Language+Today+Minilesson+MLP


 * Language Today Lesson**

Overview: For this lesson, the students will take a language today tweet and create their own news bulletin reading at least 2-3 language today articles as if they were a news reporter.

Objectives: Students will be able to use twitter. Students will be able to write a script. Students will be able to present material with successful oral speaking skills.

Activities: Research on computers; Group script writing, Presentation to the class OR videotaping and then presentation to the class at a later date.

Procedures: 1. Instruct students to log onto twitter and view the language today tweets. Have each students read through the tweets to find 3 or 4 tweets that they are interested in. 2. Tell them, they will be getting into pairs or trios in order to create a mini-news broadcast. They will have to summarize the twitter news stories, giving enough information for the audience to understand if they have not read the story. 3. Let the students get into pairs/trios. They will have to select three stories from the language today tweets to share with the class. They will have to write up a script of their news broadcast to read like news anchors. Each member of the group is responsible for participating. 4. If time and resources allow, have students film themselves reading their news broadcasts on flipcams. Each student should participate in the "acting" portion. The recordings will be a one-take video in order to keep the filming brief. 5. Share the presentations or videos with the class. 6. Discuss and reflect with the students. Have each student write and answer the following questions about today's activity. How did you participate in your group? What was your favorite news story (either in your group or that you saw)? What kind of commonalities did you see among all the presentations? What kind of language do news anchors use and did you see that in any of the presentations?

This activity can be used as a bridge into a unit about informative language/literature.