MR WHAT
Module
Change
Unit
Making Changes
Programme Outline
Mr What lives in Dreamland. The people and animals in Dreamland look sleepy and
dream all the time. Mr What runs a little shop in Dreamland but he sits there dreaming most
of the time. When people speak to him, he half listens and responds to them with “What?”.
Life is slow and quiet for Mr What. Nobody minds in Dreamland because everything is
slow and everybody lives in a dream. Until one day, Mr Bee comes to see him, then followed
by two other new comers to Dreamland who have changed everything for Mr What. They
have made Mr What work very hard. What has Mr What made? The first picture dictionary
in Dreamland! He has also changed his attitude towards work and from them on, he works
hard and tries to find the answers himself instead of asking “Whats”.
Key Stage Targets
To develop an ever-improving capability to use English
- to obtain and provide objects, services and information in classroom situations and
through activities such as interactive games (I.D.e)
- to provide or find out and present information on familiar topics (K.D. a)
- to interpret and use given information through processes or activities such as matching,
describing, comparing, explaining, and drawing conclusions; and to follow instructions
(K.D.b)
- to identify ideas in simple spoken and written texts, form opinions and express them
(K.D.c)
Communicative Functions
1. Describe the manner and frequency with which people carry out actions and the purposes
and results of these actions
Examples:
People spend a lot of time dreaming in Dreamland.
The birds in Dreamland are beautiful but they fly in a dream.
They dream so often that they sometimes fall out of the sky.
The cats and dogs sleep and dream all the time.
Here’s Mr What. When he gets up, he sits in his armchair in the garden under a
big tree. It’s his favourite place. He spends a lot of time in his armchair every
day.
People don’t go shopping everyday in Dreamland. Even when they come in to
the shop to buy things, they are in a dream.
Nobody minds in Dreamland because everything is slow and everybody lives in
a dream.
This Mr Bee is different from all his friends in Dreamland. He speaks fast and
clearly. Nobody in Dreamland talks and does things as fast as Mr Bee.
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2. Make and respond to simple inquiries
Examples:
What time do people get up in Dreamland? 8 o’clock? 9 o’clock?
No, the answer is they get up in the afternoon.
Mr What，do you have any batteries?
Batteries? What are they?
Batteries have electricity inside them. You put batteries in things like my clock
and torch to make them work.
3. Identify and describe the definitions of objects, occupations and places
Examples:
What is a broom?
A broom is a brush for sweeping the floor. It has a long handle.
A calculator is a machine that can do sums.
Language Skills
Listening
- use visual clues, context and knowledge of the world to work out the meaning of an
unknown word and a complete expression
- listen for specific information
Speaking
- convey meaning clearly and coherently by using gestures and facial expression to convey
meaning and intention
- open an interaction by eliciting a response by asking questions or providing information
on a topic
- maintain an interaction by replying, asking questions, adding or giving examples,
explaining and using formulaic expressions where appropriate
Reading
- construct meaning from texts by using visual clues, context and knowledge of the world
to work out the meaning of an unknown word and a complete expression
- re-read to establish and confirm meaning
Writing
- develop written texts by using appropriate format, conventions and language features
when writing non-narrative texts such as a description
Language Development Strategies
Develop thinking skills
- generate new ideas and meanings by using an object, a picture, an idea or a description as
a springboard for new ideas or ways of thinking
Develop reference skills
- use given materials to find out required information
- use an English dictionary to check meaning or spelling
Develop self-motivation
- participate actively in tasks in an English classroom although there is the possibility of
making mistakes or encountering difficulties
Work with others
- ask questions to clarify information and seek correction
- work with others to complete a task
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Additional Information
One of the objectives of this programme is to develop a habit of using the dictionary to
look for information to lean English and develop pupils’ skills in using the dictionary to look
for definitions. Besides, it also encourages pupils to be more inquisitive and take an active
role in acquiring knowledge.
Pre-viewing Activities
1. Introduce the character Mr What to the pupils. Ask them to guess why he is called Mr
What. Tell the pupils more about Mr What, for example, he runs a little shop in
Dreamland.
2. Ask the pupils to guess what will happen if Mr What asks “What” all the time and what
will happen at the end of the story.
