Gazi University Gazi Faculty of Education School of Foreign

Languages Department of English Language Teaching

TUBITAK PROJECT

LESSON PLAN & MATERIALS: MONTHS OF THE YEAR (FIRST SIX MONTHS)

Prepared by
Mustafa Hakan YANAR
mustafahakan.yanar@gazi.edu.tr

Ankara, 2023
Theme

Birthdays

Student Profile

YLs who are in 5th grade. In this class, the participants of the study, who are disadvantaged young learners identified, and the rest of the class
are being taught this special lesson.
They love predicting the content, categorization, and critical thinking activities. Moreover, they are very active. They like to act out things
they have learned

Language Objectives

● Vocabulary: Months (first six months): january, february, march, april, may, june
Target function & useful language
Talking about birthday months: My birthday is in march; Her birthday is in july.

Duration

80 minutes

Critical Thinking

2
 Sequencing
Learning Strategy Activities

Social and affective strategies: They are addressed via the teacher providing positive reinforcements such as “well done! Great! You are
going well!” while monitoring the class and after a YL gives a true answer.
Metacognitive strategies:
● The teacher asks about which activity YLs enjoyed most.
● Disadvantaged young learners are asked to do the metacognition activity (see the appendix)

Aims

● By the end of the lesson, disadvantaged young learners will have been able to identify target vocabulary items within the context of
“Birthdays” based on the sequencing vocabulary activity, guided writing, and information gap speaking activities which learners
actively repeat target vocabulary items and being engaged actively,
● By the end of the lesson, disadvantaged young learners will have been able to associate target vocabulary for “Birthdays” with images
presented by the teacher in the input presentation,
● By the end of the lesson, disadvantaged young learners will have been able to use target pattern to talk about birthday months with the
aid of guided language skill-based practice activities specifically designed for the target group’s strengths.
● By the end of the lesson, disadvantaged young learners will have been able to discriminate target words with aid of missing flashcards
activity in which learners close their eyes and find out the missing flashcard after they open their eyes.

Materials

3
 ● Worksheet
● Visuals

Anticipated Problems Solutions

• Some of the learners may forget to bring their materials
to the class.
• Some learners can give a wrong answer.
• Early finishers may appear, or an activity may not go as planned.
• Some of the learners may persist in switching to L1.
• The teacher has extra materials to give learners.
• The teacher turns the class and asks if other learners agree with their
friend. After that, the teacher gives two options one of which is the
wrong answer that learners have said, the other one is the true one.
• The teacher applies an extra activity.
• The teacher gives the instruction in L2 to imply that English is used
for communication, not a topic of study. Furthermore, he uses body
gestures and mimics to make his speech comprehensible.

Advance Procedure & Steps Interaction

Organizer The teacher greets learners and starts lessons, as a starter, one of the instructional techniques suggested for Patterns
the start of lesson as an advance organizer, listening to a song is used to activate learners' schemata.
listening to a song
● “Today we look birthdays and months.
and eliciting what
Before the teacher opens the song he states that today they will focus on birthdays and months. Then he
they know.
asks learners to take notes of which months they hear from the song below.

4
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sFcFZhZE0g
● “Here is our friend. watch the video and take notes of the months you know. ”
T-Ss

Presentation of Explicit Teaching of Vocabulary

Information With target vocabulary items simplified for the target group, the teacher starts pre-teach vocabulary. In
this context, the teacher provides visuals of the months and their use in a sentence. Besides, he encourages T-Ss
-Explicit teaching
learners to repeat the target sentences. For the word ‘January’;
of vocabulary
● “January! Repeat after me, January”
-Discrimination
● “Repeat after me! January is the first month of the year. ”
This process applies to all target words.
Response Strategies from SEN dimension
Bryant and Smith (2019) highlights response strategies while teaching to disadvantaged young learners. In
this context, they highlight that teachers should allow for shortened responses. Hence, after teaching for
about months, the teacher asks “whose birthday is in february?” and gets shortened answers such as me.
Discrimination Opportunity for Disadvantaged Young Learners
After the teacher finishes vocabulary teaching, the teacher asks which words they studied and gets words
from learners. Later he asks from the class to repeat the words studied altogether.
● “Which months did we learn?”
● “Come to the board and write about the months we learned.”
● “Tell me the months we learned. Altogether!”

5
 Missing Flashcards
This game is prepared to cater for discrimination opportunities. In this game, the teacher firstly shows all
the six cards and encourages learners to look at them, then he wants learners to close their eyes, and he
removes a flashcard. After he removes a flashcard, he asks learners to open their eyes and ask which
flashcard is missing.

