Name of the Teacher Date Level of the class Length of lesson
Ruan Venter 19/09/2024 Advanced (C1) 60 minutes
Lesson Type:
Four skills - Reading
Lesson Topic:
What it's like to scuba dive in the South Pacific's most inexplicable feeding frenzy
Lesson Aims: Lesson Outcomes:
By the end of the lesson, students will be better able to… By the end of the lesson, students will have…
"To enhance students' reading comprehension skills, particularly Students will understand the main ideas and specific details of the
their ability to read for gist and specific information, while text, accurately use key vocabulary in context, and work
expanding their vocabulary through an engaging text about red collaboratively to discuss and reflect on the significance of the
snapper spawning. The lesson will also foster collaborative natural phenomenon described, contributing to a creative class
learning, critical thinking, and creativity through discussion and story.
interactive activities."
Anticipated difficulties: Suggested solutions:
Include one relating to L1/age/level of the students and one for
the subskills (reading for gist and for detail/specific information)
1. Students will practice inferring the meaning of complex
1. The article contains advanced vocabulary (e.g., “lingering,”
vocabulary and phrases from the context, enhancing their
“inexplicable,” “recreational”) and descriptive language that
ability to understand advanced texts without relying heavily
might be challenging for students to understand quickly.
on a dictionary
This could hinder their ability to grasp the overall gist of the
1 Lesson Plan 150823
, article during an initial reading.
2. The article refers to specific locations, events, and biological 2. Through targeted reading activities, students will improve
phenomena (e.g., “snapper spawning aggregation,” “Full their ability to quickly identify the gist of a text as well as
Moon as a mating call”). Students may struggle to locate and understand specific details. This will help them
understand these concepts, particularly if they lack prior distinguish between essential and non-essential
knowledge of marine biology or scuba diving. information.
3. With the article’s clear and detailed text, students may
3. By engaging with a text that covers niche topics like marine
become distracted by the storytelling and struggle to
biology and scuba diving, students will expand their
identify the specific information required by the task. This
vocabulary and understanding of specialized language,
could make it difficult for them to differentiate between key
which will be valuable in future readings of similar
points and less relevant details.
complexity.
Authentic Text (insert reading text here or link to the listening recording)
What it's like to scuba dive in the South Pacific's most inexplicable feeding frenzy
The full Moon is a mating call for one of the ocean's most extraordinary phenomena, when thousands of red snapper gather in what can only be described as a frenzied
fish orgy.
At 06:00, our small boat was floating a few miles from shore in the island nation of Palau, the early morning sun occasionally reflecting off the gentle curve of the waves.
Eight divers were perched on the side of the boat, backs out, wetsuits on, scuba diving air valves fully open. But we were in a holding pattern, heads bobbing from both
surface swells and lingering fatigue. Though ours were drooping, our captain's eyes were fixed on the point where our scuba diving guide had submerged minutes prior.
The objective: locating Lutjanus bohar, commonly known as red snapper.
But one fish wouldn't do — we were looking for at least 1,000. Five thousand would be better.
Suddenly, our guide's hand shot skyward, indicating he'd spotted what had brought us to this place at this time: an amorphous, ephemeral mass of snapper that regularly
spawn at this particular dive site, called Shark City.
A quick reverse count from three, and we backrolled into the water as one unit, quickly descending to 31m below the surface. The depth put us eye to bulging fish eye with
one of Palau's most inexplicable marine phenomena: a snapper spawning aggregation, a breathtaking ballet of nature driven by an unknown biological code.
2 Lesson Plan 150823
, Here, three days before the full Moon every month, these fish gather in what can only be described as a frenzied fish orgy. As the tide turned, the shimmering sphere of
bodies grew denser, becoming roughly the size of a football field as it moved toward the surface. As if on cue, the females released their eggs, triggering a flurry of activity
from the males as they darted through the massive school in a hectic attempt to maximise fertilisation — and a flurry of movement from divers as we tried to keep up with
the action. We ascended with the fishy mass, not knowing where to look and attempting to clumsily adjust our underwater cameras before the influx of genetic material
clouded the otherwise-clear water.
This weirdly specific, oddly appealing mating event likely unfolds in oceans around the world, but Palau's two sites — Shark City, and one near Peleliu Island – are the only
known fixed locations where red snapper spawnings happen on a regular basis and are accessible to divers. And with recreational divers limited to depths of about 20m,
and advanced divers to no more than 40m, finding spawnings is no easy task.
Article link:
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240808-what-its-like-to-scuba-dive-in-the-south-pacifics-most-inexplicable-feeding-frenzy
Please include a rationale for why you have chosen this authentic material (approximately 100 words):
I chose this piece for my C1 advanced adult students since it presents a compelling story that combines scientific details (e.g., the
biology of red snapper spawning), descriptive language (vivid and sensory words to paint a clear picture for the reader, making the text
more engaging and easier to visualize), and cultural background((e.g., how a community views or interacts with red snapper
spawning). The essay offers a rare chance to study difficult vocabulary and sentence patterns because of its broad description of the
snapper spawning event in Palau. Students are also introduced to biological and environmental ideas through the course material,
which promotes discussion and critical thinking. The article's topic—an amazing natural phenomenon—keeps readers interested while
pushing them to understand and evaluate a complex text, improving their language ability and comprehension.
