Category: lesson plan

Phrasal Verbs Activity and Exercises, Conversation Questions and PDF Worksheet

I sometimes watch, or more accurately, watched (because Covid) Netflix with friends. We always use English subtitles, as my friends want to improve their English. Sometimes they ask me to translate a word or a phrase, sometimes I don’t mind and sometimes it bothers me. But my lack of patience with my friends is not the point.

The point is, I’ve noticed one thing all my friends had in common. They often didn’t understand the meaning of a certain phrasal verbs.

Phrasal verbs are tricky, because they seem to be two separate words. Sometimes the same phrasal verb can have a few different, totally unrelated meanings and that’s very confusing for English learners.

They are very common, especially in informal context, so it’s often recommended to learn essential phrasal verbs to sound more natural.

Here are a couple of phrasal verbs activities and exercises.

Phrasal Verbs Activity: Definitions

back down: to resign your position in a fight, argument, plan, etc.

bump into: when you meet someone by accident or unexpectedly

burst out: to suddenly and unexpectedly say or do something

call off: to cancel  something

carry on: to continue doing something

chicken out: to stop doing something because you’re afraid

clam up: to refuse to speak or share your feelings

come up with: to think of a solution, idea

deal with: to handle something, to solve a problem 

drag on: to last longer than expected

figure out: to find the answer

get along: to have good relationship with someone

get rid off: to remove something or somebody

hang out: spend time with people, socialize

look up to: to admire someone

polish off: to eat or drink something quickly

rip off: to ask for a very unreasonable price, to cheat financially

run out of: to have no more of something

stick up for: to defend someone or something

talk into: to convince someone to do something

Phrasal Verbs Activity: Exercise with Flashcards

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Discussion Questions

  1. When was the last time you had to back down in a situation?
  2. Who was the last person you bumped into? How did it happen?
  3. Can you remember the last time you burst out something inappropriate? 
  4. What was the last event you had to call off? What happened?
  5. Have you ever chickened out of something?
  6. When something surprises you, can you carry on and pretend nothing happened?
  7. What would you do if you were talking to a friend and they suddenly clammed up?
  8. What’s the last brilliant idea you’ve come up with?
  9. How well can you deal with interruptions when you work/study? 
  10. What do you do when you are in a meeting that just drags on?
  11. What is the last thing you didn’t understand first, but then you figured it out?
  12. Describe three people you get along with.
  13. What 3 things would you like to get rid of in your life? (material and abstract)
  14. What do you do when you hang out with friends?
  15. Who do you look up to in your family?
  16. What meal do you usually polish off? 
  17. Can you think of a time when someone ripped you off?
  18. Have you ever run out of patience when talking to someone? What happened?
  19. What ideas can you imagine sticking up for?
  20. What was the stupidest thing anyone has ever talked you into?
Phrasal Verbs Discussion Questions PDFDownload

Similar resources:

Conversation Questions: Present Perfect and Past Simple

Present Simple and Present Continuous

ESL Speaking Activity: Conditional Discussion Questions

ESL Conversation Topics: 12 Mini Presentations

How to Spot Fake News: ESL Lesson Plan

This fake news lesson plan is based on one of the fabulous teaching resources created by EAVI. EAVI is a non-profit organization based in Brussels. They work to empower individuals to be active, engaged citizens in today’s increasingly challenging media environment.

When teaching news and media vocabulary, one has a great opportunity to teach critical thinking. The online world is full of disinformation, hoaxes, and fake news. We have the power to equip our students not only with language skills but also critical thinking skills.

Critical thinking with students means that they can take information and analyze it, draw conclusions, form and defend opinions with data to back it up, reflect on their work, and approach problems in a systematic way. 

In this lesson plan, students will:

  • research information
  • determine the importance of arguments
  • evaluate arguments
  • solve problems
  • cooperate
  • critically reflect on their own assumptions and beliefs

I recommend this activity for older students(16+), after teaching media and news vocabulary.

Fake news lesson plan

Warm-up

Introduce the topic of fake news and hoaxes by a group discussion. You could ask these questions:

  • What is a hoax?
  • What is fake news?
  • What hoaxes have you read about, seen online, shared?
  • How did you know it wasn’t true?
  • What can you do if you are not sure that the information is true?
  • Can hoaxes and fake news be dangerous? Why?
  • Put students into groups of 2 or 3
  • Distribute copies of the Lesson Plan and Beyond the Headlines Poster to students.
  • Students then analyze their content according to each of the 20 points and 1 bonus question using online search tools to investigate(I let students use their mobile phones/laptops, or they can use the school computers)
  • When they have finished, ask each group to present their content and their findings in front of the class and write their final score on the board
  • Compare the lowest and highest scores the groups received and discuss how everyone came to their own conclusions about their content
Beyond Fake News Infographic

FAKE NEWS?

  1. Scientists agree that global warming is a hoax
  2. Russia claims it can wipe out the US Navy with an electronic bomb.
  3. Putin issues arrest warrant for financial terrorist George Soros.
  4. A passenger was allowed onto a flight after airport security confiscated his bomb.
  5. The US government has confirmed that cannabis can kill cancer cells.
  6. Professor Boyle believes that coronavirus is a biowarfare weapon, genetically modified for killing people.
Lesson PlanDownload
Beyond the Headlines PosterDownload
  • Speaking Activities
  • Role-plays
  • Taboo Card Games
ESL resources

ESL Video Lesson Based on Netflix Docuseries “The Mind, Explained”

This ESL Netflix video lesson plan is based on “The Mind, Explained” docuseries that answers the questions about our brains. What is going on inside my head? How does memory work? Why do I dream?

