Backstreet Boys, 1997

This grammar-based lesson plan gives students practice using noun clauses without making it necessary to go into lengthy explanations or even saying the words “noun clause,” so it is can be used at levels high-beginning and up. The song that culminates the lesson, “As Long As You Love Me,” repeats three simple noun clauses—who you are, where you’re from, what you did–and its chorus is easy (and fun) to sing.

Choose from the following activities:

• Grammar In this no-prep activity, students practice forming questions beginning Does anybody know where…

1. Scatter some of your personal items around the classroom–for example, put your pen on a bookcase, your briefcase on the floor, etc.
2. Ask students, “Where is my pen?” Students answer, “It’s on the bookcase.”
3. Rephrase the question this way: “Does anybody know where my pen is?” Point out the new position of the word is. Explain that the words where my pen is no longer form a question—the words are now part of a question—so question word order is not used. Find all your misplaced items by asking the class questions beginning Does anybody know where.
4. Next, move students’ personal items around the room—put one student’s pen on another’s desk, one student’s jacket on the back of another student’s chair, etc. Students reclaim their items by asking, “Does anybody know where my _______ is?” The student who has the missing item says, “I have it” and returns it to its owner.

• Grammar Practice forming sentences with noun clauses with the worksheets below. Permission granted to duplicate for classroom use.

Worksheet #1, levels high beginning and up. Students form sentences beginning I don’t know when talking about a Martian who shows up at a party.

noun clauses, I don’t know.docx          noun clauses, I don’t know.pdf

noun clauses, I don’t know (web page)

Worksheet #2, levels high beginning and up. Students form questions beginning Do you know where…? when looking for items in a living room.

noun clauses, do you know, Level 1.docx          noun clauses, do you know, Level 1.pdf

noun clauses, do you know, Level 1 (webpage)

Worksheet #3, levels low intermediate and up. Students form trivia questions beginning Do you know…?

noun clauses, do you know, Level 2.pdf

noun clauses, do you know, Level 2 (webpage)

• Listening Listen to the audio-only video of the song while reading the lyrics below. Lyrics intended for nonprofit educational purposes only.

as long as you love me, lyrics.docx          as long as you love me, lyrics.pdf

• Singing Listen to the song again. Sing the words in bold on the lyrics sheet. They are all noun clauses.
• Singing Without looking at the lyrics, watch the live performance video in Los Angeles. Sing along when you hear these three noun clauses: who you are; where you’re from; what you did. For my high-beginning class, I printed out the three clauses in large font on individual pieces of paper (see below) and held them up at the appropriate times, using them as cue cards. Many students sang not just the three noun clauses, but the whole chorus.

as long as, 3 noun clauses.docx          as long as, 3 noun clauses.pdf