Working the maps

How to get to a place in my town

At the end of this mission you should be able to ask and answer about how to get to a place in a city.

We will work on listening, writing and speaking skills.

You will watch the following video about how to ask and answer when someone needs to get to a place in a city. Please, take notes about what you think is important in such a situation.

Link to a video on Youtube. Open in a new window.
Luis Manuel González Nava. Asking and giving directions

Another important thing you will need to do this is to practise prepositions of place to use when you are going to explain where something is. In the next link you will practise and remember them: 'Prepositions of place'

Now it is time to work on something real. In the next link you will find a map and some activities to do with it. Please, pay special attention to these activities and how to do them well, as you will then have to do the same with a map of your town: 'Places on a city'.

Speaking activity: How can I get .....?

Let’s meet a partner and work with him or her using a map of your town (or invent a good one in a piece of paper). Play your role: one of you is lost and the other one has to give directions to get to a place.

Turistas
Jim Pennucci. Tourists (CC BY) 

If you are a fast finisher or you want to have a special badge for this mission we are suggesting you go on an extra mission. This one will help you use all you have learned.

After planning and rehearsing the dialogue with your mate, why don't you video record it? This will be a good way of showing your learning. You can do it all year long with all the dialogues you produce; then you can have them into your portfolio and register all your learning. At the end of the project you will be able to check how much you have improved your English.

These tips can help you overcome the mission:

  • Let’s go out to the street.
  • One of you both will be the lost tourist with the map and the other one will be the citizen who is going to help.
  • You have to be polite so say 'Hello' to start the conversation and 'Thanks' when you are finished.
  • Use some of the structures you have learned during this mission.
  • The most important thing is being creative!

Then you can edit the clip with an online tool such as: Wevideo

Once you have finished your video, it would be very useful if you uploaded it to a website such as Youtube or Vimeo.

Prepositions of place may help you when you describe the points of interest in your city in the final challenge. So don't forget them please!!

The 'Rubric for a video assigment' will help you know to do a great job. 

Finally, to end with this mission, you can write a post into your blog showing what you have learned (prepositions of place) and the video you recorded. Don't forget the tag "Project my town".

If you want your teacher can spread your post using the Twitter account of the classroom. For that you have to write down the tweet for the teacher. Remember: 

  • You can use 140 characters.
  • Include the link to your post. 
  • Use the hashtag of the project: #projectmytown.

The 'Rubric to assess a tweet' will help you  know how to do a great job. 

Learning diary

It's time to continue with your 'Learning Diary'. Remember it helps you reflect on what you are learning and most important: what the best way for learning is. 

Boli y papel
Peter O'Shea. Writing tools (CC BY)

You will reflect about your learning using the following questions:

  • What are the most difficult aspects?
  • What tool was the most difficult for you to work with?
  • What do you think is the most important aspect you have learned?
  • Are there any aspects you did not understand?

Remember it would be great if you shared these feelings and thoughts with your classmates. You will have 10 or 15 minutes to complete this part. 

Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike License 4.0