Stage Name Stage Aim Time Interaction Teacher’s procedure Students will…
Pattern
3 Lesson Plan 150823
Ruan Venter 19/09/2024 Advanced (C1) 60 minutes
Lesson Type:
Four skills - Reading
Lesson Topic:
What it's like to scuba dive in the South Pacific's most inexplicable feeding frenzy
Lesson Aims: Lesson Outcomes:
By the end of the lesson, students will be better able to… By the end of the lesson, students will have…
"To enhance students' reading comprehension skills, particularly Students will understand the main ideas and specific details of the
their ability to read for gist and specific information, while text, accurately use key vocabulary in context, and work
expanding their vocabulary through an engaging text about red collaboratively to discuss and reflect on the significance of the
snapper spawning. The lesson will also foster collaborative natural phenomenon described, contributing to a creative class
learning, critical thinking, and creativity through discussion and story.
interactive activities."
Anticipated difficulties: Suggested solutions:
Include one relating to L1/age/level of the students and one for
the subskills (reading for gist and for detail/specific information)
1. Students will practice inferring the meaning of complex
1. The article contains advanced vocabulary (e.g., “lingering,”
vocabulary and phrases from the context, enhancing their
“inexplicable,” “recreational”) and descriptive language that
ability to understand advanced texts without relying heavily
might be challenging for students to understand quickly.
on a dictionary
This could hinder their ability to grasp the overall gist of the
1 Lesson Plan 150823
, article during an initial reading.
2. The article refers to specific locations, events, and biological 2. Through targeted reading activities, students will improve
phenomena (e.g., “snapper spawning aggregation,” “Full their ability to quickly identify the gist of a text as well as
Moon as a mating call”). Students may struggle to locate and understand specific details. This will help them
understand these concepts, particularly if they lack prior distinguish between essential and non-essential
knowledge of marine biology or scuba diving. information.
3. With the article’s clear and detailed text, students may
3. By engaging with a text that covers niche topics like marine
become distracted by the storytelling and struggle to
biology and scuba diving, students will expand their
identify the specific information required by the task. This
vocabulary and understanding of specialized language,
could make it difficult for them to differentiate between key
which will be valuable in future readings of similar
points and less relevant details.
complexity.
Authentic Text (insert reading text here or link to the listening recording)
What it's like to scuba dive in the South Pacific's most inexplicable feeding frenzy
The full Moon is a mating call for one of the ocean's most extraordinary phenomena, when thousands of red snapper gather in what can only be described as a frenzied
fish orgy.
At 06:00, our small boat was floating a few miles from shore in the island nation of Palau, the early morning sun occasionally reflecting off the gentle curve of the waves.
Eight divers were perched on the side of the boat, backs out, wetsuits on, scuba diving air valves fully open. But we were in a holding pattern, heads bobbing from both
surface swells and lingering fatigue. Though ours were drooping, our captain's eyes were fixed on the point where our scuba diving guide had submerged minutes prior.
The objective: locating Lutjanus bohar, commonly known as red snapper.
But one fish wouldn't do — we were looking for at least 1,000. Five thousand would be better.
Suddenly, our guide's hand shot skyward, indicating he'd spotted what had brought us to this place at this time: an amorphous, ephemeral mass of snapper that regularly
spawn at this particular dive site, called Shark City.
A quick reverse count from three, and we backrolled into the water as one unit, quickly descending to 31m below the surface. The depth put us eye to bulging fish eye with
one of Palau's most inexplicable marine phenomena: a snapper spawning aggregation, a breathtaking ballet of nature driven by an unknown biological code.
2 Lesson Plan 150823
, Here, three days before the full Moon every month, these fish gather in what can only be described as a frenzied fish orgy. As the tide turned, the shimmering sphere of
bodies grew denser, becoming roughly the size of a football field as it moved toward the surface. As if on cue, the females released their eggs, triggering a flurry of activity
from the males as they darted through the massive school in a hectic attempt to maximise fertilisation — and a flurry of movement from divers as we tried to keep up with
the action. We ascended with the fishy mass, not knowing where to look and attempting to clumsily adjust our underwater cameras before the influx of genetic material
clouded the otherwise-clear water.
This weirdly specific, oddly appealing mating event likely unfolds in oceans around the world, but Palau's two sites — Shark City, and one near Peleliu Island – are the only
known fixed locations where red snapper spawnings happen on a regular basis and are accessible to divers. And with recreational divers limited to depths of about 20m,
and advanced divers to no more than 40m, finding spawnings is no easy task.
Article link:
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240808-what-its-like-to-scuba-dive-in-the-south-pacifics-most-inexplicable-feeding-frenzy
Please include a rationale for why you have chosen this authentic material (approximately 100 words):
I chose this piece for my C1 advanced adult students since it presents a compelling story that combines scientific details (e.g., the
biology of red snapper spawning), descriptive language (vivid and sensory words to paint a clear picture for the reader, making the text
more engaging and easier to visualize), and cultural background((e.g., how a community views or interacts with red snapper
spawning). The essay offers a rare chance to study difficult vocabulary and sentence patterns because of its broad description of the
snapper spawning event in Palau. Students are also introduced to biological and environmental ideas through the course material,
which promotes discussion and critical thinking. The article's topic—an amazing natural phenomenon—keeps readers interested while
pushing them to understand and evaluate a complex text, improving their language ability and comprehension.
Stage Name Stage Aim Time Interaction Teacher’s procedure Students will…
Pattern
3 Lesson Plan 150823
