Teachers Learning with Children 6(3), Autumn 2001, pp. 19-20 Let’s Go on a Bear Hunt!!! コンテンツを教える効果的な方法のひとつは、動きと音楽を組み合わせてドラマチックなお話に仕上げることです。人気のある子供向けのお話 “Going on a Bear Hunt”を使って、この方法の様々な例をご紹介します。このお話は、年齢層に合わせて簡単に調整することができます。毎週、個々のフレーズを紹介して、お話を展開させていきます。このような方法は極めてうまく機能するので、子供たちは実際に学校にいることを忘れてしまうくらいです！ In the EFL classroom, or indeed in any elementary school classroom, self-motivated learning is the key to success. When children are so completely absorbed in a lesson that they have forgotten they are in “school,” we as teachers have a great opportunity to introduce them to a variety of topics. This is good news as we explore the theme of “Teaching Content.” An effective contentbased lesson allows us to incorporate a variety of language goals, plus integrate previouslylearned material. In addition, we have greater flexibility to expand the lesson to challenge our more advanced students. I. The “Bear Hunt” approach to learning... Many of us are familiar with the popular children’s story, “Going on a Bear Hunt.” Usually recited in chant form and played out with dramatic action, this type of “adventure” exercise is extremely popular with children. While walking with their teacher on an imaginary trip through the great outdoors in search of a bear, children are being taught a content-based lesson. Here are two possible content areas, which we’ve limited to six target words each: 1. Geography: the physical world we live in Target language: meadow, hill, river, lake, forest, cave 2. Forest Animals: the animals that live in our forests Target language: deer, fox, beaver, frog, squirrel, bear Additional vocabulary could include prepositions, such as: under, over, around, through, across. Introduce the lesson by teaching the vocabulary of one content category above. Practice the vocabulary in an appropriate phrase pattern. One phrase can be taught each week in the following order: a. I see a meadow. b. Look! It’s a river, fox. (Question: What is it?) c. Please / Let’s go around it. The original chant, in which each line is recited by the teacher and then repeated by the children, is as follows: Going on a bear hunt! (pretend to march in place) I’m not afraid! (shake head, look brave) Look! It’s a meadow. (point!, indicate meadow full of grass) A very big meadow. (hold arms wide) We can’t go under it. (make a low sweeping dip with hand) We can’t go over it. (make a high sweeping arch with hand) Let’s walk through it. (thrust hand straight ahead and create the sound of walking through tall grass using your hands and voice) For early learners, try this simplified version (teacher recites, children repeat): Going on a bear hunt! (pretend to march in place) I’m not afraid! (shake head, look brave) I see a meadow. (point!, indicate meadow full of grass) A very big meadow. (hold arms wide) Come on! Let’s go! (thrust hand straight ahead) Create sounds to mimic walking through a meadow. Picture cards of the meadow, forest, cave, and other physical features can be placed around the room. Students march with the teacher around the room as they encounter each area, repeating the stanza above with the correct words. For large classes, only the teacher moves and stands in front of each new picture card. After crossing the meadow, the river, the hill, the lake, and the forest, students come to the bear cave and see the very BIG, but thankfully sleeping, BEAR! The teacher then says very quietly... Look! It’s a bear! Shhhhh! Let’s tiptoe! Students tiptoe past each picture card in reverse order, naming each card and then sitting down at their desks. The next week add another content category to the chant. Picture cards of the various animals are then placed around the room with the geography picture cards. Students and/or teacher then point and say, for example: Look! It’s a deer. This phrase can be added after naming the location, such as “I see a meadow. A very big meadow. Look! It’s a deer!” In a later class, add prepositions such as through the meadow, across the river, over the hill, around the lake, and through the forest. Students end the chant by tiptoeing back to their desks....tired but happy after a wonderful and memorable adventure!