Posts describing lessons or activities for the ESL classroom.

Activities

<p>In the US, October 28 is National Chocolate Day. Like World Chocolate Day in July, it is an annual celebration of one of the world&#39;s most beloved sweet treats. Chocolate, however, also has its dark side. The use of slave labor for production is one example of the issues that plague the industry. Whether exploring the good or bad side of chocolate, students will find plenty to learn.&nbsp;Here are some activity ideas to try in class.</p>

<h2>1. How Many in the Jar?</h2>

<p>This is a great warm-up activity to start and end the class with. Fill a large mason jar with button-shaped candy, like M&amp;M&#39;s or&nbsp;Cadbury Smarties, or chocolate coins. Be sure to count them!</p>

<p>Put&nbsp;students into pairs and hand each pair a strip of paper. Ask them&nbsp;to write down their names and their guess for how many candies are in the jar and collect the strips. At the end of the lesson, read out the guesses and reveal the correct answer. The team with the closest guess wins the jar!</p>

<h2>2. A-choc-stic Poems</h2>

<p>Acrostic poems are a fun and easy way to get young learners and beginners writing! Review how to create an acrostic poem with students and show them some examples. Then have them write their own using the word&nbsp;&ldquo;chocolate.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/2026"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1823/content_74_Poem.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/2026">How to Write a Poem</a></h2>

<p>This <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons">Writing in English</a> lesson includes a section on acrostic poems. Students will learn how to write one and then practice writing their own.</p>
</div>

<h2>3. Chocolate Quest</h2>

<p>This is a fun, adaptable activity for in-person or online classes. Prepare a set of questions ahead of time related to chocolate, like &quot;Where does chocolate originate from?&quot; and &quot;Which country has the most cocoa farms?&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Put the class into pairs or groups and give each team a copy of the questions. To get students up and moving,&nbsp;teachers can&nbsp;display the questions around the class (on the board or using posters).</p>

<p>Each team must work to find the answers to the questions using materials found in the classroom (textbooks, handouts, posters, etc.) or&nbsp;on the internet, or both!&nbsp;</p>

<h2>4. Recipe Scramble</h2>

<p>Choose several chocolate-based recipes to print or make copies of. Cut each recipe&nbsp;up so that every step of the instructions is on its own strip of paper. Have students work in pairs and give each team their own set of paper strips. Have them sort through the steps and decide on the correct order.</p>

<p>Give each team a different cut-up recipe so they can&nbsp;swap with each other between rounds, or turn it into a race by giving each team the same cut-up recipe.</p>

<p>Our&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/127/lessons/3300">Following a Recipe</a> lesson&nbsp;is a handy resource for reviewing how to identify parts of a recipe with learners.</p>

<h2>5. News Report</h2>

<p>This is a great activity for advanced levels and Business English students. Choose some newsworthy topics related to chocolate, like the use of <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/1254">child slavery in cocoa fields</a>&nbsp;or the effect of climate change on cocoa&nbsp;production. Organize the class into groups, and assign each group one of the topics.</p>

<p>Each group will research their topic, prepare a short report on it, and then present&nbsp;their report&nbsp;to the rest of the class.&nbsp;When the class &quot;news report&quot; is complete, have students discuss the different news items.</p>

<h2>6. Video Discussion</h2>

<p>Choose a chocolate-themed movie or documentary to watch and discuss as a class. Teachers can also have students write a review. Here are some examples.</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/willy_wonka_and_the_chocolate_factory">Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory</a> (1971)</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chocolat">Chocolat</a> (2000)</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/charlie_and_the_chocolate_factory">Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</a> (2005)</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1773722/">The Dark Side of Chocolate</a> (2010)</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibjUpk9Iagk">The History of Chocolate&mdash;Deanna Pucciarelli</a>&nbsp;by TED-Ed&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPe1jMuX32s">How Chocolate is Made</a> by Tasty&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h2>7. Design a Candy Bar</h2>

<p>Inspire your students&#39; creativity with this fun challenge. Bring in different candy bars&nbsp; to show and discuss with students in class. Get them talking with questions such as &quot;Which has the best name?,&quot;&nbsp;&quot;Which has the best flavor concept?,&quot;&nbsp;and&nbsp;&quot;Which wrapper has the best design?&quot;<br />
<br />
Put students into pairs or groups and have them design their own candy bar. Have them describe their creation and its main ingredients&mdash;either in writing or as an oral presentation.</p>

<h2>Related Lessons:</h2>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons/1846">Health Matters: Chocolate</a></p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons/2568">Discovery: Chocolate</a></p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons/1440">Famous Things: Cocoa</a></p>
	</li>
</ul>


7 Activities for Chocolate Day

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<p>Halloween is a great time to help students unlock their creativity. This fun class activity, based on the popular Unconventional Materials Challenge episodes on the hit reality show <em><a href="https://www.bravotv.com/project-runway" nofollow="" noreferrer="" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Project Runway</a>,</em> will increase students' motivation and get them in the Halloween spirit.</p>

<p>These particular episodes take place at least once each season. The contestants, who are all aspiring fashion designers, must create a garment out of materials from a source not typically associated with fashion. Past sources have included pet shops, hardware stores, and garbage heaps.</p>

<p>If you aren't already familiar with the show and the concept behind it, take a look at this YouTube clip from Lifetime.</p>

<div class="video-wrapper"><div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JxptPZWgBC0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div></div>
<p class="caption">YouTube</p>

<h2>Preparation</h2>

<p>The classroom version of this challenge requires a bit of preparation, but the results are well worth it! First, decide on a set number of groups and then prepare a bag for each group. Fill each bag with an assortment of crafting materials, such as colored paper, string, and glitter. </p>

<p>Recyclables work especially well for this! Think newspapers, magazines, toilet paper tubes, and cardboard boxes. If your budget allows, you can also throw in a few dollar or thrift store finds, such as wigs, masks, and other basic accessories. </p>

<p>You will also need to provide a few tools, like scissors, glue, and tape, for students to use during the activity (if they don't have their own). </p>

<h2>Instructions</h2>

<h3>1. Discuss</h3>

<p>Prepare some pictures or videos of Halloween costumes to show students. Then ask students a few questions to get the conversation going. Why do people dress up for Halloween? What are the most popular costumes every year? How do they differ from country to country? Let them discuss.</p>

<h3>2. Organize</h3>

<p>Once students are comfortable talking about the topic, divide them into their groups, explain the activity, and hand out the bags. Teachers can play a clip from <em>Project Runway</em> to help students understand the concept better and to get them excited about the challenge.</p>

<h3>3. Create</h3>

<p>Now for the fun part! Each group must create a costume for one of its members to model using the given materials within a specified time frame. This can be anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the class. Teachers could also opt to have multiple rounds with students switching bags in between.</p>

<h3>4. Present</h3>

<p>When the time is up, each group will have the chance to present their costume to the rest of the class. Students should be prepared to say a few sentences about their costume. They may need extra time to write out and/or practice their sentences first. If you think your students would be comfortable, the presentation can be done in the form of a fashion show.</p>

<h3>5. Vote</h3>

<p>After the presentations are complete, have students <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/104/resources/2312" target="_blank">vote</a> on which costumes they liked best.<strong> </strong>This is a great chance to practice <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons/2532" target="_blank">superlatives</a>! Teachers can open up the voting to other classes in the grade or even the entire school.</p>


Costume Challenge: A Halloween Activity

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Learn tips on how to teach grammar and usage from our editors and grammar experts. 

