Halloween
Senior High School - lower intermediate (CEFR A2-B1) level
Description
Materials
Main Aims
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By the end of the lesson, students will be able to say the six new Halloween words and use the short dialogue "Trick or treat! / What are you? / I'm a ___." in a mingling game.
Subsidiary Aims
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Students will be able to write and say a simple sentence about their own costume: "I'm a ___. My costume is ___ and ___." Students will also learn two simple facts about Halloween in the USA and Scotland.
Procedure (37-48 minutes)
Show the clue slides one at a time: "It is orange." "It is big and round." "It has a scary face." Ask: "What is it?" Take guesses in English or Japanese. Reveal the pumpkin and say: "Today is Halloween! Let's learn some Halloween words and play a game." Show the goal slide: learn six words, play the Costume Party, win candy.
For each word: (1) show the picture, (2) say the word clearly and let students repeat twice (choral drilling means saying the word together as a class), (3) give the simple meaning and the action (see slides), (4) ask the yes/no CCQs above, (5) write the word on the board. Order: pumpkin, ghost, witch, vampire, costume, trick or treat. Use the action each time: ghost = arms up and "Boo!", witch = stir a pot, vampire = show "teeth" with fingers, pumpkin = draw a big round shape, costume = "put on" clothes, trick or treat = knock on a door.
Play a "Simon says" style game. Say a word - students do the action. Start slowly, then go faster. Students who do the wrong action sit down, then join again after one round. Give a candy to the last few standing.
Use the two slides. USA: "Children wear costumes. They knock on doors. They say 'Trick or treat!' People give them candy." Scotland: "Children wear costumes. They tell a joke or sing a song. Then they get a treat." (In Scotland this custom is called "guising" - only say this name if you wish.) Ask yes/no CCQs: "Do children in the USA wear costumes?" (Yes) "Do they say 'trick or treat' in the USA?" (Yes) "In Scotland, do children sing or tell a joke?" (Yes) "Do children get a treat in Scotland?" (Yes). Then show the dialogue slide and model it with a confident student: "Trick or treat!" "What are you?" "I'm a ghost!" "Here is a treat!"
Students work alone on Part A (match picture to word) and Part B (fill in the blanks). Then they check answers with a partner. Check as a class using the slide or the answer key. About 4 minutes of writing and 2 minutes of checking.
Explain the game using the slide (see Game Setup below). Model it with a student first. Give each student one costume card (secret!) and tell them to fill in Part C of the worksheet as they go. Students walk around, meet a classmate, and have the short dialogue. They write the classmate's name and costume in Part C. Goal: meet five different costumes. When a student has all five, they bring the sheet to the teacher for candy (check quickly, and ask them to say one sentence for the teacher: "trick or treat")
Students go back to their seats and do Part D. They draw their own Halloween costume and complete: "I'm a ___. My costume is ___ and ___." Example on the slide: "I'm a witch. My costume is black and purple." Then each student tells a partner. 3-4 volunteers show their drawing to the class.
