Where is the Monkey?

Ian Carpenter, ESOL Instructor
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation
The Riverside Language Program NYC
The American English Group

Focus of Lesson: Yes/ No questions using the verb ‘Be’ with Prepositions

Example: "Is the Monkey under David’s chair?" - "No, the Monkey isn’t under David’s chair."

Objectives: To give your students practice making Yes/ No questions using prepositions of location as well as affirmative and negative answers to the questions.

Level of students: Beginner to low intermediate.

Applicable Learning standards: ELA 1

Preparation Time: 30 minutes.

Implementation Time: This activity can be used in it’s entirety (at least 1hr. 15 min) or can be used be used as a filler when time has run out on other activities depending on the students level.

Materials and Supplies: Monkey cutout. Draw a picture of a Monkey. (The funnier looking the better!) Add some color. Make it large enough so everyone can see it clearly.

Cut it out with scissors and laminate so it’s reusable. A medium sized cardboard box.

One real banana

Room Arrangement: Divide the students up into 4 groups. (3-7 members per group).

Introduction for Teachers: "Where is the Monkey?" is fun. Groups are formed and temporarily exit the classroom. One student remains and hides a picture of a Monkey.

The other students return to the classroom and take turns guessing where the Monkey is. After playing it a few times your students should be comfortable asking ‘Yes/ No Questions’ with prepositions involving a singular object. Points are scored for groups whose members form questions correctly.

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Procedure:

Teacher (T) stands before the class beside a medium size cardboard box and mimics the actions and sounds of a monkey.

Even amongst beginners, experience has shown me that more than a few students will shout out the word "Monkey!"

On the blackboard the teacher writes: "Where is the Monkey?" Teacher faces the class and repeats the question with sincerity and elicits the question from the students several times checking the students for pronunciation.

(T) "Is the Monkey under the box?" (T) points to the bottom of the box and lifts it up to see if the Monkey is there. It isn’t but the meaning of the question is made clear.

(T) writes the question on the blackboard and has the students repeat it several times checking for pronunciation.

(T) repeats the question with sincerity eliciting "No, the monkey is not under the box." Usually someone will provide at least part of the answer but if no one does (T) models it and has the class tries pronouncing it a few times and then writes it on the board.

(T)"Is the monkey behind the box?" (T) points to the back of the box and has the class repeat the question and then writes it on the board.

(T) asks the question sincerely. And lifts the box momentarily to show nothing is behind the box. Someone will say, "No, the monkey is not behind the box." Students practice the sentence and teacher writes it on the blackboard.

(T) "Is the monkey inside the box?" (T) peers over the top and looks inside then looks at the students having them repeat the question. (T) invites one student up to the front of the classroom and motions the student to look in the box at the same time repeating the question. Student "Yes, the monkey is inside the box." (T) reaches in the box and slowly…. pulls out the monkey and says, "Yes, the monkey is inside the box?"

The students repeat it the sentence and the (T) writes it on the blackboard.

(Expect lots of laughter at your monkey drawing. Though educationally sound, this is a silly fun activity.

The (T) now models and writes on the blackboard other prepositions: (over, beside, on, between, etc.) and then demonstrates those positions while holding the monkey. At the same time, the class practices asking and answering the questions. After a few demonstrations the students should be able to form and answer the questions without the teacher saying anything.

The game.

One student is chosen to hide the monkey but first the others are divided into, say, four groups with (3-7) students each. Each group must come up with a team name. The teacher writes the team names on the blackboard and has all the teams exit the classroom. The one student remaining hides the monkey.

The teams re-enter the classroom and then take sequential turns trying to guess where the monkey is. When a team player can correctly as a question (attention to accuracy!) they get 1 point. The team that correctly guesses where the monkey is hidden gets 5 points.

Whichever team gets the most points wins. The teacher gives the winning team a banana to share.

Assessment:

Are the students forming the questions and answers correctly? Since the game involves continual questioning with points for correct answers it will be obvious if they have learned the focus of the lesson or not. The repetition of the questions and answers (usually only with a change in the preposition) gives each student time to analyze the structure and then, when their turn comes, produce it themselves.

It would be a good idea to also test the students. Prepare a 1 or 2-page test with pictures and objects (behind, in front of, beside, between, inside, etc.), and then have the students fill in blanks or complete sentences.

Reflection on Lesson:

Did the students enjoy the game and were they producing the questions correctly?

In future classes, once the game is understood, the teacher can introduce sentences like

(Is the monkey inside somebody’s bag/ somebody’s clothes) and other sentences that native speakers might use in trying to locate an object within a room.

And you can make a colorful bunch of bananas ‘cut-out’. Now the students practice plural questions. "Are the bananas behind the desk?"

Ian Carpenter
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation
The Riverside Language Program NYC
The American English Group