Grammar & Usage

These posts are written for learners of English themselves. Find learning tips and ideas for learning English.

For Students

<p>I invite you to read the following sentence aloud: The <strong>chef</strong> added <strong>cherries</strong> to the <strong>Christmas</strong> pudding.</p>

<p>Did you notice that all the bolded words begin with &ldquo;ch,&rdquo; yet each makes a different sound?</p>

<p>When two letters represent one sound, the combination of letters is called a digraph. The digraph &ldquo;ch&rdquo; makes three different sounds in English.</p>

<p>This can be confusing for language learners since there are no spelling or pronunciation rules to follow. The origin of these words, however, can be a guide.</p>

<h2>CH = /TCH/</h2>

<p>The digraph &ldquo;ch&rdquo; is most commonly pronounced as /⁠tch⁠/ (written as /⁠tʃ⁠/ in the International Phonectic Alphabet, or IPA). Most of the words with this sound come from Old English and are Germanic in origin. Examples include child, church, and each.</p>

<p>Some words of French origin, like challenge and chance, also use the /⁠tch⁠/ sound. This is because in Old French, words with &ldquo;ch&rdquo; were pronounced /tch/.</p>

<h2>CH = /K/</h2>

<p>In words of Greek origin, &ldquo;ch&rdquo; is usually pronounced as /⁠k⁠/. The word character, for example, comes from the classical Greek <em>kharaktēr</em> (meaning&nbsp;&ldquo;engraved mark&rdquo;).</p>

<p>More examples of words with the /⁠k⁠/ sound are anchor, chaos, echo, mechanic, orchestra, psychology, school, and stomach.</p>

<h2>CH = /SH/</h2>

<p>In words of French origin, &ldquo;ch&rdquo; can be&nbsp;pronounced as /⁠tch⁠/ or /⁠sh⁠/ (IPA: /⁠tʃ⁠/ or /⁠ʃ⁠/).&nbsp;</p>

<p>The city name &quot;Chicago,&quot; for example, is thought to have come from the French-Canadian form of the Miami-Illinois word &ldquo;shikaakwa,&rdquo; or &ldquo;smelly onion.&rdquo; Algonquin people are known to have named natural landmarks after plants that grew in the surrounding area.</p>

<p>Other examples of words from French with the /⁠sh⁠/ sound include brochure, champagne, chef, fuchsia, machine, mustache, parachute, and quiche.</p>

<h2>Related</h2>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/3173">Pronunciation Rules: Hard &amp; Soft C</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/3170">Pronunciation Rules: Hard &amp; Soft G</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/3180">Hard &amp; Soft C Word Cards</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/3137">Hard &amp; Soft G Word Cards</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/hard-soft-g-c">How to Pronounce Hard &amp; Soft G &amp; C</a></li>
</ul>


Pronouncing the Three "CH" Sounds

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Stay up-to-date with ELT trends and ideas with articles from experts and teachers in the field.

Articles

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.&rdquo;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Albert Einstein</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For English language learners, fairy tales&nbsp;can be&nbsp;a fun and engaging way to increase vocabulary and improve listening, reading, and comprehension skills. Here&rsquo;s a list of reasons to use them in the ESL classroom.</p>

<h2>Fairy tales expand the imagination</h2>

<p>A fairy tale can be defined as a story that involves fantastic forces and beings, such as dragons, elves, wizards, and mermaids. A folk tale, while similar, is characteristically anonymous and timeless, passed down orally from generation to generation.</p>

<p>Conjuring up scenes of mythical beings in faraway lands allows language learners to expand their imaginations and delve deeper into their own creativity while learning English.</p>

<h2>Fairy tales are short and simple</h2>

<p>In modern times, most fairy tales have been adapted for children and contain simpler language than, say, a news article. This makes them accessible to students who have limited language abilities.</p>

<p>Fairy tales take the form of a short story, so they can be retold, rewritten, or summarized by teachers and students without erasing the core message of the tale.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They also make for excellent comprehension texts&mdash;simple in structure and rich in refrains and new vocabulary.</p>

<h2>Fairy tales are universal</h2>

<p>The ancient Chinese fairy tale <em>Yeh-Shen</em> tells the story of a girl who overcomes her wicked stepmother to marry a prince. Sound familiar? That&rsquo;s because the story is almost identical to that of <em>Cinderella</em>, which is itself a translation of the French story <em>Cendrillon</em> by Charles Perrault.</p>

<p>Like fairy tales, folk tales often transcend national borders. In Scotland, for example, the legend of the lake monster affectionately known as <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/83/lessons/1493">Nessie</a> has been circulating since 1933. Halfway across the world in Japan, a mysterious sea creature is believed to haunt the waters of Lake Ikeda on Kyushu Island. Locals call it Issie (イッシー).</p>

<p>No matter where your students are from in the world, chances are that they&rsquo;ve heard or read a fairy tale. Many are similar in message and theme, and this familiarity offers students a safe context when learning English.</p>

<h2>Fairy tales increase cultural awareness</h2>

<p>Fairy tales can provide insight into the customs, values, and traditions of the target culture. Fairy tales highlight these aspects because they address issues that are significant for all ages.</p>

<p><em>Little Red Riding Hood</em>, for example, centers around themes of vulnerability, naivety, and instinct. <em>Jack and the Beanstalk</em> is a tale about good vs. evil and overcoming adversity. And in <em>The</em>&nbsp;<em>Frog Prince</em>, we learn about transformation and integrity.</p>

<h2>Fairy tales spark debate and discussion</h2>

<p>Is it right to steal from someone who is evil? Is compassion practical? When is trickery okay? Fairy tales present many moral and ethical questions that make excellent topics for debate.</p>

