Resources
Resource 1: ‘Boxes on the Bus’
The bus stopped at the station. An old man got on the bus. He was carrying a brown box, and in the box was … [a hat]. Then a mother and her baby got on the bus. She was carrying a tiny white box, and in the box was … [a bracelet]. Next, a woodcutter got on the bus. He was carrying a very long wooden box and in the box was ... [an axe]. Then a cook got on the bus. She was carrying a flat, round box, and in the box was … [a roti].
Continue the story for as long as you like. When the bus gets too crowded, the driver says, ‘I can’t take any more people or boxes! Doors closing! Beep beep!’
You can add to the complexity of the story by describing the shape, colour and material that the boxes are made of, as above, and make their contents more challenging by adding descriptive words or referring to plural or non-countable items (for example, ‘He was carrying a heavy metal box and in the box was a pair of old leather shoes/some flour/three fat chickens’), or to noises coming from the boxes (such as ‘She was carrying a very small box and in the box was a squeaking sound’). The story can also introduce students to different occupations and the tools people use in their jobs.
As the list of boxes and their contents gets longer, the story thus becomes a memory game.
4 Summary