The Golden Coconut

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Immerse your students in the festive and colorful atmosphere of Mardi Gras in New Orleans! This touching story is a wonderful 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 practicing reading comprehension, enriching holiday vocabulary, and addressing the theme of courage, all at a very accessible A1 level.

W skrócie

Poziom CEFR :A1, A1+

Poziom klasy :Level 1, Level 2

Typ :Historie

Kultura i cywilizacja :Życie codzienne, Kraje i Krajobrazy

Materiał narracyjny do wykorzystania w klasie

Rozbudź ciekawość swoich uczniów dzięki tej gotowej do użycia historii. Została ona specjalnie opracowana, aby omówić i zilustrować kluczowe aspekty kultury anglojęzycznej.

To materiały premium, które są częścią The Big Challenge Academy. Wykup roczny abonament, aby uzyskać nieograniczony dostęp do setek zasobów premium.

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Przewodnik pedagogiczny

Resource Objective & 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 to him: parades organized by clubs called "krewes", costumes, and small gifts, the "throws", such as bead necklaces ("beads"). During the "Zulu Krewe" parade, Ethan is too shy to shout and ask for gifts, and feels sad about not catching many. Finally, encouraged by his aunt, he finds the courage to call out to the "king" of the last float. Seeing the boy, the king descends and personally gives him a very special gift: "a special, golden coconut". Ethan then feels very happy and proud of his courage.

Suggested Activity Flow

Before the activity (~5 min): PARTY 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 UNDERSTAND

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 vocabulary specific to Mardi Gras: parade, throws, beads, float, krewe.

After the activity (~10 min): THE ROUND OF EMOTIONS

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 solely on the images. Tell a very simplified version of the story orally, showing key characters and objects (beads, coconut) in the illustrations.
To deepen: 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.".