<p>Fairy tales also include a great deal of metaphor and symbolism, making them open to interpretation and discussion.</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Resource</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/3680"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/107_Fairytale.png" alt="" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/3680">Fairy Tale</a></h2>

<p>Inspire your students to write and/or tell a fairy tale! This digital, intermediate <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources">Visual Learning</a> resource includes an illustrated forest scene and a number of planning tasks. It&#39;s also available as <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/3678">Beg</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/3679">Low Int</a>.</p>
</div>


5 Reasons to Teach Fairy Tales

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<p>What is black and white and red all over?</p>

<p>If you said &ldquo;a sunburned zebra,&rdquo; you would be correct! But if you said &ldquo;zee-brah&rdquo; instead of &ldquo;zeb-rah,&rdquo;&nbsp;would you still be right? That depends on where in the world you are.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Zebra&rdquo; can be pronounced both ways, just like the letter &ldquo;Z&rdquo; can be pronounced as either &ldquo;Zed&rdquo; or &ldquo;Zee.&rdquo; Let&rsquo;s explore how and why.</p>

<h2>Zed</h2>

<p>Of the two different pronunciations, <strong>zed</strong> is the eldest. It comes from the Greek and Latin&nbsp;&ldquo;zeta,&rdquo; meaning &ldquo;z,&rdquo; and the French word for the same letter, &ldquo;z&egrave;de.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Zed was <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zed" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first used</a> to refer to the last letter of the English alphabet in the 12th century. It appeared in print for the first time in the early 1400s in a Middle English manuscript.</p>

<p>In the United Kingdom and countries where Commonwealth English is used, like Australia, India, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Africa, zed is the pronunciation for the letter &ldquo;z.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Although Canada is also a commonwealth nation, Canadian English is influenced by both British and American English. Here, both zee and zed<em> </em>are considered acceptable pronunciations, although the latter is far more common.</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons/3479"><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/118_Alphabet-Song_Capital.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons/3479">The Alphabet Song with Zed: Capital Letters</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons">Phonics</a> video, students learn and practice the capital letters of the English alphabet, ending in <strong>zed</strong>. They&#39;ll listen to &quot;The Alphabet Song&quot; and try singing along. This video is also available with lowercase letters.</p>
</div>

<h2>Zee</h2>

<p><strong>Zee</strong>, on the other hand, entered English as a 17th century variant of zed. Its first known appearance is in the 1677 textbook, <em>A New Spelling Book</em> by British Nonconformist minister and teacher, Thomas Lye. The book eventually made its way to the British colonies in America.</p>

<p>A variety of pronunciations continued to be used in the US up until 1828, when famed lexicographer Noah Webster confirmed that&nbsp;&ldquo;it is pronounced zee&rdquo; in <em>An American Dictionary of the English Language</em>.</p>

<p>This pronunciation was <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/62639/why-it-zed-britain-and-zee-america" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">thought to be</a> influenced by the <em>bee, cee, dee, eee</em> pattern of the rest of the alphabet. When the &ldquo;Alphabet Song&rdquo; was copyrighted in Boston in 1835, &quot;zee&quot; was used to rhyme with &quot;me.&quot; Since then, zee has became the American standard.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&hellip;W, X, Y, and <strong>Z(ee)</strong><br />
Now I know my ABCs<br />
Next time, won&#39;t you sing with <strong>me</strong></p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;The Alphabet Song</p>
</blockquote>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons/3465"><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/118_Alphabet-Song_Capital.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons/3465">The Alphabet Song: Capital Letters</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons">Phonics</a> video, students learn and practice the capital letters of the English alphabet, ending in <strong>zee</strong>. They&#39;ll listen to &quot;The Alphabet Song&quot; and try singing along. This video is also available for lowercase letters.</p>
</div>


Zed Vs. Zee

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<p>You&rsquo;re probably already familiar with Australia&rsquo;s national animal, but have you ever heard of &ldquo;kangaroo words&rdquo;? The word game&nbsp;by writer Ben O&rsquo;Dell&nbsp;gained popularity in the 1950s when it was first published in <em>The American Magazine</em>, then later reprinted in <em>Reader&rsquo;s Digest</em>.</p>

<p>In this post, we&#39;ll explore different types of kangaroo words and how they can be useful in the ESL Classroom. Scroll to the end for a fun activity idea!</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons/2601"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/117_Kangaroos.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons/2601">Kangaroos</a></h2>

<p>Students learn all about kangaroos through reading, speaking, listening, and vocabulary tasks in this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons">Discovery</a> lesson for young learners.</p>
</div>

<h2>Kangaroo Words</h2>

<p>In logology, or recreational linguistics, a kangaroo word is an English word that contains the letters of a synonymous word that appear&nbsp;in the correct order within it.</p>

<p>The synonymous word is known as a &ldquo;joey word,&rdquo; in reference to how kangaroos carry their offspring in their pouches.</p>

<p>Take the word &ldquo;chicken,&rdquo; for example. Can you spot the synonym hiding in this kangaroo word?</p>

<blockquote>
<p>C<strong>H</strong>ICK<strong>EN</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>That&rsquo;s right! The joey word is &quot;hen.&quot;</p>

<p>Here are some more examples of kangaroo words:</p>

<ul>
	<li>astound (stun)</li>
	<li>capsule (case)</li>
	<li>catacomb (tomb)</li>
	<li>charisma (charm)</li>
	<li>destruction (ruin)</li>
	<li>fragile (frail)</li>
	<li>encourage (urge)</li>
	<li>instructor (tutor)</li>
	<li>observe (see)</li>
	<li>precipitation (rain)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Twin Kangaroo Words</h2>

<p>Some kangaroo words contain more than one joey word. These are known as &quot;twin kangaroo&quot; words.</p>

<p>For example, the word &quot;community&quot; contains both the synonyms &quot;county&quot; and &quot;city.&quot;</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>CO</strong>MM<strong>UN</strong>I<strong>TY</strong></p>

<p><strong>C</strong>OMMUN<strong>ITY</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here are some more examples of twin kangaroo words:</p>

<ul>
	<li>complaisant (compliant; pliant)</li>
	<li>container (tin; can)</li>
	<li>chariot (car; cart)</li>
	<li>deteriorate (die; rot)</li>
	<li>diminutive (minute; mini)</li>
	<li>feasted (fed; ate)</li>
	<li>frangible (fragile; frail)</li>
	<li>loneliness (loss; oneness)</li>
	<li>perambulate (ramble; amble)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Grand Kangaroo Words</h2>

