Learn how to make the most of your Ellii subscription with tips from our publishing team.

Teaching with Ellii

<blockquote>
<p>Ecosystems are collapsing.</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Greta Thunberg</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Did any of your students join the recent climate strikes? Are your learners interested in talking about climate change? How do they feel about using the term <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/17/why-the-guardian-is-changing-the-language-it-uses-about-the-environment">&ldquo;climate&nbsp;crisis&rdquo;</a>?</p>

<p>We have a new biography lesson on youth spokesperson <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/3121">Greta Thunberg</a> (Low Int &ndash; Int), who has been getting a lot of media attention lately (both positive and negative). In this lesson, students learn a bit of history about the youth movement and review vocabulary related to protests. This lesson also includes a mini‑lesson and review of the present progressive tense. This tense is useful for talking about climate change, an action that is happening right&nbsp;now.</p>

<h1>The Present Progressive</h1>

<p>After you try the Greta Thunberg lesson, you can show this video. It features students being interviewed about why climate change is so important to today&rsquo;s youth. Ask your students to watch for use of the present progressive tense. Every time they hear someone use this tense in the video, have them stand&nbsp;up!</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1cXgCR_dAzA" width="560"></iframe></div>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/1263">Climate Change</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/3121">Greta Thunberg</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/2464">Present Progressive</a></li>
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/1/lessons">The Environment</a></li>
</ul>


Standing Up for Climate Change (and the Present Progressive Tense)

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1664/Tara_Climate-Change_Banner.png

<p>In celebration of <a href="http://www.onlinelearningday.com/">National Online Learning Day</a>, which falls on September&nbsp;15, 2019, we&rsquo;d like to share some experiences that students and teachers have had with ESL&nbsp;Library&rsquo;s new digital&nbsp;platform.</p>

<p>Over the summer, I took the opportunity to use ESL&nbsp;Library&rsquo;s new digital platform with my own group of adult learners, and I&rsquo;m pleased to report that it was a success! The summer months meant that attendance was not as regular as it had been during the school year; however, students were able to stay connected with the class and keep up with assignments, even when they were traveling. One student, Victor, visited family in China and was gone for six&nbsp;weeks.</p>

<p>During his absence, I could see that Victor was using the platform on a regular basis with the View Results feature (see Help Doc: <a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/129-how-to-access-digital-homework-teachers" target="_blank">How to Access Digital Homework Results</a>). When Victor returned to the US, I asked him what he liked most about the digital platform. Here are three of his&nbsp;comments:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Listening materials are easy to use. I can listen to them over and over again, and also use them as dictation&nbsp;exercises.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In my classes, we frequently begin the lesson with a dictation as a warm‑up. Since most lessons on the digital platform have an audio component, Victor was able to continue with dictation work with recorded native speakers. First, he was able to complete the Listen &amp; Type tasks, which are built into the platform. In this task type, students type the target words they hear within the context of the reading. Because Victor was already familiar and comfortable with dictation methods, he adapted the platform task to give himself even more practice by turning away from his screen and typing the entire passage! He could pause the audio at his convenience and repeat it when he needed&nbsp;to.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The exercises are well designed to help practice grammar&nbsp;rules.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The digital versions of our popular Grammar Practice Worksheets include concise grammar reviews that cover the rules and provide examples of the target structure. I was pleased to hear that Victor found the grammar lessons easy to use. He said that he found it useful to go back to the reviews as he worked on the&nbsp;exercises.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Scoring attempts are nice features. They encourage you to try to learn, correct, and&nbsp;improve.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The digital platform allows students to answer questions more than once. Victor liked this feature in particular since it allowed for self‑correction.</p>

<p>In addition to language practice, ESL&nbsp;Library&rsquo;s digital platform has benefits for students who don&rsquo;t consider themselves computer-savvy. Here&rsquo;s what Ava, a recent immigrant from Guatemala, had to&nbsp;say:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>It helped me a lot with computers. Before, I wasn&rsquo;t so comfortable, but now I feel more comfortable. I was nervous at first, but now I feel&nbsp;fine.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Mark W. Sherman (ESL Instructor, Takoma Park, Maryland, USA) is an ESL&nbsp;Library subscriber. He teaches adults at the beginner and intermediate levels. Mark, too, has found success with the new&nbsp;platform:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>When using a textbook, there is a temptation to do the exercises associated with each grammar point and then move on. The problem is the learning doesn&rsquo;t stick because the exercises are too brief. By using the ESL&nbsp;Library digital platform, I am able to give my students a much deeper workout in the same aspect of language. In fact, I find it helpful to use the digital material first and then, once they&rsquo;ve mastered the principles, turn to the textbook. That may seem upside down, but it gives me much greater confidence that they have really absorbed something&mdash;they&rsquo;ve matched wits with their phones before they do anything else, and that process of puzzling it out, preferably with a classmate, creates a solid&nbsp;foundation.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>We hope that all of you are enjoying access to ESL&nbsp;Library&rsquo;s digital platform. We would love to hear&nbsp;about your experience!&nbsp;Happy National Online Learning&nbsp;Day!</p>


