Jai Tiberius Hefflin Jai Tiberius Hefflin

Halloween
Senior High School - lower intermediate (CEFR A2-B1) level

Description

Students learn six simple Halloween words - ghost, witch, vampire, pumpkin, costume, and "trick or treat" - and find out how children celebrate Halloween in the USA and in Scotland. Then they play a "Trick or Treat Costume Party" game: every student gets a secret costume card, walks around the room, and uses two short sentences ("What are you?" and "I'm a ghost.") to collect five different costumes. The lesson finishes with students designing their own costume. The lesson is deliberately light on new language: only six new words and one short, repeated dialogue, so students can spend most of the time speaking and having fun. Lesson length: 50 minutes Lesson type: PPP (Presentation - Practice - Production), with a mingling game

Materials

Abc Halloween Slide deck
Abc Halloween Worksheet
Abc Halloween Costume Cards
Abc Candy
Abc Chalkboard space

Main Aims

  • 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

  • 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

Warmer/Lead-in (2-3 minutes) • get students curious and speaking

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.

Presentation 1 - Six new words (8-10 minutes) • students understand and can say each word

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.

Controlled Practice 1 - "Halloween Says" (2-4 minutes) • students link the word, sound, and meaning

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.

Presentation 2 - Halloween in the USA & Scotland (4-5 minutes) • students hear the target dialogue in a real context

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!"

Controlled Practice 2 - Worksheet Parts A and B (5-6 minutes) • students show they remember the words and can use them in writing

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.

Production 1 - Trick or Treat Costume Party (mingling game) (8-10 minutes) • students use the frames freely, with a purpose

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")

Production 2 - Design your costume (8-10 minutes) • students personalize the language

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.

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