Конспект уроку на тему: "The art of choosing and giving presents"

Тип матеріалу: 
Навчальний рівень: 


- to develop pupils' reading skills;

- to practise pupils' skills in using dictionaries;

- to improve pronunciation;

- to develop pupils' communicative skills while discussing unprepared situations and expressing comments on the subject of the lesson;

- to foster the desire to read, speak, get necessary information by asking questions;

- to enrich pupils' knowledge about English children's writers and their works.

Equipment: a cassette-recorder, the cassette with the recording of t h e text "Christmas Shopping" from the book "Mary Poppins" after P. L. Travers, the portrait of P. L. Travers, Longman Mini-Dictionaries (for each pupil), cards vith words for group work, cards with sounds [e] and [ae], a stripe with a rhyme "Ted was very glad to get a present from his Dad".



T: Hello, friends! I am glad to see you. I need a piece of advice and 1 am sure that you can give it to me.. I t ' s my nephew's birthday tomorrow. I want to give him a nice present. What kind of present can I give to a boy of your age?


T: It's always a great pleasure to get presents. Choosing presents and giving them is a kind of art. Today's lesson will be devoted to the rules how to do it. So, the subject of our lesson is "The Art of Choosing and Giving Presents". Let's revise contrasting sounds le] and [ae]. Ted was very glad to get a present from his Dad.

1) pronouncing the words with ]e] after the teacher: Ted, get, present';

2) pronouncing the words with |ae] after the teacher: glad. Dad;

3) contrasting the sounds [e] and [ae]: Ted — glad, very - glad, present - Dad, get - Dad;

4) pronouncing the rhyme together;

5) pronouncing the rhyme in groups;

6) pronouncing the rhyme individually.

(Notice: the tempo is quick.)



Ti Ask questions beginning with Was, What, Where, Why, How Much, Which, When on the rhyme to get some additional information.


T: All of you have Longman Mini-Dictionaries on your desks. Let's look up what definition of the word "present" the dictionary gives. Before reading the definition the teacher asks the following.

1. Have you found the definition?

2. What page have you found the word "present" at?

3. How many meanings of the word does the dictionary give?

4. Have you chosen the first meaning or the second one?

5. What part of speech is the word "present"?

6. Read the definition.

7. Read the example.

8. Do you know any synonyms of the word "present"? (A gift.)

Make up your own sentences with the word "present".


Before reading

Do you know anything about P. L. Trovers?

(If pupils know something about the authoress, they tell the class. If they don't know, the teacher gives a very briefpiece of information (from the Internet) and shows the portrait of P. L. Trovers).

2. Practise reading the names of the characters: Mary Poppins, Jane, Michael, Maia, Taygete, Alcyone, Calaeno, Sterope, Merope.

While reading


(from the book "Mary Poppins" after P. L. Trovers ex. I, p. 170 (Oksana Karpiuk. English 7)

It was Christmas time when Mary Poppins, Jane and Michael were going to the largest shop to do their Christmas shopping. Shop windows were full of toys, books and sweet cakes.

 It wasn't easy to choose the presents for all the family."That will be for Daddy," said Michael and took a toytrain with special signals.

 I think I will get this for Mother," said Jane and took a small doll's pram, which her Mother always wanted. "Perhapsshe will give it to me sometimes."

 Jane bought "Robinson Crusoe" for the twins to readwhen they grew up.  Now I can read it myself," she said. "I am sure they will give it to me." At last Mary Poppins said: "And it's time to go home."

"Just five minutes longer," asked Jane. But Mary Poppins said " N o " and the children had to go with her. And when they were going to open the shop door, they saw a running girl.

"Oh, dear!" said Mary Poppins surprisingly. When the girl saw Jane, Michael and Mary Poppins,

she stopped. "Ah, there you are! Thank you for waiting. I -m afraid I 'm a Utile late. Aren't you glad to see me?"

"Yes," said Jane smiling, "but who are you?"

"Who am I? Don't say you don't know me?" The child looked very surprised, and then she turned to Mary Poppins.

"She knows me. Don't you? I 'm sure you know me!" There was a curious look on Mary Poppins' face, "Does it begin with a n ' M ' ? "

"Of course, it does. I'm Maia. I'm the second of the Pleiades. Electra, she's the eldest, couldn't come becauseshe's looking after Merope, the baby. Oh, Jane! Oh, Michael! I've often watched you from the sky, and now I'm actually talking to you..."

"But what are you doing here?" asked Michael, still very surprised. "I've come down to buy toys for my sisters. We can't get away very often, you know. We're so busy making the spring rains. Can you help me?" She said and took the children  back to the Toy Department. As they went, the people stood, [ looked at them and dropped their bags. 

