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Unit Summaries Chatterbox Unit Summaries Second Cycle, Book 1: Units 1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 Second Cycle, Book 2: Units 1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 Third Cycle, Book 1: Units 1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 Third Cycle, Book 2: Units 1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 CHATTERBOX, SECOND CYCLE, BOOK 1 Unit 1 Welcome to English Class Students learn about the basic elements of their English class. They prepare a name card and introduce themselves to a partner. They learn about school material and classroom routines. As a wrap-up activity, students prepare a handbook about their English class to be used throughout the year. Unit 2 English Is Fun! Students play various games. They learn the names of colours, numbers and shapes. As a wrap-up activity, students make a word catcher and play a game with a partner to review language learned throughout the unit. Unit 3 The People around Me Students read a story and learn how to identify themselves and how to ask for identification. As a wrap-up activity, they make an address book of people who are important to them. Project 1 A Picture Dictionary of Letters and Numbers Students create a picture dictionary of new words. They search various resources for words and then write and illustrate a sentence with each word. Finally, they assemble their words to create the picture dictionary. Back to top Unit 4 I Am Special Students provide information about themselves. They explore various aspects of their lives and sing a song about being special. As a wrap-up activity, they make a mobile about themselves and present the information to a partner. They give the mobile to a family member as a gift. Unit 5 City Mouse and Country Mouse Students learn about city life and country life as described in the story City Mouse and Country Mouse. They compare and contrast various aspects of the lives of each mouse. As a wrap-up activity, students create a model house for a city or a country mouse, using natural or recycled materials. They describe their house to a partner and prepare a mini-exhibition for the classroom. Unit 6 A Season for Me Students learn about seasons and the weather. They learn about special activities and celebrations from each season. As a wrap-up activity, students make a lift-the-flap calendar to show what each season means to them. They present their calendar to their classmates. Project 2 My Special Sharing Day Students think about objects that are important to them. They identify each thing and explain why it is special. They bring the objects to class and present them to their classmates. Back to top Unit 7 Puppet Pals Students learn the parts of the body and about physical descriptions. They make a puppet and learn how to use it. As a wrap-up activity, students prepare and put on a puppet show. Unit 8 Pack Your Suitcase! Students learn about clothes. They listen to a story and learn which clothes are used for different activities and seasons. As a wrap-up activity, students make a collage of the clothes they need for a short trip and present it to the class. Unit 9 Animal Friends Students learn about the basic needs of pets. They find out how to take care of different pets and how to handle pets safely. As a wrap-up activity, students prepare a petcare brochure. Project 3 I'd Like to Be . . . Students find out about an animal they would like to be and prepare a presentation. They then present their research to their classmates. Back to top Unit 10 Little Chef Students learn the ingredients of some common dishes. As a wrap-up activity, they prepare and play a board game in which they have to gather ingredients to make a dish of their choice. Unit 11 Helping Out Students learn about household chores. They read a story and make a survey. As a wrap-up activity, they write a thank-you card to their parents and offer to help at home. Unit 12 Let's Play! Students learn about playground games. They talk about their favourite game and learn rules for playground safety. As a wrap-up activity, each team learns how to play a game and teaches the game to another team. If possible, students go to the playground or schoolyard and play the game. Project 4 I Can Speak English. Can You? Students create a short show to introduce Grade 2 students to English. In small groups, students plan their own part of the show, create the accessories they need and practise their act. They then present their class show to a Grade 2 class. Back to top CHATTERBOX, SECOND CYCLE, BOOK 2 Unit 1 Back to School Students get acquainted with one another, learn about their class code of conduct and form teams of four. As a wrap-up activity, each team makes a section of a class banner and students introduce themselves to the class. Unit 2 At My School Students learn about their school. They explore different places and talk about people they see at school. As a wrap-up activity, students work in teams to prepare a brochure about their school and present it to their parents in preparation for parent/teacher night. Unit 3 Make a Wish Students think about happiness. They watch (or listen to) the story The Fisherman and His Wife and conduct a survey on happiness. The also make some wishes that they think will make them happier. As a wrap-up activity, students make a shooting-star mural. Project 1 That's Us! Students find out about their teammates. They interview their teammates and compile the information, using a graphic aid. They prepare a presentation about their team. Back to top Unit 4 A Club for Everyone Students learn about clubs. They