Plan a Holiday!

Need to know Teachers and Parents UNITS ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN 8-10 EVALUATE

Unit 1 level 7-8 i. Preview Do Review - planning ahead, asking what do I need to know, what is the question, what is the task, what is the problem? Before we start we need to plan. Preparation can help us avoid problems later on. It can speed up the process because we can cope with difficulties before they happen. For example: You decide you want to decorate your room. What do you do ? Place the following actions in the order you should do them:     note - you could select the list and copy it to a word processing program then cut and paste them into your preferred order. a) take down all your pictures and posters and leave them outside your room b) take out all the furniture and leave it outside your room c) talk to your parents d) get a colour chart from a DIY store e) buy paint and brushes f) check your watch and calendar g) put down newspaper or a cover to avoid splashes h) paint the woodwork i) paint the walls j) paint the ceiling k) buy sandpaper l) prepare the surfaces Finished? How did you decide? There are other things you could do too, but what did you choose to do first? Did you place a and b before c? Your parents might be unhappy about you decorating, they might not be so willing to pay for it, they might have good advice about what to do or how to do it, they might drive you to the DIY store, they might pay or find the materials - they might even have planned to have it done for you! Organising people is as important as organising your materials. Did you place f very near the beginning? There's no disadvantage to doing f very early, but if you don't do it you might find you've cleared your room but the DIY shop is now closed or you can't get there in time. Organising your time is as important as organising your materials. Did you place d before e? It's worth spending time thinking about choosing the right colours well before you start. After all, you'll be living with these colours for a long time and getting it wrong could be expensive and unpleasant. Did you choose the order k, l, j, i, h ? Done in this order will mean you're least likely to splash other surfaces after they've been prepared or painted. If you have the order f, c, d, e, k, a, b, g, l, j, i, h you are probably doing things in the right order - well done! If your order is slightly different think carefully. Could you make life easier for yourself? ii. Questions to Ask Now we've agreed that planning ahead is a good idea, here are some questions you should ask before you start on a project. The main one is "What is the question" or "What is the task" or "What is the problem"? In the painting example above it was "What is the task". The answer was "To paint my bedroom." The next question was "In what order shall I do it" and you've provided the answer to that too. Now your planning is proving to be useful. Now ask questions to help you prepare for the following tasks: 1. Repairing a bike puncture 2. Arranging a shopping trip to a large city you don't know well. You might ask questions which start with such as: who, what, why, where, when and how. Write down the questions in your word processing program then place them into your preferred order. Ask a friend to check the order you've placed your questions. Do you both agree? Have you avoided the things which are most likely to go wrong? For example: In 1 did you have all the tools, the time to do the job, spare parts in case something unexpected happens, instructions on how to use the tools .... In 2 did you have all the information you needed, the measurements for things which have to fit, sizes for clothes, receipts for items you are returning, money to cover purchases and travel, bags to carry things in, maps and addresses to find your way, an idea of a route so you don't waste time by backtracking .... iii. Things to do Finish this unit by actually doing one of these examples 1. Repairing a bike puncture 2. Arranging a shopping trip to a large city you don't know well. - or you could plan another activity for yourself. Whatever you do, whether it's researching a school project, planning an expedition or a holiday, deciding which CD player or bike to buy, organising your weekend to make the most of your time... plan ahead! Go on to Unit Two

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