By Bob Faber
This lesson uses the song “Rock Around the Clock” to teach how to tell time in English and introduce vocabulary for different times of day.
Expected Outcomes:
Participants should be able to tell time in English and identify different parts of the day.
Materials:
Rock Around the Clock song lyrics
Rock Around the Clock performance video
Rock Around the Clock audio recording
Slide Presentation
Rock Around the Clock table game
Large face wall clock (with numbers and moveable hands)
Candy, cookies or other small prizes
Sequence of events:
1. Introduce song, topic and artist.
2. Play video and/or audio performance.
3. Read lyrics and practice them out loud.
4. Sing along with recording of the song.
5. Teach how to tell time in English.
6. Teach time of day vocabulary.
7. Break
8. Play Rock Around the Clock table game.
Beyond the Basics:
This lesson can be expanded by introducing metaphorical uses of time of day vocabulary. One possibility is to compare time of day to time of life. Childhood and youth are sometimes described as the “dawn” of life. The old are sometimes said to be in the “twilight” of their lives. How do these images relate to natural life? Do the club members use similar metaphors in their native language?
The basic lesson for teaching how to tell time covers time intervals on the hour, half hour, and quarter hour. More specific time intervals can be included for participants who already know their English numbers up to sixty.
Helpful Hints:
Use pictures and tell stories related to times of day to fix the words in the minds of participants. Repeat the words frequently and have the participants say them back to you.
Bring props for use as visual aids. A wall clock is essential for teaching how to tell time and for playing the board game. It is very important to have numbers on the clock and moveable hands to avoid confusion.
Last update: June 2009