National Online Learning Day

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1630/Ann_National-Online-Learning-Day_Banner.png

<blockquote>
<p>Blended learning is an approach to learning that combines face-to-face and online learning&nbsp;experiences.</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;<a href="https://www.teachthought.com/learning/the-definition-of-blended-learning/">TeachThoughtStaff</a></p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Blended Learning</h2>

<p>Are you experimenting with blended learning and the flipped classroom approach? Try ESL&nbsp;Library&rsquo;s new interactive <strong>Listen &amp; Type</strong> task. (Scroll down for video demo.) As a <a href="https://ellii.com/pricing">Plus plan</a> user, you&nbsp;can now assign this task to your students for homework or in-class work (with headphones). Your students can do the interactive task on any mobile device or&nbsp;computer. (As a Standard plan user, you can launch this task in class and work on it together on a shared screen.)</p>

<p>If you&rsquo;re an ESL&nbsp;Library subscriber, your students are likely familiar with this task type because many of our topical paper-based lessons have a similar gap‑fill task. Now, in addition to getting reading, listening, and spelling practice, your students can improve their digital&nbsp;literacy.</p>

<p>Note: The Listen &amp; Type task doesn&rsquo;t have to be used as a final task in a reading lesson. It can be assigned as a preview task, a review task, or an assessment or diagnostic task. It&rsquo;s also useful for students who want extra homework practice. Other parts of our lessons, such as discussion questions, surveys, and role‑plays, are more suitable for face‑to‑face, in‑class&nbsp;work.</p>

<h2>Assign Tasks</h2>

<p>Go to the reading lesson of your choice and toggle to <strong>Digital</strong>. Then choose <strong>Assign Tasks</strong>&nbsp;and assign the Listen &amp; Type task with the due date of your choice to the class of your&nbsp;choice.</p>

<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/122-how-to-assign-digital-homework">How to Assign Tasks (Digital Homework)</a></p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Task Features</h2>

<p>The Listen &amp; Type task features the main reading and audio recording from a reading‑based ESL&nbsp;Library lesson. As students listen to the recording they can follow along with the text and type in the missing&nbsp;words.</p>

<p><img class="with-border" height="auto" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/11/IMG_2861.PNG" width="320" /></p>

<h2>Review</h2>

<p>After students complete the Listen &amp; Type task, they can listen again and review any mistakes they&nbsp;made.</p>

<p><img class="with-border" height="auto" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/12/IMG_2862.PNG" width="320" /></p>

<h2>View Results</h2>

<p>As a teacher, you can see your students&rsquo; Listen &amp; Type results after they complete the&nbsp;task. Make sure you are logged in. Then go to Class Prep and navigate to Results.</p>

<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/129-how-to-access-digital-homework-teachers">How to View Digital Homework Results</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p><img class="with-border" height="auto" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/13/IMG_2864.PNG" width="320" /></p>

<h2>Lesson Sections</h2>

<p>The Listen &amp; Type task is currently available in the following sections:</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons">Discussion Starters</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons">Holidays &amp; Events</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons">Famous People</a> (Low Int)</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons/">Phonics Stories</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons">Discovery</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Look for the computer screen icon to check if a lesson has digital&nbsp;tasks.</p>

<p><img height="auto" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/8/Screen_Shot_2019-07-22_at_2.51.22_PM.png" width="400" /></p>

<h2>Listen &amp; Type: Demo</h2>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z2BdzzP-B5Q" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<h2>Related</h2>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/product-feature-update-matching-vocabulary-preview">Matching: Interactive Vocabulary Preview Task for English&nbsp;Learners</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/see-and-spell">See &amp; Spell: Interactive Spelling &amp; Listening Practice for Beginner English&nbsp;Learners</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/image-match-interactive-vocabulary-building-for-beginner-english-learners">Image Match: Vocabulary Building for Beginner ELLs</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/launch-or-preview-digital-tasks">Launch or Preview Digital&nbsp;Tasks</a></li>
</ul>


Listen & Type: An Interactive Task for Blended Learning

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1625/Digital-Tasks_Banner.png

<p>Have you seen ESL&nbsp;Library&rsquo;s newest flashcard set: <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/20/flashcard_categories/65">Like &amp; Don&rsquo;t Like</a>? This inclusive set features multiple characters representing a variety of ages, genders, and skin tones, so you can easily find images that your students identify with. Each character card is portrayed with the following&nbsp;feelings:</p>

