Sample Lesson Plan – My Hopes and Dreams
Target Proficiency: Low-Beginning
Student Learning Objectives:
Students Will Be Able To (SWBAT)...



Demonstrate understanding of a short simple paragraph on the topic of job goals
With guidance, plan by brainstorming vocabulary and answering guided written
questions
Write a series of sentences related to personal experience (job and job goals) following
a model
Materials: copies of the picture story; a written level-appropriate version of the story; sentence
strips; cloze of the story for reading comprehension; information grid for interviewing; sentence
starters from the story for student’s own information.
Example version of the story:
My name is Van. I am from Vietnam. I was a cook in my country. Now I am a cook in the
United States. My dream is to open a restaurant. I need to go to City Hall. I need to go to
the bank. I want my family and friends to eat at my restaurant.
Students relate to the topic and prepare for the listening/reading.
1. The instructor starts with questions like “What do you do?” “What did you do in your
country?” “What kinds of jobs do you want to do?”
2. They go through each picture answering “What do you see?” The instructor writes the
words and phrases that students say.
Students compare what they said with what is in the story.
3. Students listen to the instructor tell a story about the man in the pictures.
4. They put a check on the board next to the word and phrases they hear.
Students check their understanding of the story.
5. They listen several times so as to verbally respond to comprehension questions like,
“What was his job in his country?” “What is his job in the U.S.?” “What is his dream?”
6. On the board, students fill in a chart based on the same questions as in #5.
7. In pairs, students retell the story using the words on the board as a guide.
8. In pairs, students read strips with sentences from the story. They match up the strips to
the relevant pictures. Students check their answers with the full, level-appropriate
version of the story.
9. In pairs, students work together to write the missing words into a fill-in or cloze version
of the story. The words taken out are ones that students can later substitute with their
own information.
Students connect with the story and get ideas for writing.
10. Instructor facilitates group discussions about what the students want to do. Example
questions: “Do you want to be a cook?” “Do you want to be a doctor?” “What do you
want to do in the future?” Write on the board what students say.
*Encourage students to find pictures online with their phone of what they want to do
and share with the group. Consider asking students to send you their selected photos
for later use in a class picture dictionary. Alternatively, let students look through picture
dictionaries.
11. Going back to the model picture story, students fill out the same chart as in #6 with
their information.
12. Students interview each other and write down the responses of their partners.
13. As a whole class, students share about their dreams.
Students write their own hopes and dreams story.
14. Using a modified version of the cloze passage from #8, students write their own
information into the sentences.
15. Students volunteer to read their stories.
Some benefits:
 The pictures aid comprehension and enable the instructor to adjust the length and
complexity of the story to the level of the students.
 The students have multiple opportunities throughout to speak and to work together.
 The instructor can increase or decrease the supports for students’ own writing.
A limitation:
 The story’s focus on the man’s job may limit students in their thinking about hopes and
dreams.
Cut the sentences. Match the sentences to the pictures.
My name is Van.
I am from Vietnam.
I was a cook in my country.
Now I am a cook in the United States.
My dream is to open a restaurant.
I need to go to City Hall.
I need to go to the bank.
I want my family and friends to eat at
my restaurant.
Look at the pictures. Complete Van’s story.
My name is _____________. I am from _____________.
I was a ________________ in my country. Now I am a
_____________ in the United States. My dream is to
_______________________________. I want my family
and friends to eat at my restaurant.
Answer the questions.
What was
What is your What is your
your job in
job in the
dream?
your country? U.S.?
Me
Classmate
1:
________
Classmate
2:
________
Complete the story with your information.
My name is _____________. I am from _____________.
I was a ________________ in my country. Now I am a
_____________ in the United States. My dream is to
_______________________________.