Future Worlds

26th February 2024

The future starts right now ! In small teams, let’s review some technology we already use.

1 If you want to listen to music, you can use ____________________ . What is good about these ?

2 Smart phones have many _______ . Which ones can you name ?

3 To connect to the internet, you need __________ . Draw the symbol.

4 A computer that can be carried around is a _____________ . Why is it called that in English ?

5 Some schools use an ________________ ___________________ .

6 Singers use _______________________ to be much louder.

7 No need to buy books if you have an __________________________ . Do you prefer real books or these ? Why ?

8 If you want to use the internet, you need to ____ _________________ .

9 You wear these and it feels like you are in a different place ____________________ .

10 When the battery on a phone or tablet is low, you must ________ .

What will future cities look like ? Will they look like this ?

Remember to answer, “Yes, they will,” or “No, they won’t.”

How will life be in the future ? Will there be …

Robot police officers ? Why or why not ?

Robot doctors ?

Robot servers ?

Robot drivers ?

Robot shoppers ?

Robot cleaners ?

Which ones do you think are good ideas ?

Which ones do you not like.

What do you think about a virtual classroom ?

Give me good and bad reasons.

Points for the most interesting and intelligent answers.

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.

Young learners, level 1: some classroom games.

14th August 2023

A couple of games to help review recent lessons. First up, ‘Runaround‘.

A game based on a TV show. The teacher asks a question and then gives three possible answers.

EXAMPLE:

What animal is small, green and can jump ?

A – a dog B – a frog C – a hedgehog

The students – just one from each team – run to a letter. They are allowed 3 seconds to change their mind – then give the answer.

The following questions are based on our textbook, so adapt as you see fit.

What colour is a banana ?

A – purple B – white C – yellow

What is correct ?

A – 2 red marbles B – 2 red marble C – 2 marbles red

What animal is big ?

A – a mouse B – an elephant C – an ant

How much is 3 and 4 (3 + 4 =) ?

A – 6 B – 7 C – 8

What is in your bag ?

A – a pen B – a chair C – a classroom

Is this a book ?

A – Yes, it isn’t B – No, it is C – Yes, it is

What toy can fly ?

A – a train B – a plane C – a doll

What shape is this ?

A – a rectangle B – a circle C – a triangle

What animal has rectangle pupils in the eye ?

A – an elephant B – a goat C – Ms Huong (haha)

You play with a bat and

A – an egg B – a desk C – a ball

If you want to drink water, raise your

A – hand B – toes C – hair

Next, good old Snakes and ladders. In the same teams, hand out writing boards. Use an online die or dice, and this template:

1: Make a sentence I have a colour + toy

2: A rainbow is very (adjective)

3: Write 3 colours that begin with the letter ‘b’

4: What is your favourite toy ?

5: What can you see in this classroom. Write 2 things

6: What colour is your bag ?

7: A puppy is (2 adjectives)

8: Write a question starting with ‘Can …’

9: Tell me what is in your bag

10: Draw an elephant and then tell me about the animal.

The Perfect Penguin Quiz

14th July 2023

image from: https://www.animalspot.net/penguin

A fun classroom activity for ages 9 – 12

Students are put into small teams and given this questionnaire.

The teacher will place information cards around the room, possibly even outside the classroom depending on school layout.

One student from each group will look for the answer, then report back to the group. The answer is written down.

Repeat with a new student each time, then return to the original student.

Pedagogic benefits:

Reading questions and finding the correct answer.

Reporting back to the team.

Writing the answer.

Presenting the answer to the whole class, speaking clearly and loudly.

The Perfect Penguin Quiz

1) We say a herd of sheep and a pride of lions – but what is the collective nouns for penguins ?

2) Why are penguins black and white ?

3) Why do penguins huddle together ?

4) Penguins have solid, heavy bones but other birds have hollow, light bones … why ?

5) How does a penguin keep warm ?

6) Apart from Antarctica, where do penguins live ?

7) How many types of penguins are there ?