<ul>
	<li>love</li>
	<li>like</li>
	<li>don&rsquo;t mind</li>
	<li>don&rsquo;t like</li>
	<li>hate</li>
</ul>

<p>If you have low-level learners, we recommend printing a personal set of these flashcards for each student to use regularly in class. Your students can choose their preferred character before you print the class&nbsp;sets.</p>

<p><strong>Tip:</strong> Print one <em>love</em> flashcard of each character and tape these to your board. Then have each student write their name on the character they like (or look like). Print all of the sets you need in the sizes you wish. Print a set for yourself as well. (You can decide if you want to print the words on the front or back or not at all. See video demo&nbsp;below.)</p>

<p>Here are some ways to use our <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/20/flashcard_categories/65">Like &amp; Don&rsquo;t Like</a> flashcard&nbsp;set:</p>

<h1>Level Placement</h1>

<p>Are you looking for new activities to help place low-level students into appropriate class levels? Break the ice with a shy or quiet student by handing her a set of the Like &amp; Don&rsquo;t Like flashcards. Start with a simple theme (e.g., food, colors, animals, seasons, sports) and have the student point to or hold up the flashcard that matches her feeling about the word you say (or picture you&nbsp;show).</p>

<p>As your student becomes more comfortable, have her hold up the feeling card and make a sentence: <em>No, I don&rsquo;t like apples.</em> If the student is able to do that, you might extend the question to <em>Why?</em> Is she able to answer in a full sentence? Does she use any adjectives or conjunctions? If this seems too easy, think of some more difficult themes, such as entertainment genres (e.g., music, movies, famous&nbsp;people).</p>

<h1>Getting to Know You</h1>

<p>You can use a similar type of activity to break the ice with low-level learners in a new class. Choose a theme such as <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/13/flashcard_categories">food</a> and write a food word on the board (or show a flashcard). Have students walk around holding the flashcard that best expresses their feeling about this word or action. Students can then try to find like-minded people from their&nbsp;class.</p>

<p>Encourage them to learn each other&rsquo;s names by inviting them to share a sentence that summarizes their group&rsquo;s&nbsp;feeling.</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Jos&eacute;:</th>
			<td>Alana, Boris, and I don&rsquo;t like&nbsp;mushrooms.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h1>Class Surveys</h1>

<p>Do you need to find out how your students feel or felt about something related to your class or program? Pose a question and ask your students to hold up a card that best describes their response. This will allow you to easily survey your students&rsquo; feelings. Here are some&nbsp;examples:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Who liked this month&rsquo;s&nbsp;project?</li>
	<li>Who enjoyed yesterday&rsquo;s guest&nbsp;speaker?</li>
	<li>Who likes the topic of&nbsp;tornadoes?</li>
</ul>

<p>For practice, you can then ask classmates to describe each others&rsquo;&nbsp;feelings:</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td>How did Alana feel about yesterday&rsquo;s&nbsp;class?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Boris:</th>
			<td>Alana loved it.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td>How about Jos&eacute;?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Boris:</th>
			<td>Jos&eacute; didn&rsquo;t mind&nbsp;it.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h1>Majority Rules</h1>

<p>Choose four of the cards from any character set (<em>love</em>, <em>like</em>, <em>dislike</em>, <em>hate</em>) and place a large-sized version of one feeling at each corner of your classroom. When you want students to show you how they feel about something, they can walk over to the appropriate corner. This will easily allow you to determine a majority and make a class decision. Again, have students practice using the&nbsp;language.</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td>Who likes playing dodgeball?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>&nbsp;</th>
			<td><em>[Students move to the appropriate corners]</em></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td>How do Boris and Alana feel about&nbsp;dodgeball?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Jos&eacute;:</th>
			<td>They hate playing&nbsp;dodgeball.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td>Does Jos&eacute; like playing&nbsp;dodgeball?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Alana:</th>
			<td>No, he hates playing&nbsp;dodgeball.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h1>Listening Response</h1>

<p>Invite your new students to write and present short oral presentations about their likes and dislikes. They can also say things that they hate or don&rsquo;t mind. After each presentation, ask some follow-up questions to the other students in the&nbsp;class.</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td>How does Alana feel about&nbsp;cars?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>&nbsp;</th>
			<td><em>[Everyone holds up a &ldquo;love&rdquo;&nbsp;card]</em></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td>How does Alana feel about&nbsp;spaghetti?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>&nbsp;</th>
			<td><em>[Everyone holds up a &ldquo;hate&rdquo; card except Jos&eacute;, who holds up&nbsp;&ldquo;like&rdquo;]</em></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td>Jos&eacute;, ask Alana if she likes&nbsp;spaghetti.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Jos&eacute;:</th>
			<td>Alana, do you like&nbsp;spaghetti?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Alana:</th>
			<td>No, I hate spaghetti.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h1>Reading Response</h1>

