Description

Using total physical response strategies, students learn body parts in the target language (Spanish).

Materials

- Blaine Ray's book: Fluency Through TPR Storytelling
- White board
- Vocabulary Quiz sheets - set up in columns of 10, place for date and number
- Student provided spiral note book. This will be their dictionary (optional - see Extensions).

Procedures

1. Write 11 vocabulary words on the white board in Spanish. Do not write translations on the board!
le escribe (writes to him/her) anda (walks) pendiente (earring) mano (hand) pelo (hair) nariz (nose) brazo (arm) ojo (eye) ombligo (belly-button) oreja (ear) barba (chin)

2 Say that from this point students may only speak in Spanish. They must raise their hands to speak English. Tell students they must participate - do what the teacher does. (See Assessment for participation grade.) Keep the lesson plan available at all times.

3. Introduce the vocabulary orally and with gestures (when possible) point to the various body parts. Mass practice the gestures. For example: gesture 'escribe' by doing a writing motion in the air with your hand; gesture 'anda' by walking with your fingers

4. Attach memory devices to words when possible - (students may come up with some).
a. escribe sounds like scribe or script
b. anda - he walks on da floor
c. mano - manual
d. pelo -it's under your halo
e. barba - beard/barber

5. Check comprehension with the whole class by calling out the word in Spanish and have them gesture, first with their eyes open and secondly with their eyes closed. Observe students doing gestures.
If you notice a student does not comprehend, ask a group of three, including that student to perform the gestures in the same manner.

6. Create a mini-situation using the vocabulary. Personalize this (first - get to know your students, give them names using adjectives or animals in Spanish). Name local neighborhoods, stores, etc. that the character is walking to. Exaggerate the story, the more bizarre the better. Make the situation about them.
a. Determine how many characters/places are needed for the situation. Select students to play the roles
b. You may whisper instructions to get them to do what you want. Don't go on if the actors don't act it out.

Sample mini-situation: El mono walks to rubia and writes on her arm. She shows surprise by popping out her eyes. She grabs his ear and walks him to Wal-Mart. She points to earrings and then points to her eye, chin, and bellybutton.

7. Ask questions in Spanish based on the mini-situation - usually yes/no answer. Is it obvious, ridiculous, etc? Fish for more details using familiar vocabulary. How many earrings does she get? Where is Wal-Mart located? (Have a student stand in that spot) Who does mono write on? What does he write on?

8. Have each student retell the situation to a partner

9. Ask for volunteers to re-tell the situation to the class.

Extensions

1. This is Lesson 1 on body parts. Follow up on Days 2 and 3 with additional vocabulary - body parts and verbs. Follow the same procedure, creating different mini-situations. On Day 4, create a mini-story using the vocabulary from all three days.

2. Click here to view the follow-up lesson plan, More Body Parts, associated with this lesson.