1 Oral Storyt

You Hav
elling Video
e to Lis
ten!

Aims
• to expose children to spoken English in the form of oral storytelling, and to bring the story and characters of
You Have to Listen! to life
• to encourage children to respond to a story told orally and retell it in their own words
• to consider the value of the story (the importance of listening)

Story Summary
Nicholas doesn’t listen to his teacher, Miss Callum. On the school trip, he surprises everyone by arriving on time and bringing his
packed lunch and bathing suit. The class has a great day out. Miss Callum thanks her class with a cake.
Video length: 6:30 min
The video activities can be divided into three parts as indicated in the lesson plans.
·· Part 1: Nicholas Doesn’t Listen (approx. 50 min)
·· Part 2: Yes, Nicholas Listens! (approx. 30 min)
·· Part 3: What a Great Day Out! (approx. 45 min with Follow-up Work)
These can be taught separately or as one lesson.

Part 1: Nicholas Doesn’t Listen

(00:00–03:49 min “He’s drawing a picture of a cake.”)

Lesson objectives: to carry out a comprehension task while watching;

to retell part of the story using a prop
Key vocabulary: trip, fun park, get your parents’ permission, listen, make a paper airplane, wear your school uniform,
bring a packed lunch, meet at school, arrive on time, bathing suit, cake, third grade
Secondary vocabulary: get into trouble, nod, raise, travel plans, slide, funny
Key grammar: You have to …
Secondary grammar: He’s drawing. He’s not listening.
Materials: Oral Storytelling Video Worksheet 1 [TRC printout] one copy per child, sheet of paper per child for paper
airplane; example paper airplane

Before watching While watching

• Have the children remember the first part of the story in • Ask the children to watch for what Nicholas is doing while
their Reader. Ask them to recall what the teacher says Miss Callum is talking. Play Part 1 of the video and pause
they have to do, e.g. get your parents’ permission, bring at 02:15 minutes. Have them describe his actions, e.g. He’s
a packed lunch, etc. drawing. He’s making a paper airplane. Choose a child to
• Show the children the paper airplane and ask them to throw your paper airplane.
remember how Nicholas behaves in the class. Choose • Continue the video. Then ask the children to listen out for
two or three children to throw the airplane. what Miss Callum tells Nicholas to do, e.g. You have to …

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 1 Oral Storytelling Video

• Play Part 1 of the video again and ask the children to

complete Activity 1 on the worksheet, checking the
activities that the children have to do. Elicit answers.

1 Watch. Check (3) what the children have to do.

Answers
3 by: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8

After watching
• Have the children think about the character of Nicholas.
Ask simple prompt questions, e.g. Is Nicholas a good
student? Why/Why not? What does he like doing? Is he
listening to Miss Callum?
• Have the children complete Activity 2 on their worksheet
with one word answers. Call on different children to give
their answers to the class.

2 Complete with words from the box.

Answers
1 third 2 likes 3 teacher 4 loves 5 listening

• Talk further about the character of Nicholas and why he

doesn’t listen.
• Prepare to act out the first part of the story using a paper
airplane as a prop.
• Give each child a piece of paper and show the class how
to fold it into a paper plane. Give them time to do this and
ask them to write their name on their airplane.
• Divide the class into pairs and allocate roles as Nicholas
and Miss Callum. Have the children act out in their own
words, using their paper airplanes. Encourage them to
improvise more instructions with You have to … Ask
children to pay attention to stress and intonation in
Nicholas’s answers, e.g. Yes, Miss Callum.
• Call on different pairs of children to act out their scene for
the class.
• Have the children keep their paper airplanes safe so that
they can be re-used in the Lesson 3 Follow-up Work and
Portfolio Activities for Chapter 1.

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 1 Oral Storytelling Video

Part 2: Yes, Nicholas Listens!

(03:50 min “Friday comes and everyone arrives on time for the bus.” – 05:47 min “It’s so fast Nicholas has to hold on to his
new bathing suit!”)

Lesson objective: to make, check, and adjust predictions about the story’s ending based on new evidence
Key vocabulary: on time, surprised, aquarium, lunch, waterslide, glad, candy, bathing suit
Secondary vocabulary: get off, wait, tank, lunch box, agree, excited, hold on
Key grammar: Can we go …?
Materials: Oral Storytelling Video Worksheet 2 [TRC printout] one copy per child

