English Language Centre

Session Outline Week 5

[Reading Comprehension]
9.00-10.20 1st Session

9:00-9:10      Attendance

9:10-9:20 Input:

The principles of comprehension will be discussed.

A brief introduction of the Thesis Sentence, Supporting Details and Concluding Sentence with
inferences would be taught through effective PowerPoint presentations.

9:20-9:35 Activity 1 (15 minutes)

In this activity, the students will be given a passage based on American Wedding Customs from
Transparent Language Online. The passage would consist of five paragraphs. The students will be
informed about the Thesis Sentence of the first two paragraphs. Then they would be asked to make their
own thesis statements for the remaining three paragraphs.
AMERICAN WEDDING CUSTOMS
Wedding customs in the United States vary depending on the person’s religious and cultural
background. In fact, most wedding customs followed in America come from other cultures. Many
aspects of weddings have changed in the past several centuries in America. Whereas weddings used to e
small family gatherings at home, many weddings today are very elaborate. Some people even fly to a
tropical island, which is called a "destination wedding". Certainly people in the early 19th century
couldn't imagine flying to the Bahamas just to have a wedding.
While things are sure to change again in the future, there are certain aspects of American weddings that
are quite common these days. Once a couple gets engaged, they begin the long process of wedding
planning. You can even hire a wedding planner to do everything for you. There's a lot to think about
when planning a wedding, such as location, guest list, food and drink, entertainment, decorations, and
much more. With more than two million weddings in the USA every year, the wedding industry is very
big and quite profitable. Although many people are happy to hire a wedding planner, some choose to
take a do it yourself, or DIY approach to save money.
One modern wedding tradition is for the bride to wear a white dress, which symbolizes purity. It's
common for the groom to wear a tuxedo, although some choose more informal attire. It is customary to
have a bridal party in weddings to accompany the bride and groom. The bride will choose her
bridesmaids and will designate one the maid of honor, while the groom chooses his groomsmen and
appoints one the best man. Typically the bridesmaids will throw a bridal shower and bachelorette party
for the bride prior to the wedding. The groomsmen will also have a bachelor party for the groom.
Bachelor party in America can be a bit crazy, and Hollywood movies have even been made about them.
On the day of the wedding, the bride and groom may choose not see each other until the ceremony.
These days, some couples forego this tradition in order to take "first look" photos, where the
photographer captures the moment they see each other for the first time after getting ready. Another
interesting tradition is for the bride to have "something old, something new, something borrowed, and
something blue" with her. In the ceremony, the bride's father will often walk her down the aisle. This is
a symbol of his acceptance for the groom and the marriage. Other traditions include exchanging vows,
putting on the wedding rings, and a giving each other a kiss to seal the marriage.
Next is the reception, which is basically a big party. There are a few traditions associated with the
reception. Couples will cut the wedding cake and feed it to each other, the bride and groom will have a
first dance, and the bride will throw her bouquet of flowers to the single women in attendance. Whoever
gets the flowers will be the next to marry. American weddings are a lot of work, but they sure are lots of
fun!

9:35-9:45 Feedback (10 minutes)

Each student will be given 45 seconds to explain his or her observation and what he or she has learnt so
far. This activity will activate students’ schema about reading comprehension.
9:45-9:55    Input:

Brief description of supportive and concluding sentences with examples of the first two paragraphs of
the passage "American Wedding Customs".

9:55-10:10 Activity 2 (15 minutes)

The students would be asked to make their own concluding statements for the remaining three
paragraphs of the American wedding customs. Then they would be provided with random five sentence
starters about the passage ‘American Wedding Customs’ and will be asked to complete the sentences.

1. I disagree with some American customs because ………………………………………………

2. The funniest thing I ever saw about hiring a wedding planner is

……………………………………

3. Based on my evidence, I think …………………………..

4. I want to add to what………………………………………..said about

………………………………

5. Comparing some of the Pakistani and American customs, the most common tradition shared by
both is ……………………………………………………………

10:10-10:20 Feedback (10 minutes)

The learners will elucidate their sentence completion exercise.

References:
 Retrieved from Transparent Language Online and English II course pack

Rubric:

Beginner Developing Advanced

(0-3) (3-6) (7-10)
Reading reads however comprehend a comprehend some concepts Proficient reader
little

Writing Limited vocabulary and Capable enough to convey Capable enough to convey ideas
grammar comprehension messages to some extent coherently and accurately

English Language Centre

 Session Outline Week 5
[Reading Comprehension]
9.00-10.20 2nd Session

9:00-9:10      Attendance

9:10-9:20 Input:

The principles of comprehension will be revised.

A brief revision of the Thesis Sentence, Supporting Details, Concluding Sentence with inferences would
be done through random examples on the whiteboard.

9:20-9:35 Activity 1 (15 minutes)

Students will be asked to solve the exercises based on the stated and implied main idea from course
pack.

9:35-9:45 Feedback (10 minutes)

Each student will be given 45 seconds to explain their reasons for choosing the appropriate MCQ of the
stated and Implied Main Ideas. This activity will activate students’ schema about reading
comprehension.

9:45-9:55    Input:

Brief description of narrowing down thesis statements would be taught to the students through power
point slides.

9:55-10:10 Activity 2 (15 minutes)

The students would be asked to solve the exercise from course pack. They will have to select the best
thesis statements amongst five options for three short paragraphs.

10:10-10:20 Feedback (10 minutes)

The learners will elucidate inferences on page 28 and 29 of the course pack along with discussion.

References:
 Retrieved from Transparent Language Online and English II course pack

Rubric:

Beginner Developing Advanced

(0-3) (3-6) (7-10)
Reading reads however comprehend a comprehend some concepts Proficient reader
little

Writing Limited vocabulary and Capable enough to convey Capable enough to convey
grammar comprehension messages to some extent ideas coherently and accurately