Tag: lesson plan

Sell This Stuff!

inyourcountry1 Comment

Here’s a creative activity that should get students of all ages thinking outside of the box.

A while ago, I posted The Balloon Chair Prompt, in which students sell an unusual product to their classmates. Today I put a similar prompt onto a handful of different images so that you can use it with groups more easily.

The new prompt reads: You work in a shop that sells unusual, expensive items. A customer walks in and asks you about the object in the photo. Sell it to him/her.

Take a look, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page for some lesson plan ideas.

Sell it - stones: A creative prompt in which students use their creativity to sell a pile of stones.

 

Sell it : A creative role play prompt in which students use their creativity to sell a pile of pencil sharpenings

 

 

Sell it - Stuffed animal

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Lesson Plan Ideas

  1. Start by modeling the activity. Show one of the pictures to the class, and ask: What do you see in the picture? Why do you think this object is so expensive? What else could it be used for? (A pile of stones? This isn’t just ANY pile of stones. These stones were found inside of an ancient Egyptian tomb lying next to a mummy. They are said to bring good luck to whoever possesses them.)
  2.  Divide your class into several teams. (The pencil sharpening group, the pink drink group…)
  3. Tell each team to imagine that they work for a secondhand shop or a curiosity shop. Their job is to sell the precious, expensive object in their picture. Instruct the groups to work together to make a list of reasons that a customer should buy their object. Encourage them to be creative and come up with a backstory for their object, or come up with unusual uses for their products. (I would recommend making sure that all students write the list down.)
  4. Now rearrange the groups. Your new groups should have at least one member from each of the previous teams. (One stone person, one pencil sharpening person, etc.) Each group member should take turns playing salesperson and customer. The salesperson should tell the customers about their product, and try to convince them to buy it.
  5. *Instead of dividing the teams up again in step 4, an alternative is to have your original groups give whole-class presentations about their products. After they finish, classmates can ask questions, and then decide which one item they’d like to buy.

Like it?

Would you use it again? Do you have any other ideas on how to use these prompts? I’ll be happy if you let me know! Take a moment and leave your ideas and suggestions in the comment box below. Thanks for reading.

 

New Apartment Moving Checklist – A vocabulary-building lesson plan idea

inyourcountry1 Comment

Hi everyone! It’s been a while since I last posted, and I was planning on posting a quick update to let you all know that I haven’t disappeared. I am in the process of moving, and my brain has been taken over by sofas and comforters and window blinds and drain stops.

Somehow, in the process of posting this update, I came up with a new vocabulary-building prompt, and a few ideas to help you plan your lesson:

Moving Checklist - An ESL vocabulary building lesson plan idea

Lesson Plan Procedures:

  • Warm-up: Introduce the following scenario:

You have just moved into your first new apartment. The apartment is unfurnished except for a refrigerator, an oven, a shower, a toilet, sinks, closets and cabinets. You have a sofa, a bed and a mattress. You will need to buy everything else. With your group, make a list of 20 things that you need to buy.

  • Let your students know that this is a vocabulary-building exercise. Encourage them to think about the little things that they use on a regular basis that they couldn’t live without, and to focus on words that they don’t know how to say in English.
  • As groups are working, you might want to jot down useful words that they come up with on the board.
  • After they finish, you might ask groups to read their lists aloud to the class. Tell the other groups to check off words on their lists that the other groups mentioned, so that they don’t end up repeating them.

Other Ideas:

  • Here are a couple of first apartment checklists to have on hand for your reference. (You might want to print one out for your students after you’ve finished the activity):

    Checklist from My First Apartment
    Checklist from Bed Bath and Beyond

  • With lower-level students, you might begin by teaching vocabulary for the rooms of a house.
  • Once they have learned the relevant vocabulary, ask your students to draw a picture of their house (or of their imaginary dream home). Make sure to remind them that they aren’t being judged on their artistic ability. 🙂 After they finish drawing, pair your students up, and have them describe their houses to a partner. I was a little uncertain about how this would work out the first time I tried it, but my students always seem to love it. It works especially well when you have visual learners in your class.
  • Another possibility is to have students draw a picture of their favorite room in their house, furniture and all. They can then tell a partner about what they already have in the room, and what they would like to buy.

Comments?:

As always, I’d love to hear from you.
Please let me know how it works out for you if you try it out.
And please share any other related ideas that you have!