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Forrest Gump A2 exercises: American Football, Vietnam War & Nasa
This is a booklet with exercises based on a graded reader by Pearson/Penguin on Forrest Gump (A2) level.
It is primarily designed for French kids as difficult words are translated into French; however, you could simply change these words into your students’ L1.
There are also some texts on the Vietnam War, American football and Nasa given that they are mentioned in the book.
NOTE: I’m currently making a Tom Hanks biography (given that he’s the star of the Forrest Gump movie), which should be uploaded by 3.08.
Anne Frank Diary
Hi
I have edited the Anne Frank diary for a B1 level. As far as I understand the copyright has expired, so I’m uploading this.
I created it all myself and it’s taken hours with the vocab and comprehension questions and background information.
I have also created three texts based on things Anne mentions in the diary: Churchill, Gandhi and Queen Wilhelmina and taken the reconstruction of their arrest from the Anne Frank website (it’s been edited a bit, with images added etc.).
Travis Walton Alien Abduction (Narrative Tenses)
Here is a resource on the (supposed) alien abduction of Travis Walton in 1975. I created this document as the chapter in the student book is narrative tenses and descriptive verbs.
I got inspiration from a resource I saw on the British Council that dealt with an imaginary alien abduction to introduce narrative tenses. But I felt this way was better as it’s a real event (well, real in the sense that Travis is a real person, whether you believe he was kidnapped by aliens or not!)
Students read the newspaper story to get a general idea of the story, then the class is divided into two: newspaper reporters and Travis. The newspaper reporters need to create questions based on my points, then the group with Travis needs to give information about the abduction based on my points.
Then we read the story and answer the questions, then there is a buzzfeed video you can show them (about 7 minutes in length). TES don’t allow external links so if you want to show the video it is called “Three Bizarre Cases Of Alien Abductions.”
The Life of Helen Keller (A2 level), with exercises
Here is the life of Helen Keller.
There are exercises and some texts on Laura Bridgman, Louis Braille and Charlotte Brown.
Shark Tank Entrepreneur Guide (& Phil Knight founder of Nike & Bombas activities)
Hi
I’ve been a Shark Tank fan for quite a while and thought it might be interesting to use in class as the current chapter in the textbook we’re doing is on jobs.
There is also a dictogloss to do on Nike’s co-founder Phil Knight, and video on Youtube.
Edit: I updated this as I decided to create something on Bombas. After watching a recent episode I realised Bomba is Shark Tank’s most profitable company. Their story is very interesting: for every pair of socks sold they donate one pair to homeless people.
Why we dream / Billie Eilish - Everything I wanted (B1)
In textbook we use in school for my English learners the students are taught vocab such as someone, anyone, anything etc so I decided to use Billie Eilish’s song “Everything I wanted” as it uses these words. Then, as it is about dreams I have a comprehension text on dreams.
And I have added part of my grammar lesson on indefinite pronouns. This should be used with a textbook that includes this grammatical concept (to do exercises on it for example).
Breakfast around the world (B2)
Here is a lesson based on food. This is taken from the New York Times; however, it's been heavily edited, with vocabulary exercises, lots of formatting due to the layout on their website, so it's actually been several hours of work.
Adidas vs Puma - A feud between brothers
Adidas vs Puma
This is a lesson on the feud between the founders of Adidas and Puma - two brothers. I find that teenagers find this topic interesting as most kids nowadays wear Adidas, Puma and Nike.
Firstly, if time there is a dictogloss. On the first page of the dictogloss is a picture of the brothers to show the students and a map with Herzogenaurach.
During the dictogloss I get students to just write HZ as it’s much quicker!
Then is the text on the brothers’ feud and story, accompanied by comprehension questions.
This has taken several hours to create,merging, editing and rewriting material from multiple sources.
Sumo Wrestling Comprehension
This is a video comprehension I created as the chapter in the textbook was on sports.
There are some general facts on sumo wrestlers (e.g. they cannot drive a car) then the video comprehension. Some words are translated but you could either define these words or translate into your students’ L1.
I run a blog so I created a blog version which is a bit different so I just kept it on the third page just in case.
United Nations and BTS Speech by RM
This is a collection of lessons from an idea to use an excellent speech by RM from BTS
An introduction to who BTS are (with information on their military service)
United Nations Guide
RM’s BTS Speech along with a transcript (the transcript was copied for answering the questions afterwards)
One Ok Rock - Stand out, fit in song - chosen because it’s linked to the topic that RM discusses
The last 2 pages has the questions which I would print separately so it’s easier to refer to the text to answer the questions.
For each link (e.g. Youtube) they are embedded into each image:
About the United Nations
António Guterres speaking in several languages
Love Myself promotional video
RM’s speech
One Ok Rock - Stand out, fit in
The face changing dancer
Call me Nick, Hitchcock Presents Literature with a Devil article (B2+)
Hi
This is an excellent and dark short story by Jonathan Crag: “Call me Nick” from 1968 and featured on Hitchcock presents.
