S1E04 - Mr Brown Says

Objective & content

In the first lesson back, Mr Brown opens with a game of Simon Says and George sits down on an order without "Simon says", so he is out. The class then opens books at page five and writes the date. The episode teaches the imperative: the verb comes first with no subject (Come in and sit down, please.), with please at the end, and Let's for a suggestion (Let's play a game.). The vocabulary is classroom instructions. Learners listen, then check their understanding with the in-app quiz.

Pedagogical guide

Simon Says is imperative practice in itself, because every order is a verb first. Pupils often add a subject (You sit down), so point out that an English order has none, and that please softens it at the end.

Suggested procedure

1. (3 min) Warm-up: ask what pupils do at the start of a lesson and list the answers.
2. (2 min) Introduce Mr Brown and preview the order words (stand up, touch, open, write).
3. (4 min) First listen: what game does Mr Brown play, and who is out?
4. (8 min) Second listen: pause after the game and ask why George is out.
5. (7 min) Board work: orders with no subject, please, and Let's; pupils sort lines from the script.
6. (6 min) Play Simon Says in class, with pupils taking turns to be the teacher.

Materials & prerequisites

The episode in the PLAY app (audio, slideshow, text and quiz), a student sheet and a teacher sheet with the answer key. Learners need classroom nouns (book, page, hand) and the verbs stand up and sit down.

Curriculum alignment

Cycle 3 (6e), axis "The child and their close environment": life in the classroom.