Tag: free online English

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 !

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 Person’s Guide to Music: A Summer School project

5th July 2023

Chloe Chau from Singapore

Miumiu from China

… and from Cambridge in the UK.

We do not have any instruments in our class (yet … later we shall make a xylophone !), but we all have voices and can sing !

Let’s start with a round. This is when some of the class sing a song, then the other students sing the same song BUT one verse later.

Listen to this children’s song called ‘London Burning.’ Listen and then we shall try to sing. Many points to the best singers.

Teacher’s Note: split the class into small groups depending on class size and motivation. Award points for the best performances.

First question – do you know any famous composers ?

M _ _ _ _ _

B _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

C _ _ _ _ _

B _ _ _

P _ _ _ _ _ _ _

QUESTION RUNAROUND

Teacher’s Note: Keep class in small groups. Select one student per group to run up to the board and place – not slap – their hand on number 1,2 or 3. Blank the screen so the students can’t see the answers !

Question 1: Who wrote this music

1) BlackPink 2) Paganini 3) PinkBlack

Question 2: Is this music for

1) a birth, 2) marriage or 3) death ?

Question 3: Is this music

1) Happy and joking 2) sad 3) very angry

Play from 17:02

Question 4: This music is about a planet – which one ?

1) Venus (love) 2) Jupiter (happiness) 3) Mars (war)

Question 5: This opera is set in which country ? 1) China 2) Australia 3) Spain

Last Question: Classical music is often used in films. Was this music used in a …

1) comedy 2) animation 3) space film ?

How does the music make you feel ?

What adjectives can you use ?

excited, thrilled, scared, nervous, awe-inspired

Now it’s time to learn about the orchestra and the instruments.

The number 4 is very important in music – do you know why ?

What are the four families of instruments ?

What are the four stringed instruments ?

What are the brass instruments ?

What are the percussion instruments ?

BUT … it’s not always perfect. Take a look at these:

The Teleporting Penguin – A Summer School Project.

28th June 2023

June 21st in Antarctica. The sun did not rise; it was night for 24 hours and the temperature was less than -50°C.

How do penguins keep warm ?

Percival Penguin couldn’t sleep, he had many penguin problems that kept him awake, so he went for a walk.

Penguins like walking some can walk up to _______ miles.

Really, Percival was in love with Heather Penguin and he wanted to find a lovely heart-shaped rock to give to her.

Why do male penguins give rocks to female penguins ?

However, he couldn’t see where he was and suddenly … he fell, and kept falling and falling, down and down.

When he stopped falling, he stood up and saw

“Oh la la ! Where am I ?” he cried. The night was gone, it was sunny and it was really, really hot, at least 12°C. However, there was a huge white monster. Percival was scared but curious.

Just then, Percival saw another amazing sight – a bird that could fly ! That was impossible !

Penguins are birds but can’t fly – why not ?

“Upon my soul, what have we here ?” said the new friend.

“My name is Percival Penguin, please to meet you. Can you tell me where am I ? I need to meet my Heather.”

Just then a new friend appeared and asked, “Does your Heather wear leather in hot weather or only feathers ?” This was Di O’Nisiss, another strange creature.

Poor Percival was perplexed, he didn’t know where he was or who these animals were. The white bird flew down next to him.

“Hello, I am Athena. I’m a snowy owl. Di O’Nisiss is a reindeer and that,” pointing with her wing, “Is Erik Polar bear.”

Penguins never meet polar bears – why not ?

“The white monster ?”

“He isn’t white, he’s brown,” corrected Di O’Nisiss

Why are white polar bears actually brown ?

“I think Percival, you are very far from home. Welcome to the Arctic. How did you get here ?”

“I’m not sure. One minute I was walking, the next I fell and fell and fell …”

“He found a teleport,” said Di O’Nisiss. “Are you hungry ?”

“Oh, yes, I would love to eat some ______ ”

What do penguins eat ?

“Shall we go for a swim ?” Percival asked Athena.

“A swim ?” replied Athena, “Are you loco ? Birds don’t swim they fly”

Percival was very confused.

“What a crazy place ! Birds fly but don’t swim, white bears are brown, night is day, cold is hot. Everything is upside down.”