While-viewing Activity
Make sure that the pupils have the COPYMASTER 1 and pencils on their desks before
viewing. They need to find out the names of the four men in the story. Also encourage
the pupils to find out more about these four people as they watch the programme.
Answers:
Mr What
Mr Bee
Mr Making
Mr Doing
Post-viewing Activities
1. In Part II of the COPYMASTERs 1 & 2, pupils are asked to think about the changes in
the habit and attitude of Mr What. They also have to describe the process of change and
the change agents, Mr. Bee, Mr Making and Mr Doing.
Answers:
1. Life was slow and quiet for Mr What. He looked sleepy and dreamed most of
the time. When people spoke to him, he did not listen carefully and always
asked What. Until one day, he met Mr Bee.
2. Mr Bee was a polite man. He was from Busyland. He was different from all
the people in Dreamland. No one spoke so fast, clearly and loudly like Mr.
Bee. No one talked and did things as fast as Mr. Bee.
3. Mr Bee, Mr Making and Mr Doing made Mr What change. They made him
do a lot of things very fast. Finally Mr What made the first picture dictionary
in Dreamland.
4. Mr What worked very hard to make the picture dictionary. He would dry to
find the answers by himself instead of asking What.
2. Pupils work in pairs to complete the guessing games on Part III & IV of the
COPYMASTERs 2 – 5. Pupils are encouraged to take turns to be Pupil A and B. The
same procedure is applied to both tasks. Teachers can distribute the four worksheets
together and give pupils some time to work out the answers for Pupil B before they
attempt the guessing games.
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3. For Part III, Pupil A will be given the COPYMASTER 2 only but Pupil B will be given
both worksheets. They may use the dictionary to help them if necessary. First, pupil B
has to find out the occupations by reading the descriptions and the visual clues on the
worksheet. Then they work in pairs using the modelled dialogue on the COPYMASTER
2 to carry out the guessing game. The amount of clues provided by Pupil B may vary
depending on the comprehension of Pupil A. They record their answers on the
worksheet.
Answers:
1. You’re a painter.
2. You’re a tailor.
3. You’re a waiter.
4. You’re a cook/chef.
5. You’re an astronaut.
4. Pupils work in pairs to complete the guessing game on Part IV of the COPYMASTERs
4 & 5. Pupil A will be given the COPYMASTER 4 only but Pupil B will be given both
worksheets. Explain to them that the definitions of the objects are taken from the
dictionary to show them how to define a word, to demonstrate, teacher and pupils look
up the first word, “iron” together as an example.
5. Before trying the guessing game, Pupil B has to find out what the objects are by
matching the descriptions with the pictures on the COPYMASTER 5. Then they work
in pairs using the modelled dialogue on the COPYMASTER 4 to carry out the guessing
game. The amount of clues provided by Pupil B may vary depending on the
comprehension of Pupil A. Pupil A records his answers on the worksheet.
Answers:
1. I
It’s an iron.
2. G It’s a bandage.
3. F It’s an album.
4. D It’s an eraser.
5. C It’s glue.
6. B It’s a hammer.
7. A It’s an air conditioner.
8. E It’s a calculator.
9. H They’re jeans.
6. After the pupils have completed the tasks, in order to check if the pupils have understood
how they can use the dictionary to find a definition, choose a word from the dictionary
for them to look up. Ask a pupil to read out the definition to the class.
Follow-up Activity
Pupils complete Part V of the COPYMASTERs 6 & 7 on their own or they may do it
as homework. Look at the street map together. Explain that there are many different
places/buildings for different purposes in this map. Draw pupils’ attention to the first letter of
each place or building. Ask them to guess first and then look up the dictionary for words
they are not sure of.
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Answers: 1. Matching
D
F
E
A
G
B
C
Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Post office
Factory
Market
School
Hospital
Restaurant
Library
2. Street Map
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
(F)
(G)
(H)
fire station
supermarket
police station
cinema
station
farm
gymnasium
tunnel
COPYMASTER 1
5
Mr What
Part I
Who are they?
Write down the names of the four men in the story.
1. Mr. __________
2. Mr. __________
3. Mr. __________
4. Mr. __________
Find out more about them as you watch the programme.
