Making a drama out grammar (5)

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.

            

Revisit a sequence of adjectives or adverbs that you may have taught the children. 

    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.