Vocabulary Lesson Plan
VOCABULAR LESSON PLAN
CLASS PROFILE
Ss’ EFL Level:
Ss’ Age:
Class Size:
Type of Class:
Advanced
Adolescents (16 +)
10 SS
General English
Topic:
Obesity – an ongoing epidemic
Lesson Objective:
Language skills – Vocabulary – words and expressions relative with
obesity and nutrition problems. By the end of the lesson SS will be
able to comprehend a new vocabulary and use it in context. SS will be
able to use this information (vocabulary, key expressions, and relative
topics’ vocabulary) regarding the topic of obesity and relative topics as
nutrition. It would be very useful for them in order to practice to
speaking and writing skills.
Equipment Needed: Handouts, Blackboard, Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations
Duration of the lesson plan: 50 minutes
1. WARM-UP (5 minutes)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:
Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation
Whole class
Introduce target topic in a real-life situation. Engage students to
spark interest.
The T enters the classroom and says to SS that they are going to see a small Presentation.
T while showing the Presentation with the title of the passage / text that is going to follow
read the titles of the slides and leaves SS to think about the presented pictures. The title of
the presentation is – as it has already been said – “Obesity: A Health Bomb”. As their level
of the language knowledge is advanced, they are likely to know the meaning of the word
obesity. If they don’t, pictures will help them to be warmed – up of the text that follows.
T then leaves each student to say their feeling / reaction about the pictures that they just
saw. For example what would SS choose to eat if they had to choose between a hamburger
an apple at school / university / work. Or what their opinion is about eating out.
Rationale:
The warm-up stage is related to the presentation of the main subject. In this warm up stage
the activity T needs to listen to their reaction and express their initial feelings about the
relevant. pictures. The pictures of the presentation actually introduce the subject of obesity
and nutrition in general.
1
Vocabulary Lesson Plan
2. Pre Reading Activity 1 (5 minutes)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:
Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation
Pairs
Presentation of target structure through the given mini pair
work task
T after the warm – up stage of the lesson can continue to help SS to be engaged with the
topic theme – which is obesity. T asks from SS to see the Presentation on the classroom’s
wall, and work in pair discussing about the possible problems obesity can cause to people in
their everyday life. At the same Presentation they can see – as they speak to each other –
the slide with the useful words or expresses. With this help, T shows and helps SS with the
meaning of obesity.
The SS take some time (5 minutes) in order to think and express their opinion about this
question.
At this point T is the monitor of this activity and records what SS say about this subject.
Rationale:
This pre-reading activity helps students to deal with the meaning of the word obesity and
the people who suffer from it. The given words can help them a lot to understand more
about this word and relative vocabulary items.
3. Pre – Reading Activity 2 ( 5-6 minutes)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:
Exercise Typed by the T (File: Pre – Teach Essential Vocabulary.doc)
Pairs
Present key vocabulary that students need either to understand the
key points in the text or to understand and/or answer any questions
that you'll set them later in the lesson.
T asks from SS to read carefully the exercise and then match the words with the definition
they imagine or they think is correct.
SS work in groups for 3 minutes and then T asks from the 5 groups to check their answers.
When SS have done as much as they can, if they have dictionaries, ask them to look up
the words to check their answers and to find out the definitions of any words they are not
sure of. If they don't have dictionaries, T can check their answers and give them help with
any words they aren't sure of.
2
Vocabulary Lesson Plan
T asks from SS to read on their own the given material (Unit 1 Who’s got the money?) and
Rationale:
The vocabulary that T gives to SS through a matching activity helps SS to see some basic
vocabulary which is essential to understand the text that follows.
Correction Strategy:
The number of the words may be small but for an advanced level of SS, the text that follows
does not have much difficult vocabulary. If the definitions are not comprehensible, T could
explain them by using synonyms or use examples in context.
3. Reading Stage
(Approximately 20 minutes)
3.1 Text reading stage (10 minutes)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:
Photocopied material (File: Obesity: The Health Time-Bomb)
Individually / Pairs
To understand the meaning and the message of the text.
T asks from SS to read the text and then in pairs express themselves about how obesity
could be avoided. During this phase, T monitors and records SS opinions, in order to see if
they have understood the meaning of the text. SS do not need to know all the lexical items
to understand the text.
Rationale:
T gives the text to SS to read it and expects that they will get the gist. SS can understand the
text easily since they are in an advanced level.