Part II
Changes in Mr What
1. How much do you know about Mr What at the beginning of the story?
Life was _______ and quiet for Mr What. He looked sleepy and ___________ most of
the time. When people spoke to him, he did not listen carefully and always asked
___________ . Until one day, he met Mr Bee.
2. How was Mr Bee different from other Busyland. He was different from all the people in
_________. No one spoke so fast,
______, and loudly like Mr. Bee. No one talked and
did things as _______ as Mr. Bee.
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COPYMASTER 2
Mr What
3. Who made Mr. What change? And what did they make Mr. What do?
Mr Bee, Mr _________ and Mr ________ made Mr What change. They made him do a
lot of things very __________, finally Mr What made the first picture ________ in
Dreamland.
4. What happened to Mr What at the end of the story? How did he change?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Part III
What am I?
I’ll tell you what I do in my work. And why don’t you tell me what I am? Do you know my
occupation?
Example:
A: What do you do in your work?
B: In my work, I cut men’s hair. What am I?
A: What is the first letter of the word?
B: The first letter is b.
A: I know, you’re a barber.
B: That’s right. I’m a barber.
Pupil A: What do you do in your work?
Answers:
1. You’re a _____________.
2. You’re a _____________.
3. You’re a _____________.
4. You’re a _____________.
5. You’re an _____________.
COPYMASTER 3
7
Mr What
What am I?
Pupil B:
1.
In my work, I
paint
houses,
walls etc.
The first letter of
the word is p.
I’m a p________.
3.
2.
In my work, I make
clothes.
The first letter of
the word is w.
The first letter of the
word is t.
I’m a w_________.
I’m a t__________.
4.
In my work, I cook food.
The first letter of the
word is c.
I’m a c___________.
5.
In my work, I bring
food in a restaurant
or hotel.
In my work,
I sometimes travel in space.
The first letter of the word is a.
I’m an a_______________.
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COPYMASTER 4
Mr What
Part IV
What is it?
I’ll describe the object in the picture and you’ll tell me what it is.
Example:
A: What is it?
B: It’s a metal thing that you use to make clothes flat and smooth.
A: What is the first letter of the word?
B: The first letter is i.
A: I know, it’s an iron.
B: That’s right. It’s an iron.
Pupil A: What is it?
You may use the dictionary to help you.
Answers:
1.
It’s an
2.
It’s a ____________________.
3.
It’s an ___________________.
4.
It’s an ___________________.
5.
It’s _____________________.
6.
It’s a ____________________.
7.
It’s an ___________________.
8.
It’s a ____________________.
9.
They’re __________________.
iron
.
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COPYMASTER 5
Mr What
What is it?
Pupil B
1. Read the following descriptions and then match each one with the most suitable
object.
Write the letter in the space provided below each picture.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
An air conditioner is a machine that cools air.
A hammer is something used for hitting nails.
Glue is something sticky, used to fasten things.
An eraser is something you use to rub out mistakes on paper.
A calculator is a machine that can do sums.
An album is a book for photographs.
A bandage is a piece of cloth, used to cover a part of the body that is hurt.
Jeans are trousers made of strong, thick cotton.
An iron is a metal thing that you use to make clothes flat and smooth.
2. Describe the object in the picture and your classmate (Pupil A) will guess what it is.
COPYMASTER 6
10
Mr What
Part V
What is this place?
1. Match column A with column B to tell which place each sentence describes. Write the
appropriate letter in the bland.
Column A
Column B
________ 1. Post Office
A) A place where children go to learn.
________ 2. Factory
B) A place where you can buy and eat food.
________ 3. Market
C) A place where you can read and borrow books.
________ 4. School
D) A place where people buy stamps and post letters
or parcels.
________ 5. Hospital
E) A large place where people buy and sell different
things.
________ 6. Restaurant
F) A place where people make things especially
machines.
________ 7. Library
G) A place where sick people go to see doctors.
COPYMASTER 7
11
Mr What
2.
This is a street map. Find out what each place is. The first letter of each word is given to
you.
You may find the dictionary helpful to you.
(A) is a place where people call for help when there is a fire. f__________
(B) is a big shop that sells food and other things. s______________.
(C) is a place where people call for help to catch the thieves. p______________.
(D) is a place where people watch movies. c______________.
(E) is a place where trains start and stop. s______________.
(F) is a place where people grow food or keep animals. f______________.
(G) is a hall for sports. g______________.
(H) is a long hole through the ground for cars to drive through. t______________.
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