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Comparison Shopping with Online Department Store Sites
Details
Activity Description
Students use web sites for department stores to find product information for similar products in order to compare prices and qualities of products at different stores so that they can make wise buying decisions.
Preparation
- Check the website to ensure it is not blocked at your site.
- Read through the lesson plan.
- Print and make copies of any handouts.
Program Areas
- ESL: English as a Second Language
Levels
- Intermediate Low
- Intermediate High
- Advanced
Lesson Plan
Ask students if they like shopping. Ask volunteers to tell about the last time they went shopping and what they bought. Begin the lesson with conversation questions projected. Have students speak in pairs or small groups about the following:
1. What are your favorite stores: grocery store, clothing store, department store? Why do you like these stores better than others of their kind?
2. What are some American brands or products that are popular or well-known in your country?
3. What are some brands or products that are popular or well-known in the USA and/or other places around the world?
4. Are you loyal to certain brands? If so, which, which products, and why? If not, why not?
5. What is your shopping philosophy: A) always buy a well-known brand even though it may cost more because its products are reputable or B) buy the least expensive or generic brand to save money?
6. Are you a bargain shopper or an impulse buyer? Do you compare prices or buy an item at the first store you go to?
7. Do you ever shop online? If so, what sites do you use, and what products do you buy online? What are some benefits of shopping online? What are some disadvantages of shopping online? What is something you would never buy online and why?
Tell students:
In our lesson, you are going to learn and practice the grammar form for making comparisons. Then you will use this grammar structure to talk about buying decisions.
Teach students language for comparatives and superlatives. Use the slideshow and have students be active learners by taking notes on the note-taking form.
Communicative Practice:
Groups of students will be provided suggestions of various items to “buy” and will use online sites to gather information about two or three brands of the item and take notes (e.g., car, mountain bike, bookshelf, computer or cell phone, other). Together the group will write a total of 10 sentences: 5 that use comparative adjectives and adverbs, 3 that use superlative adjectives, one that indicates which product they definitely won’t buy or recommend and why, and one that indicates which product they definitely will buy and why.
The groups will “present” their sentences to the class. The teacher will note errors for grammar review.
Students will think of one item they need or would like to buy. They will search online for the item, take notes on three brands or styles, and create a Google slideshow, PowerPoint slideshow, or print out pictures to make a poster presentation.
Students will use websites for department stores and other stores to compare products and save money.
Documents
- Comparative and Superlative Adjectives.pptx - Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Slideshow
- Comparative & Superlative Adjective Note-Taking Form.docx - Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Slideshow
Standards
- Reading
- CCR Anchor 1 - Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
- CCR Anchor 2 - Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
- CCR Anchor 3 - Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
- CCR Anchor 4 - Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
- CCR Anchor 5 - Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
- CCR Anchor 6 - Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
- Writing
- CCR Anchor 1 - Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
- CCR Anchor 2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.