Giáo án Skills 1

Ss activate their prior experience of failure and teamwork and get ready to read about Nam's experience.

Ss answer the teacher's questions in pairs:

• Have you ever failed at something in a group project?
• What did you do after that?
• Did your group blame one person or look for the cause?
  The teacher then writes the title of the reading text on the board: Nam's model bridge.

Ss share one short personal example in English, for example: 'I have failed a group quiz once. We reviewed our notes together and passed the next test.' Ss predict that the text is about learning from a failure, not about winning.

Ss identify the central activity of the text and distinguish actions from reasons, using the text as evidence.

Ss read the text 'At a summer science course...' once for gist, then complete Worksheet 1 in pairs:

• What is the central activity in the text?
• Find 3 actions and 2 reasons. Underline actions in one colour and reasons in another.
• Find one negative detail that rejects an attractive but inaccurate idea.
• Which words signal a reason (because, though, rather than)?
  Ss compare their underlining with another pair in a 'mini-jigsaw' before whole-class check.

Central activity: building a small model bridge from paper as a team in a summer science course.
Actions (examples): the first model collapsed; the team compared two designs; the team kept notes of each test; Nam has kept the notebook.
Reasons (examples): because he had promised it would be strong; because it reminds him that a failed attempt can provide useful evidence; rather than blame one person.
Negative detail: the second bridge was not the strongest in the course, so the idea that it was the winning design is rejected.
Key idea: an action tells what happened; a reason tells why it happened.

Ss recognise the form and use of the present perfect for experience, completion and duration, and use the key vocabulary in context.

T presents the language focus from the textbook. Ss look at these sentences from the text and the example:

• Nam has kept the notebook because it reminds him that a failed attempt can provide useful evidence.
• He has become more willing to ask questions.
• Example: She has visited the museum twice.
  T explains: have/has + past participle connects a past experience with the present. Ever and never are for experience; already and yet are for completion; for + duration and since + starting point. Do not combine the present perfect with a finished past time such as yesterday; use the past simple then.
  T then introduces the vocabulary: memorable (đáng nhớ), embarrassing (gây ngượng ngùng), thrilling (hào hứng), confidence (sự tự tin). Ss repeat the words and check the meaning in context.

Ss write the rule in their notebooks:

• have/has + past participle for experience, completion and duration
• ever/never (experience), already/yet (completion), for + duration, since + starting point
• do not use the present perfect with yesterday, last week or in 2019; use the past simple.
  Ss can use the vocabulary in one sentence each, for example: 'The most memorable part was learning to revise a plan with others.'

Ss answer textbook reading questions and justify each answer with evidence from the text.

Ss do the textbook reading exercises in pairs:

1. Which title best fits? (choose from options A–D in the textbook)
2. Give only the first name of the central student.
3. Which action is supported by the text?
4. Judge the statements (True/False). Ss quote the sentence that supports each judgement.
5. Explain the purpose of the main action in the text.
6. In 'it reminds him', what does 'it' refer to?
7. Give a one-minute oral summary of the text.
   Ss write short answers in their notebooks.

Expected answers (check against the textbook key):

1. Learning from a failed attempt (the text focuses on learning after failure, not winning a prize).
2. Nam.
3. The team compared two designs and kept notes of each test.
4. Ss judge each statement by quoting a sentence from the text, for example: 'Their second bridge held more weight, though it was not the strongest in the course.'
5. The team examined the folds to find the cause of the failure, rather than blaming one person.
6. 'It' refers to the notebook.
7. Ss give a short oral summary of about 40 to 50 words, including the central activity, the failure, the response and the lesson.

Ss choose the correct verb form (present perfect or past simple) in context.

Ss complete Worksheet 2 individually, then check in pairs. Items:

1. Nam ___ (keep) the notebook since the summer course.
2. We ___ (never / build) a bridge from paper before.
3. She ___ (visit) the museum twice.
4. ___ they ___ (compare) the designs yet?
5. Last summer, Nam ___ (help) build a bridge.
6. He ___ (become) more willing to ask questions.
7. I ___ (see) that film last week.

Answers:

1. has kept
2. have never built
3. has visited
4. Have ... compared
5. helped (past simple, finished time: last summer)
6. has become
7. saw (past simple, finished time: last week)

Ss give a supported one-minute talk about a friend's learning experience, using short notes and evidence from the text.

Ss choose either Nam's account or a willing friend's non-private account. They build short notes in three parts: introduction, specific details, reasoned conclusion. The talk must describe the challenge, the response and the lesson without inventing interview results.
Sample notes for Nam:

• Intro: Nam joined a summer science course and built a paper bridge.
• Detail 1: The first model collapsed under a light load; Nam felt embarrassed.
• Detail 2: The team compared two designs and kept notes of each test.
• Detail 3: The second bridge held more weight, though it was not the strongest.
• Conclusion: Nam learned that a failed test can guide a useful revision, so the most memorable part was learning to revise with others.

Each S gives a one-minute talk (about 80 to 100 words) in pairs. The listener ticks the notes and asks one question. A model talk: 'Nam joined a summer science course. His first paper bridge collapsed and he felt embarrassed. However, his team compared designs and kept notes of each test. Their second bridge held more weight. I think the lesson is that a failed test can guide a better plan, so Nam has become more willing to ask questions.'