Large Group: (25 Min) Listening Exercise. Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin

English Club: #8

Topic: Stages in life.

1. (10 min) 20 questions. Ask for a volunteer to stand up front after he or she thinks of a noun (person, place, or thing). The rest of the group can ask up to twenty questions to try and figure out what (or who) the volunteer’s word is. The questions must be phrases as ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions. The volunteer must only answer the questions with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Repeat with a new volunteer.

Large group: (25 min) Listening Exercise. “Cats in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin

1. Pass out the song sheet and instruct your students to fill in the missing words while they listen to the song. 2. Discuss the song’s content/meaning through these questions: “How much time has passed in this song?”, “Did the son become like his father?” Give examples. 3. Listen to the song a second time. 4. Go through the song asking for the missing words and explaining any confusing phrases and words. 5. OPTIONAL: Sing along with the song as a class.

Small groups: Divide into as many groups as there are facilitators.

2. (15 min) Significant life moments. Have the students get into groups of 2-3. Ask them to make the following four columns on the back side of their paper: “0-6 yrs”, “7-20 yrs”, “21-50 yrs”, “51-80 yrs”. Ask the small groups to make a list of significant events that they do in each stage of life. Then have each group share one of the stages (examples listed below). Discuss these stages by asking the following questions:

i. Which stage do you think has the most problems? ii. Which stage do you think is the best? iii. Which stage has the most changes?

 0-6 yrs (birth, 1st solid foods, 1st steps, 1st words, 1st day of kindergarten)  6-20 yrs (1st day of school, become teenager, learn to drive car, dating, graduation, attend university)  21-50 yrs (21st birthday, graduate university, get job, move to different city, get married, [What is average age to get married?], have children [average number?], buy house/apartment, 1st grandkids)  51-80 yrs (children leave house, retirement [when?], move, travel, funeral, [What is the average age of death?])

3. (15 min) Stages in Life. Ask for three volunteers to stand up front. Have one of them take a face-down topic card and read it to the class. Next, have each volunteer take an age card. Instruct the volunteers to keep their card a secret. Ask each volunteer to discuss the topic from the perspective of their given age. After all three have gone, ask the class to guess the given ages of the three.

4. (15 min) Block story. Have a volunteer try to explain the entire story. After the first student is finished go through difficult verbs and phrases. Ask for a second volunteer to explain the story this time in the first person past tense ”I did…”. Finally, you share the story making sure to add enough connecting phrases to make it flow from box to box.

Large group: (10 min) Idioms. Go through the following idioms:

 My dad is over the hill.  They are empty-nesters.  They are living large.  The winds of change. CATS IN THE CRADLE By Harry Chapin

1. A child arrived just the other day. 2. He came to the world in the usual way. 3. But there were planes to catch and bills to pay. 4. He learned to walk while I was away. 5. And he was talking before I knew it, 6. And as he grew he'd say, "I'm going to be like you, Dad. 7. You know I'm going to be like you."

Chorus And cat's in the cradle and a silver spoon. Little boy blue and the man on the moon. When ya’ coming home, Dad? (Son) I don't know when, but we'll get together then Son. (Dad) You know we'll have a good time then.

8. Well, my son turned ten, just the other day. 9. He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad. Come on let's play. 10. Can you teach me to throw?" 11. I said, "Not today. I got a lot to do." 12. He said, "That's okay!" He walked away, but his smile never dimmed 13. And said, "I'm going to be like him, yeah. You know I'm going 14. to be just like him." (CHORUS)

15. Well, he came home from college just the other day. 16. So much like a man I just had to say, 17. "Son, I'm proud of you. Can you sit for awhile?" 18. He shook his head and said with a smile, 19. " What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys. 20. See you later. Can I have them please?" (CHORUS)

21. Well, I've long since retired. My son's moved away. 22. I called him up just the other day. 23. I said, "I'd like to see you, if you don't mind." 24. He said, "I'd love to Dad, if I could find the time." 25. "You see my new job's a hassle, and the kids have the flu. 26. But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad. It's been sure nice talking to you."

27. And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me. 28. He'd grown up just like me; my boy was just like me. (CHORUS) CATS IN THE CRADLE By Harry Chapin

1. A child just the other day. 2. He came to the world in the way. 3. But there were planes to catch and bills to pay. 4. He learned to while I was away. 5. And he was talking before I knew it, 6. And as he he'd say, "I'm going to be like you, Dad. 7. You know I'm going to be like you."

Chorus And cat's in the cradle and a silver . Little boy blue and the man on the moon. When ya’ home, Dad? (Son) I don't know when, but we'll get then Son. (Dad) You know we'll have a good time then.

8. Well, my son ten, just the other day. 9. He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad. Come on let's play. 10. Can you teach me to ?" 11. I said, "Not today. I got a lot to do." 12. He said, "That's okay!" He walked away, but his never dimmed 13. And said, "I'm going to be like him, yeah. You know I'm . 14. to be just like him." (CHORUS)

15. Well, he came home from college just the other day. 16. So much like a I just had to say, 17. "Son, I'm proud of you. Can you sit for ?" 18. He shook his head and said with a smile, 19. " What I'd like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys. 20. See you later. Can I have please?" (CHORUS)

21. Well, I've long since retired. My son's moved . 22. I called him up just the other day. 23. I said, "I'd like to see you, if you don't ." 24. He said, "I'd love to Dad, if I could find the time." 25. "You see my new a hassle, and the kids have the flu. 26. But it's nice talking to you, Dad. It's been sure nice talking to you."

27. And as I hung up the it occurred to me. 28. He'd grown up just like me; my boy was just like me. (CHORUS) Talk about your goals Talk about your favorite in life. thing to do.

Talk about your Talk about money. friends.

Talk about the Talk about computers. president.

Talk about work. Talk about food.

As an 8 year old As a 35 year old

As a 70 year old