But Jane, Michael, Mary Poppins and Maia were very I busy with shopping and didn't look around.

"Here we are!" said Maia. "What shall we buy? I want  something for each of my sisters — six of them. First, my eldest sister. She's very domestic. What about that nice broom? We have so many troubles with the star dust. Now for Taygete. She likes dancing. Don't you think, Jane, a skipping rope would be just the thing for her? Then there's Alcyone. | She is so quiet. Does she want anything? A book, do you think, Mary Poppins? I know what Celaeno wants. A hoop. She will like morning exercises with it up in the sky. Now there are only the two little sisters left. Michael, what would you advise for Sterope?"

"What about a top?" said Michael.

"What a good idea! She will love to watch it turning round in the sky. And what do you think for Merope, the baby, Jane?"

"Have rubber ducks!" said Jane.

"Oh, Jane, how clever you are!" and she took a rubber duck.

"But who will pay for the toys?" asked Michael.

"Nobody will pay. There is nothing to pay, is there?" said Maia.

"Nothing at all, madam," the shop assistant said and gave her the bag full of toys.

"Now we must go," she went on, taking Michael'sarm.

 "We must all go home. It's very late, and I heard your Mother telling you that you must be home in time for tea."

Outside the shop Jane suddenly said, "But there's no present for her. She's bought something for all the others and nothing for herself."

Mary gave a quick look into the shop window. Then she took off her new gloves and put them on Maia's hands.

"There!" she said. " I t ' s cold today." Maia said nothing, but came up to Mary Poppins and kissed her.

"I've been so happy," said Maia. "Don't forget me, will you?" And with these words she went up and up. Then a cloud hid her, but they knew she was behind it. The bright light was coming through the dark cloud.

After reading

1. Multiple choice.

1. Jane, Michael and Mary went to the largest shop to buy....

  1. toys for the twins
  2. a present for Mary Poppins
  3. Christmas presents for their family

2. The children bought... for their parents.

  1. a hat and a book
  2. gloves and a pram
  3. a toy train and a doll's pram

3. The children bought... for the twins,

  1. a toy train
  2. a book
  3. a doll's pram

4. When Jane, Michael and Mary were going out of the shop, they saw....

  1. a running girl
  2. some sweet cakes
  3. rubber ducks

5.... knew the girl.

  1. Nobody of them
  2. Mary Poppins
  3. Jane

6. Maia knew a lot about Jane and Michael because...

  1. she watched them from the sky
  2. she often met them in London
  3. Mary Poppins often told her about the Banks family

7. Maia bought... for herself.

  1. no present
  2. a skipping rope
  3. a broom

8. When Maia went home, Mary Poppins....

  1. went up in the sky
  2. gave her a pair of new gloves
  3. kissed her

Key: 1-c; 2-c; 3-b; 4-a; 5-b; 6-a; 7-a; 8-b.

2. Why did they do the following?

  1. Jane, Michael and Mary Poppins went shopping that day.
  2. Michael chose a toy train for his father.
  3. Jane chose a small doll's pram for her mother in the shop.
  4. Jane and Michael didn't know Maia.
  5. Maia knew a lot about Jane ond Michael.
  6. Maia came to the shop that evening.
  7. Maia bought a nice broom, a skipping rope, a book, a hoop, a top and a rubber duck in the shop.
  8. Maia paid nothing for the toys.
  9. Maia kissed Mary Poppins.

3. Answer the questions.

1. Who was right in their choice of presents: the childrenor Maia?

2. What mistake did the children make?

3. Why was Maia right in her choice?

4. What is the moral of the story?


Pupils get the cards with different words. They are split into 4 groups.

Group 1. Presents for women.

Group 2. Presents for men.

Group 3. Presents for girls.

Group 4. Presents for boys.

There are 16 words, so, each group must choose 4 words. The group that is the quickest is the winner.

Words: perfume, flowers, a cookery book, diamond earrings, a tie, shaving cream, a sports car, shoes (size 43), a skipping rope, a doll, a hoop, a doll's pram, a toy train, a book about pirates, skis, a ball.


T: I am sure that now you can give good advice on how to make a good present.

1. What should everyone keep in mind when buying presents?

Suggested ideas: interests/hobbies, age, sex, occasions, relations between the person who gives the present and the person who gets the present.

2. Give the examples of presents which can be given to: a mother, a father, a friend, a boss.

3. What words can we say to the person whom we are giving a present?

4. What additional things can be presented with the gift?

(Flowers, greeting cards.)

Джерело: English. – 2010. - № 38 - с. 17-19.

Suggested level - A2 pre-intermediate

Olena Vasylevs'ka,

a teacher-methodologist of English,

Physics and Mathematics Lyceum,

Anna Kovalchuk,

a teacher of English,

National University, Cherkasy


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