Content
Call me Nick - I have edited this short story to remove some really difficult words and use some slightly easier synonyms
The Devil - an article on the Devil slightly adapted from a site online with images added showing the cloven hooves, trident and horns.
Workbook - difficult vocab is defined (e.g. gasp, chuckle, stare, sin etc) and there are comprehension exercises along with a few idioms with the word devil.
This has been used for a literature class with B2/B2+ students. I have divided the short story into two parts and between these parts students have an article about the Devil to read. This breaks it up nicely.
This could also easily be used in a literature class for native speakers. I think my students enjoyed it! It took two whole classes to read and finish the questions (55 minute classes in my school, so if your classes are shorter you might need 3 lessons).
Why the Berlin Wall rose and fell
This text is taken from the National Geographic then I modified certain parts and added a little extra. I also got some images from google to make it look nicer.
It was primarily designed for non-native speakers (B2 level) as there are some definitions of difficult words added (carve, brain drain, plot, stunned etc) but it could easily be used for native speakers.
There are comprehension questions added as well.
New Zealand Basic Guide (Haka, People, Culture, Tourism)
Hi
Here is a very simple guide on New Zealand. There is some information on
Its origins
Nature
The Maori people
Lord of the Rings - Hobbiton
Haka + Hongi
Usually for this kind of lesson I create a question worksheet but as I teach this at the end of the year I haven’t done this yet. But, I will probably create a worksheet later.
The videos are embedded into the lesson.
Sharks, Whales, Dolphins (Humpback whales, Orcas)
Hi
This is basically a continuation of my Great Barrier Reef lesson: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12677847
I have created comprehension texts on:
Sharks
Dolphins and whales
Humpback whales
Orcas
Tilikum (the orca from the Netflix documentary Blackfish)
PETA
WW2 Booklet 4: Liberation of Auschwitz, Hiroshima and the end of WWII
Hi
Here is my 4th and final booklet of World War Two
Liberation of Auschwitz
Hitler’s last days
Execution of Rudolf Höss
Hiroshima
Great Barrier Reef Lesson (updated for 2023)
This is my lesson on the Great Barrier Reef
Here is a continuation of the lesson: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/sharks-whales-dolphins-humpback-whales-orcas-12683202
Helen Keller, Laura Bridgman, Braille and Charlotte Brown comprehension texts
Here are comprehension texts on
Charlotte Brown - a blind pole vaulter (there are two comprehension texts - one is a bit easier)
A basic guide to Braille
Biography of Laura Bridgman
Biography of Helen Keller
Each exercise has some questions. This can be used for native English speakers but has been primarily designed for English learners with a low B1 level in mind.
The texts have been taken from different websites, combined, merged, edited and rewritten in different parts.
WWII Booklet 3 : Holocaust, Anne Frank, D-Day
Here is my third booklet on WW2
9 The origin of the hatred of the Jews and the Holocaust
10 Anne Frank
11 Sophie Scholl
12 D-Day
WWII Booklet 2: USA enters WW2 (Pearl Harbor / Battle of Midway)
Here is the second part of my lessons based on WW2. I recently modified this lesson and made the Battle of Stalingrad into a Microsoft Word document, but I have kept the original older lesson in case you prefer it.
Reported Speech with Olivia Rodrigo (B1 & B2 editions)
Reported Speech activities
B1 Version
This has been made by me to be used in conjunction with chapter 11 of Think 2 (Level B1, second edition), but you could use the reported speech grammar and song alone or with your textbook if it has one on reported speech. The Think book isn’t essential.
Files / Activities:
Document 1:
Grammar lesson on reported speech
Olivia Rodrigo Song “Good 4 U” reported speech activity
Say vs Tell with reported speech (5 pages)
Document 2:
Reported Speech preparation for the class test (2 pages)
(I used to have the actual vocab and grammar test uploaded but removed in case my students found it online!)
I have created sentences then reported speech on those sentences to get students to understand the rules (e.g. present simple -> past simple etc), then they complete the table with the rules.
Then students have the reported speech version of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 u” that I invented, which they need to convert into direct speech, then they can listen to the song and verify if it’s correct or not. There is one bad word in the song (the F word), but just once! The song is embedded into the Microsoft Word document.
There is also a basic guide on say / tell with reported speech (which is better in conjunction with Think 2)
**B2 Version
**
Similar to above but it doesn’t include say/tell and goes deeper with reported questions, imperatives and requests. This is based on Think 3 (B1+/B2)
It also has a gap fill based on songs by Dua Lipa & Bon Jovi.
Group 1 has a piece of paper with the lyrics for Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now”. Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” has gaps. Group 2 has the exact opposite.
Group 1 has a slip of paper with the lyrics to enter in the reported forms for Dua Lipa; group 2 for Bon Jovi. After they finish the students in each group swap, then the students in group 2 need to fill in the lyrics based on their classmates’ reported speech versions. After we listen to both songs and check.