complete a membership card with information about themselves and decide which club they would like to present. In teams, students talk about themselves and make a club coat of arms. As a wrap-up activity, students bring objects that represent their club, write a club cheer, prepare a club station and present their club. Unit 5 Around the Corner Students learn about places in their community. They play a game to review places in their neighbourhood and write short texts about them. In teams, students prepare one page of a class scrapbook about their neighbourhood. They assemble the pages to make a class scrapbook. Unit 6 Rainbows Everywhere Students learn about colours and rainbows. They watch (or listen to) the story Rainbows Everywhere. As a wrap-up activity, students participate in an experiment, record their findings on an observation sheet and present them to the class. Project 2 A Travel Buddy Students send a travel buddy to another school as a way of introducing themselves, their school and their neighbourhood to other students. Back to top Unit 7 Fun and Games Students discover many ways of being physically active. They learn about different sports and the places where they can practise them. Students also find out about sports equipment and safety rules. As a wrap-up activity, students play a quiz game in teams of four. Unit 8 Try It! Buy It! Students learn about clothing and accessories. They watch (or listen to) the story The Emperor's New Clothes and think about advertising and new inventions. As a wrap-up activity, students invent a new product and present it to the class. They create a class catalogue of their products. Unit 9 Animals Big and Small Students learn how to describe mammals. They do a domino activity with their teammates and listen to descriptions of crazy creatures. They also learn about mammals diets and habitats. As a wrap-up activity, they play a board game that reviews what they have learned about mammals. Project 3 Who Did It? Students find out about inventors and inventions. They choose a category and research an invention. They write a text and present the information to their classmates. Back to top Unit 10 Eat Right Students learn about healthy food choices. They read a story, learn about the four food groups and the number of servings needed for a balanced meal. As a wrap-up activity, students create healthy menus for one week. Unit 11 A Job for You Students learn about occupations. They sing a song and learn about different people's workplaces and the tools they need at work. They identify occupations that suit people's interests and abilities. As a wrap-up activity, students give a presentation on what they would like to be when they grow up. Unit 12 Up and Down Students prepare to play a board game. They choose the elements that they will include in their game. Students learn the rules of the game. They prepare their game board and make a die. As a wrap-up activity, students play the board game with their team. Project 4 Get Ready for Summer! Students create a class magazine about summer. Each group is responsible for a different subject. Students find and note down information about their subject. Each student prepares a short text. With the help of their partners, students prepare pictures and photos about their subject. They put the texts together and decorate their page of the class magazine. Back to top CHATTERBOX, THIRD CYCLE, BOOK 1 Unit 1 That Looks Familiar! Students recall what they have already learned in English. They become aware of similarities between English and French, and the ways in which they can use their environment to continue learning. Each activity leads them to the creation of a learner's logbook, which they add to throughout the year. Unit 2 Secrets from the Tomb Students learn about Ancient Egypt and the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb. They also learn about hieroglyphics and about the responsibilities of rulers and their people. As a wrap-up activity, students create a pyramid book that contains information about themselves. Unit 3 Every drop Counts Students learn about the importance of water conservation. They read a story about a threatened river, survey water consumption in their homes and learn about different ways of saving water. As a wrap-up activity, students create and perform a skit to promote water conservation. Back to top Unit 4 Sweet Tooth Students explore two popular sweet treats: chocolate and ice cream. They learn a little of the origin and composition of each and discuss how certain treats taste. They look at some recipes and survey each other about favourite treats. As a wrap-up activity, students invent a sweet treat. Unit 5 The Night of Giving Students read the story of the Children of Kelm. They explore the story through activities related to characters, setting and them. As a wrap-up activity, students create "giving bags" by decorating bags with pictures and words hat represent giving. They each choose four people to whom they would like to give something, create gift certificates and place the certificates in the bag. Unit 6 Monsters: Real or Fake? Students learn about unusual creatures. They read and listen to testimonies of people who claim to have seen unusual creatures and learn about special monsters created for movies. As a wrap-up activity, students prepare an artist's portfolio about a new monster. Back to top Unit 7 Tall Tales Students learn about the characteristics of tall tales and read the story of Finn McCool. As a wrap-up activity, students invent their own heroes and write their own tall tales. Unit 8 The Case of the Stolen Guitar Students learn how detectives work