ESL Uncaged

Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): How do they make snake anti-venom? - BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content Snake bites are a "significant yet neglected global health problem", killing 100,000 people every year and leaving another 400,000 with permanent disabilities. The technology underpinning snake anti-venom was discovered in the 1890s, yet over 100 years later it is still not readily accessible to people in developing countries where snake bites are most common. So why is snake anti-venom so difficult to produce and distribute to bite victims?   In this B2+ worksheet, students will  Study a video about snake anti-venom Learn six bite-related  idioms Discuss six phrasal verbs based on DIE (to DIE away, to DIE down, to be DYING for, to DIE on someone, etc.) See  advanced adjectives  to describe a snake Read and answer questions about a man who lets snakes bite him with the goal of developing a vaccine against snake venom Differentiate ...

Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): What can science tell us about queuing? -   BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content Social scientists have found queuing behaviour is governed by "the rule of six". On average, we will wait six minutes in a queue before giving up in frustration. In addition, people are unlikely to join a queue that has more than six people in it. Finally, six inches (15cm) of personal space is the minimum distance required between participants in a queue to avoid stress.  In this B2+ worksheet, students will  Study a video about the science of queuing Learn six line-related  idioms Discuss six phrasal verbs based on WAIT (to WAIT around, to WAIT on someone, to WAIT up for someone, etc.) See  advanced adjectives  to describe people waiting in line Read and answer questions about the "rule of six" in queuing Differentiate between  negative modal verbs of obligation (mustn't, shouldn't, to not have to) Educational material...

Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): What causes your leg to fall asleep? -   BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content If you've ever sat cross-legged for too long, you'll know how quickly your leg can lose sensation. Inevitably, that numbness is followed by an oh-so painful case of pins and needles as your leg "wakes up".  In this B2+ worksheet, students will  Study a video about the science of pins and needles Learn six leg-related  idioms Match six pictures with  phrasal verbs based on STEP See  pun-ny leg-related jokes  Read and answer questions about innervated prosthetic legs Learn how to use the verb "wish" in unreal and real situations 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 STEP-related phrasal verbs (to step down, to step in, step on it, step back, to step...

Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): What was life like for British coal miners? -  BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content Imagine endless hours of stooping over, crawling and squatting in dark and dank coal mines. Over one million men worked as coal miners in 1920s Britain, digging up fuel for the nation's fireplaces and factories.  In this B2+ worksheet, students will  Study a video about coal mining in Britain Choose between  "used to" vs. "would" for past narratives Learn four phrasal verbs based on DIG Study six coal mining-related  idioms Read and answer questions about a George Orwell essay on coal mining See advanced adjectives to describe coal miners' working conditions 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 learn four phrasal verbs based on DIG (to dig into, to dig up, to dig out, dig in!) 2) ...

Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): How did they make cheese in medieval times? -  BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content Humans have been making cheese for 10,000 years, for as long as we've been shepherding ruminants. We've experimented a lot over the millenia, giving rise to tens of variants: brie, camembert, cheddar, cottage, feta, gorgonzola, grana, gruyère, roquefort, wensleydale - the list goes on.  In this B2+ worksheet, students will  Study a video about how to make medieval cheese Learn six cheese-related  idioms Match cheese-related pictures with phrasal verbs  See advanced adjectives to market cheese Read and answer questions about England's famous Cheese Roll event Learn the difference between  stative  and  dynamic  forms of verbs 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: To...

Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): Why are some people passionate about puppetry? -  BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content How do puppeteers use a hunk of wood, some string and subtle hand movements to create the illusion of life? Puppetry is an ancient art, and the people who still practise it today have accumulated not only a great amount of passion, but also many tricks and techniques. In this B2+ worksheet, students will  Study a video about puppetry Insert the correct dummy subjects  into sentences Learn six string-related  idioms See  pun-ny jokes  about puppets Read about the Macy's Day Parade inflatable dirigibles 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 complete a spot-the-difference exercise, using prepositions of place to locate the stand-out features 2) To insert dummy subjects into s...

Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): Why do we eat cake on our birthdays? -  BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content "Make a wish and blow out your candles", your friends and family tell you every year. But how did lighting a confectionery on fire on your birthday become the "normal" thing to do? And why - just why - would somebody pay $75 million dollars for a birthday cake?  In this B2+ worksheet, students will  Study a video about the origin of the birthday cake tradition Match cake-related pictures with phrasal verbs Create mixed conditionals  Learn six cake-related idioms See advanced adjectives used to advertise a cake Practise  adjective ordering using a news article about the world's most expensive cake   Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by  buying me a coffee! Click HERE  for the worksheet answers. Lesson objectives: 1) To match six phrasal verbs based on "CUT" to cake-relate...

Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): Can dogs smell cancer in humans? -  BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content It's no secret that our four-legged friends are highly attuned to us. Dogs can tell when we are sad or scared, and they can alert us to the presence of intruders. In recent decades, scientists have found they can even detect the odours cancerous cells give off.  In this B2+ worksheet, students will  Study a video about a cancer survivor whose dog saved her life Match action shots of dogs to six phrasal verbs (to GET away with, to GET up, to GET rid of, etc.) Create dog-related sentences containing causative verbs "to get" and "to have" ( get/have + object + past participle) Learn six nose-related idioms See advanced adjectives used to describe a pet dog Read an article about the science of cancer-smelling canines Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by  buying me a coffee! Lesson objectives: 1...

Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): Why you sometimes have trouble opening doors -   BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content Have you ever pushed on a pull door, even when it was clearly marked as such? Or pulled at a push door? According to Don Norman, a distinguished professor of technology, you shouldn't feel bad about it: it's actually the designer's fault.  In this B2+ worksheet, students will  Study a video about "human-centred design"; Learn door-related idioms;  Match phrasal verbs based on "SHUT" to pictures; Practise the definite article (and exceptions to the rule: "go to town" and "go to the town"); Find the correct punchlines for pun-ny jokes about doors. Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by  buying me a coffee!     Lesson objectives: 1) To match six phrasal verbs based on "SHUT" to pictures (to shut up, to shut away, to shut down, to shut off, etc.) ...

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...

Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): Is each snowflake really unique? -    BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content Of the trillions of snowflakes that fall every year, is it true that no two are identical? A scientist at CalTech University has the answer. In this B2+ worksheet, students will practise the third conditional, learn six snow-related idioms/phrases, study lots of relevant vocabulary and discuss the science of snowflakes. Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by  buying me a coffee!            Lesson objectives: 1) To learn snow-related vocabulary by matching relevant words to a picture of a snow-covered road.  2) To practise using third conditionals, conjugating sentences appropriately to talk about a car that slipped on an icy road on bald tyres.  3) To understand nuance and puns with three wintry jokes, about a penguin, a snowman and an igloo. 4) To explain scie...

Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): How do animals see the world? -    BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content Can sharks see brightly coloured swimsuits? Are dogs really completely colour blind? Can snakes really see infrared light? In this B2+ worksheet, students will learn how different animals see the world, study eye-related idioms, practise using the past perfect and learn four phrasal verbs based on the verb "to see". Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by  buying me a coffee! Lesson objectives: 1) To learn four phrasal verbs: "to see (something) in", "to see (someone) out", "to see (someone) off", "to see through (something)". Students will be presented with four images, each of which matches with one of the phrasal verbs.  2) To practise using the past perfect, by conjugating verbs into simple past and past perfect, using short texts related to animal vision. 3)...

Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): How eggs are used to make flu vaccines -   BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content Could an egg save your life? Is it possible to hatch a supermarket egg? Can you make cakes without eggs? Find out the answers to all these questions and more in this week's lesson plan! Plus, six egg-related idioms, an exercise involving the subjunctive form of "to be" and some egg-related puns. Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by  buying me a coffee!    Lesson objectives: 1) Understand colloquial language/puns related to eggs through the study of jokes and idioms 2) Practise explaining scientific concepts and stepwise processes (the production of flu vaccines) using adverbs of sequence (firstly, next, after, then, lastly) 3) Understand how to use "to be" in the subjunctive mood 4) Express one's own opinion about an ethical issue (eating eggs) in response to a text about hatchin...

Advanced lesson plan (B2+): How to win friends and influence people -  BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content In 1937, arguably the most influential self-help book ever was published: How to Win Friends and Influence People , by American author Dale Carnegie.  But how relevant are its lessons in the modern world? Decide for yourself in this week's worksheet, which also introduces six friend-related idioms and phrasal verbs, as well as a mountain of advanced vocabulary. Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by  buying me a coffee! Lesson activities: 1) To warm up, students will complete five quotes from Carnegie's best-seller, using vocabulary from a list. They will then discuss their thoughts about the advice.  Key vocabulary: to dangle, bristling, temper, shun, vanity, rattlesnakes, to be fond of, incessantly. 2) Students will watch a video (9:00) entitled "How to win friends and influence people - a summary of C...

  Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): How to survive the apocalypse -    BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content Who are the "doomsday preppers"? In light of the global pandemic of 2020, should we all start stockpiling and making contingency plans for future catastrophes? In this B2/C1 worksheet, students will learn some survival tips, discuss the psychology of "doomsday preppers" and learn phrases related to the topics (e.g. "better safe than sorry", "tinfoil hat conspiracy theorists"). Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by  buying me a coffee!   Lesson activities: 1) To warm up, students will label nine survival items and discuss which three they would want in an apocalyptic scenario. Key vocabulary: axe, backpack, sniper rifle, gas stove, torch, compass, thermos flask, gloves, first aid kit. 2) Students will watch a video (8:41), offering tips on how to survive in the wilderness - fr...

  Advanced lesson plan (B2 and above): How to navigate using the stars -  BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content Could you find your way if you had nothing but a blanket of stars above your head to go by? In this B2+ worksheet, students will learn how constellations correlate with north, south, east and west. They will also read a poem about the night sky, see six star-related idioms and learn about how birds use the stars to navigate. Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by  buying me a coffee!   Lesson activities: 1) To warm up, students will read the poem 'Distances' by William Stanley Braithwaite and discuss their intepretations.  Key vocabulary: dispassionate, flesh, bond. 2) Students will study a video (7:38) about the how to navigate using constellations.  Key vocabulary: Orion, nebula, horizon, equator, to keep track of. 3) Next, they will see  six star-related idioms/phrases: Reach fo...

   Advanced lesson plan (B2): What's that ringing in your ears? -  BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content 1 in 8 people have tinnitus. So what causes it? And is there a cure? In this B2+ worksheet, students will study a Ted-Ed video on the causes of tinnitus, as well as the subtle differences between the verbs "to listen", "to hear", "to overhear" and "to eavesdrop". Six idioms related to ears will also be presented to students. Educational materials shouldn't be paywalled. Show your support for my ESL content by  buying me a coffee!     Lesson activities: 1) To warm up, students will match four images of people in various situations with the verbs "to hear", "to listen", "to eavesdrop" and "to overhear". They will then find the correct punchlines for four pun-ny jokes related to hearing. Key vocabulary: handy, symptoms, to shine, tip of the iceberg. 2) Students will watch a video (5:38) en...