Guided Practice In this section, learners are asked to do the following guided activities:

-Critical thinking
Critical Thinking: Sequencing
-Guided language
Learners are asked to order the first six months of the year.
activities
● “Order the first six months of the year.”
-Sequencing in
Reading Activity: Learners are given a text and asked to read the text and answer the questions.
tasks
● “READ the following text. Then, circle the correct option.” T-Ss
-Drill-repetition-
Speaking Activity:
practice.
In pairs, learners are asked to apply an information gap activity. In this context, they are asked to get their
-Checking for
months from their partner in the context of birthdays. For example, they are required to ask the question
understanding
of “When is Melih’s birthday? Then, their friend will answer the question.
(CFU)
● Work in pairs.
● Take a card and ask questions about these images.
● Ask when Ali’s birthday, for example.
● Your friend will answer from the card.

6
 Writing Activity
Learners are asked to fill in the puzzle with the help of hints.
● “Fill in the puzzle.”
Metacognition Activity:
To help them develop metacognitive activities, disadvantaged young learners are required to write their
answers to the following questions:
● “Which activity did you like most?”
● “Which activity was difficult for you?”
● “What did you learn today?”

Independent As Independent Practice, homework is assigned via encouraging disadvantaged young learners to interview your friends
Practice and write at least five sentences.
(Homework) ● “Interview your friends.”
● “Ask about their birthday months: “When is your birthday?”
● Write at least five sentences: My friend’s birthday is in June.

Pedagogical Reasoning for Research Project

Disadvantaged Young Learners (Special Educational Needs) Dimension

The Type of Instruction:
Bryant and Smith (2019) notes two main instruction types for teaching students with Special Needs (SEN): Direct Instruction and Strategy
Instruction. Simply, Direct Instruction refers to a teacher directed instruction with explicit teaching of skills while Strategy Instruction refers to a

7
self-regulatory type of instruction in which disadvantaged learners’ schemata is activated in the first place (Bryant & Smith, 2019). In this
lesson, an eclectic approach is considered, as suggested by Bryant and Smith (2019), and instructional techniques from both of the instructions
for special educational needs are utilized. For instance, both explicit teaching of vocabulary in addition to activation of schemata in the first
place is utilized.
The Sequence:
To maximize disadvantaged learners’ learning, while planning and delivering instruction for disadvantaged students, Bryant and Smith (2019)
highlight a lesson sequence which cultivates principles from Direct and Strategy Instruction. These procedure is as follows:
I. advance organizer
II. presentation of subject matter
III. guided practice
IV. independent practice (either assigned as homework or applied in the class with support)
Since the research project aims to synthesize the two educational fields, the suggested sequence is applied from SEN perspective at the same
time considering the stages’ relevance and proximity to the sequence commonly applied within the field of Teaching English to Young Learners
(TEYL). Briefly, while preparing this lesson the question of “what could be the equivalent, or at least related, techniques and methods suggested
for SEN dimension to the TEYL? is asked and the two fields are synthesized.
Checking for Understanding (CFU):
Bryant and Smith (2019) suggests that disadvantaged learners’ understanding should be checked with several activities. In this sense, the notion
of concept checking is aimed at with guided language activities rather than isolated concept checking questions as an adaptation.
Instructional Techniques:
As both of the fields favor fostering learners’ critical thinking skills, a critical thinking activity is included.
Instructional Components:

8
As an instructional component, Bryant and Smith (2019) notes several components such as drill-repetition-practice and sequencing. In SEN
contexts, sequencing means breaking down a task into its parts with step-by-step prompts. In addition, drill-repetition-practice means repeated
practice Bryant and Smith (2019). While planning this lesson, the two aforementioned components are included to foster disadvantaged young
learners language learning. To this end, activities in this lesson have steps each of them leading forward to the final task completion or product.
For instance, in the speaking activity, steps are provided one by one.
Data from Descriptive Needs Analysis
Shin et al. (2021) highlights the significance of knowing our learners in several ways. From this perspective, in order to know our learners, at the
beginning of the research project, a descriptive needs analysis in several areas such as exam analysis, learners observation, parental and learner
surveys are applied and the preliminary findings unravel that the target disadvantaged young learners group is successful at multiple choice and
short simple answers. To cater for this need, activities in this lesson are prepared requiring short and simple answers. Besides, presentation and
guided activities are simplified at a word and text level.
Strategy Training for Disadvantaged Young Learners
Artiles and Alba (2002) suggests that disadvantaged learners’ metacognitive and cognitive domains should be catered for them to be successful
at language learning. Hence, disadvantaged young learners’ metacognitive strategy is aimed to be developed via metacognition activity.

References
Artiles, Alfredo J., Ed.; Ortiz, Alba A., Ed. (2002) English language learners with special education needs.
Bryant, D. P., Bryant, B. R., & Smith, D. D. (2019). Teaching students with special needs in inclusive classrooms. Sage Publications.
Ortega, D. P., Cabrera, J. M., & Benalcázar, J. V. (2018). Differentiating instruction in the language learning classroom: Theoretical
considerations and practical applications. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 9(6), 1220-1228.
Shin, J.K., Savić, V., & Machida, T. (2021). The 6 Principles for exemplary teaching of English learners: Young

9
learners in a multilingual world. TESOL International Association.