<p>When a kangaroo word contains a joey word that has another joey word inside it, it is known as a &quot;grand kangaroo&quot; word.</p>

<p>For example, in the kangaroo word &quot;alone,&quot;&nbsp;the joey word is &quot;lone.&quot;&nbsp;Within &quot;alone,&quot; there is the&nbsp;synonymous word &quot;one&quot;.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>A<strong>LONE</strong>&rarr; L<strong>ONE</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here are some more examples of grand kangaroo words:</p>

<ul>
	<li>amicability (amiability&rarr;amity)</li>
	<li>complaisant (compliant&rarr;pliant)</li>
	<li>expurgate (purge&rarr;pure)</li>
	<li>frangible (fragile&rarr;frail)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Anti-Kangaroo Words</h2>

<p>Some kangaroo words contain an antonym instead of a synonym. These are known as &quot;anti-kangaroo&quot; words.</p>

<p>The word&nbsp;&quot;friend,&quot; for example, contains its opposite, &quot;fiend.&quot;</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>F</strong>R<strong>IEND</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here are some more examples of anti-kangaroo words:</p>

<ul>
	<li>courteous (curt)</li>
	<li>covert (overt)</li>
	<li>fabrication (fact)</li>
	<li>feast (fast)</li>
	<li>she (he)</li>
	<li>threaten (treat)</li>
	<li>there (here)</li>
	<li>veto (vet)</li>
	<li>wonderful (woeful)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Activity Idea</h2>

<p>Using kangaroo words in the ESL classroom is a great way to introduce new vocabulary to students and/or revise synonyms and antonyms.</p>

<p>It can also make for a&nbsp;fun, supplemental activity to a lesson&nbsp;on Australia or&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2430" target="_blank">Australian Animals</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here is a fun activity to try that&#39;s&nbsp;based on a popular Japanese card game.</p>

<h3>Kangaroo Karuta</h3>

<p>Prepare some cards with kangaroo words written on them and divide students into pairs or groups. Each pair or group should be given their own set of cards.</p>

<p>For each round, read out a joey word and set a timer. The goal is for students to correctly identify which kangaroo word the joey belongs to and grab that card.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The first student to grab the correct&nbsp;card within the given time frame&nbsp;wins the round and gets to keep the card. At the end of the game, the student with the most cards wins.</p>

<p>This game can be easily adapted to include twin, grand, and anti-kangaroo words too. Try it out and let us know how it goes!</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/90/lessons/1646"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/90_Synonym-and-Antonym-Stories.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/90/lessons/1646">Synonym &amp; Antonym Stories</a></h2>

<p>In this intermediate <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/90/lessons">Grammar Stories</a> lesson, students read three stories that use synonyms and antonyms in context and match the words that they&#39;ve learned.</p>
</div>


Fun with Kangaroo Words

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<p>Have you ever gone AWOL? The acronym, which stands for Absent Without Leave, denotes being absent from a job or event without having given notice or gotten permission.</p>

<p>The abbreviation comes from the military; AWOL is the status given to soldiers who are not where they are supposed to be. If a soldier remains AWOL for more than 30 days, it&rsquo;s considered a desertion.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Going AWOL&rdquo; is just one example of the many words and phrases in common use in English that originate from wartime. In this post, we&rsquo;ll explore a few more.</p>

<h2>To Bite the Bullet</h2>

<blockquote>
<p>Fauci: Not ready for sports, leagues must &#39;bite bullet,&#39; cancel</p>
<p class="attribution">&mdash;Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sports-fauci-coronavirus-sports/fauci-not-ready-for-sports-leagues-must-bite-bullet-cancel-idUSKBN22B30N" target="_blank">headline</a>, April 29, 2020</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Before anesthetics, soldiers endured the agony of medical procedures by biting down on a bullet to distract themselves from the pain.</p>

<p>The phrase&nbsp;&ldquo;bite the bullet&rdquo;&nbsp;now denotes forcing&nbsp;yourself to do something difficult or unpleasant, or to be brave in a difficult situation. It was first recorded in Rudyard Kipling&#39;s&nbsp;<em>The Light That Failed.</em></p>

<p>&quot;Bite the bullet&quot; is similar to the phrase&nbsp;&ldquo;dodge the bullet,&rdquo; which means to avoid a difficult or unpleasant situation.</p>

<h2>Blockbuster</h2>

<blockquote>
<p>&#39;F9&#39; could be the blockbuster Hollywood needs to kick-start moviegoing</p>
<p class="attribution">&mdash;New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/24/business/f9-fast-furious.html" target="_blank">headline</a>, May 24, 2021</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The term&nbsp;&ldquo;blockbuster&rdquo; is often used today to describe a movie, book, or other form of entertainment media that&nbsp;is widely popular and financially successful.</p>

<p>The term was first used in 1942, however, to describe a new, large, highly explosive bomb&mdash;big enough to destroy an entire city block.</p>

<h2>To Catch&nbsp;Flak</h2>

<blockquote>
<p>LILLEY: Ford catches flak for doing what so many begged him to do</p>
<p class="attribution">&mdash;Toronto Sun <a href="https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/lilley-ford-catches-flack-for-doing-what-so-many-begged-him-to-do" target="_blank">headline</a>, April 22, 2021</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In modern times, &quot;to catch flak&quot; is to receive criticism&nbsp;for something you say or do. This meaning was popularized in the 1960s.</p>

<p>During World War II, &quot;flak&quot; was an abbreviation for the German, &quot;fliegerabwehrkanonen,&quot; or&nbsp;&quot;flyer defense cannons.&quot; If a soldier &quot;caught flak,&quot; it meant that they were wounded by gunshots.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Cup of Joe</h2>

<blockquote>
<p>Coffee without beans? Seattle startup brews a new cup of joe</p>
<p class="attribution">&mdash;Seattle Times <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/coffee-without-beans-seattle-startup-brews-a-new-cup-of-joe/" target="_blank">headline</a>, May 14, 2021</p>
</blockquote>

<p>When someone asks for a &ldquo;cup of Joe,&rdquo; they are asking for a cup of <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons/1452" target="_blank">coffee</a>, but where did this phrase come from?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rd.com/article/reason-coffee-called-cup-of-joe/" target="_blank">One theory</a> is that the phrase originated when Josephus Daniels became Secretary of the US Navy in 1913 under <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/84/lessons/1531" target="_blank">Woodrow Wilson</a> and abolished the serving of alcohol aboard ships.</p>

<p>From then on, coffee was the strongest drink available to the disgruntled sailors, who began calling the drink&nbsp;&ldquo;a cup of Joe&quot; out of spite.</p>