Correction Strategy:
In case some pairs cannot communicate each other, T – who monitors – can help and
participate in their conversation in order to get them engaged with the process.
3.2. Questions (5 minutes)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:
Photocopied material (File: Skimming Questions)
Pairs
To understand the subject of the text.
T gives to SS a paper sheet with some statements regarding obesity. SS are asked to answer
if these are correct or not based on the given text.
3
Vocabulary Lesson Plan
When then T checks their answers (D and E are correct statements), ask them there is any
word that may confuse them and make it difficult to see the True Statements.
Rationale:
Through this reading style activity SS practice the text’s vocabulary items and can even deal
with new lexical items. Learning vocabulary through a text is far more educative than just
learn definitions of new words or expressions.
Correction Strategy.
If this pair work is not so engaging for SS, T should ask them if there is something the text
did not mention or they don’t agree with.
3.3 Synonyms – Synonym expressions (5 minutes maximum)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:
Photocopied material (File: In other words)
Pairs
To understand the subject of the text.
T here gives to SS a photocopied worksheet. Some words and phrases are bold and T asks
them to think the alternative way of saying some – maybe confusing – words. SS work in
pairs again, T monitors and they can give them help if they need so. Then they check their
answers with the other groups / pairs.
Rationale:
Giving synonyms which can replace these bold words and expressions in the text means that
SS understood the meaning of these words and phrases and can give an alternative
definition. It is a very communicative activity for SS. They are free to think their own way
about a word or expression in the text without changing the meaning.
Correction Strategy:
There is a high possibility of not finding some words or expressions’ synonyms. If so, T can
let them use a dictionary and find which of the meanings could match in each sentence if
the text.
4. Vocabulary Activity (5 minutes)
Materials:
Photocopied paper sheet (File: Opposites)
Interaction:
Pairs
Aim:
To practice with the topic’s vocabulary
T divides SS into five groups. Ask each group to find out if there are opposite words or
phrases in the text. This activity helps SS to practice with the new lexical items and the
phrases in the text. Moreover, SS can develop their whole language progress.
4
Vocabulary Lesson Plan
Rationale:
Trying to find opposites can help in practicing with the definition of lexical items. Not only as
opposite words – as T teaches in first grades – but as meaning in the text.
Correction Strategy:
There is a possibility of SS getting bored with this procedure. The other plan is make them
see another very important article about how we can see if we suffer from obesity
(http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/risk.htm).
5. Post – Text Stage (5 minutes)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:
No material
Classroom
To practice with the topic’s vocabulary and express oneself
T leaves freer the SS in order to express their opinion about the big health problem of
obesity. They can ask them the follow questions:
- Do you believe that obese people can change their lives? Is so, in what way?
- Do you believe that junk food must have similar warnings as cigarette packets?
- How can we avoid being obese?
SS say individually their opinion and there is a discussion in the classroom.
Rationale:
SS express their ideas based on what they have read in the text and what they believe about
the specific topic.
Correction Strategy:
In case SS are not engaged or they cannot express any idea regarding the topic, T can switch
the theme to a more interesting subject which is more personal: What do they do in their
everyday life? They eat out of house or they use to cook and eat homemade meal.
6. Feedback (4 minutes)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:
Notes written by SS while discussing in the lesson / Blackboard
Classroom
Practice with the new topic’ vocabulary
T asks from SS to find tips for healthy diet and physical activity (from magazines or the
Internet). Elicit what kinds of tips are given in these lists (a mixture of changing eating
habits and increasing exercise).
Tell them they are going to devise their own top-ten list of these tips.
They should think about who their audience is (young mums, older people, people
who work in offices).
Students work together in groups of 5 SS per group.
5
Vocabulary Lesson Plan
T describes the whole assignment structure, writes on board some key – words (nutrition,
food pyramid, exercise, water, countryside life)
SS can copy these words and they can add more giving their opinion during the lesson.
T also elicits from SS the organization of the essay. (Introductory paragraph – Thesis
Statement – Main Body – Topic Sentence – Elaboration – Concluding paragraph)
Rationale:
This process is necessary in order to make SS to get practice with the topic’s vocabulary, to
find new similar words, and to improve their Writing sub-skills.
Correction Strategy:
In this case, T sees if SS like this assignment for homework and asks them to be freer in their
assignment. The correction will be done after the SS bring (next lesson) their assignment.
6