The Golden Coconut

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Plunge your students into the festive and colorful atmosphere of Mardi Gras in New Orleans! This touching story is a magnificent introduction to American culture through the eyes of Ethan, a young boy who learns to overcome his shyness. Supported by superb illustrations, this resource is perfect for working on reading comprehension, enriching holiday vocabulary, and addressing the theme of courage, all at a very accessible A1 level.

Em resumo

Nível CEFR :A1, A1+

Tipo :Histórias

Eixos culturais :Vida Cotidiana, Países e Paisagens

Um recurso narrativo para a sua aula

Desperte a curiosidade dos seus alunos com esta história pronta para uso. Ela é projetada especificamente para abordar e ilustrar os pontos principais da cultura anglofônica.

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Guia Pedagógico

Objective & Resource Content

The objective is to introduce students to the **Mardi Gras** celebration in New Orleans through a simple story, while reinforcing vocabulary related to **celebrations** and **emotions**.

The story "**The Golden Coconut**" recounts the day of **Ethan**, a boy from Chicago visiting his Aunt Gina in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. His aunt explains the traditions: the parades organized by clubs called "**krewes**," the costumes, and the small gifts, the "**throws**," like beaded necklaces ("beads"). During the "**Zulu Krewe**" parade, Ethan is too shy to shout and ask for throws, and he feels sad that he doesn't catch many. Finally, encouraged by his aunt, he finds the courage to call out to the "king" on the last float. Seeing the boy, the king climbs down and personally hands him a very special gift: "**a special, golden coconut**." Ethan then feels very happy and proud of his courage.

Suggested Lesson Flow

Before the Activity (~5 min): CELEBRATION WORDS

Show the first image of the story and ask students to describe what they see (decorations, party, etc.). Brainstorm vocabulary related to holidays and carnivals.

During the Activity (~15 min): READ AND COMPREHEND

**First Reading:** Read the story aloud (or let students read silently), clearly showing the illustrations on each page to aid overall comprehension.
**Check:** Ask simple questions: "What's the boy's name?", "Where is he?", "What is the celebration?".
**Second Reading:** Reread the story, focusing on the specific Mardi Gras vocabulary: *parade, throws, beads, float, krewe*.

After the Activity (~10 min): THE EMOTION ROUND

Draw simple emoticons on the board (happy, shy, sad, proud).
Ask students: "How does Ethan feel at the beginning of the parade? (*Shy*)," "How does he feel when he has no beads? (*Sad*)," "How does he feel at the end? (*Happy, proud*)."

Adaptations

**To Simplify:** Focus only on the images. Tell a very simplified oral version of the story, pointing out the key characters and objects (*beads, coconut*) in the illustrations.
**To Extend:** Ask students to put themselves in Ethan's shoes and write one or two simple sentences about their day at Mardi Gras. For example: "Today, I **am** in New Orleans. I **have** a golden coconut. I **feel** happy.".