Before watching After watching

• Have the children talk about Nicholas and his character. • Ask simple questions to check understanding of the new
Then have them recall the next part of the story in their version of the story, e.g. Is Nicholas on the bus? How
Reader. Ask prompt questions, e.g. Does Nicholas arrive does Miss Callum feel? What does Nicholas share with his
on time? What does he forget? What things do his friends friends? Does Nicholas have his bathing suit? What does
share with him? it look like?
• Tell the class they’re going to watch to the next part of • Ask the children to choose a scene from the video and
the video, but this time the story will be different. Ask the complete Activity 2 on their worksheet, drawing the new
children what they think will happen in the story this time. scene and writing what happens.
• Have the children work in pairs/groups to discuss their
2 Choose a scene from the video. Draw and write
ideas of what will happen next in the story. Call on
what is happening.
different pairs/groups to tell their ideas to the class.
Answers
While watching Children’s own answers.
• Play Part 2 of the video and have the children listen out
for three main differences from their Reader. Have them
raise their hands when they hear something different. Then
recap the main differences: Nicholas isn’t late, he brings a
packed lunch, he brings his bathing suit.
• Distribute Worksheet 2 to each child. Play Part 2 of the
video again and have them complete Activity 1, writing
R or V next to each sentence. Elicit answers.

1 Watch and write R (Reader) or V (Video).

Answers
R: 1, 3, 4, 7 V: 2, 5, 6, 8

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 1 Oral Storytelling Video

Part 3: What a Great Day Out!

(05:49 min “At the end of the day, the children get back on the bus.” – end)

Lesson objectives: to think about the value of the story (the importance of listening) and the role of characters;
to retell the story in their own words using their own picture prompts
Key vocabulary: get back on, glad, wonderful, cake, great
Secondary vocabulary: end of the day, smile, job
Key grammar: What a good day/job!
Materials: sheet of paper for each child (optional)

Before watching After watching

• Ask the children to remember the main differences in the • Check comprehension of the new ending with simple
video and Reader so far. Then have them remember the questions, e.g. How does Miss Callum feel? Why is she so
ending in the Reader. (Nicholas takes a cake to school to happy? What does she do for the class?
say thank you for sharing.) • Ask the class to think about the value in this version of
• Divide the class into pairs and have them predict the new the story (the importance of listening). On paper or in their
ending for the video. Then ask different pairs to give their notebooks, have the children draw a picture of a cake
ideas. Write their suggestions on the board. with the value of the story written on it:
“Listen to your teacher!”
While watching
• Write these three adjectives on the board: angry, surprised,
happy. Play Part 3 of the video and have the children listen
out for how Miss Callum feels about her class and choose
the best adjective.
• Play Part 3 again and have the class compare the ending
with their own suggestions. Use prompt questions, e.g. Is
Miss Callum happy? Was she happy in your story ending?
Did Nicholas listen? Did he listen in your story?

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Extension and Portfolio Activities

Oral Retelling of the Story Portfolio Activities
• Play the whole video through again to remind children of • Have the children write the value of the story on their
the sequence of events and ask them to think about four paper airplane. Stick an envelope into the Portfolio and
important events. use it to store the paper airplane as a reminder of the
• On paper or in their notebooks, ask the children to divide meaning of the story.
a page into four sections or frames. Have them draw four • Have the children add any drawings they have done of the
simple pictures of the story in order to reflect the main cake or the four picture scenes to their Portfolios. These
things that happened in the new version. They could add can be used as prompts for future retellings of the story.
a few key words to each picture if they wish.
• Divide the class into pairs. Have them retell their version
of the story to each other using their pictures as prompts.
Encourage them to add details to embellish their story.
Fast finishers can retell their story for further practice.
• Have the pairs of children change one detail or add an
extra scene into the new version of the story. Give them
time to practice and then call on pairs to retell their new
scene to the class.
• Have the children retell the whole story in pairs or small
groups, using the worksheets to help them.

Making a Story Portfolio

• You could encourage the children to keep a •
Portfolio or journal of work related to their Reader
and oral storytelling work, which will help them
remember the stories as they go through the year
and build up a bank of stories and language.
• This could be used to regularly retell stories which
may change with each retelling as children can add
new language or ideas and which will enrich the
oral storytelling experience and develop a deeper
understanding.
• For each story children could add examples of their
work, store picture cards, or keep a list or pictures
of new language.

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 1 Videoscrip
You Have to
t
Listen!

Part 1 “We’re having a picnic so you have to bring a packed lunch,

This is the story of a boy named Nicholas. He’s in the third but you don’t have to wear your school uniform. Are you
grade. He likes school and he likes his teacher. Sometimes he listening, Nicholas?”
gets into trouble, but he doesn’t mean to. Nicholas turns around. Miss Callum is standing right next to him.
It’s Monday morning. The children are sitting at their desks at “Excuse me?” he says.
school, listening to their teacher. Later that day, Miss Callum explains the travel plans to
“Friday is our trip to the Fun Park,” she says. the class:
“Hooray!” say all the children. “You have to meet at the school bus at 8:30 in the morning,”
The third grade teacher is Miss Callum. She’s nice. she says. “You have to arrive on time! What time is the bus
leaving on Friday, Nicholas?”
“You have to get your parents’ permission,” she says.
“Um … nine o’clock?” he says timidly.
“Yes, Miss Callum,” say all the children.
“EIGHT THIRTY!” say all the children in the class.
Miss Callum holds up a piece of paper. It’s a form.
Miss Callum just looks at Nicholas.
“Your parents have to sign here,” she says and points to a
line on the paper. And there’s one last instruction from Miss Callum:

Miss Callum looks around the class. All the children are “And remember—you have to bring your bathing suits!”
looking and nodding, she says.