The show has six episodes: Memory, Dreams, Anxiety, Mindfulness, Psychedelics. Each twenty-minute episode explains the mysteries of our brains in an engaging, fun way, with plenty of real-life examples, graphics, and experts. Students like this format, many of them already know Vox and their videos and each episode is the right length for a video lesson with warm-up questions, vocabulary, and after-video discussion.t

”The Mind, Explained.”

Download

The Mind, Explained (Anxiety) SWDownload
The Mind, Explained (Anxiety) TNDownload

“The Mind, Explained” ESL Netflix Video Lesson (Anxiety) Students’ Worksheet

Warm-up Questions

  1. What are you afraid of?
  2. How do you relax when you feel stressed?
  3. What was the biggest challenge you overcame?

Discussion

  1. What are the symptoms of a panic attack?
  2. When in danger______________________________instinct kicks in. What does it mean and how does the body react?
  3. What fears and phobias are mentioned in the video?
  4. According to the video, what did people in the past do to relax?
  5. How do modern people relax?

Matching

Match the words 1-10 to their definitions a-j

  1. tingling
  2. blurry
  3. warthog
  4. wallowing
  5. vigilant
  6. dilate
  7. hallmark
  8. squinch
  9. culprit
  10.  rigorous
  1. an African wild pig
  2. someone who has done something wrong
  3. a typical characteristic or feature of a person or thing
  4. to press together the features of the face or the muscles of the body
  5. to have a feeling as if a lot of sharp points are being put quickly and lightly into your body
  6. extremely thorough and careful
  7. to become wider or further open
  8. difficult to see
  9. to lie or roll around slowly in deep, wet earth, sand, or water
  10. always being careful to notice things, especially possible danger

Other video lessons:

TEDtalk: What Makes Something Go Viral
TEDtalk: How to Grow New Brain Cells
ESL Video Lesson: Standup Comedian Shayne Smith

ESL Video Lesson Plan: Stand Up Comedy With Shayne Smith And The Prisoner of Azkaban

STANDUP VIDEO LESSON PLAN

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

  1. What do you think about people who have a lot of tattoos?

  2. Do you have any tattoos? If not what tattoo would you like to have?

  3. What do you think about body modifications? (piercing, implants, scarification)

  4. Have you ever got looks from strangers because of the way you dress?

  5. Do you ever judge people by their looks?

  6. What do you know about Harry Potter? What is Azkaban?

VIDEO

VOCABULARY

This is some of the vocabulary you are going to hear in the video. After watching the video, match the words and phrases with their definitions.

  1. to be on board

  2. assume

  3. interaction

  4. weird

  5. call it

  6. tank top

  7. judgment call

  8. white trash

  9. do time

  10. mess with someone

  11. impress

  1. think, or expect something is true

  2. poor white people

  3. a subjective decision

  4. spend time in prison

  5. to be a part of a team, to agree with something

  6. cause someone admire and respect you

  7. to treat someone in a bad, rude, or annoying way, or to start an argument with someone

  8. strange

  9. when two or more people or things communicate with each other

  10. a sleeveless shirt

  11. saying as it is

Download the printable PDF: ESL Video Lesson Plan: Standup

OTHER VIDEO LESSONS

TEDtalk Video ESL Lesson Plan: What Makes Something Go Viral
TEDtalk Video ESL Lesson Plan: How To Grow New Brain Cells.
ESL Conversation Lesson: Game Of Thrones And Traveling

ESL Conversation Lesson: Game Of Thrones And Traveling

Level: Pre- Intermediate, Intermediate
Time: 20-30min
Skills: Speaking, Listening, Vocabulary
Topic: Travel, Croatia, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Game of Thrones
PDF version for easy printing: ESL Conversation Lesson Game Of Thrones And Traveling

ESL VIDEO LESSON PLAN: GAME OF THRONES AND TRAVELING

Warm-up Questions

  1. What do you know about Croatia?
  2. What do you know about Northern Ireland?
  3. What do you know about Iceland?
  4. Which of these countries would you like to visit?

Video

Video by Unilad Adventure

Discussion

  1. Which iconic scene mentioned in the video was shot in Dubrovnik?
  2. What is the name of the stunning coast in Northern Ireland?
  3. When was the rope bridge at Carrick-a-Rede first built and by whom?
  4. How long is the Icelandic canyon with a difficult name?
  5. Who is your favourite Game of Thrones character?
  6. Who do you think will claim the Iron Throne?

Matching

Match the adjectives 1-9 to their meanings a-i.

  1. imposing

  2. prominent

  3. spectacular

  4. diverse

  5. haunting

  6. narrow

  7. sheer

  8. unspoiled

  9. diehard

  1. less wide

  2. complete (used for emphasis)

  3. not touched by civilisation

  4. strongly devoted

  5. impressive in appearance

  6. beautiful in a dramatic way

  7. very different, showing a great variety

  8. staying in your thoughts for a long time

  9. something that can easily be se

ESL Communicative Activities

 

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