<h2>Loose Cannon</h2>

<blockquote>
<p>Clinton calls Trump a &#39;loose cannon,&#39; risky choice for president</p>
<p class="attribution">&mdash;Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-clinton/clinton-calls-trump-a-loose-cannon-risky-choice-for-president-idUSKCN0XV2CT" target="_blank">headline</a>, May 4, 2016</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/origin-of-the-phrase-loose-cannon" target="_blank">According to Merriam-Webster</a>, we have <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/84/lessons/1529" target="_blank">Teddy Roosevelt</a> to thank for the phrase&nbsp;&quot;loose cannon&quot; entering the zeitgeist. The phrase describes someone (or something) that is dangerously uncontrollable.</p>

<p>Before war ships had fixed-turret guns, cannons on wheels were rolled back and forth between the gunports. A cannon not properly secured could break loose and present a real hazard to sailors.</p>

<p>Roosevelt used this image when describing his legacy to journalist William Allan White, saying, &quot;I don&#39;t want to be the old cannon loose on the deck in the storm.&quot;</p>

<h2>More Examples</h2>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p>&quot;Deadline&quot; &ndash; a date or time when something must be finished&nbsp;<br />
	(From the lines drawn around war prisoners that were not allowed to be passed)</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>&quot;Flying colors&quot; &ndash; complete success<br />
	(From the tradition of victorious navy ships returning home with their&nbsp;flags&nbsp;flying)</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>&quot;No man&#39;s land&quot; &ndash; an ambiguous or uncertain situation<br />
	(From the WWII term used to describe land between the German trenches and the allied troops)</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>&quot;On the double&rdquo; &ndash; quickly, as fast as possible<br />
	(From the quickened marching pace for troops)</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>&quot;Roger&quot; &ndash; an acknowledgement,&nbsp;yes<br />
	(From the old NATO phonetic alphabet, where &quot;R&quot; was pronounced &quot;Roger&quot; on the radio)</p>
	</li>
</ul>


Military Language in Everyday Use

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<p>This May, Bob Dylan will celebrate his 80th birthday! The iconic American singer-songwriter is considered one of the greatest artists of all time, selling tens of millions of albums and writing more than 500 songs since his debut in the 1960s.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Blowin&rsquo; in the Wind&rdquo; is one of Dylan&#39;s most well-known songs and has been recorded by hundreds of artists worldwide. In this post, we will explore why&nbsp;this song is an excellent choice for the classroom, and we&#39;ll look at an activity idea that uses related lessons and resources from ESL Library.</p>

<h2>The Song</h2>

<p>&ldquo;Blowin&rsquo; in the Wind&rdquo; was written by Bob Dylan in 1962. The song is considered a protest song, posing rhetorical questions about war and freedom.</p>

<p>It&#39;s&nbsp;a great song to study with English students as it contains many common language features to discuss and explore.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bobdylan.com/songs/blowin-wind/" target="_blank">View the full lyrics.</a></p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/1348"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/198_Bob-Dylan.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/1348">Bob Dylan</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons">Famous People</a> lesson, students read a short biography on Bob Dylan, learn new vocab, and discuss the lyrics from his song&nbsp;&quot;Blowin&#39; in the Wind.&quot;</p>
</div>

<h2>Language Features</h2>

<h3>1. Idioms</h3>

<p>The name of the song, as well as its main refrain, contains an uncommon idiom.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;The answer, my friend, is <strong>blowin&#39; in the wind</strong>, the answer is <strong>blowin&#39; in the wind</strong>.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What does it mean to&nbsp;&quot;blow in the wind&quot;?&nbsp;The Collins <a href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/blow-in-the-wind">definition</a> is &quot;to be thought about and discussed, but not decided upon or resolved.&quot;</p>

<p>In Dylan&#39;s <a href="https://www.npr.org/2000/10/21/1112840/blowin-in-the-wind">own words</a> to <em>Sing Out! </em>magazine, &quot;There ain&#39;t too much I can say about this song except that the answer is blowing in the wind...just like a restless piece of paper it&#39;s got to come down some...but the only trouble is that no one picks up the answer when it comes down so not too many people get to see and know...and then it flies away.&quot;</p>

<p><b>Other idioms in the song:</b></p>

<ul>
	<li><em>turn one&#39;s head:&nbsp;</em>to avoid paying attention to something uncomfortable or inconvenient</li>
	<li><em>have one&#39;s ear:&nbsp;</em>to have someone&#39;s interest or attention</li>
</ul>

<hr />
<h3>2. Singular &amp; Plural Nouns</h3>

<p>With more than a dozen nouns, the song also works well to teach new vocabulary and review singular and plural nouns.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Yes, &rsquo;n&rsquo; how many <b>seas</b> must a white <b>dove</b> sail<br />
Before she sleeps in the <b>sand</b>?&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p><b>Full list of nouns:</b><br />
road, man, sea, dove, sand, time, cannonball, answer, friend, wind, year, mountain, sea, person, head, sky, ear, death</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1621"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/88_Nouns-and-Pronouns.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1621">Singular &amp; Plural Nouns</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> lesson, beginners learn how to form regular and irregular plural nouns. Students will also review common spelling&nbsp;and pronunciation rules for plural nouns.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>3. Verb Conjugations</h3>

<p>The song also features many different verb conjugations. Students can also see examples of the simple present (call), present progressive (is blowing), present perfect (have died), passive (are banned), modals (must, can), negative forms (doesn&#39;t see), etc.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Yes, &rsquo;n&rsquo; how many ears must one man <strong>have</strong><br />
Before he can <strong>hear </strong>people <strong>cry</strong>?&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p><b>Full list of verbs:</b><br />
to walk,&nbsp;to call,&nbsp;to sail,&nbsp;to sleep,&nbsp;to fly,&nbsp;to ban, to blow, to exist,&nbsp;to wash,&nbsp;to allow,&nbsp;to turn,&nbsp;to pretend, to see, to look,&nbsp;to have,&nbsp;to hear,&nbsp;to cry, to take,&nbsp;to know,&nbsp;to die</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Resource</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2809"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/103_Grammar-and-Usage.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2809">Verb Conjugations</a></h2>

<p>Students will learn or review verb conjugations for 12 verb tenses&nbsp;in this handy <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources">Grammar &amp; Usage</a> resource for all levels.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>4. Contractions</h3>

<p>&quot;Blowin&#39; in the wind,&quot; contains many examples of words that have been shortened by dropping one or more letters. Ask your students if they know why the contraction <strong>&#39;n&#39; </strong>has two apostrophes. (Answer: The first represents&nbsp;the missing &quot;a&quot; and the second represents the missing &quot;d&quot; from&nbsp;the word &quot;and.&quot;)</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Yes, <strong>&#39;n&#39; </strong>how many years can some people exist<br />
Before <strong>they&#39;re</strong> allowed to be free?&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

