Nov 24 2012

Present perfect continuous exercise/puzzle

I am not sure whether to classify this activity as an exercise or a puzzle, so I’ll call it both.

My MO is to use this exercise/puzzle as a warm up introduction into the murky world of the present perfect continuous (aka progressive), and it also has the advantage of highlighting the 3rd person singular anomaly that trips up so many learners.

For pre-intermediate – intermediate level students, about 15 minutes.

Present perfect continuous exercise/puzzle click here for free downloadable pdf sheets with answer key.

Please find a snapshot of this activity below.

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Nov 18 2012

Yesterday, whole writing lesson

Yesterday may be a day to remember or just one of those ordinary days when not much happened. Either way most students should be able to recall what they did yesterday, and this writing lesson, which focuses on the usage of link words and signposts, is even suitable for students who did no more than sleep and eat the previous day.

Firstly a warm-up activity to introduce the link-words, followed by a sample text, and finally it is down to the students to use the example to write about their various activities of the previous day. After the writing is completed I often have students form reading circles of about 5/6 students in which they read each other’s efforts, making comments or asking questions of the writer if they wish.

For elementary – pre-intemediate students and will take about 1 hour.

Yesterday, whole writing lesson click here for free downloadable pdf sheets including answer key.

Please find a snapshot of this activity below.

Nov 10 2012

Thanksgiving whole lesson

Harvest Day is a significant day in many parts of the world, and in the USA this has now morphed into a time of Thanksgiving (to one’s God) for the life we lead.

For those with a only passing knowledge of American history there is a short warm-up exercise which provides an outline of a few landmark dates.

This is followed by a more detailed background text concerning the origins of Thanksgiving. And it ends with an information gap activity which looks at some aspects of Thanksgiving as it is now.

For pre-intermediate – intemediate level students, and lasts about an hour.

Thanksgiving whole lesson click here for free downloadable pdf sheets including answer sheet.

Please find a snapshot of this activity below.

Nov 4 2012

Ben (Michael Jackson) symbolsong

After becoming a child prodigy as the lead singer of the Jackson Five, in association with his brothers, Michael Jackson’s career seemed to have peaked. How wrong we all were. He got the chance to sing the theme to a movie about a rat, Ben, and his career took off again. This melodic ballad really confirms that with all the star quality he undoubtedly possessed he also had the quality voice to underpin his talents.

The symbolsong technique is an alternative to the gap-fill activity that often accompanies a song. At first the students have no idea what the symbols mean, but slowly you will hear gasps of delight as some students start to guess the words.

The students are firstly given a handout of the symbol sheet which represents the song, and after trying to decipher as much as they can, they then listen to the song and compare with their ideas. The full lyrics can be shown to the students for further comparison before they listen a second time.

Ben symbolsong click here for free downloadable pdf sheets, including full lyrics. For obvious reasons the song itself cannot be provided here, though it can easily be found through all the normal outlets.

Please find a snapshot of this activity below.

Ben (song)

Ben (song)

Oct 20 2012

Guy Fawkes, November 5th

‘Remember remember the 5th of November‘ is a rhyme known to most British children (and adults!). And the epic story of that infamous day of November 5th 1605 is still known and remembered today. Now November 5th is known as Fireworks Night, or Bonfire Night, but it is also known as Guy Fawkes‘ Day, the day Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators attempted to blow up the British Parliament building complete with the government, the opposition and the king. The Gunpowder Plot has never been forgotten.

This whole lesson plan starts with a warm-up vocabulary activity, and then some background information to Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot of November 5th 1605.

The modern day customs and celebrations followed in the UK are the theme for an information gap activity for students in pairs.

A light-hearted puzzle changes the tone of the lesson as students can figure out the most popular English given names of the last century.

Finally there is a chance for follow-up writing and discussion tasks.

For pre-intermediate – upper intermediate level students, and may take 2 hours or more.

Guy Fawkes, November 5th whole lesson click here for free downloadable pdf sheets including answer key.

Please find a snapshot of this whole lesson below.

Oct 13 2012

Hallowe’en whole lesson

It has its roots in seriously scary old pagan rituals, but these days Hallowe’en is seen largely as a fun time for kids. However the spookiness still remains.

First there is a warm-up in the form of a short crossword puzzle presenting some Hallowe’en vocabulary. This is followed by some background reading providing  a brief history of the evolution of Hallowe’en.

Then a Hallowe’en quiz with a twist; the students are given the correct answers and they create the wrong answers (the distractors), before asking their partner the quiz.
A  scary puzzle adds a little variation to the lesson, and it ends with a writing and discussion task.

For pre-intermediate – intemediate students, and may take 2 hours if every element is covered.

Hallowe’en whole lesson click here for free downloadable pdf sheets with answer key.

Please find a snapshot of this activity below.

Oct 7 2012

Don’t Stop symbolsong

After ten years and many changes of personnel only two of the original members still remained in 1977: Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, and it was the amalgamation of their family names that gave this group their name: Fleetwood Mac.  At this time the band gelled and the Anglo-American line-up combined to produce one of the best-selling albums of all time, ‘Rumours‘. This track, ‘Don’t Stop‘, is one of the best-known songs, a real singalong classic with a driving beat.

The symbolsong technique is an alternative to the gap-fill activity that often accompanies a song. At first the students have no idea what the symbols mean, but slowly you will hear gasps of delight as some students start to guess the words.

The students are firstly given a handout of the symbol sheet which represents the song, and after trying to decipher as much as they can, they then listen to the song and compare with their ideas. The full lyrics can be shown to the students for further comparison before they listen a second time.

Don’t Stop symbolsong click here for free downloadable pdf sheets, including full lyrics. For obvious reasons the song itself cannot be provided here, though it can easily be found through all the normal outlets.

Please find a snapshot of the symbolsong below.

Sep 29 2012

Oktoberfest whole lesson

What festival springs to mind during the month of October? For many people the answer may well be the Oktoberfest, a beer festival celebrating the new season’s beer. It is now celebrated all over the world, but its roots are firmly in Munich, Germany.

This whole lesson initially provides students with some background information concerning the pros and cons of beer drinking, followed by an information gap activity based on the Munich Oktoberfest, and a fun puzzle on the theme of alcoholic drinks. There is also a writing and discussion follow-up activity.

For pre-intermediate – intermediate students, and will take 2 hours or more in its entirety.

Oktoberfest whole lesson click here for free downloadable pdf sheets, including answer key.

Please find a snapshot of this activity below.

Sep 23 2012

Similes exercise 2

This follows from Similes exercise 1, which is also available for free download.

The strategy in this exercise is very simple: students complete the similes using the illustrations, and then apply the similes to the sentences below. The main degree of difficulty is in selecting the best tense for the verbs. In some cases more than one answer is possible, please use your discretion.

For pre-intermediate – intermediate students, lasting about 20-30 minutes.

Similes exercise 2 click here for free downloadable pdf sheets, including answer key.

Please find a snapshot of this exercise below.