“Well,” answered Athena, “Everything IS upside down. Let’s get some lunch then we will tell you all about the Arctic … and you can tell us about the Antarctic.”

NOW … your turn

Finish the story. You may write and draw a comic if you wish. How does Percival get back to the Antarctic and does he find a rock for Heather.

First some facts you need to include:

The Arctic is sea surrounded by land.

The Antarctic is land surrounded by sea.

  North Pole  South Pole
Where?  At sea – 700km to nearest land  Inland – 1,300km to nearest sea
Height  Up to 2m above sea-level  2,835m above sea-level
21st June  Midsummer, 24hr. light  Midwinter, 24hr. dark
21st December  Midwinter, 24hr. dark  Midsummer, 24hr. light
Is there a physical marker  No, it would drift off in a few hours  Yes, moves 10m a year
Temperature  +13°C to -43°C  -12.3°C to -62°C

Source: https://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/antarctica%20environment/antarctic_arctic_comparison.php

The Arctic region contains plains, mountains, rivers and lakes, hills, and tundra. Tundra has no trees but lots of grass and plants, so has food for animals. Antarctica is 98% ice. 

The Arctic has many large land animals including reindeer, musk ox, lemmings, arctic hares, snowy owls, squirrels, arctic fox and polar bears. The sea has walrus, seals and some whales.

The largest land animal in the Antarctic is an insect, a wingless midge, less than 1.3cm long. There are no flying insects. Apart from penguins, there are also seals.

About 4 million people live permanently in the Arctic region. Nobody lives permanently in Antarctica.

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.

Thay Paul’s Video Lessons. Level 1, Video 2

9th June 2023

The second lesson for level 1 students is now available on YouTube.

Part 1 is a warm up where students shout out the letters they see.

Part 2 develops sentence-building skills. The students must say what zoo animals they see using colour adjectives

EXAMPLE

I see a black and white panda.

Some students will be able to add additional adjectives:

{angry, beautiful, big, cute, dangerous, hungry, intelligent, scary, strong}

Young Learners, Level 4. Introducing yourself

5th June 2023

The Korean actress Shin Min-an from the film ‘A Bittersweet Life’

Today’s task is to introduce yourself to your classmates. First give some basic information, then tell us what you like doing. Finally, what you would like to do in the future.

EXAMPLE

Hello, my name is John and I’m from Australia. I’m an English teacher, and I have been in Vietnam for about 2 years.

My hobbies are reading books, watching films and listening to music.

In Vietnam, I have been to Ha Noi and Hue. I was blown away by all the old buildings.

I really want to visit Hoi An and Halong Bay.

{Photo from Google Images}

Maybe you want to study abroad, in London, or the US ?

about: with time. I have been studying English for about 6 months.

really: adverbs I am happy / I am really happy [stronger and more interesting]

continuous verbs: I like to read / I like reading /

Remember to use our expressions:

over the moon / I am [was] blown away

it cheers [cheered] me up

London’s museums: using videos for Young Learners, Level 1

2nd June 2023

Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green, London

Vocabulary:

bucket and spade // teddy bear // puppets // board games // dolls // Punch and Judy // jigsaw puzzle //

Start the video around the 7:30 mark, and run until 9:50

Questions:

1) What were the first toys you saw in the video ?

2) What was on the front of the shoes (two words) ?

3) Where would you play with the toys at 8:20 ?

4) What toy animals did you see ?

5) Which teddy bear do you like best ?

6) What colour were the clothes at 8:50

7) Do you know any of these bears ?

8) What board games did you see ?

9) What jigsaws did you see ?

10) Would you like to see a Punch and Judy show ?

Watch again at 8:52 and find:

Rupert, Sooty, Yogi, Paddington, Winnie

Yogi Bear

Paddington Bear

Sooty

Rupert

Winnie the Pooh

And now, a Punch & Judy show – enjoy !

Boost your English speaking !

23rd May 2023

For speaking tests, students need to be able to speak at length, using long sentences with adjectives, linking words and maybe an expression or two … and it’s never too soon to start.

Higher Kindergarten classes can answer in short sentences, instead of single word answers. They can expand by using adjectives.

For example, a teacher will ask, “What is it ?”

