Dear teachers, we understand that the Back-to-School season can be overwhelming as you prepare for the first days of class. However, it’s a great opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and meet new students and families. To help you encourage creativity and communication among your students, we’ve curated three lesson plans that we believe will be helpful. We’re excited to see their positive impact on your classroom.
Down to a Fine Art by David Rhys Owen, Lewisham Southwark College, London
After completing this lesson, students will have the ability to describe works of art using adjectives effectively. They will also develop their gist reading skills by learning and utilising key vocabulary. Additionally, students will be able to distinguish between weak and strong vowel sounds in adjectives. These skills will significantly enhance their ability to appreciate and analyse works of art.
Less is More by Biljana Pipović, Stevan Jakovljević Grammar School, Vlasotince
This lesson will be very helpful for students in improving their language skills and creativity. By the end of it, they will be able to describe their friends using appropriate adjectives and discuss the concept of friendship. They will also have the opportunity to compare and contrast two versions of a popular theme song and express their thoughts and ideas by writing a dialogue or conversation based on the song’s lyrics. Additionally, they will be able to showcase their creativity by creating a video. Overall, this lesson sounds like a great way for students to develop their language and communication skills in a fun and engaging way.
Don’t Worry! by Zorica Đukić, Secondary School of Pharmacy and Physiotherapy, Belgrade
“During my search for ideas for the final lesson of the previous school year, I stumbled upon the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, as well as two excellent lesson plans created by Chris Pell and Emma Segev. I combined elements from both plans and customized them to fit my students’ needs. The lesson was a success, and everyone enjoyed it. I recommend collaborating with a music teacher who can select three or four students ahead of time to sing the chorus in case any students are too shy to start singing. Additionally, you can assign a student assistant to distribute phonemic cards to all students upon entry, which they can keep until the end. You can then randomly select one or two cards, write “Happy” on the back of them, and award prizes to the lucky winners in a bingo-style game.”
