Engl510
Lindsay  DeLand  &  Choi,  YunDeok
1
Lesson Title
Subject
Lesson Plan 2
Learning Idiomatic Expressions: Who’s the Best Storyteller?
English as a Second Language (ESL) listening
Intermediate to Advanced Proficiency
Level
Author
Description
Objectives
Materials
Lindsay DeLand, MA student in TESL/Applied Linguistics & Choi,
YunDeok, Ph. D. student in TESL/Applied Linguistics and Technology at
ISU
Students watch and listen to animations, then guess the meanings of given idiomatic expressions. After that, in small groups, they make up their own stories using an idiomatic expression. Each group should give a presentation of their group’s story. At the end, students vote for the best story.
This listening activity has two lesson goals in general:
1.
Students learn frequently used idiomatic expressions by watching short animations.
2.
Students learn the meaning and context of the idiomatic expressions through story-making activity.
•
Sample animations created by the instructors & equipment
(e.g., a computer, and projector)
•
Target idiomatic expressions (please see the appendix)
•
Small gifts (e.g., sweets) or a certificate award for the winning group.
Class Duration Maximum 50 minutes

Engl510
Lindsay  DeLand  &  Choi,  YunDeok
Activities
(Instructions on the listening activity)
1.
2.
2
Explain the objectives of the listening activity: learning frequently used idiomatic expressions by watching and making an animation.
Present one of the target idiomatic expressions first (i.e., “as cool as a cucumber,” or “the straw that broke the camel’s back”)
3.
Ask the students to guess the usage of the expression (i.e., its meaning and in what context it can be used).
4.
Go to http://goanimate.com/videos/0RyUA1ieADWE?utm_source=links hare
5.
Or go to http://yundeok.public.iastate.edu
and click “lesson plan.”
6.
Find the animation “Cool as a Cucumber” and “The Straw that
Breaks the Camel’s Back,” under “Lesson Plan 2.”
7.
Click the play button.
8.
After watching one animation, ask your students to make groups of three or four and discuss the usage of the expression.
9.
Ask the students to share their impressions of the idiom as a whole class.
10.
Repeat steps 2 through 9 with the second animation.
11.
Tell your students that they are going to participate in a best storytelling competition.
12.
Present the targeted expressions (i.e., The apple of my eye, horse around, in the bag, black and white, off the cuff, and to catch someone red-handed ) with example sentences on the board or projection screen (please see the appendix).
13.
Ask each group to select an expression.
14.
Ask each group to make a story using the expression that they chose.
15.
Each group should present and share their story with the other groups.
16.
Ask the students to vote for the best story.
17.
Give the Best Storytelling Award to the group that made the best story.

Engl510
Lindsay  DeLand  &  Choi,  YunDeok
Appendix:  target  idiomatic  expressions  and  example  sentences
3
1. The straw that broke the camel's back: the last in a series of bad events, etc. that makes it impossible for you to accept a situation any longer
Ex: When Nadia’s neighbors threw a party for the third day in a row, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
2.
As cool as a cucumber : very calm and controlled, especially in a difficult situation
Ex: Meg was nervous about public speaking, but when it came to singing, she was cool as
a cucumber.
3. The apple of my eye : a person or thing that is loved more than any other
Ex: His youngest daughter was the apple of his eye.
4.Horse around: to play in a way that is noisy and not very careful so that you could hurt someone or damage something
Ex: It drove Ms. Norman crazy when her high school students started horsing around like small children.
5. In the bag: if something is in the bag, it is almost certain to be won or achieved
Ex: I’ve got my presentation for English 250 in the bag.
6. Black and white: a simple choice between two opposite things (such as good and bad or right and wrong)
Ex: To Henry, politics was a black and white issue.
7. Off the cuff: without being prepared in advance; without planning or preparation
Ex: Maria gave an excellent off-the-cuff speech in class today.
8. Catch someone red-handed: to catch someone in the act of doing something wrong or committing a crime
Ex: Michael’s mother caught him eating cookies before dinner red-handed.

Engl510
Lindsay  DeLand  &  Choi,  YunDeok
Works Cited
4
Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, n.d. October 05
2012.
Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Oxford University Press, n.d. Web. October 05
2012.