“Yes, Miss Callum,” they say. Everyone is listening to Miss Callum. Everyone except
Nicholas. He’s drawing a picture of a cake.
Hmm, who’s that, in the back?
“Are you listening to me, Nicholas?” she asks a small boy in Part 2
the back of the class. Friday comes and everyone arrives on time for the bus.
But Nicholas isn’t listening. He’s drawing. “Where’s Nicholas?” asks Miss Callum.
Miss Callum raises her voice. She stands next to “I’m here!” says Nicholas from the back of the bus.
Nicholas’ desk. Miss Callum looks surprised. Nicholas is here!
“You have to listen, Nicholas!” “Let’s go,” says Nicholas.
“Sorry, Miss Callum,” says Nicholas. When they get to the Fun Park, the children get off the bus
Miss Callum is explaining about the form. All the children are and wait for Miss Callum to take them in.
holding a copy in their hands. But Nicholas just plays with it. “Can we see the sharks first?” asks one of the girls.
He’s making a paper airplane! Will it fly? Oh … yes!
“Yes,” says Miss Callum. “We’ll go to the aquarium before
“Nicholas!” says Miss Callum. “Your parents have to sign lunch, and then we can go on the waterslide.”
that form!”
In the aquarium, they watch the sharks swimming in a tank.
Nicholas looks up. He sees Miss Callum looking at him. Oh, look! There’s a man swimming with the sharks.
“Um … Why?” he asks (innocently). “I’m glad I don’t have to do that!” says Nicholas (and all the
“You see? You’re not listening!” children agree).
says Miss Callum, exasperated. “Lunchtime!” says Miss Callum and she leads them out of the
The other children think their friend Nicholas is very funny. aquarium to some picnic tables.
At lunchtime, Miss Callum takes a deep breath and explains The children get their lunchboxes out of their bags.
patiently to the class:

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 1 Oral Storytelling Video

“Oh …,” says Nicholas. “Look what I have. It’s a bag of candy
to share with everyone. But Mom says we have to eat our
sandwiches first.”
The other children agree and eat their sandwiches quickly.
After lunch, all the children are excited. They’re going on
the waterslide.
“Go and put on your bathing suits,” says Miss Callum.
“Oh …,” says Nicholas. “Look at my new bathing suit. I
love swimming.”
“It’s a nice bathing suit, Nicholas. Now off you go.”
“Look at my bathing suit,” says Keenan. “It’s the same
as yours!”
Nicholas and Keenan get onto the waterslide. Whoosh! They
feel as if they’re flying. It’s so fast that Nicholas has to hold on
to his new bathing suit!

Part 3
At the end of the day, the children get back on the bus.
“Great day, Keenan.”
“Yes, I’m glad we came.”
“Thanks for a wonderful day, Miss Callum.”
Miss Callum smiles. What a good day, she thinks. What a
good class. We can do this again.
On Monday, Miss Callum takes a cake to school.
“What does that say?” asks Nicholas
“It says, “Great job, Miss Callum’s class!”

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 1 Oral Storyt
Part 1: Nicho
elling Video: Worksheet 1
las D o e
sn’t Listen

1 Watch. Check (3) what the children have to do.

1 You have to listen. 3

2 You have to get your parents’ permission.

3 You have to make a paper airplane.

4 You have to bring a packed lunch.

5 You have to wear your school uniform.

6 You have to meet at 8:30 a.m.

7 You have to meet at 9 a.m.

8 You have to bring your bathing suit.

2 Complete with words from the box.

likes listening third loves teacher

1 Nicholas is in third grade.

2 He school.

3 His is Miss Callum.

4 He drawing.

5 He’s not very good at .

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 1 Oral Storyt
Part 2: Yes,
elling Video: Worksheet 2
Nichola
s L i s te n s !

1 Watch and write R (Reader) or V (Video).

1 Nicholas is late for the bus. R
2 Nicholas is on time for the school trip.

3 He forgets his packed lunch.

4 Nicholas doesn’t bring his bathing suit.

5 Nicholas has candy and sandwiches in his lunchbox.

6 He shares the candy with his classmates.

7 He takes a cake to school to say thank you.

8 Miss Callum thanks the class with a cake.

2 Choose a scene from the video. Draw and write what is happening.

In this part of the story,

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