The answer must be in the form of a sentence, “It’s a car.” Then we can expand … “It’s a red car,” “It’s a fast, red car.”

At higher levels, students need to feel confident to speak longer, and here’s a tip. This is a mind map with one main idea, then different ideas that students can speak about.

OK, as they say in Cinema, “Show, don’t tell.”

Some expressions:

I’m over the moon (I’m very, very happy)

I was blown away (I was very impressed by someone or something)

It cheers me up (Verb 1) cheered me up (Verb 2) (made me happy after I was sad)

Don’t forget to use the linking words

because // also // so // however // as well as

EXAMPLE:

My favourite sports are football and swimming because they are fun, exciting as well as healthy.

I play football at school with my classmates. My friend John is very good. He is better than me. I also play on weekends. However, I can’t play football alone.

I really enjoy swimming. I can swim alone. I often swim at weekends at a sports centre.

Sports can cheer me up when I am sad. If my teams win, I am over the moon.

NOW … your turn.

Make a mind map for:

Free time

Movies

School

Food

See you soon.

Young Learners, Level 4: to be, Verb 1, Verb 2 and infinity

22nd May 2023

Friends, students, colleagues, lend me your ears.

Before younglings graduate from the Superkids Level, they have to, absolutely have to, master the most basic verb in English, the verb ‘to be’ – so, let’s go to work !

Let’s go to work

BAAM ! Easy !

Now … let’s practise

Make it a game, put the class in teams

I shall read a short sentence. I want the correct Verb 1, Verb 2 & the infinite.

EXAMPLE: I say, “I is happy.”

Team 1 writes I am happy,

Team 2 I was happy

Team 3 using the helping verb ‘want’ will write I want to be happy.

OK, I dig, Man, let’s go to work !

You is sad // He am angry // She are intelligent // It is cold // Ms Huong am cute // We am hungry // They is furious.

Change the helping verb to like or need

I is better // You is taller // Ms Huong over the moon // He am a tough guy // She weres colourful // It iss rich // We to be free // They on holiday.

Bring it on !

Bad Day Revisited

12th May 2023

A writing exercise to help build narrative. We shall use signpost language, paragraphs, amazing adjectives, adverbs and linking words, as well as some new expressions.

I shall tell you about last Sunday – it was terrible and here’s why.

The plan of my day:

6.50 Book Grab on my iPhone and leave for work.

7.40 – 9.40 Young Learners class, level 1 (24 students) 

10.10 Arrive home 

10.11am – 2.30pm Wedding party across the street 

10.30 – 12.00 Prepare work online 

5.00pm – 9.30pm Another wedding party but much louder, more karaoke singers 

6.00 Go for coffee

BUT 11.30pm Barcelona win 1- 0 so ‘All’s well that ends well.’

So what were the problems ?

“Hey, where is my bike ? I am late for work !”

I only have one class; I hope they are nice and quiet. OK, they are screaming, loudly ! But now I can go home and relax. Wait a moment …

A wedding party with singing and drinking and karaoke … for four hours ! No problems, I will wear headphones, listen to my music and prepare my work online.

I give up ! This is never going to happen. However, after 2.30pm it starts to be quiet. I can work, read and at 4.45 I started to sleep … until at 5.00:

These gentlemen do not sing beautifully, they sound like cats having a fight. I decide to go out to a quiet coffee bar. The server is very friendly … but then a man walks in …

My dreadful day was nearly over. At 11.30 I watch TV and see …

Yes, my team Barcelona are playing. I am blown away by how good they are and I am over the moon because they win the game. All’s well that ends well.

NOW … your turn

Write about Mr Paul’s terrible day.

TIPS

Use a short introduction, then a new paragraph for each new event.

Use signpost language (first, next, then, afterwards, finally).

The story is in the past so you have to use simple past (Verb 2). Noun & verb agreement (he is, he was)

End with a short conclusion.

Use new adjectives and synonyms (terrible, awful, dreadful, horrendous).

I insist that you use at least one new expression (over the moon, blown away, all’s well that ends well).

Let me kick start you:

Last Sunday was absolutely dreadful.

First, I booked Grab on my iPhone but he was extremely slow and late. My manager was …

now you finish my day

Good luck with my bad day

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.