Greetings School People Work Family House Food Clothes
Vocabulary
Language Focus - Greetings and introductionsFollow-up activities - Have students make up a new imaginary identity (they could pretend they are a famous person). Have students walk around the room and introduce themselves and each other using their "new" identity.
Grammar
Language Focus - Present perfect, irregular verbs, for/sinceFollow-up activities - Present perfect bingo - Select the table below and paste it into a word processing program so that you can print it out for the students. When you say "Go!" the students will go around the room and ask people "Have you ____?" (the thing from one of the squares in the grid goes in the space). If the student says "Yes," they write their name in the space. If they say "No," they move on to another student. When they get four in a row (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally) they win.
HAVE YOU ________? been to another country
_________seen a movie this week
_________met a famous person
_________exercised this week
_________played a sport this week
_________gone to a shopping center this week
_________been to the supermarket today
_________talked on the phone today
_________drunk milk today
_________watched TV today
_________eaten a vegetable today
_________done your homework everyday
_________bought something today
_________given a gift this month
_________washed dishes today
_________come to class early this week
_________Listening/Dialog
Language Focus - Two old friends talk on the phoneFollow-up activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading
Language Focus - Read an e-mail from one of the friends from the dialogFollow-up activities - Have students imagine that they are writing a letter to a friend they haven't seen in ten years. In the letter write what you've done over the past ten years. (Of course not EVERYTHING that you've done, just a short letter updating the friend.)
Expressions
Language Focus - Common American English expressionsFollow-up activities - Have students write sentences using each of the expressions.
Dictation
Language Focus - spellingFollow-up activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game
Language Focus - Crossword with irregular verbsFollow-up activities - none
Vocabulary
Language Focus - School subject, Irregular verbsFollow-up activities - (1) Have students write out their class schedule and compare it with other students. Which students are studying the same subjects? (2)Have students write sentences using the irregular verbs.
Grammar
Language Focus - used to vs. wouldFollow-up activities - Have students describe a typical day when they were little using "used to" or "would." (eg. I used to get up early and walk to school.)
Listening/Dialog
Language Focus - An elderly woman explains what it was like attending school in a one-room schoolhouseFollow-up activities - (1) Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out. (2) For homework, have students interview their parents, grandparents, or any elderly person that they know about how schools were different when they were young. Students present their information to the class at a later date.
Reading
Language Focus - 1872 Rules for TeachersFollow-up activities - Have students discuss if they think that teachers today should have rules of behavior. If so, what should they be. Make a list of modern rules for teachers. (Activity described in "More Practice" section on reading page.)
Expressions
Language Focus - Common American English expressionsFollow-up activities - Have students write sentences using each of the expressions.
Dictation
Language Focus - spellingFollow-up activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game
Language Focus - Match retired people with descriptions of what they used to do.Follow-up activities - For homework, have students interview a retired person about what they used to do at their job.
Vocabulary
Language Focus - personality words, irregular verbsFollow-up activities - (1) In class discuss if each personality word is a positive personality characteristic or a negative one in the students' opinions. (2) Have students select five personality words to describe themselves. (3) Have students write sentences using the irregular verbs.
Grammar
Language Focus - so/neitherFollow-up activities - The Bomb Game - Select some object to be "the bomb" (I use a Nerf ball). The students sit in a circle. I set a timer for three minutes. The first student makes a statement such as, "I like pizza." and then passes the ball to the next student. The next student needs to answer with a true response (either "So do I." or "I don't." in this example) and then passes the ball to the next student. The next student makes another statement and passes the ball to the next student who also responds with so, neither, or a short answer. If a student makes a mistake (for example, they try to respond "Neither am I." to the statement "I don't live in Los Angeles.") I let them know that their response was not correct and they need to hold on to the ball until they say the correct response (I help them remember the correct answer if they get stuck). After three minutes the "bomb" goes off and whoever has the ball loses.
Note: Although my classes have always had fun with this game, if you think that it would not be appropriate to play games with a "bomb", you could do the same game just don't identify the ball as a bomb, but rather simply as a "hot potato".
Listening/Dialog
Language Focus - A dialog between a man and woman who discover that they have a lot in common (many sentences with so and neither).Follow-up activities - (1) Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out. (2) Have students work in pairs to figure out what things they have in common. Then have them tell the class what they found out.
Reading
Language Focus - Personal adsFollow-up activities - (1) Have the students decide which (if any) of the people would be a good couple and discuss why. (2) Bring in a real newspaper with personal ads. Try to match up couples. Single students in the class could pick ads of people that they would be interested in meeting. (3) Have the students write a personal ad.
Expressions
Language Focus - Common American English expressionsFollow-up activities - Have students write sentences using each of the expressions.
Dictation
Language Focus - spellingFollow-up activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game
Language Focus - Match couples based on their personal ad info.Follow-up activities - none
Vocabulary
Language Focus - Resume "power words", Irregular verbsFollow-up activities - (1) Have students describe their responsibilities at previous jobs using some of the power words. (2) Have students write sentences using the irregular verbs
Grammar
Language Focus - Tag questionsFollow-up activities - The Bomb Game - This game is similar to the game from the previous lesson. Select some object to be "the bomb" (I use a Nerf ball). The students sit in a circle. I set a timer for three minutes. The first student makes a tag question such as, "You like pizza, don't you?" and then passes the ball to the next student. The next student needs to answer with a true response (either "Yes, I do." or "No, I don't." in this example) and then passes the ball to the next student. The next student makes another tag question and passes the ball to the next student who also responds with a short answer. If a student makes a mistake (for example, they try to respond with "No, I'm not." to the question "You live in Los Angeles, don't you?") I let them know that their response was not correct and they need to hold on to the ball until they say the correct response (I help them remember the correct answer if they get stuck). After three minutes the "bomb" goes off and whoever has the ball loses.