8) Why will you never see a penguin with a polar bear in the wild ?

9) Are penguins good walkers ?

10) What does a man penguin give to a lady penguin if he likes her ?

The Answers

1) A group of penguins is called a raft (in water) or a waddle (on land).

2) The black and white is camouflage – they look like waves from above, and sunlight from underneath.

3) Penguins huddle together for protection and to keep warm

4) Penguins don’t fly. Heavy bones are better for swimming.

5) Penguins make oil. They cover their feathers to keep warm.

6) Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand & Australia.

7) There are 18 types of penguin.

8) Polar bears live in the Arctic, in the northern hemisphere.

9) Some penguins can walk 60 miles on ice.

10) A man penguin gives a lady penguin a rock if he likes her. The man shows he wants to build a nest together and start a family. The stones will protect eggs.

NOW … write and draw a story

A penguin goes on holiday to the Arctic and meets a polar bear for the first time. What happens ?

You can find a lot more information, tips and pictures on this previous blog: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2023/06/28/the-teleporting-penguin-a-summer-school-project/

Good luck … learn and have fun !

Subject Index: ESL Games & Student Surveys

4th December 2020

Games

Adult level activities (compilation) // Adult C, L 3 // 27th November 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/11/27/adult-class-level-3-games-without-frontiers/

Activity sheet for young learners // Young Learners 2 // 25th August 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/08/21/young-learners-level-2-group-work-and-review/

Activity sheet (3) // Young Learners 3 // 14th December 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/12/13/young-learners-level-3-final-review/

Activity sheet (4) // Young Learners 4 // 7th December 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/12/04/young-learners-level-4-final-activity-sheet/

Anecdotes // Young Teens // 17th January 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/01/17/young-teens-a-funny-thing-happened-to-me/

Birthday horseshoe // Young Teens // 29th November 2018: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2018/12/17/young-teens-ages-10-12/

Blind Date // Adult Class, Level 1 // 20th February 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/02/20/adult-class-level-1-computer-world/

Break a code // Young Learners, Level 5 // 17th November 2019 : https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/11/16/young-learners-level-5-cracking-the-enigma/

Pieter Bruegel the Elder // Young Learners // 9th January 2023: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2023/01/09/young-learners-time-travellers/

Call My Bluff // Teenagers // 12th January 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/01/11/teenage-class-the-truth-is-out-there/

Call My Bluff // IELTS 5-6.5 // 28th August 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/08/28/ielts-5-65-talking-englishes/

Call My Bluff // Adult Class, Level 3 // 27th November 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/11/27/adult-class-level-3-games-without-frontiers/

Can you see … (a frog ?) // Young Learners 1 // 24th April 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/04/24/young-learners-lets-get-them-speaking/

Chinese Whispers // IELTS 5-6.5 // 4th September 2019:

Countries // Young Learners, Level 3 // 7th September 2019

Countries (Brazil, South Korea, Spain) // Young Learners, Level 6 // 19th November 2020: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2020/11/19/young-learners-level-6-round-round-get-around/

Countries (Canada, Egypt, South Korea, Spain) // Young Learners, Level 6 // 6th January 2021: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2021/01/06/young-learners-level-6-collecting-information-making-a-presentation/

Describe an everyday object // Adult Speaking Class, Level 3. Theme: London 3rd March 2020

Describe the people (photo back to board) // Adult Class, Level 3 // 8th October 2019

Desert Survival // Adult Class, Level 3 // 27th November 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/11/27/adult-class-level-3-games-without-frontiers/

Enter the Matrix // Young Learners, Levels 2 – 4 // 6th December 2022: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2022/12/06/enter-the-matrix-young-learners-levels-2-4/

Exchanging information // Adult Speaking Class, Level 2, Part 6, 25th January 2020

Eyewitness // Adult Speaking Class, Level 3. Theme: Crime & Punishment // 1st February 2020: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2020/02/01/adult-speaking-class-level-3-theme-crime-and-punishment/

