Note to the teacher: This activity uses drawing to encourage student expression.
It is especially suitable for students with a beginning
literacy level.
Activity: Housedreaming: A Drawing
Activity
Lee Haller, International Institute,
Boston, MA
Instructions: The first thing I
did in class, before I handed out the home-buying readiness
materials, was to ask the students to draw a picture of
their house now, their house in their country, or their
dream house. I brought many colored pens and gave them about
20 minutes to draw. Then I had them break into groups and
describe what they’d drawn to the group. I unfortunately
underestimated their interest in this activity, and class
ended long before they were finished! Nevertheless, I found
it a nice way to begin, because it grounded the whole experience
in what they knew well—their houses and their dreams.
