2024-07-26 What’s My Line?

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

1. Understand the basic concept and rules of the “What’s My Line?” game show
2. Use a range of job-related vocabulary in context
3. Formulate and ask indirect questions about occupations
4. Interpret contextual clues to guess occupations
5. Engage in short conversations with multiple partners about jobs
6. Recognize some aspects of 1950s American culture and language use

1. Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Purpose: Introduce the concept of “What’s My Line?” and activate prior knowledge.
Activity: Brief discussion about guessing games and TV shows.

• Ask students if they’ve ever played guessing games about occupations.
• Introduce the concept of the 1950s TV show “What’s My Line?”

2. Video Introduction (20 minutes)

Purpose: Familiarize students with the TV show format and introduce Colonel Sanders.
Activities:

1. Pre-watching discussion (5 minutes):

• “It’s hard to imagine that there was a time when Colonel Sanders wasn’t famous.”

1. Distribute the transcript.
2. Watch the “What’s My Line?” clip featuring Colonel Sanders (7 minutes).
3. Post-watching discussion (5 minutes):

• Initial reactions to the show
• Any difficulties understanding the content

3. Game Rules Discussion (15 minutes)

Purpose: Encourage critical thinking about the game format.
Activity: Group discussion

• In small groups, students discuss and try to deduce the rules of “What’s My Line?”
• Class shares their ideas, teacher clarifies and explains the actual rules.
• Go over sample questions.

5. Practice (35 minutes)

Purpose: Apply new vocabulary and structures in a communicative activity.
Activity: Modified “What’s My Line?” game

• Divide the class into panels of 4-5 students.
• One student chooses a job card and answers yes/no questions from the panel.
• Rotate roles to ensure all students practice both asking and answering questions.

6. Cool Down/Reflection (10 minutes)

Purpose: Consolidate learning and encourage self-assessment.
Activities:

1. Class discussion:

• What new phrases or question formats did you learn from the show?
• How has the way we talk about jobs changed since the 1950s?

1. Exit ticket: Students write one interesting fact they learned about American culture from the video.

Additional Notes:

• Prepare visual aids (e.g., picture of Colonel Sanders, KFC logo)
• Be prepared to explain cultural references or outdated language from the 1950s
• For lower levels, provide more language support (e.g., question templates, word banks)
• For higher levels, encourage more complex questioning techniques and cultural analysis