Family Fortunes // Young Teens // 27th February 2019

Family Fortunes // Adult Class, Level 3 // 6th November 2019

Family Fortunes // Adult Class, Level 3 // 27th November 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/11/27/adult-class-level-3-games-without-frontiers/

Food – organise a work party // Adult Speaking Class, Level 3, Part 5 // 4th February 2020

Fortune Teller // Young Teens // 31st January 2019 (// Adult Class, Level 3 //12th December 2019): https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/01/31/young-teens-unesco-sites/

Four People (likes, dislikes etc) // Young Teens // 21st February 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/02/21/young-teens-deeply-madly-truly/

Friends (hobbies and creativity) // Young Learners 4 // 1st May 2019

Friends (job and personality) // Adult C, L 3 // 27th November 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/11/27/adult-class-level-3-games-without-frontiers/

Friends (men) // Teenagers // 12th January 2019 https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2018/12/28/friends-men-teaching-sheet/

Gather information (countries) // Young Learners 5 // 20th August 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/08/20/young-learners-level-5-feelings-nothing-more-than-feelings/

Grammarians of the Galaxy // Young Learners, levels 2 & 3 // 21st December 2022: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2022/12/21/young-learners-levels-2-3-grammarians-of-the-galaxy/

Grammarians of the Galaxy // Young Learners, levels 1& 2 // 28th December 2022: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2022/12/28/grammarians-of-the-galaxy-for-young-learners-levels-1-2/

Greek Heroes // Young Learners, Level 2 Review Game // 14th November 2022: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2022/11/14/young-learners-level-2-greek-heroes-to-help-you-learn/

Guess the countries (pictures) Signs // Young Learners 4 // 22nd June 2019

Guess the music (countries) // Young Learners 5 // 27th October 2019

Halloween // Young Learners, level 3 // 1st November 2022: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2022/11/01/how-to-kill-a-vampire-post-halloween-review-game/

Horseshoe Birthday // Young Teens // 29th November 2018: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2018/12/17/young-teens-ages-10-12/

Interview your (famous) partner // Adult Speaking Class, Level 3, Part 4 // 27th January 2020

Just a Minute // Adult Class, Level 3 // 14 November 2019

Just a Minute // Adult Class, Level 3 // 21 November 2019

Magic bag // Young Learners 2 // 26th April 2019

Make a presentation (famous people) // Adult C, L 3 // 23rd September 2019

Match the image to the fact // Young Teens // 31st January 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/01/31/young-teens-unesco-sites/

Mime // Young Learners 3 // 7th September 2019

Monopoly template // Young Learners // 12th December 2022: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2022/12/12/young-learners-all-levels-board-game-template/

Monopoly – Christmas Market // Young Learners, Levels 3 & 4 // 12th December 2022: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2022/12/12/young-learners-levels-3-4-monopoly-christmas-market/

Mr Paul’s Wonderful Store // Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: Gift of the gab // 10th May 2020

New Persona // Adult C, L 3 // 21st November 2019

Picture description // Adult Speaking Class, Level 3, Part 6 // 8th February 2020

Plan a day for visitors // Adult Speaking Class, Level 3, Part 4 // 27th January 2020

Plan a day out (children) //Young Learners 4 // 23rd November 2019

Plan a luxury day // Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: luxury day // 12th March 2020

Presentation: Vietnamese cities // Adult Class, Level 3 // 21st November 2019

Role-play: Job markets and interviews // Business English: Role-playing 6 – 8 May 2020

Role-play: shopping// IELTS 5-6.5 // 28th August 2019

Role-play: shopping // Adult Class, Level 3 // 14 November 2019

Role-play: shopping & haggling // Adult Speaking Class Level 2: Going shopping // 7th April 2020

Run and Write (past tense) // Young Learners 5 // 29th August 2019

Run and Write (personal likes) // Young Teens // 29th November 2018: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2018/12/17/young-teens-ages-10-12/