Note: Although my classes have always had fun with this game, if you think that it would not be appropriate to play games with a "bomb", you could do the same game just don't identify the ball as a bomb, but rather simply as a "hot potato".
Listening/Dialog
Language Focus - Two friends discuss how to create a resumeFollow-up activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading
Language Focus - How to Write a ResumeFollow-up activities - Have the students write a resume
Expressions
Language Focus - Common American English expressionsFollow-up activities - Have students write sentences using each of the expressions.
Dictation
Language Focus - spellingFollow-up activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game
Language Focus - Who would you hire?Follow-up activities - As a class come up with a list of interview questions and write them on the board (What kind of experience do you have?, What are your strengths?, etc.). Have the students do mock interviews in pairs using the questions from the board.
Vocabulary
Language Focus - Household chores vocabulary, Irregular VerbsFollow-up activities - (1) Have students discuss in small groups what household chores they do and when they do them. (2) Have students write sentences using the irregular verbs.
Grammar
Language Focus - had toFollow-up activities - Have students make a list of things that they had to do to help their parents when they were little.
Listening/Dialog
Language Focus - Two mothers talk about family rulesFollow-up activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading
Language Focus - Family RulesFollow-up activities - Have students write a family rules list. For each rule explain why it is important and outline any rewards or punishments.
Expressions
Language Focus - Common American English expressionsFollow-up activities - Have students write sentences using each of the expressions.
Dictation
Language Focus - spellingFollow-up activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game
Language Focus - Family rules matching activityFollow-up activities - none
Vocabulary
Language Focus - housing problems vocabulary, irregular verbsFollow-up activities - (1) Have students discuss problems that they have had in their house or apartment. (2) Have students write sentences using the irregular verbs.
Grammar
Language Focus - Verbs used with the infinitive and verbs used with the gerundFollow-up activities - Have students write their own sentences using each verb.
Listening/Dialog
Language Focus - Tenant reports problems to landlordFollow-up activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading
Language Focus - Letter to the landlordFollow-up activities - Have students write a letter to their landlord describing problems they are having in their apartment or house (real or imaginary problems).
Expressions
Language Focus - Common American English expressionsFollow-up activities - Have students write sentences using each of the expressions.
Dictation
Language Focus - spellingFollow-up activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game
Language Focus - Scrambled words with vocabulary from the lessonFollow-up activities - none
Vocabulary
Language Focus - ingredients, cooking verbs, measurement vocabulary, irregular verbsFollow-up activities - (1) Charades - Have students act out one of the cooking verbs and the other students guess what the verb is. (2) Have students write sentences using the irregular verbs.
Grammar
Language Focus - make vs. doFollow-up activities - For homework have students write sentences using each of the make and do expressions. Have them underline the verb used in the sentence (make or do). The following day in class have students work in small groups. They will take turns randomly reading one of their sentences substituting the word "blank" for the verb make or do. The other students in the group need to guess which verb (make or do) goes in the blank.
Listening/Dialog
Language Focus - Banana Nut Bread RecipeFollow-up activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading
Language Focus - Brownies recipeFollow-up activities - Have students write out their favorite recipe. Compile all of the recipes into a class cookbook.
Expressions
Language Focus - Common American English expressionsFollow-up activities - Have students write sentences using each of the expressions.
Dictation
Language Focus - spellingFollow-up activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game
Language Focus - Put the recipe instructions in order.Follow-up activities - none
Vocabulary
Language Focus - Types of clothes, Luggage vocabularyFollow-up activities - (1) See if you can get a floor plan of a local department store. Look at the department names and discuss what is in each section. (2) Discuss what kinds of luggage the students have.
Grammar
Language Focus - used to/be used to/get used toFollow-up activities - Students discuss answers to the following interview questions.
1. What is something that you used to do when you were younger that you don't do now?
2. What is something that you didn't use to do when you were younger that you do now?
3. What was something that was difficult to get used to about living in a foreign country? (if your students are living in what for them is a foreign country)Listening/Dialog
Language Focus - Packing for a tripFollow-up activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading
Language Focus - High-Tech FashionFollow-up activities - Have students discuss and/or write about what they think clothes will be like in the future.
Expressions
Language Focus - Common American English expressionsFollow-up activities - Have students write sentences using each of the expressions.
Dictation
Language Focus - spellingFollow-up activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game
Language Focus - "What's in the suitcase?" WordfindFollow-up activities - Bring in a real suitcase with ten items in it. Tell your students that you are going to _______ (name a place). Have them guess what you packed for your vacation.
Lesson
Vocabulary
Language Focus -Follow-up activities -
Grammar
Language Focus -Follow-up activities -
Listening/Dialog
Language Focus -Follow-up activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading
Language Focus -Follow-up activities -
Expressions
Language Focus - Common American English expressionsFollow-up activities - Have students write sentences using each of the expressions.
Dictation
Language Focus - spellingFollow-up activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game
Language Focus -Follow-up activities -
- Top of Page -