Entry: 7

Date:unknown

Today, we did a pantomime based on the poem Monsoon History. Well, it was not actually a pantomime. We have to act out the poem, line by line so that our friends can guess what the real line was, based on our actions. The first time we looked at it, we thought it was an easy task but not long after that, right after the first and second stanza presentation, I think it is not as easy as it may seem and not easy to be applied in real situation either. The lines are a little bit hard to be guessed plus the level acquired more advance students, at least better than intermediate. I am not saying that this task is not suitable for literature class, it is just that I think during the presentation, the evaluation of the task cannot be seen clearly whether the task was interesting and effective or just an interesting but ineffective class. But then, the purpose of this activity might be to work students in group, collaborate between one another, creative thinking to act out the lines, and critical thinking to guess what the lines were.

I think if it is my class, I would not ask them to actually guess everything. Maybe I will give them a task sheet of the poem, which has blanks here and there so that the students will fill in the blank by guessing from their friends’ actions. Or give them the whole poem, ask them to act out what they understand from it with others students also have the whole copy with them. I mean, not actually act out with real lines and all, but enough with simple actions just to show they understand the meaning of the lines. I can also bring to class a mug of drink as Milo, magazines, comb, and other stuff to make them see the poem in real situation.

When I was in my form four, Monsoon History for me is nothing more than just a couple of old grandma and grandpa drinking and resting with few things happening around. All the other parts were given in an a4 paper as a handout and we are expected to memorize every single thing of it. When that doesn’t work, we use simplified text with pictures and illustrations (e.g.: Babysteps) which already have the information and no thinking needed, just repeat and regurgitate during examination.