album in her lifetime: on July 23rd,
2011 Amy Winehouse was found dead in her home after she ingested lethal levels of alcohol.

Posthumous Releases

Outpourings of grief followed her death. The Tony Bennett duet “Body and Soul” was released
to mark what would have been her 28th birthday, and it later showed up on the posthumous
album “Lioness: Hidden Treasures,” which included tracks Winehouse recorded before her
death. In fact, the singer left many recordings, which were released in the years that followed.

Legacy

Though this singer was troubled with addiction, mental health issues and the paparazzi
throughout her life, she left introspective, timeless and unique music that will last beyond her
lifetime. Amy Winehouse will be remembered as one of the most popular British female singers
in history, and one of the most talented and troubled vocalists of our time.

● EdPuzzle activity

www.edpuzzle.com

Class code: ​eL2361