U9 Video: Tatiana’s Volunteer Day Teacher Notes

of the verb, they should cross it out. When they

Suggested use: after Lesson 7 (but can be
used after any lesson in the unit, too)
Time: 25 minutes (plus 10 minutes for the
extension activity)
cross out all nine verbs, they should raise their
hand and shout “Bingo.” Play the video all the way
through.
• Complete Interactivity 2.
• Complete Interactivity 3.

The children will: After watching:

• Talk about working together to improve where
they live / go to school.
• Consolidate what they have learned about the
past tense form of verbs.
Warm Up:
• Write the word Volunteer on the board, and ask
the children what it means. Ask the children if
they have ever volunteered for something. If yes,
what was it for? Ask the children to think about
what needs improvement in their school or local
community / neighborhood and how they could
help make a difference.
• Ask the children if they think the schoolyard
looks better after Tatiana and her friends spent
time working on it. Ask the children if they can
remember what Tatiana and her friends did to
make the schoolyard nicer.
• Complete Interactivity 4.
Round Up:
• Explain that in the video some of the verbs were
in the present (infinitive) form and some were in
the past form. Play a quick game where you say a
verb and the children just need to say “present”
or “past.” Say the following verbs: helped, dig,
decided, brought, clean, swept.

Procedure: Extension Activity

Before watching:
• Write the following words on the board: to plant,
to dig, to water. Then ask the children what the
connection is between them. Elicit some ideas and
write them on the board, but don’t comment yet.
• Small groups: have children plan some
improvements to their schoolyard or
classroom. Give them a time limit of five
minutes before asking a few groups to share
their ideas with the whole class.

While watching:
• First play: Play the video from 0:00 to 0:51, and
then pause it. Ask the children what they learned
about Tatiana’s school. Then draw their attention
to the part where she talks about volunteering to • Have children find out about any volunteer
help make the schoolyard nicer. Ask the children to programs in their neighborhood. They can report
predict what Tatiana and her friends might do to their findings back to the class.
make the schoolyard nicer.
• Second play: Play the rest of the video, and see if
the children predicted correctly.
• Complete Interactivity 1.
• Third play: Ask the children to draw a chart with
nine squares (3 by 3) in their notebook. Tell them
to write the following words on the chart (one in
each square): help, dig, decide, bring, sweep, clean,
laugh, finish, and water. Explain that you will play
the video again and when they hear the past form

Level
2 Photocopiable © Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2012
U9 Tatiana’s Volunteer Day Video Script

Tatiana: That was me just last week at
my art school. I really enjoyed
that class.
We planned our show as a
group. We laughed a lot!
My friend took these pictures
of me. They are from one of
last year’s shows. I loved my art
school from the first minute I
arrived.
My school is special because it
is free. We can do acting and
dance classes, and we don’t
have to pay. People from the
community donate the things
we use.
So when I learned that the
school needed help, I wanted
to volunteer. They needed help
to make the yard nicer. Some of
my friends volunteered, too!
So my friends and I all arrived
to help on Volunteer Day.
First, we got the new plants and
supplies from the car.
Then, we decided where to put
the new plants.
Tatiana: “I’m going to plant this Aztec
Grass in this pot.”
My friend Malcolm added plant
food to the soil.
Malcolm, Franz, and I worked
on a big rosemary plant.
Then, Malcolm helped Hannah
get some more dirt.
Hannah planted a small
rosemary plant.
I planted some pretty red
flowers.
Hannah brought me some more
dirt.
After we planted the flowers,
Hannah added some plant
food.
Interviewer: “What is she doing?”
Franz: “Digging a hole.”
Interviewer: “Hey Franz, what are you doing
there?”
Franz: “I’m watering the plants.”
Tatiana: Working together to help with
the yard was really fun – almost
as much fun as taking classes at
the school!
Franz: “I planted rosemary; two – one
big, one small. I ...watered a lot
of plants.”
Hannah: “I helped plant some rosemary.
I helped dig a hole. I watered
some plants, and I swept rocks.”
Malcolm: “Heavy lifting.”
Woman: “Heavy lifting.”
Tatiana: Everyone helped; we watered,
planted, cleaned, and laughed a
lot while we worked.
This is what the school yard
looked like before Volunteer
Day…
… and this is what it looked like
when we finished.
Together, we made our school a
little better for everyone!

Level
2 Photocopiable © Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2012