Here We Go 3 Unit 8 Analysis for Teachers

Self-Assessment Questions for Students to Check Understanding, Knowledge, and Progress

Vocabulary

• Can you correctly use words like “goodbye,” “ambitious,” “usual,” “bored,” “friendship,” “accept,” “midnight,” and “helpful”?
• Can you explain the meaning of new words like “face,” “within,” “get bored,” “keep in touch,” “all year round,” “enter,” “lost,” and “be there for”?
• Can you appropriately use farewell greetings like “Take care!” and “Have a safe trip!”?
• Can you use the expression “Here’s something for you” when giving a gift?
• Do you understand and can you use basic vocabulary related to farewell and gratitude?
• Do you understand and can you use vocabulary related to letter writing (e.g., “Dear Mom,” “Sincerely,” “Love,” “Your friend,” etc.)?

Grammar

• Can you use “I wish” to express unreal wishes, like in “I wish you weren’t leaving” or “I wish I could stay”?
• Do you understand and can you use the sentence structure “I wish” followed by the past tense, as in “I wish I were better at cooking” or “I wish I spoke French”?
• Can you use the present continuous tense to talk about near future plans, like in “You’re leaving within an hour”?
• Can you use the relative pronoun “that” to describe nouns in more detail, as in “The three years that we spent together were amazing”?
• Can you use “, remember?” to ask for agreement or confirmation from someone, like in “We did so many things together, remember?”
• Can you use “get + adjective” to express a change in state, as in “Open it if you get bored on the plane”?
• Do you understand the difference in nuance between “simple future will” and “volitional will” (e.g., for promises)?

Communication

• In letter writing, the main activity of this unit, can you use appropriate greetings for farewell situations (e.g., “Goodbye,” “Take care,” “Have a safe trip!”)?
• Can you express feelings of gratitude in letters, the main activity of this unit, or verbally?
• For letter writing, the goal of this unit, can you write a letter of thanks or farewell to important people like friends or teachers?
• Can you explain your wishes and reasons using “I wish” sentences?
• Can you answer questions or summarize the content of conversations and letters from the textbook?
• Can you use “Me, neither.” to agree with a negative statement?

These questions help students self-assess their understanding of Unit 8 learning content. Teachers can use these questions in class, as homework, or periodically to check student progress.

Mapping Learning Objectives to Bloom’s Taxonomy

Mapping Unit 8 learning objectives to Bloom’s Taxonomy results in the following. The core goal of this unit is to express farewell and gratitude through letter writing.

1. Remembering (Knowledge):

• Recall and identify specific vocabulary related to farewells and wishes, such as “goodbye,” “ambitious.”
• Understand the meaning of new words like “usual,” “face.”
• Remember farewell greetings “Take care!” and “Have a safe trip!”, and the gift-giving phrase “Here’s something for you.”
• Recall that “Me, neither.” is used to agree with negative statements.
• Memorize basic sentence structures like “I wish you weren’t leaving” and “I wish I could stay.”
• Remember that “were” is used with “I wish” sentences.

2. Understanding (Comprehension):

• Explain the meanings of new vocabulary words.
• Understand the situational use of farewell greetings “Take care!” and “Have a safe trip!”, and the gift-giving phrase “Here’s something for you.”
• Use “Me, neither.” to agree with negative statements.
• Understand that “I wish” sentences express wishes that are unrealized.
• Understand that the present continuous tense has a usage for expressing future plans.
• Understand the role of the relative pronoun “that” in detailing nouns.
• Comprehend and summarize the content of conversations and letters in the textbook.
• Understand the nuance of “will” in expressing simple future vs. volitional future.

3. Applying (Application):

• Apply learned vocabulary and grammar rules to express personal feelings of farewell and gratitude in letters.
• Express personal wishes using “I wish” sentences.
• Talk about future plans using the present continuous (in appropriate contexts).
• Use relative pronouns “that” to provide more detail in sentences.
• Appropriately use farewell greetings and expressions of gratitude in role-plays and conversation practice.
• Practice using learned expressions in letter writing.
• Use “Here’s something for you.” in gift-giving situations.
• Use “Me, neither.” when agreeing with negative statements.

