ESL Uncaged

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): The language of pain -  BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content OUCH! How would we describe an ear ache, an ant bite, giving birth or being kicked in the testicles? It can be difficult even in your native language.  Fortunately, doctors in pain clinics have designed the McGill Pain Questionnaire to help patients put their feelings into words - a tool we can also use as ESL teachers. In this B2+ worksheet, students will learn lots of vocabulary related to pain, as well as studying a Ted-Ed video about the nervous system and an article about fibromyalgia. 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 a short extract from Elaine Scarry's 1987 book The Body in Pain . They will have to match underlined words with their definitions.  Key vocabulary: fragmentary, coax, bypass, perceive, amplify, unreliable narrator. 2...

Advanced lesson plan (B2+): Why don't country flags use the colour purple? - BUY ME A COFFEE if you like my FREE ESL content    A nation's flag symbolises the homeland of millions of people. But why, of the 195 national flags currently in existence, do only two countries (Dominica and Nicaragua) feature the colour purple? Find out in this week's B2+ worksheet. In addition, students will learn six flag-related idioms, read an article about the British Union Jack and give a short presentation on the history of their own nation's flag.  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 12 flags with the correct countries, as well as naming two things they associate with each of the countries. They will then match four "pun-ny" jokes about flags with the correct punchlines. Key vocabulary: pole, plus, hang out, to wave. 2) Students will watch a s...

  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...