Worksheet

Reading Activity:

10
READ the following text. Then, circle the correct option. 📖

Happy birthday! Do you know the names of the first six months of the year? January, February, March, April, May, and June! These months
have many special days, including birthdays! A birthday is when you celebrate the day you were born. You can eat cake, blow out candles,
and open presents. It's a special day just for you!
1. According to the reading passage, what is a birthday?
A. A birthday is when people celebrate victory.
B. A birthday is when people celebrate the day they were born. Eat cake
C. A birthday is when people remember their dead family members.
2. According to the reading passage, to celebrate their birthday, people say…
A. Rest in Peace! Blow out candles
B. What a shame!
C. Happy birthday!
3. In birthdays, people do not do the following:
A. People blow out candles. Open presents
B. People read books.

11
 C. People open presents.
4. According to the reading passage, what is the true order of the first six months of the year?
A. January, May, March, April, February, and June.
B. January, February, April, March, May, and June.
C. January, February, March, April, May, and June.
Answers:
1. B
2. C
3. B
4. C

Vocabulary Activity

This is Monica. Monica shuffled her calendar papers. Can you help her?

Order the first six months of the year.

12
Guided writing activity:

Fill in the puzzle.

13
Speaking Activity
1. Work in pairs.
2. Take a card and ask questions about these images.

14
 3. Ask when Ali’s birthday, for example.
4. Your friend will answer from the card.
Student A

Answer here Ahmet’s birthday is Ayşe’s birthday is Melih’s birthday

in June. in May. is in January.

Ask here ❓ When is Bob’s When is Jane’s When is Kolb’s

birthday? birthday? birthday?

Student B

Answer here Bob’s birthday is in Jane’s birthday is in Kolb’s birthday is

February. April. in March.

Ask here ❓ When is Ahmet’s When is Ayşe’s When is Melih’s

birthday? birthday? birthday?

15
Metacognition Activity
Answer the following questions.

Which activity did you like most? (Hangi What did you learn today? (Bugün ne Which activity was difficult for you? (Hangi aktivite senin
aktiviteyi en çok sevdin?) öğrendin?) için zordu?)

Homework

1. Interview your friends.

2. Ask about their birthday months: “When is your birthday?”
3. Write at least five sentences: My friend’s birthday is in June.

SUMMARY

16
 July is the sixth
March is the third month of the year.
January is the first April is the fourth June is the fifth
February is the month of the year.
month of the year. month of the year. month of the year.
second month of the
year.

“When is your birthday?”

“My birthday is in January/February/March/April/June/July.”

17
Missing Flashcards

18
Answer here Ahmet’s birthday is in June. Ayşe’s birthday is in May. Melih’s birthday is in January.

Ask here ❓ When is Bob’s birthday? When is Jane’s birthday? When is Kolb’s birthday?

Answer here Bob’s birthday is in February. Jane’s birthday is in April. Kolb’s birthday is in March.

Ask here ❓ When is Ahmet’s birthday? When is Ayşe’s birthday? When is Melih’s birthday?

Answer here Ahmet’s birthday is in June. Ayşe’s birthday is in May. Melih’s birthday is in January.

Ask here ❓ When is Bob’s birthday? When is Jane’s birthday? When is Kolb’s birthday?

Answer here Bob’s birthday is in February. Jane’s birthday is in April. Kolb’s birthday is in March.

Ask here ❓ When is Ahmet’s birthday? When is Ayşe’s birthday? When is Melih’s birthday?

19
20
Answer the following questions.

Which activity did you like most? (Hangi What did you learn today? (Bugün ne Which activity was difficult for you? (Hangi aktivite
aktiviteyi en çok sevdin?) öğrendin?) senin için zordu?)

Answer the following questions.

Which activity did you like most? (Hangi What did you learn today? (Bugün ne Which activity was difficult for you? (Hangi aktivite
aktiviteyi en çok sevdin?) öğrendin?) senin için zordu?)

Vocabulary Activity

This is Monica. Monica shuffled her calendar papers. Can you help her? Order the first six months of the year.

21
 Vocabulary Activity

This is Monica. Monica shuffled her calendar papers. Can you help her? Order the first six months of the year.

Reading passage READ the following text. Then, circle the correct option. 📖

22
Happy birthday! Do you know the names of the first six months of the year? January, February, March, April, May, and June! These months
have many special days, including birthdays! A birthday is when you celebrate the day you were born. You can eat cake, blow out candles, and
open presents. It's a special day just for you!
5. According to the reading passage, what is a birthday?
D. A birthday is when people celebrate victory.
E. A birthday is when people celebrate the day they were born. Eat cake
F. A birthday is when people remember their dead family members.
6. According to the reading passage, to celebrate their birthday, people say…
D. Rest in Peace! Blow out candles
E. What a shame!
F. Happy birthday!
7. In birthdays, people do not do the following:
D. People blow out candles. Open presents
E. People read books.
F. People open presents.
8. According to the reading passage, what is the true order of the first six months of the year?
D. January, May, March, April, February, and June.
E. January, February, April, March, May, and June.
F. January, February, March, April, May, and June.

23
24