by investigating the theft of a bass guitar. They gather information about the theft and listen to two witnesses. As a wrap-up activity, students interview suspects and try to solve the crime. Unit 9 Loonies and Toonies! Students learn about the development of money. They learn about the symbols on Canadian coins and about commemorative coins. As a wrap-up activity, students design money to be used in their class. Back to top Unit 10 Treasure Hunters Students learn about pirates and their treasure. They listen to a story about a pirate captain and then follow directions to find buried treasure. They learn what a treasure hunter needs. As a wrap-up activity, students play a board game called Treasure Hunt. nit 11 Don't Bug Me! Students learn about insects. They identify insects that bother them and classify them as harmful or not. They find jobs for different insects and learn idiomatic expressions related to them. As a wrap-up activity, students make ID (Insect Description) cards which they put together to make an insect guidebook. Unit 12 Up, Up and Away! Students celebrate the end of the school year and the coming summer vacation. They listen to children who have made kites. They read about kites and how to make them, choose a model to make and write messages about their summer plans and a poem about school to add to their kites. As a wrap-up activity, students each make and present a kite. Project 1 A Reader's Theatre Students write a play script and practise reading it aloud. They then read it to their classmates. Project 2 You're On! Students choose a person they admire and present information about him or her to the rest of the class. Back to top CHATTERBOX, THIRD CYCLE, BOOK 2 Unit 1 Learning Tools Students reflect on the strategies they can use while learning English. They participate in activities that force them to use strategies such as circumlocution, practising, guessing meaning and self-monitoring. They create a pictorial representation of the strategies they use in each activity. As a wrap-up activity, each student creates a toolbox of these representations. Unit 2 On This Day Students think about historic events, learn when certain events took place and read letters about some of them. They find out about special events that took place on their birthdays. As a wrap-up activity, students share this information with their classmates. nit 3 Words of Honour Students read a story set in the Middle Ages. They learn about the origins of surnames, find out about the symbolism on coats of arms and learn some mottoes. As a wrap-up activity, students design and display their own coats of arms. Back to top Unit 4 Playing Around Students think about the toys of the past and present. They read a letter describing popular toys, categorize toys according to who would play with them and listen to toy commercials. As a wrap-up activity, students remodel and improve toys and present advertisements to their classmates. Unit 5 Fear Files. Students find out about fear and the physical reactions people have when they are afraid. They brainstorm different things people may fear, learn about the physical signs of fear and listen to an interview about fears. As a wrap-up activity, pairs of students use the results of a survey they have conducted to create a Cave of Fears. Unit 6 It Takes Courage Students read a story about courage and identify some people's fears. They discuss courageous people and write a speech of praise. As a wrap-up activity, students create a Heroes? Hall of Fame. Back to top Unit 7 Beat the Record Students discuss awards and records. They participate in various activities that deal with setting records and design and conduct their own events. As a wrap-up activity, students make a class record book and present each winner with a certificate. Unit 8 Celebrating the World Students travel with two children to different countries. They hear and read about different kinds of festivals and collect information about international celebrations. As a wrap-up activity, students prepare scrapbooks about special events. Unit 9 Forever Friends Students read a play about a special kind of friendship. They study the characters and practise a role. As a wrap-up activity, students perform the play. Here are the Extra teaching notes for Activity 1: The Homecoming. Back to top Unit 10 Signs of the Times Students consider the evolution of various aspects of their environment and think about what represents a specific age. They look at fashion, recreation, music, technology and language as signs of a time. As a wrap-up activity, students use the same categories to represent their own time. Unit 11 The Forgetting Stone Students think about different kinds of literary genres and then read or listen to a story. They review the literary elements of characterization and theme and learn about the elements of plot. As a wrap-up activity, students prepare and display story maps for their own stories. Unit 12 The Welcome Wall. Students review the year's work and reflect on what they have accomplished and enjoyed. As a wrap-up activity, they prepare a Welcome Wall for students who will be entering this level next year. Project 1 The Art of Friendship Students think about friends they would like to honour. They write tributes and create artistic gifts for them Project 2 Remembering the Present Students make thematic time capsules. They think about things they would like future generations to remember about this century and choose a theme for their time capsules. Students decide on the items they will include and write a short description of each one. They present their time capsules to their classmates. Back to top