Sample Youth Forum Lesson: Shopping

At the Mall

(adapted from: Nebraska K-12 Foreign Language Frameworks:
http://www.nde.state.ne.us/FORLG/Frameworks/Frameworks.pdf p. 84-85 3/6/2004)

Activity summary: Students use the target language to make predictions and ask and answer questions about shopping.

Intended level: Beginning

Length of activity: One and one-half 50-minute sessions

Reflects standards: Communication 1.1, 1.2

Materials needed: Prepared shopping lists, list of stores (one per student), overhead projector, transparencies and markers, construction paper and markers for store labels, props or pictures for each store

How students work: Individually, in large and small groups

Steps for Planning and Implementation:

1. As a class, students make a list of target language questions and answers used in shopping, and recall forms of courtesy. Teacher writes these on the overhead transparency.
    
2. Divide class in half. One half takes the role of shopkeepers; the other half takes the role of shoppers. Each group prepares separately.
    
3. The shoppers form smaller groups of four or five and receive a list of stores and shopping lists with eight to twelve items listed in random order. Each student predicts which store sells two or three of the items by saying in the target language where he/she will go to buy them. (Some of the items will be unfamiliar.) A recorder in each group writes down the predictions. After all have predicted a store, the recorder or other group member reads back the sentences to make sure all items have been mentioned.
    
4. The shoppers go to the predicted store and ask if the item(s) is/are sold there. If so, the students ask to buy it/ them. Since there are limited quantities of some items that might be on more than one list, those who best predicted the right store will get the chance to buy all items on the list. If the store does not sell the item, the shopper is advised to go another store.
    
5. While the shoppers are making predictions, each shopkeeper receives an envelope containing the items (or pictures of the items) to be sold, a vocabulary list of included items, and a list of the shops. They each match items to the name on their lists and state them to the other shopkeepers along with the name of their store; for example, “I have tape, typing paper, and envelopes. My store is the stationery or paper store.” This is so shopkeepers can advise shoppers when predictions are incorrect. Shopkeepers also make a tent-label for their store.
    
6. After shoppers and shopkeepers have interacted, the shoppers report the results of their shopping to the class; for example, “I have envelopes from the paper store.” Another group member checks off the items on the list. Shopkeepers collect the items as they are mentioned. “Outstanding shoppers” may be recognized.
    
7. The halves of the class reverse roles and repeat steps 3 through 6.