4. Analyzing (Analysis):

• Compare and contrast various farewell messages and understand the nuances of each expression.
• Analyze Kota’s letter and understand the depth of his gratitude and friendship towards Tina.
• Analyze different “I wish” sentences and understand the types of wishes each expresses.
• Analyze the structure of conversations and letters in the textbook and learn effective letter-writing techniques.

5. Evaluating (Evaluating):

• Evaluate their own letters and letters written by others, considering how to convey emotions more effectively.
• Choose the most appropriate farewell greetings and expressions of gratitude for different situations.
• Judge which expressions are most suitable when expressing wishes using “I wish” sentences.

6. Creating (Creating):

• As the culmination of the unit, write original farewell or thank-you letters to important people.
• Reflect personal individuality in letters and create memorable messages.
• Challenge themselves to write more complex and emotionally rich letters using learned expressions and grammar.

This unit focuses on letter writing as a way to practice memorization, understanding, and application of new vocabulary and grammar. It also touches upon analysis through letter analysis and evaluation. The creative level is primarily addressed through the original letter writing task.

Complete List of New Vocabulary Words

Unit 8 introduces the following new vocabulary words:

Page 155:

• goodbye (interjection, noun)
• ambitious (adjective)

Page 156:

• usual (adjective)
• face (noun)
• within (preposition)
• bored (adjective)
• [get bored](verb phrase)
• [keep in touch](verb phrase)

Page 157:

• round (adverb)
• all year round

Page 158:

• enter (verb)
• lost (adjective)

Page 163:

• accept (verb)
• midnight (noun)
• all (pronoun)
• helpful (adjective)
• friendship (noun)
• be there for ～

In addition to the above, throughout the unit, words already learned in various textbooks are used in new contexts. It is important for students to understand the meanings of these words in context and be able to use them appropriately.

Grammar Points and Patterns to Master in Unit 8

The key grammar points and patterns for students to master in this unit are as follows:

1. “I wish” + Past Tense (Past Subjunctive):

• Used to express wishes contrary to present facts or unrealizable wishes.
• The verb is in the past tense, but the meaning is about the present.
• For the verb “be,” “were” is commonly used regardless of the subject (especially in formal settings or writing).
  • Example: I wish I were taller.
  • Example: I wish you didn’t have to leave.

2. Future Expression using Present Continuous:

• The present continuous tense is sometimes used to express definite plans or schedules in the near future.
• Often used for plans related to movement, such as departures or arrivals.
  • Example: You’re leaving within an hour.

3. Noun Modification using Relative Pronoun “that”:

• The relative pronoun “that” introduces a relative clause that modifies the preceding noun (antecedent).
• Here, the focus is on the objective relative pronoun “that,” which plays the role of an object within the relative clause.
  • Example: The three years that we spent together were amazing. – “that” modifies “years” and acts as the object in the relative clause “we spent together.”

4. Tag Question “, remember?”:

• Adding “, remember?” at the end of a statement creates a tag question asking for the listener’s agreement or confirmation.
• Used when checking if the other person shares a memory or seeking empathy.
  • Example: We did so many things together, remember?

5. Expression of State Change using “get + Adjective”:

• “get + adjective” expresses a change of state, meaning “to become ~.”
• Often used to express changes in emotions or conditions.
  • Example: Open it if you get bored on the plane. – “get bored” means “to become bored.”

6. Nuances of Auxiliary Verb “will”:

• This unit implies that “will” can express both simple future (prediction) and volitional future (promise, intention). Understand the contextual difference in meaning.
  • Example (Simple Future): I will miss you guys so much. – Prediction about the future feeling.
  • Example (Volitional Future): I promise to visit you soon. I will. – Promise, intention to act in the future.

Supplementary Notes: Practical Expressions and Communication

• Farewell Greetings: Beyond “Goodbye,” learn “Take care!” and “Have a safe trip!” and how to use them appropriately.
• Expressions of Gratitude: Learn how to express thanks not just with “Thank you,” but throughout a letter.
• Gift-Giving Expression: Memorize “Here’s something for you.” as a standard phrase for giving gifts.
• Agreement with Negatives: “Me, neither.” is a useful phrase for agreeing with negative statements. Practice using it in conversations.
• Letter Writing: The ultimate goal of this unit is letter writing. Practice using learned vocabulary and grammar to write heartfelt letters.

This analysis is intended to help teachers and students understand the learning objectives and content of Unit 8. Enjoy the experience of expressing your feelings in English through letters!