How intelligent are crows?

 Advanced lesson plan (B1 and above): How intelligent are crows? - BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content

British crow guide – corvid facts, how to identify and where to see - Countryfile.com

Learn why scientists think crows are as smart as seven-year-old children.

In this B1 and above worksheet, students will watch a video about the unique way crows react when a member of their species dies; in addition, they will read a short, cryptic story about a scarecrow; they will study bird- and crow-related idioms; and they will read an article that summarises scientific research on the immense intelligence of these strange corvids.

Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by buying me a coffee!

Buy Me A Coffee 

  

Lesson activities:

1) To warm up, students will read a cyrptic story by Lebanese-American writer Kahlil Gibran about a scarecrow and discuss how they interpret it. Key vocabulary: lasting joy, stuffed, straw, to belittle.

2) Students will watch a short video (4 minutes 34 seconds) about how crows - along with dolphins and elephants - react strongly to seeing a fellow member of their species has died. 

3) Next, students will see six crow-related idioms/phrases: crow's feet, to crow about (something), as the crow flies, to take someone under one's wing, the early bird catches the worm, birds of a feather flock together. They will get a chance to see them in sentences, and to create their own sentences with these idioms. 

4) Finally, they will read a short article about the latest research on these brainy black birds. Advanced vocabulary: to turn the tables, simpletons, to hold grudges, to be uncanny, to scold.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why does helium make your voice sound funny?

Image
Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): Why does helium make your voice sound funny? -   BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content Sucking in a lungful of helium has hilarious effects, making even the gruffest baritone sound like Daffy Duck. But have you ever stopped to wonder why this gas affects our voice? And given that helium is a non-renewable resource used in space rockets, quantum computers and MRI scans, should we really be doing silly party tricks with it at all? In this B2+ worksheet, students will  Study a video about helium's effect on the voice Learn six voice-related  idioms Discuss six phrasal verbs based on BLOW (to BLOW up, to BLOW away, to BLOW off, etc.) See  advanced adjectives  to describe balloons Read and answer questions about an article on the scarcity of helium Turn adjectives into their comparative form  while completing sentences related to balloons Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by  buying me a
Read more

Is laughter really the best medicine?

Image
Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): Is laughter really the best medicine? -  BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content Laughter is a behaviour we share with chimpanzees, gorillas, mice and even parrots. We laugh to show amusement and agreement. But is it really as good for our health as the old adage would have us believe? In this B2+ worksheet, students will  Study a video about the science of laughter Learn six laughter-related  idioms Discuss three phrasal verbs: laugh at , laugh with , laugh off See advanced adjectives to describe a group of laughing friends  Read and answer questions about "laughing yoga" Differentiate between to + infinitive  vs.  the gerund  after certain phrases  Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by  buying me a coffee! Click  HERE   f or the worksheet answers  Lesson objectives: 1) To match six pictures with LAUGH-related phrasal verbs (to laugh off , to laugh at , to laugh with ) 2) To fin
Read more

Are you breathing wrong?

Image
Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): Are you breathing wrong? -  BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content Breathing is natural: nothing difficult about it, right? Actually, there is a "right" and "wrong" way to get oxygen into your lungs, according to experts.  In this B2+ worksheet, students will practise using the passive voice with reporting verbs, see six breath-related idioms and learn lots of relevant vocabulary.   Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by  buying me a coffee!   Lesson objectives: 1) To match words for different types of breathing with pictures:  to gasp, to wheeze, to pant, to sigh, to sniff, to blow. 2) To practise using the passive voice with reporting verbs, while talking about the alleged benefits/risks of "alternate-nostril breathing". 3) To understand nuance and puns with three breath-related jokes, about an asthmatic, a seabird and an Apple Store.  4) To explain "cor
Read more