Lesson Plan for Year 2 English Class in New Zealand

Overview

Duration: 15 minutes
Class Size: 20 Students
Year Group: Year 2
Subject: English
Curriculum Area: New Zealand Curriculum - English
Level: Level 1 (Years 1-2)
Learning Area Strands: Speaking, Writing, and Listening

Learning Objectives

• Enhance student’s ability to describe their favourite animal using descriptive language.
• Develop listening skills by paying attention to and respecting others' descriptions.
• Practise oral communication skills through class discussions.

Materials

• Picture cards of various animals (commonly found in New Zealand and globally).
• Whiteboard and markers.
• Timer or stopwatch for timing presentations.

Lesson Details

Introduction (2 Minutes)

• Greeting and Settling: Greet the students warmly and allow them to settle down.
• Introduction to the Topic: Briefly introduce the topic: "Today, we're going to talk about our favourite animals and describe them using some exciting words!"

Main Activity (10 Minutes)

1. Descriptive Speaking Exercise:
   • Step 1: Distribute animal picture cards randomly among the students.
   • Step 2: Ask each student to think of three descriptive words or phrases about the animal on their card. For example, "furry", "four-legged", "friendly".
   • Step 3: Students take turns sharing their descriptions with the class. Limit each student’s time to 30 seconds to keep the activity within 10 minutes.
   • Guidance: Encourage the use of full sentences when describing, e.g., "My animal is a dog. It is furry, four-legged, and very friendly."

Listening and Responding (2 Minutes)

• Listening Task: While each student is describing their animal, the rest of the class must listen carefully.
• Response: After each description, ask the class a quick follow-up question about the animal to ensure they were listening, e.g., "What kind of legs does Sally's animal have?"

Conclusion (1 Minute)

• Recap: Summarise what was learned during the lesson. "Today, we all did a great job describing different animals and listening to each other!"
• End: Close with a positive remark, encouraging them to think about more animals and how they might describe them at home.

Assessment

• Informal observation of students’ participation and ability to use descriptive language.
• Monitor the students’ attentiveness and responses during the listening task.

Extensions

• Home Learning: Ask students to draw their favourite animal at home and write three sentences describing it.
• Further Reading: Recommend age-appropriate books about animals from the school library.

This plan is aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum and designed specifically for Year 2 English standards, ensuring relevance and age-appropriate learning activities.