TASK 1: DESIGNING LANGUAGE ARTS ACTIVITIES

From the genres listed in the children’s literature in KSSR, the genre that has
been chosen is short stories. The short story entitled “The Lost Egg” was written by
Judie McEwen in 2011.

There are three activities planned based on the short story ‘The Lost Egg’
selected for Year Five pupils, which are “Pick and Answer”, “Story Coin Timeline” and
“Who, Why, What?” .

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Activity 1:
Pick and
Answer

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Task 1: Designing Language Arts Activities

Description: This activity requires high order thinking skill. It is a group work activity.
Pupils discuss the answer among the group and organise the answer into a full
sentence. The questions are written in cute cartoon letters. The cartoons are the
characters that appeared in the story.

Materials: Ice-cream sticks with written numbers, a cylinder box, a mounting board
with question letters on it

Justification for selection of materials:

Language level & potential: The questions are simple, easy to read and understand.
The language used is accurate.

Visual features: The question letters are designed with cute cartoon characters.

Interest: Students are interest with animals and mysteries in the story.

Moral Value: Cooperation. Students cooperate with their peers to do this activity.

Instruction:
1. Teacher divides pupils into 4 groups.
2. Each group need to send a representative to pick an ice cream stick from a
cylinder box.
3. Representative opens the letter which the number written on the letter is
same with the ice cream stick.
4. The representative read aloud the question.
5. Pupils discuss and answer the question in full sentence.
6. Teacher discusses the correct answers with pupils.

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Activity 1: Pick and Answer
The first activity planned is known as ‘Pick and Answer’. This activity is a
group work and it is student-centered. Through this activity, pupils are required to
recall back the storylines to get the answer of the questions they get. This can help
them to remember the detail of the story better and leave them a deep impression
about the story line. Pupils also required to answer the questions in full sentences.
This can enhance their language organization thus the proficiency of language can
be improved. On the other hand, the question includes high order thinking skills that
enable pupils to have creative thinking. They can have a deeper thought on the story
and also the cause and effect in the story. It requires their imagination to think about
another ending which cause by different decision in the story. This activity can also
attracts pupils’ interest because it is more interesting than common questioning and
answering. Pupils are curious about what questions they will get. The cartoon
characters on the mounting board can help the pupils to have deeper impression on
the characters in the story. The mark given is to attract pupils’ interest. They become
more active in participating in this activity as they have desire to win.

Remarks:
1. 5 marks for correct answer in full sentence.
2. 2 marks for correct answer in close-ended sentence.
3. Chances to answer can be given to other groups if the group failed to answer
in 1 minute.

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Activity 2:
Story Coin
Timeline

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Activity 2: Story Coin Timeline

Story Coin Timeline is an activity planned based on the short story entitled ‘The Lost
Egg’. This activity can be carried out in pairs or groups. It involves pupils in
sequencing a series of story coins and story strips according to the short story
besides describing part of the story. Pupils are also required to design and make a
story coin timeline by using the story coins and strips.

Materials: Story coins, story strips, story coin timeline templates

Instructions:

1. Teacher divides pupils into groups of four.

2. Teacher asks pupils to describe the scene shown on the story coin and tell what
happen next.
3. Each group representative draws a story coin from the story bag contained a
series of pictures which tell the story.
4. A representative from each group shows the story coin and describe the part of
story it illustrates.
5. Pupils also tell the following part of the story.
6. Each group takes turn to tell the story based on the story coins.
7. Teacher distributes a complete set of story coins and story stripes to each group.
8. Pupils arrange the story coins and story strips into the correct sequence of story.
9. Pupils create a story coin timeline in their respective group.
10. Pupils decorate the coin timeline and present their work.

Justifications of activity:

The second activity planned is known as ‘Story Coin Timeline’. Story Coin activity
emphasizes student-centered learning and suitable to be carried out in pairs or
groups. The story coins used in this activity portray the plot of the story ‘The Lost
Egg’. The well-coloured pictures are interesting and able to motivate pupils to learn
on the story. The visual features also enable pupils to have some insight and can
understand the story thoroughly. Besides, this activity also needs pupils to recall the
details in the story in order to complete the task given to them. In this activity, pupils’

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sequencing skill can be tested. This is because this activity requires pupils to arrange
the story coins and story strips into correct order. There are also creative and
innovative elements in the activity that make it suitable for pupils, where they need to
create and decorate their own story coin timeline.

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Activity 3:
Who, Why,
What?
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Description

This is a group work activity which can engage the pupils in active learning. It
requires the pupils to work in groups and discuss the answer together. The pupils
have to draw the question out from the box and fill in the missing gaps.

Materials

Mounting board (forest’s background), questions in a box and answer cards.

Instructions

1. Teacher divides the pupils into group of two.

2. Teacher gives instructions to the pupils.

3. Marks will be counted and each question carries two marks.

3. Each group has to send a representative and draw the question from the box.

4. Representative from Group A will read the question aloud and complete the
missing gap with his/her members.

5. The pupils have to complete it within 10 seconds.

6. If Group A fail to do so, Group B will have the chance to answer the question and
get more marks.

7. The activity continues until the pupils complete all the questions.

8. The winner will be the group who gets the highest mark.

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Justification

The third activity planned is known as “Who, Why, What?” This activity can be
used to create student-centered learning environment. 21st century skills can be built
through this activity. It is a two way interaction between the students with the
students. A two-way information gap activities, both learners have information to
share to complete the activity. (Ellis, 1999) Besides, It is a new way to ask students
some questions as they need to draw the questions and answer it by insert the cards
in the box. Thus, it can motivate the pupils to learn. In addition, it is a group work
activity and marks will be counted. Kayi (2006) says that in information gap activities,
students are supposed to be working in pairs or in groups. One student will have the
information that other partner does not have and the partner will share their
information. Each question carries two marks. The pupils have to read the questions
aloud and discuss the answers with their members within 10 seconds. If they fail to
do so, the other group will have the chance to fill the missing gap and get more
marks. Therefore, the learners will feel more excited and more willing to find the
correct answers together. The moral value of collaboration can be developed too.
Moreover, the background which is designed as forest with rich colour can also
attract students’ attention. The learners will be more focus during teaching and
learning activity as the illustration is very attractive. Furthermore, students’ speaking
skill can be improved through information gap activity. If there is an information gap
between the learners, lifelike conversation can be ensured always with a more
unpredictable, diverse, meaningful, interesting and vivid output. (McKay& Tom, 1999).
Last but not least, the understanding of the story can be tested through this activity. It
is because the students need to answer the questions about “Who, Why, What?”

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Reference

Ellis, R. (2003). Task-based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford: Oxford

University Press.

McKay H., & Tom, A. (1999). "Teaching Adult Second Language Learners". New

York: Cambridge University Press.

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