A Lesson Plan with Snapguide!

Hi, there!

This time I'm bringing an engaging lesson plan that involves both technology and creative writing. 

Students sometimes consider writing a dull activity so I came up with the idea of implementing a free online tool, which they access to from everywhere, for a writing task. And you know what? SNAPGUIDE was my choice! If you haven't heard of his app, you can read about it on my last post  and take a quick tutorial.

The following lesson plan was thought for 7th grade or 1st year students. However, I think the way I implemented the app is appropriate for any level as long as the grammar and vocabulary focus is relevant to your course's syllabus. Let's get started! 

Communicative goal: Describing professions through obligations

ACTIVATION 

Activate students' prior knowgledge with a short but entertaining activity, in which students can put into practice terms related to the new topic but that they have already learnt before. A game-like activity are usually very suitable for this very first part of the class. 

MEMOTEST - The teacher will stick on the board some flashcards with illustrations of professions and an object or place related to it. They will have 1 minute to look at board and memorize it. They will come to the front in pairs to uncover the related flashcards. Every correct connection will get 1 point. 

For example: 

Doctor - hospital 

Teacher - blackboard

Dentist - unhealthy mouth

Writer - book

Firefighter - fire engine 

Pilot - plane

Chef - pots and pans

Musician - a musical instrument

FIRST ACTIVITY 

Before carrying out the first activity, the teacher will clarify the modals they have dealt with the previous class (have to - should - must) For the first activity, students have to look at the uncovered flashcards on the board and try to connect the items of the flashcards into a sentence using one of the modals. They will do this first orally and then write down their ideas. 

SECOND ACTIVITY 

Students will read a text that describes new jobs with obligations (modals they already know). They will do the post-reading activities, which include a matching activity and a fill-in-the-gaps exercise. Both activities involve understanding the meaning of the new words, so the teacher should try to guide students into the discovery of these new terms. 

New jobs: 

lawyer - accountant - lawyer - architect - builder- journalist - farmer - IT specialist - nurse - shop assistant - tour guide - postman 

HOMEWORK (with SNAPGUIDE)

Teacher will introduce Snapguide and show students a short tutorial on how to create a guide with the tool and will assign for homework the following task:

"Choose a job and create a tutorial with Snapguide including obligations that profession implies. Share it with your peers on our Edmodo wall. Browse through your peers' tutorials and comment on the one that deals with the job you find most interesting and would like to get in the future. Explain why you would choose it." 

Sample:
Check out How to Be a Good Journalist by Rocío Luna on Snapguide.
Hope you like it! Let me know if you have any questions, a new idea or your experience on a comment! :) 

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Snapguide in your classroom!

Snapguide is a free online tool that allows you to design engaging 'how-to' guides. Snapguide lets users combine text with pictures or videos, which makes tutorials much more visual-attractive. 

Tutorials seem as a good excuse to engage your students in meaningful writing and since Snapguide is easy to use, you can implement this tool into your classroom and make students create appealing guides as they use language freely.

I created a simple step-by-step guide with 'Instructables' for you to learn how to design an engaging tutorial with Snapguide.  The GIF below is just a preview of it, please click on following LINK to read the full guide and leave a comment here if you would like to use it!

If you really liked this tool and want to implement it into your own classes, go to this lesson plan and get some ideas! 

Champagne, M. (2013, February 22). Snapguide in the classroom! Retrieved May 14, 2019, from https://thetechnoliterate.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/snapguide-in-the-classroom/.

Carillo, E. (2013, March 17). Spanish Imperatives with Snapguide App. Retrieved May 14, 2019, from http://spanish4teachers.org/spanish-imperatives-with-snapguide-app/

Hutchison, A., & Colwell, J. (2015). Bridging Technology and Literacy: Developing Digital Reading and Writing Practices in Grades K-6. Retrieved May 14, 2019,  from https://books.google.com.ar/books?id=OD8xCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA136&lpg=PA136&dq=snapguide tool teaching&source=bl&ots=VKPE7lfjmc&sig=ACfU3U0FqTJmo3g8phzJe88rRIN6jWOeJg&hl=es-419&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjB-vm8y5ziAhVNHLkGHd1dCaQ4ChDoATABegQICBAB#v=onepage&q=snapguidetool teaching&f=false