How to Use a Mannequin in Your Classroom #7: Teaching Students to ask Information Questions!

Yesterday I taught students how to ask basic information questions with the help of my classroom mannequin, Jacques.  Before class began, I dressed Jacques up to look like an alien from outer space & covered him up.  When students arrived, I told them to get ready for a surprise.



  I used a fog machine to create extra excitement.  I told students to imagine that Jacques was an alien from outer space today.  Then I unveiled him. 

Jacques the Alien from Outer Space!
I projected a photograph of outer space on the screen as I told the story of how Jacques the alien came to Earth.  Then I interviewed him.  Obviously, I have to act out the part of the interviewer and also the voice of Jacques (students really enjoy this)!  He traveled by flying saucer, which I made out of a paper plate and tin foil, and suspended from the ceiling.  

Jacques' flying saucer
I think this was a good way to model asking information questions to my students, and a great way to get them interested in the lesson.  I did have to warn my colleagues not to be alarmed if they saw smoke coming out of the French room today :)!

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 13, 2011 at 3:17 PM

    You can use this as an intro to Le Petit Prince. I usually project a selection of videos to intro LPP: trailers for K-Pax, Forest Gump, E.T. What do they all have in common? The character sees the world with an "innocent eye" (I quote a former student here). Same steps: mistrustat first (even hostility from the "majority")-friendship wins step by step...There's also a movie with Daniel Auteil, MON MEILLEUR AMI (the reference to LPP is explicit there)

    ReplyDelete
  2. RenéeFebruary 13, 2011 at 3:35 PM

    Thanks, Luciana. I've never thought of that. I'll have to check out Mon Meilleur Ami...I've never seen it :).

    ReplyDelete

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