<p><b>Full list of contractions:</b><br />
&#39;n&#39;, blowin&#39;,&nbsp;they&#39;re,&nbsp;it&#39;s, doesn&#39;t</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/1832"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/74_Apostrophe.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/1832">How to Use an Apostrophe</a></h2>

<p>This <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons">Writing in English</a> lesson includes a section on how to use apostrophes to form contractions. Students will also review common errors that people make with apostrophes.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>5. Rhetorical Questions</h3>

<p>Almost every line of the song takes the form of a rhetorical question.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;How many years can a mountain exist<br />
Before it&rsquo;s washed to the sea?&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/1832"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/127_Identifying-Rhetorical-Devices.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/127/lessons/3239">Identifying Rhetorical Devices</a></h2>

<p>This <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/127/lessons">Reading in English</a> lesson includes a section on rhetorical questions. Students also learn about the art of persuasion and how to identify rhetorical devices.</p>
</div>

<h2>Activity Idea</h2>

<p>Give students a copy of the song lyrics with certain words&nbsp;blanked out. Play the song and have them fill in the blanks with the words they hear. Depending on the level of the class, you could give them the words beforehand, or let them try on their own first and reveal the answers to them later.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you choose to blank out the nouns,&nbsp;you can have students sort them into singular and plural after filling in the blanks.&nbsp;You could also ask them to convert the singular nouns that appear in the song to their plural form, and vice versa.</p>


Learning with Bob Dylan

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<p>In English, we often use the nouns &ldquo;home&rdquo; and &ldquo;house&rdquo; interchangeably to mean the same thing.</p>

<p>For example, you might hear someone say, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to my friend&rsquo;s home this weekend.&rdquo; But if they had said, &ldquo;I&#39;m going to my friend&#39;s house this weekend,&rdquo; it would be correct too.</p>

<p>However, in some instances, it would be incorrect to use &ldquo;house&rdquo; when meaning &ldquo;home,&rdquo; and vice versa. So what is the difference, then, between &ldquo;home&rdquo; and &ldquo;house&rdquo; and how they&rsquo;re used?</p>

<h2>Using &quot;Home&quot;</h2>

<p>The noun &ldquo;home&rdquo; is used to refer to one&rsquo;s place of residence.</p>

<p>Example: Junko has been away from <strong>home</strong> for three months.</p>

<p>It is also used to describe:</p>

<ul>
	<li>The social unit formed by a family or group of people living together.<br />
	Example: Rita works hard to make a good <strong>home</strong> for her children.</li>
	<br />
	<li>An animal&rsquo;s habitat.<br />
	Example: Australia is <strong>home</strong> to the koala bear.</li>
	<br />
	<li>A place of origin or headquarters.<br />
	Example: Migrating birds fly <strong>home</strong> after the winter.</li>
	<br />
	<li>An establishment providing residence and care to people.<br />
	Example: Judy works part-time at a nursing <strong>home</strong>.</li>
	<br />
	<li>The objective of certain games.<br />
	Example: Baseball players must touch the <strong>home</strong> plate to score.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Expressions with &quot;Home&quot;</h2>

<p>The noun&nbsp;&quot;home&quot; is also used in various idioms and expressions. Here are three examples:</p>

<ul>
	<li>To make yourself at home =&nbsp;to do what makes you feel most comfortable.<br />
	Example: When Kaya arrived at the apartment, Maria showed her the sofa and said, &quot;<strong>Make yourself at home</strong>.&quot;</li>
	<br />
	<li>Close to home =&nbsp;affecting someone personally, often in an uncomfortable or unsettling way.<br />
	Example: Luke was trying to enjoy the film, but its message hit too <strong>close to home</strong>.</li>
	<br />
	<li>To bring home =&nbsp;to&nbsp;make something perfectly clear.<br />
	Example: Watching the TV footage really <strong>brought home</strong> how devastating the earthquake was.</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Resource</span>

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<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/105/resources/2183">Home Sweet Home</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/105/resources">Warm-Ups &amp; Fillers</a> pair-work activity for all levels, students take turns describing and drawing each other&#39;s homes.</p>
</div>

<h2>Using &quot;House&quot;</h2>

<p>The noun &ldquo;house&rdquo; is used to refer to the physical building in which a person, family, or group of people resides.</p>

<p>Example: I&rsquo;m going to meet Nick at Junko&rsquo;s <strong>house</strong>.</p>

<p>It is also used to describe:</p>

<ul>
	<li>A building in which something is sheltered or stored.<br />
	Example: In Cobble Hill, there is a renovated carriage <strong>house</strong> for sale.</li>
	<br />
	<li>A student or religious residence/community.<br />
	Example: Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the largest fraternity <strong>house</strong> in the US.</li>
	<br />
	<li>A place of business or entertainment.<br />
	Example: Harper Collins is a well-known publishing <strong>house</strong>.</li>
	<br />
	<li>The audience in a theater or concert hall.<br />
	Example: Hamilton opened to a full <strong>house</strong> on its first night on Broadway.</li>
	<br />
	<li>A type of dance music.<br />
	Example: Disco is one of the main influences of <strong>house</strong>.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Expressions with &quot;House&quot;</h2>

<p>The noun&nbsp;&quot;house&quot; is also used in various idioms and expressions. Here are three examples:</p>

<ul>
	<li>On the house =&nbsp;for free; at the expense of management.<br />
	Example: The first round of drinks is <strong>on the house</strong>.</li>
	<br />
	<li>To clean house =&nbsp;to eliminate corruption, inefficiency, or undesirable conditions.<br />
	Example: After the scandal broke, the owner <strong>cleaned&nbsp;house</strong>, firing the team&#39;s&nbsp;general manager and support staff.</li>
	<br />
	<li>To get on like a house on fire =&nbsp;to progress rapidly and successfully.<br />
	Example: Jasmine and Ali&nbsp;<strong>get on like a house on fire</strong>.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

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<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/3606">Ali&#39;s House</a></h2>

<p>Students read a simple story about a house and answer comprehension questions in this new <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons">Word Bank</a> lesson for beginners.</p>
<b> </b></div>


Home Vs. House

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<p>National Limerick Day is observed annually in the US on May 12 to celebrate the birthday of English writer&nbsp;Edward Lear.</p>

