Simile Silhouette Sentences
This activity will fit really well with our UKS2 work on grammar and sentence structure.It's an activity where we consider adjectives, adverbs and nouns and the gender of nouns.
In a simple form we can create with our young language learners
a drama and grammar sequence activities using nouns, adjectives, adverbs and creating spoken, performed and
written similes!
At the end of the sequence of activities the challenge is to create a "spoken simile silhouette poem" based on a specific groups of adjectives or adverbs.
The children can use the language recorded on the board/flipchart or you can encourage the children to use other familiar language or access new language in the bilingual dictionaries.
Ask the children to help you capture and
write these in a large thought bubbles on one side of the board/ flip chart in
the target language e.g. colours, sizes, how something feels (soft,hard, rough
etc) ,actions (fast, slow, quickly etc) a class create mimes and physical actions
for these words in your thought bubble.
In pairs add sounds to the words and
actions.
In pairs investigate (using bilingual dictionaries) objects that are
linked by shape, touch, smell, feel, visual look to the adjectives or adverbs
in your thought bubble. Brainstorm familiar nouns and encourage the children to
find at least three unfamiliar nouns that the class can use.
Take feedback and add these in a second thought
bubble on the other side of the board/ flip-chart .
Investigate with the children the gender of
the nouns.
Record on your board if the nouns are “le/la” in French,” el,la” in Spanish
or “der,die,das” in German.
Ask the children to create as a mime or physical
sculpture one of the nouns when you call
one of the definite articles above( “le/la” in French,” el,la” in Spanish or “der,die,das”
in German). The noun must be from the correct gender .
Make this a pair game .One partner creates
a mime or physical sculpture one of the nouns
when you call one of the definite articles above( “le/la” in French,” el,la”
in Spanish or “der,die,das” in German). The noun must be from the correct
gender. The other partner must guess the
noun and say the correct definite article before the noun.
Now introduce your class to the magic “simile
spell word”. In French we use “comme” in Spanish we use “como” and in German we
use “wie”. Model the word as a spoken word – just like it’s a special word from
a spell. Write the word in between the two thought bubbles.
In pairs ask the children create spoken simile
silhouette sentences. They must add performance and sounds to express the
meaning of their sentences too!
One child is responsible for the performance of
the first part of the sentence (adjective /adverb)and the other child is
responsible for the performance of second
part of the sentence (noun).Both children speak the sentence. Hold “view ins”
to see the sentences they create.
Adjective/
Adverb
|
comme
wie
como
|
Noun with correct definite article
|
Remember! The challenge is to create a "spoken simile silhouette
poem" based on a specific groups of adjectives or adverbs. The children can use
the language recorded on the board/flipchart or you can encourage the children to
use other familiar language or access new language in the bilingual
dictionaries.
- Children work in pairs and the poems must be composed of at least five sentences.
- Give the children time to practise their poems and performances.
- Encourage the children to think of how they will present their physical performance e.g. they can stand back to back, facing each other, at different sides of the room , one child could kneel and one child could stand etc.
There is potential with this activity to
develop a creative written record of the poems.
I would suggest:
- Black and white photographs with subtitles of target language to “add the colour” to the photos
- Poster painting maps , where the children map a journey of pictures on the poster of the target language sentences and symbols to explain the adjectives,adverbs, nouns.