Lesson Plan

Teachers: Carolyn Dunn & Amanda Meier

Level: Advanced Studies
Date/Time: Monday, Oct 20 7:00 PM 9:00PM
Goals: To practice writing and providing peer feedback; to discuss chapter 4 of A Visit From the Goon Squad by
Jennifer Egan; to practice listening to podcasts.
Objectives (SWBAT):
Students Will Be Able To
1. Practice speaking and review material from last week by doing line interviews.
2. Write a short essay related to the Unit theme of Wanderlust and provide peer feedback
3. Discuss major themes from chapter 4 from the Goon Squad by drawing a story map.
4. Practice listening for gist and details through a guided listening activity featuring an excerpt from the Planet Money
podcast.
Theme: Wanderlust
Extension: Optional reading of New York Times travel articles on which essay topics were based; listen to the rest of
the podcast at home and answer questions on the blog.
Aim/Skill/Microskill

Activity/Procedure/Stage

Interaction

Time

Review or Preview (if

applicable)

Announcements/Attendance/Admin

T-Ss

0-5 min

15 mins total
for warmer.
Start 7:00 and
End by 7:15

T presents Goals and Agendas from website

Activity 1: Warm-Up
Line Interviews

1.1 Pre-Stage: Ask students to form 2 lines, facing each

other. Explain that you are going to ask them to discuss a
question. Theyll need to remember their partners answer!
You will ask them about it.

T-Ss

Transition to #2: Ok,

now that we
understand the
meaning of
Wanderlust, we are
going to practice
speaking and writing
about this theme.

1.2 During Stage: Pose a question to the pairs:

Give them 3-4 minutes to discuss. When times up, tell
them to keep that information in mind for later. Switch
partner and pose another question. Repeat as desired.

S-S

What did you do this weekend?

What do you remember from class last week?
Now that youve refreshed your memories from last week,
think back to some of the themes we discussed and, with your
partner, discuss what you think the word wanderlust could
mean. Use the context from the sentence on the website to help
you. Have you experienced this feeling before?
Etc.

After a few rounds, bring the class back together and ask
for volunteers to share what they learned about their first
partner. Ask follow up questions. Repeat for each prompt.

T-Ss
Ss-Ss

1.3 Post-Stage:
Emphasize how important memory is to language learning;
show breakdown of the word wanderlust and ensure that
students understand the meaning; T writes 2 language
errors or questions overheard during the activity on the doc

T-Ss

cam to discuss with the class

Tangible Outcome & Teacher / Peer Feedback
Informal monitoring by T; T takes notes on any language
errors and writes them on doc cam; peer to peer interaction
provides informal peer feedback
Activity 2: Writing
and Peer Review
Practice

Transition to #3: Ok,

now that weve
practiced some writing
and speaking, its time
to try some listening

2.1 Pre-Stage: T passes out handout with 5 possible essay

T-Ss
topics related to the weeks theme of Wanderlust. Each
topic is supported by a quotation from the New York Times.
T instructs students to NOT read the entire paper; Ss should
select the topic that is most interesting to them, and then
read the quote.

3min
(Start 7:15,
end 7:18)

Ss have 10 minutes to discuss their selected topics with a

partner. T monitors and assists.

S-S

10 min
(Start 7:18,
end 7:28)

2.2 During Stage: Students have 10 minutes to write about

their selected topic. T tells students they will be reading
each others papers, but this is just a first draft so they
shouldnt worry. T monitors and assists with vocabulary
and writing questions.

10 min
(Start 7:30,
End 7:40)

15 min
(Start 7:40
End 7:55)
5 min
(Start 7:55
End 8:00)

2.3 Post Stage:

1.

Students switch papers and read. T passes out

peer feedback forms and students complete them.

2.

Students have brief conference with their partner S-S

to discuss the feedback.
T collects essays and feedback forms; will provide T-S
linguistic feedback on Wednesday. T tells students
they will have an opportunity to re-write then. T
mentions that all of the New York Times articles
are posted on the website; students may read at
home to help them prepare to re-write on
Wednesday if they would like.

3.