<p>Lear was an author, poet, illustrator, and artist, but he is best known for popularizing the limerick. This type of poem is characterized by its unique rhyming scheme and witty or nonsensical humor.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here&#39;s a fun activity on limericks to try in class! In pairs or groups, students will write their own limerick while reviewing common nouns, adjectives, and verbs and their different forms.</p>

<h2>Step 1</h2>

<p>Introduce students to the structure of a limerick poem. It contains five lines, with the first two and last being slightly longer than the third and fourth.</p>

<p>The rhyming scheme is AABBA:</p>

<ul>
	<li>The last word of the first line should rhyme with the last word of the second line</li>
	<li>The last word of the third line should rhyme with the last word of the fourth line</li>
	<li>The last word of the fifth line should rhyme with the last word in the first and the second lines</li>
</ul>

<p>Here&rsquo;s an example:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>There was an Old Man with a <u>beard</u>,</p>

<p>Who said, &quot;It is just as I <u>feared</u>!&mdash;</p>

<p>Two owls and a <u>hen</u>,</p>

<p>Four larks and a <u>wren</u>,</p>

<p>Have all built their nests in my <u>beard</u>!&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Edward Lear, 1920</p>
</blockquote>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/2026"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/74_Poem.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/2026">How to Write a Poem</a></h2>

<p>This <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons">Writing in English</a> lesson for intermediate includes a section on how to write a limerick poem with a practice exercise.</p>
</div>

<h2>Step 2</h2>

<p>Divide students into pairs or groups and ask them to name their team. Give them a category for naming if you like; it&#39;s a good opportunity to practice previously learned vocabulary, like days of the week, <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2411" target="_blank">animal families</a>, or <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2798" target="_blank">colors</a>.</p>

<p>Draw a grid on the board and fill in the team names.</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Lions</th>
			<th>Tigers</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Whales</th>
			<th>Bears</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Step 3</h2>

<p>To fill in the grid on the board under each team name, ask students who are <em>not</em> in that team to provide the following words:</p>

<ul>
	<li>3 nouns</li>
	<li>2 verbs</li>
	<li>1 adjective</li>
</ul>

<p>Write the nouns, verbs, and adjectives suggested for each team on the grid.</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Lions</th>
			<th>Tigers</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<p>n: <strong>boy</strong>, <strong>soup</strong>, <strong>New York</strong></p>

			<p>v: <strong>fall</strong>, <strong>flow</strong></p>

			<p>a: <strong>silver</strong></p>
			</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Whales</th>
			<th>Bears</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Step 4</h2>

<p>Have each team come up with their own limerick using the nouns, verbs, and adjectives assigned to them.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>There once was a <b>boy</b> from <b>New York</b></p>

<p>Who ate all his <b>soup</b> with a fork</p>

<p><b>Falling</b> rivers of brine</p>

<p><b>Flowed</b> through <strong>silver</strong> tines</p>

<p>Splattering everything with pork!</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Step 5</h2>

<p>When students have completed their limericks, have them practice reading it aloud with the other members of their team and then present their poem to the rest of the class.</p>


Fun with Limericks

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<p>In the US, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Introduced&nbsp;in 1949 by the community-based non-profit, Mental Health America, the observance is dedicated to addressing the needs of people living with mental illness and promoting mental health overall.</p>

<p>Today, worldwide, it&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.who.int/activities/Improving-the-mental-and-brain-health-of-children-and-adolescents#:~:text=Worldwide%2C%2010%2D20%25%20of,by%2014%20years%20of%20age." rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_bank">estimated</a> that 10&ndash;20% of children and teens experience mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. Half of these start by age 14, with suicide being the leading cause of death in 15&ndash;19 year olds.</p>

<p>With the added weight of a global pandemic, increased time spent online, and a looming climate crisis, it&rsquo;s important now, more than ever, to destigmatize mental illness.</p>

<p>An important space for that to happen is the classroom. Many teachers and schools around the world are turning to the practice of mindfulness as their approach.</p>

<p>This post&nbsp;explores the benefits of mindfulness in schools and classrooms and looks at five activities teachers can try with their students.</p>

<h2>What is mindfulness?</h2>

<p>Practicing mindfulness is learning how to maintain awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and experiences in a given moment without interpretation or judgement. A mindful activity is one that helps calm and center the body and mind.</p>

<h2>Mindfulness in schools</h2>

<p>When I was teaching in Japan, every morning at our high school began the same: students and teachers would close our eyes, correct our posture, and listen to a short guided meditation that played with music over the PA system.</p>

<p>This practice is known as &ldquo;sei-shi.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Sei&rdquo; (正) means &ldquo;correct&rdquo; or &ldquo;positive,&rdquo;&nbsp;and &ldquo;shi&rdquo; (姿) means &ldquo;form&rdquo; or &ldquo;posture.&rdquo; It worked to help calm and quieten the minds of even the most troubled students.</p>

<p>On the other side of the world in the US, a <a href="https://www.oprah.com/inspiration/baltimore-city-elementary-meditation-with-kids#ixzz4Kuv2yKd0" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_bank">similar practice</a> is employed at an elementary school in Baltimore: every day begins with a breathing exercise broadcast over the PA system. Punishments for acting out&mdash;like detention or being sent to the principal&rsquo;s office&mdash;have been abandoned. Students are instead sent to the &ldquo;Mindful Moment&rdquo; room, where they are able to breathe and calm down.</p>

<p>In the UK, the government recently committed to investing public funds into mindfulness and mental health education for the first time.</p>

<p>In Canada, mindfulness is taught to both teachers and students, with some high schools even offering yoga as a physical education credit.</p>

<h2>Benefits of mindfulness in the classroom</h2>

<p>Schools that implement mindfulness practices have seen a drop in suspension rates and an increase in attendance. <a href="https://mashable.com/article/what-are-the-benefits-of-mindfulness-meditation/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_bank">Studies show</a> that practicing mindfulness has many other social, physical, and psychological benefits, including:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Reduced feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression</li>
	<li>Improved mood</li>
	<li>Decreased physical pain</li>
	<li>Increased sense of compassion</li>
	<li>Reduced bias</li>
</ul>

<h2>Mindfulness in the classroom</h2>

<p>There are many different ways teachers can bring the practice of mindfulness into the classroom. Here are some ideas with related lessons and resources from ESL Library.</p>

<h3>1. The 5-4-3-2-1 technique</h3>

<p>Teach your students a popular coping technique for anxiety. When they are feeling anxious or overwhelmed, have them take a deep breath, take in their surroundings, and answer the following questions:</p>

