Warming up to posters

A lesson involving poster creation may need to be introduced by supplying the class with many examples of posters and advertisements and if they are extremely sophisticated, a historic overview and discussion of posters and design.  A beautiful website that has such an overview is at http://www.artsalive.ca/collections/posters/posterhistory.php?lang=en. An excellent brief overview can also be found at http://www.digital-web.com/articles/elements_of_design/.

Recent presidential campaign posters are a good subject of analysis as well, as well as ad campaigns for any type of clothing, good or service that you notice students using (sneaker ad mottos are quite evocative.)   After the subject is introduced, students may proceed with the activities below and can also reference design concepts during the process of their class project.

Class activities for the Idioms poster include:

1.  Careful observation and description

2.  Analysis of the image and poster

3.  Discussion of poster alternatives

4.  Discussion of idioms and cultural comparisons

5.  The design process

 6.  Essay 

1.  Careful observation and description:

Teacher prompt:  Each student should present a detail of the poster to the class, making sure not to repeat a point that a previous student has made.

Grammatical prompts:  There is, there are, present continuous

There is melting ice in the background.

There are people popping up out of the ice.

A woman is shooting out of the ice.

2.  Analysis of image and poster

Teacher prompt:  How does the image work with the text to show the concept of breaking the ice?  Is this image successful, in your opinion?

3.   Student generated poster alternatives

Idioms work because they are fun, imaginative and metaphorical ways to use language.  They also naturally produce visualization. 

Teacher prompt:  Can you think of any other visuals that would have supported this motto?  Draw a thumbnail sketch or brainstorm about it.

4.  Discussion and cultural comparison of idioms 

Teacher prompt:  Think of three other idiomatic expressions that you know in English.  Write them down.  Try to explain what they mean, without using the idioms themselves.  Are they similar to idioms you know in your own language?  What are the differences?

5.  The design process 

Break the class into groups of 3-4 students.  Ask each group to come up with another idiom that could pair with "Study ESL."  Once the group has decided on their motto, have the group divide by choice or by skill into typrographers, photographers, illustrators with the entire group collaborating on the overall design concept of an 11 X 17 poster.  Have each group create thumnails, mockups or finished posters in any medium, utilizing handrawn or word processing type.  Cut and paste methods are perfectly acceptable.  If students need prompting, the following idioms can be supplied:  Make your mark;  Put your best foot forward;  Hit the nail on the head;  Step up to the plate;  Be the top banana, etc.

Wrap up activity:  Presentation and Critique

Each group should present its poster or thumbnail to the class, discussing its text and image.  The class should be prompted to provide positive feedback, noting a favorite elements of each poster. 

Finished posters can be executed in class, as homework or as extra credit.

6.  Essay writing 

Languages have similar components, such as grammar, idioms, etc. yet they are also different.  In a compare/contrast essay, discuss how your language compares and contrasts with English. 

Actvities for beginners:

 Beginning ESL students could benefit from the following sequence:

1.  Careful observation and description with the instructor supplying parts of sentences (e.g.  There are two _________ in the picture;  They are ___________ through the ice.)  

2.  Idiom matching and dictionary exercise with a partner:  Prepare slips of paper for 5 idioms, a stick figure representation of the idiom or a key word (e.g. a banana for "Be the top banana") and a definition of the idiom from a source such as "Dictionary of American Idioms."  In pairs, have the students match the idiom, the illustration and the definition.  As a blackboard activity, the teacher can sketch the key word illustration on the board and call on several students to respectively copy the idiom onto the board.

3.  Design exercise:  Students should pick one of the idioms used above or a fresh idiom on a teacher composed list and create a poster or preliminary poster sketch, linking the idiom with "Study ESL."  The poster sketch should be done in class and the student should write several sentences uililizing there is/are and/or the present tense to describe the contents of the poster.  A wrap up activity show and tell activity can include the students propping up their sketches and reading their sentences to the class.  Have them practice this with a partner first and check for pronunciation.

4.  Optional homework or extra credit:  Create a beautiful poster on 8 1/2 by 11 paper developed from your poster sketch.