Lesson 4: Skeleton Mobile!
New Words: Hip, leg, knee, ankles, feet, toe, head
Preparation: Flashcards, A4 photocopy of a skeleton (one per student), string (5 pieces per student, each 4-5 cms long) glue (one stick per 3 students), scissors (one pair per student), Song – Heads, shoulders, knees and toes.
Time: About an hour, depending on class size.
Click here for a picture of a skeleton. I just searched for "skeleton" with google images.
Notes: It’s a good idea to make a skeleton mobile before class, so that you can scare the students!
Warmer: Song – Heads, shoulders, knees and toes. 5 minutes.
Review –
upside down game. 5 minutes.
Introduce and drill the new words using your own body parts. It’s more or less just filling in the blanks. You could even draw a person on the board and elicit the words that way. Be sure to use adjectives like big, small, long, short and colours. 10 minutes.
Follow-up with a game of
teacher says. 10 minutes
Make a skeleton mobile
Picture of a skeletonYou should make it in front of the class and demonstrate as-you-go.
- Cut off the head, arms and legs. Make sure you cut a long (about 18 cms), wide (10cms) piece of paper.
- Fold this piece of paper (width-ways) two or three times, so that you have a long, skinny and strong piece of paper.
- Save the off-cut pieces of paper, as we’ll need those for later.
- Glue a piece of string to the head, arms and legs (on the back).
- Now is where that scrap paper comes in handy. Rip of a small section and glue it over the string. You should end up with a sandwich between the piece of paper and the body part, with the string in the middle. This helps to make the mobile stronger.
- Now, glue the bits of string to the skeleton, in the correct place! Again, add the strengthening sandwich paper.
- Get that long, skinny piece of paper and glue it to the back of the head. Add a sandwich support.
- Bend the long piece of paper, so that it is 90 degrees (or so, just as long as there is a bend) to the head.
- Scare the students!
- Get them to make their own.
This will take a while; don’t be surprised if it takes up to 30 minutes.