<ul>
	<li>What are 5 things you can see?</li>
	<li>What are 4 things you can feel?</li>
	<li>What are 3 things you can hear?</li>
	<li>What are 2 things you can smell?</li>
	<li>What is 1 thing you can taste?</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related lesson:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons/3575"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/117_Five-Senses.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons/3575" target="_bank">The 5 Senses</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons" target="_bank">Discovery</a> lesson for beginners, students review the five senses through reading, speaking, listening, and vocabulary tasks.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>2. Mindful movement</h3>

<p>Exercises performed with awareness, such as walking, running, yoga, or dance, are excellent ways to practice mindfulness. In the classroom, yoga is especially beneficial as it doesn&#39;t require too much space and is easy enough for beginners.</p>

<p>Teach students some basic moves like Dandasana (Staff Pose) and Balasana (Child&rsquo;s Pose) and create your own daily or weekly routine together for class.</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related lesson:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/97/lessons/1990"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/97_Yoga.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/97/lessons/1990" target="_bank">Yoga</a></h2>

<p>This <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/97/lessons" target="_bank">Sports &amp; Leisure</a> lesson for intermediate includes an explanation of the Yoga Sutra and fun activities like Guess the Yoga Pose.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>3. Drawing and&nbsp;coloring</h3>

<p>Drawing and coloring activities are great for improving fine motor development, but they also reduce stress and anxiety, stimulate creativity, and allow students to express themselves.</p>

<p>In the ESL classroom, drawing and coloring activities can be used to test students&#39; understanding of new words or concepts. For younger learners or those with limited vocabularies, they can help students build confidence while they are learning to express themselves in words.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related resource:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/126/resources/2650"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/120_Drawing.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/126/resources/2650" target="_bank">Sailboat</a></h2>

<p>Students draw a picture of a sailboat and answer a few questions in this <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/126/resources" target="_bank">Young Learner Activities</a> resource for beginners. Explore the Drawing section of this category for more topics.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>4. Discussion</h3>

<p>A good way to destigmatize conversations about mental illness and mental health is to start one. Do your students feel anxious or stressed? How are they coping with those feelings?</p>

<p>Students are more likely to seek help for mental health conditions if they feel safe and equipped to talk about what they&#39;re experiencing.</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related lesson:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons/1851"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/95_Depression1.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons/1851" target="_bank">Depression</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons" target="_bank">Health Matters</a> lesson, students learn ten ways to support a friend struggling with depression. The lesson includes vocab practice and a discussion on health-related issues.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>5. Journaling</h3>

<p>Writing daily (or weekly) paragraphs about their feelings and thoughts can help students better identify and process their emotions. Writing is also a therapeutic activity that helps calm the body and mind.</p>

<p>Here are some writing prompts for students:</p>

<ul>
	<li>What do if I feel anxious/stressed/worried about today?</li>
	<li>What good thing happened today?</li>
	<li>What am I grateful for today?</li>
	<li>What about myself makes me most proud?</li>
	<li>What about myself do I need to work on?</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related resource:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/4/flashcard_categories/39"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/04_Feelings-and-Conditions.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/4/flashcard_categories/39" target="_bank">Feelings &amp; Conditions</a></h2>

<p>Teach or review vocabulary for expressing feelings and conditions with <a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards/grammar-punctuation/feelings-conditions" target="_blank">this handy flashcard set</a>.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<p>I hope this inspires you to create or continue your own mindful practices for the classroom. How do you help your students cope with feelings of anxiety, depression,&nbsp;and stress? Let us know your thoughts!</p>


Practicing Mindfulness in the Classroom

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Find fun games and activities for teaching English to young learners and middle schoolers. 

Young Learners

<p>On April 28, 1995, employees at Marvel created National Superhero Day to celebrate everyone&rsquo;s favorite superhero. This now-annual holiday honors both the real and fictional people that inspire us in our daily lives.</p>

<p>In this fun group project, students design their own superheroes and then work together to create a comic book story based on their characters.</p>

<p>This is a highly adaptable activity that can be used to teach or review many different language&nbsp;topics, including conditionals, describing people, parts of the body, exclamations, and onomatopeia.</p>

<hr />
<h2>Step 1&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Begin the project with some background information about comic books and superheroes in pop culture. Our Famous People lesson on Marvel comic creator, <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/2833">Stan Lee</a>, is a great place to start!</p>

<h2>Step 2&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Once students are comfortable with the topic and new vocabulary, divide them into groups of four or five. Ask each group member to design their own superhero. Students can draw their character, use&nbsp;magazine or photo cutouts, design it on the computer, or create a model&nbsp;or puppet.</p>

<p>Ask students to write a description of their character. Depending on their level, this can include names, superpowers, personality traits, or the character&rsquo;s background story.</p>

<p>Here are two examples from our talented illustrators at ESL Library:</p>

<h3>Dino-Boy</h3>

<p><img alt="dinoboy" height="650" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1440/content_dinoboy.png" width="650" /></p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;This is Dino-Boy. His &#39;suit&#39; is made of super unbreakable material and he can roll around like Taz from the Looney Tunes. He&#39;s got high energy and can bite things with his dinosaur teeth. Lol.&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Steve</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>My Mom</h3>

<p><img alt="Superhero Mom" height="650" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1441/content_superhero-mom.jpg" width="650" /></p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;My father worked in Japan for years when my brother and I were young, so we basically grew up without him. In Brazil, my mom had to take care of everything herself&mdash;the house, the finances, and us. Years later, when our family reunited, my mom read for her degree in Gastronomy at 62 years old, along with my brother. While in college, she was diagnosed with bowel cancer, but even the chemo didn&rsquo;t stop her from going to class every night. It&rsquo;s been almost five years now of medical follow-up. Here&rsquo;s hoping that soon she will be officially cancer-free. She may not have superpowers, but my mom is determined and a true fighter. My mom is my superhero.&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Saori</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Step 3&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Next, students take turns introducing and describing their superheroes to the other members of the group and brainstorm story ideas that would include each character.</p>

<p>Once each group has drafted their story, show them how to write it in the style of a&nbsp;comic&nbsp;book. Teachers can photocopy pages from an old comic book and white-out the text, or search for free templates online.</p>

<h2>Step 4</h2>

<p>When each group has completed their story, have them present (or act out!) their comic books to the rest of the class. Teachers can&nbsp;display each group&#39;s&nbsp;comics around the classroom, or photocopy and distribute a copy for each member of the class.&nbsp;</p>

<hr />
<p>Depending on class size, student level, time, and resources, this project could&nbsp;be completed over the course of several classes or an entire academic term. We hope your students will have fun either way&mdash;try it out and let us know what you think!</p>


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Simone Armer