Run and Write // Young Teens // 27th February 2019

Runaround // Young Learners 4 // 9th November 2019

Runaround (space) // Young Learners 4 // 16th November 2019

Runaround // Young Learners 5 // 10th November 2019

Screen Test // Summer Holiday // Young Learners, Level 4 // 23rd November 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/11/21/young-learners-level-4-were-all-going-on-a-summer-holiday/

Screen Test Christmas // John Lewis TV ad (and Summer Holiday) // 23rd December 2020: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2020/12/23/young-learners-screen-test-game/

Screen Test Compilation // Summer Holiday, Tallest Buildings, Egyptian Gods // 23rd June 2022: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2022/06/23/screen-test-compilation-video-clips-for-classroom-games/

Sentence rewrite // Young Teens // 29th November 2018: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2018/12/17/young-teens-ages-10-12/

Shopping on a budget // Young Learners 3 // 17th August 2019

Snakes & Ladders // Young learners, Level 2 // 29th November 2022: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2022/11/29/young-learners-levels-2-3-snakes-ladders-review-games/

Snakes & Ladders // Young Learners, Level 4 // 30th November 2022: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2022/11/30/young-learners-level-4-and-top-cats-snakes-ladders-review-game/

Sticky ball (animals) // KG Safari 1 // 2nd March 2019

Stop the Bus // Young Teens // 27th February 2019

Summer School Multi-Talent Contest // 19th July 2023: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2023/07/19/summer-multi-talent-contest/

Toy Theatres // How to make & King Arthur // Young Learners // 3rd August 2023: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2023/08/03/summer-project-make-a-toy-theatre/

travel:plan a luxury day //Adult Class, Level 3 // 14th November 2019

True or false (3 statements) // Teenagers // 12th January 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/01/11/teenage-class-the-truth-is-out-there/

True or false (4 photos) // Teenagers // 12th January 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/01/11/teenage-class-the-truth-is-out-there/

TV talkshow interview // Young Learners 4 // 1st June 2019

What difference (definitions) // IELTS 5-6.5 // 25th September 2019

What do you see (cartoon picture) ? // Young Learners 2 // 25th August 2019

What happened next ? (video clips) // Young Teens // 31st January 2019 // Adult Class, Level 3 // 12th December 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/01/31/young-teens-unesco-sites/

What happens next (video clips) // Adult Class, Level 1 // 30th January 2019

What my friends can do in Sai Gon / / IELTS 5-6.5 // 21st August 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/08/15/ielts-5-6-5-i-come-from-a-land-down-under/

What would you do IF … // Adult Class, Level 1 // 2 January 2019

What’s My Line // Adult Class, Level 3 // 3rd December 2019

What’s the story (Tom Cruise) // Young Teens // 17th January 2019

What’s the Story (Chinese film) // IELTS 5-6.5 // 11th September 2019

Where am I going ? (info gathering) Signs // Young Learners 4 // 15th June 2019

Where am I going ? //Young Learners 4 // 23rd November 2019

Whisper run ‘n’ write // Young Learners 3 // 13th July 2019

Word bomb (hobbies) // Young Teens // 29th November 2018 https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2018/12/17/young-teens-ages-10-12/

Young Learners // Runaround & Snakes ‘n’ Ladders // 14th August 2023: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2023/08/14/young-learners-level-1-some-classroom-games/

Student surveys

Are you able to ? // Adult Class, Level 3 // 12th December 2019

Future activities // Adult Class, Level 1 // 30th January 2019

General questions // Adult Class, Level 3 // 8th January 2019

Hobbies // Young Teens // 29th November 2018

IELTS introduction // IELTS // 28th December 2018: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2018/12/28/friends-men-teaching-sheet/

Internet survey // Adult Class, Level 1 // 20th February 2019: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/02/20/adult-class-level-1-computer-world/

Mobile phone survey // Adult Class, Level 3 // 21st November 2019

What did you do / like // Young Learners 4 // 1st May 2019

Where do you want to go ? // Young Teens // 27th February 2019