Lesson Plan of Rising and Falling Tones in Sentences
English Grade IV
Students’ Learning Outcomes
· Listen to and identify rising and falling tones in sentences.
Information for Teachers
· Intonation patterns:
Ø They are the rise and fall of the speaker’s voice used to give information or change meaning.
· There are three basic pitches in English normal, high, and low.
Ø The normal pitch is where the voice usually is.
Ø High is when the voice rises to indicate information focus.
Ø Low is when the voice falls, usually at the end of a sentence
· Stressed words:
Ø Main verbs, nouns, and adjectives are usually stressed in a sentence. Unstressed words are ‘a’, ‘and’, ‘to’, ‘on’, etc.
· Tone:
Ø The pitch of voice is called ‘tone’.
· Low Rise (A Rising Tone)
Ø This tone is used in ‘yes/no’ questions where the speaker is sure that he doesn’t know the answer, and the addressee knows the answer. Such yes/no questions are spoken with a rising tone.
· Fall (A Falling Tone)
Ø A falling tone is by far the most common used tone of all. It shows a sense of finality, a speaker, by choosing a falling tone, also indicates to the addressee that it is all he has to say, and gives a chance to the addressee to speak now.
Material / Resources
Chalk/marker, board, duster, charts
Worm up activity
· Begin activities by reading a model sentence aloud to the students (for example:
Can you play the piano? Read the sentence the first time pronouncing each word carefully. Read the sentence second time in natural speech. Ask students which reading seemed more natural and why it seemed so.
Development
Activity 1
· Questions having ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers,
Ø Write the sentences on the board.
1. Is Ali a carpenter?
2. Is your father smart?
3. Can you sing?
4. Is this your school?
5. Do you eat rice?
· Ask students to read the sentences. Note the pronunciation and style of reading of each student.
· Ask students to try reading aloud again with focus on the rising tone.
· Students must practice the questions carefully for a few minutes. You must listen carefully and provide support and correction where needed.
Activity 2
· Statements / questions having answers besides ‘yes’ and ‘no’ responses.
Ø Write the sentences/questions not answerable by yes or no, on the board.
1. Where’s your pencil?
2. What is your father’s name?
3. My brother is adventurous.
4. What’s your name?
· Falling tone- is in sentence, a question that is not answerable by yes or no
· Read the above given sentences.
· Introduce the students to listen.
· Students must practice them carefully for a few minutes. You must listen carefully and provide help and correction where needed.
· Students read/recite repeat.
Activity 3
· Arrange a class competition. Ask students to repeat reading aloud the sentences practiced in activity 1 and 2, in pairs, keeping in mind the rising and falling tone patterns. The best pair must be awarded with a star.
· You can repeat this lesson for the revision of the concept. You can practice more sentences of the same type. Children can’t learn this in one lesson.
Sum up / Conclusion
· Ask students to do a role play in a given situation, for example, a mother asking her son ‘Where have you been all afternoon?’ in this they will practice asking the questions.
Assessment
· Listen to students’ responses continuously and carefully to know their level of understanding. You must practice this concept in every lesson.
Follow up
· Students must practice speaking the same sentences with intonation patterns at home, listen to the questions in the next class.