Tangible Outcome & Teacher / Peer Feedback: Written

essays and peer feedback forms; linguistic feedback from T
to be given to Ss on Wednesday; T informal monitoring and
assistance
Activity 3: Listening to 3.1 Pre-Stage
Podcasts
T write podcast on the board and asks students if they
T-Ss
know what it is (pod is an acronym for portable on-demand Ss-Ss
The Fastest Growing, and cast = broadcast).
Least Popular Airline
In America from
Explain that they will listen to part of a podcast called
Planet Money
Planet Money. Show title of episode on board and ask
S-S
students in pairs to predict what they think the podcast will
be about. Also, ask them to predict and write down some
words or phrases they think they might hear.

2 min

5 min

3.2 During Stage

During the first listening, tell students to circle if they hear
any of the words they predicted. Also, write down any new
words they hear. (stop podcast at 06:17)

6 min

S-S

5 min

During 2nd listening, students pay close attention to parts

that caused confusion or disagreement and make note of
new information.

6 min

Switch partners and compare what they have understood

the 2nd time.

S-S

5 min

In pairs, students should compare what they have

understood so far and explain how they arrived at the
understanding. They should identify parts that caused
confusion/disagreement and make note of what to listen
more closely to in 2nd listen.
Transition to #4:
Now its time to do
our weekly
discussion/mapping of
Goon Squad.

3.3 Post Stage

Come back together as a class and wrap up with a few
T-Ss
questions:
Ss-Ss
Would you fly Spirit Airlines?
Do you think Spirit will continue to be successful?
Etc.

5 min

Tangible Outcome & Teacher / Peer Feedback

Listening worksheet; T listens and write down
grammar/vocab errors to discuss later. Peer discussion fills
gaps in understanding.
Activity 4: Story
Mapping A Visit
From the Goon Squad
Chapter 4

4.1 Pre-Stage
How did the 4th chapter go?! Explain that were going to
recall and discuss information from chapter 4.
Ask students to get out their books and write down 2-4
vocab or grammar questions on note cards. Explain we will
come back to this later (either today or Wednesday,
depending on time)

T-Ss
Ss

2 min

Ss-Ss

8 min

4.2 During Stage

Put students into 2 groups. Give each group poster paper
and explain that they should try to create/complete the chart T-Ss
with information for (put sample on website)
Ss-Ss
Setting / Time
Characters
Transition to Wrap Up:
Problem
Weve posted the full
Resolution
episode of this podcast

on the class website as

4.3
Post
Stage
well as links to other
When
students
are done, have them switch posters and
episodes. You can
Ss-Ss
compare
maps.
Clear up any issues as a class.
listen online or
download them to your
Tangible Outcome & Teacher / Peer Feedback
iPods for more
Story maps w/ peer feedback consolidated w/ Ts answers

10 min

5 min

practice.

and posted to website.

Wrap-up

Lesson Evaluation Procedures

Exit tickets each student writes 2 things he/she learned
and 1 thing he/she is still confused by. T collects and
reviews at home; will address issues in next class.

5 min

Materials:
-Class website
-Handout with essay topics
-Peer feedback forms
-notecards
-butcher paper, markers
-Planet Money podcast audio: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/02/14/276973956/episode-517-the-fastestgrowing-least-popular-airline-in-america
Anticipated Problems and Suggested Solutions:
-Writing lesson is very tight for time; students often request more time to write. If necessary, can finish peer feedback
and move peer conferencing to Wednesday.
-Essay topics may be too complex for students to fully understand and write about in the time allotted. T will let them
know it is a draft only, they can focus on opinions and read the full articles at home on the website. Also, T will
monitor and assist and direct students to simpler essay topics (travel misadventures) if some of the more involved
topic prove too difficult
Contingency Plans:
-If we finish early, we can spend more time on the vocab/grammar notecards that students filled out.

INSTRUCTIONS: DO NOT READ THIS ENTIRE PAPER. Read the headings

only, and choose the most interesting topic to you. Then, read the entire section
under the topic. You and your partner will have 10 minutes to discuss BOTH of
your topics (it is OK if you both want to discuss the same topic).
1. In the news: Ebola and Travel
Read the quote below. Do you think a ban on travel to West African nations affected by Ebola is a
good idea? Why or why not?
A few officials, including House Speaker John A. Boehner, have suggested banning flights to and from
[Ebola] affected countries, but the Obama administration has so far dismissed the idea, saying that a ban
could slow the flow of aid there. Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, has said that restricting travel to affected nations could drive traffic into other parts of Africa,
making it even harder to contain and eliminate the virus. Several cruise lines have voluntarily altered their
routes to avoid the West African coast.
From: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/17/travel/the-latest-on-ebola-and-travel.html?ref=travel
2. Terrible Travel Tales
The New York Times includes a section for readers to share funny or crazy travel stories when
something went wrong (see excerpt below). Do you have a story like this? Tell your partner.
When youre planning a trip, optimism reigns. Hotels look clean, maybe even charming. Sights look
interesting, even exciting. The weather? Should be fine or better! Then you actually go. And thats when
things can go maddeningly, even hilariously, wrong. We asked readers to share their misadventures:
The diaper had leaked all over my business suit.
Men with machetes were waiting by a burning oil can.
Two more bus rides, still nowhere near my destination.
From: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/11/travel/travel-misadventures.html?ref=travel
3. Uber and AirBnB Legal Struggles
Recall our in-class discussion on Thursday about AirBnB (website to rent out your apartment or rent
someone elses apartment when traveling) and Uber (phone app that allows you to get a ride from an
independent driver rather than a yellow taxi). As we discussed, these companies have had some legal
problems. According to the New York Times, one problem is that these companies follow Internet
business practices but operate in the real world, not online. Read the quote below. How can a
company such as AirBnB or Uber balance the cost-saving benefits of automation with the need to
ensure the safety of its users? Do you think businesses like these are a good idea?
The third related [internet business] principle is to automate everything whether selling ads, flagging
inappropriate content or assessing employee performance. That notion also meets its limits in the real world.
When Brian Chesky, the co-founder and chief executive of Airbnb, responded to complaints about
vandalism, he emphasized that Airbnb had algorithms that identify suspicious behavior. Thats nice, yet
algorithms, when peoples safety and well-being are involved, are not enough.

From: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/19/upshot/when-uber-lyft-and-airbnb-meet-the-real-world.html?
ref=travel
4. Traveling without Moving
Read the quote below. We have discussed what we can learn from travel. Do you think it is possible to
learn the same kind of things by carefully looking at the world around you, without even leaving
home? What do you think about when you walk around New York or ride the subway?
The kind of traveling I do most, these days, is on the subway, going no farther than from Brooklyn to
Manhattan, or, even worse, from one part of Brooklyn to another.
Usually the ride gives me a chance to rest: I read, look at the people around memy mind tends to wander,
and then I daydream, sometimes about what great or small things I may do at home, and sometimes about
leaving home.
From: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/19/nyregion/story-excerpt-traveling-from-brooklyn.html? ref=travel
5. Profit-Driven Adventure Travel Is it Safe?
There have been many deaths recently in Nepal and other areas where people are doing extreme
adventure travel (for example, climbing Mount Everest). Some people say the companies that run
tours in dangerous places are too focused on profit, marketing their tours with claims that all people
who purchase the trip, regardless of physical fitness, will complete it. Do you think this is an ethical
business practice?
As the death toll rose to 31 on Friday after this weeks intense snowstorm and avalanche an aftereffect of
the devastating cyclone many involved in Nepals robust, expedition-centered tourism industry began to
question why so many hikers were stranded on mountains in the midst of a weather event that appeared to
have been predicted. Some tour operators blamed the government for not warning them; others suggested
that the trekkers themselves and the companies that ran the tours were eager, perhaps overly so, to complete
the trek.
From: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/18/world/asia/nepal-to-establish-weather-warning-system-afterhiking-disaster.html?ref=travel

Peer Review Form1

Writers Name:__________________________________
Reviewers Name:________________________________
The purpose of completing this form is to provide honest and helpful feedback to your partner. Read the
entire essay before answering any of the questions below. Be as specific as possible, referring to particular
parts of the paper in your answers.
1. What do you like most about the paper? Circle the most interesting idea and explain why you
thought it was interesting.

2. In your own words, write one sentence explaining the main idea of the paper.

3. Which parts of the paper need more detail so that the reader can understand them better? Underline
these parts in the paper.

4. Choose the statement with which you most agree:

____ Each of your paragraphs discusses only one idea, and everything in that paragraph is related to that
specific idea.
____ Some of your paragraphs are confusing because they seem to be about more than one idea. I marked
them with an X.
_____ Your writing seems to be all in one paragraph. I cant figure out where you start discussing a new
idea. Please help!
5. Please provide any additional suggestions that may help your partner below. You may use the back
of this form if you need to.

Adapted from Ferris, Dana and Hedgecock, John. Teaching ESL Composition: Purpose, Process and
Practice. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. London (2005)