<p>The above activity can also be done to recap a story. This is especially useful for checking your students&rsquo; understanding about character development. To avoid calling on the same person all of the time, call on a person who has a reaction that is surprising or different from the rest of the&nbsp;class.</p>

<ul>
	<li>How does Charlotte feel about Wilbur at the end of the&nbsp;book?</li>
	<li>How did you feel about the&nbsp;ending?</li>
</ul>

<h1>Gerunds &amp; Infinitives</h1>

<p><em>Love</em>, <em>like</em>, <em>don&rsquo;t like</em>, and <em>hate</em> can be used with gerunds or infinitives with no major change in meaning. Print some flashcard action sets, such as <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/4/flashcard_categories/27">daily routines</a> or <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/8/flashcard_categories/63">job actions</a>. Then have students practice making sentences with <em>love</em>, <em>like</em>, <em>don&rsquo;t like</em>, and <em>hate</em> + gerunds and&nbsp;infinitives.</p>

<h1>Question Formation</h1>

<p>These flashcards can also be used for practicing question formation. Invite two students (Students&bsp;A and&nbsp;B) to the front of the class. Hold up a <em>like</em> or <em>love</em> flashcard with an action or noun flashcard (e.g., <em>chocolate</em> or <em>skiing</em>). Have Student&nbsp;A use the cards to make a question. <em>Do you like/love chocolate?</em> The other students will then hold up a feeling card that expresses their own personal answer. Student&nbsp;B will then choose some of the students from the classroom and express their responses: <em>Boris doesn&rsquo;t like chocolate. Alana loves chocolate.</em> Invite two more students to the front and change the question prompts to a new action or noun. <em>Do you like skiing/like to&nbsp;ski?</em></p>

<h1>Find Someone Who&hellip;</h1>

<p>These cards can be easily used to create a quick <em>Find Someone Who&hellip;</em> activity based on a theme you are teaching. If the theme is sports, you can shout out a sport (e.g., skiing). Students then choose a card that expresses their feeling about this sport. After students have chosen their feeling, you can tell them who to find. Here are some&nbsp;ideas:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Find someone who likes/loves/hates/doesn&rsquo;t&nbsp;like&hellip;</li>
	<li>Find someone who feels the same way as you&nbsp;about&hellip;</li>
	<li>Find someone who feels differently/the opposite&nbsp;about&hellip;</li>
</ul>

<table class="horizontal dialogue">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Jos&eacute;:</th>
			<td>Do you like&nbsp;skiing?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Alana:</th>
			<td>No, I don&rsquo;t. You love&nbsp;skiing?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Jos&eacute;:</th>
			<td>Yes!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Alana:</th>
			<td>Why do you love&nbsp;skiing?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Jos&eacute;:</th>
			<td>I love all winter&nbsp;sports.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Alana:</th>
			<td>I don&rsquo;t like any winter&nbsp;sports!</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h1>Predictions</h1>

<p>Place students in pairs or small groups and see how well they know each other. Ask a question and have students place their flashcard response behind their backs (or flipped over so their classmates can&rsquo;t&nbsp;see).</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td>Do you like&nbsp;pizza?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>&nbsp;</th>
			<td><em>[Students choose and hide their response. Then they turn to each other and try to&nbsp;guess.]</em></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Boris:</th>
			<td><em>[To Alana]</em> You love pizza.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>&nbsp;</th>
			<td><em>[Alana shows Boris her response:&nbsp;&ldquo;hate&rdquo;]</em></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Boris:</th>
			<td>Really? You hate pizza. I&rsquo;m&nbsp;surprised!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Alana:</th>
			<td><em>[To Boris]</em> You don&rsquo;t like&nbsp;pizza.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>&nbsp;</th>
			<td><em>[Boris shows Alana &ldquo;don&rsquo;t&nbsp;like&rdquo;]</em></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Boris:</th>
			<td>You know me too&nbsp;well.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>You might want to put these reactions on the&nbsp;board:</p>

<ul>
	<li>I&rsquo;m surprised.</li>
	<li>I&rsquo;m shocked.</li>
	<li>I thought I knew you&nbsp;better.</li>
	<li>I knew it.</li>
	<li>I know you well/too well.</li>
	<li>I&rsquo;m not surprised.</li>
	<li>I expected that.</li>
	<li>I was close.</li>
</ul>

<p>We hope you like these flashcards and ideas! Please share your own ideas for using this set (or practicing likes &amp; dislikes) in the comments&nbsp;below.</p>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="flashcards"><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/20/flashcard_categories/65">Like &amp; Don&rsquo;t Like </a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/110/lessons/2778">Do You Like It?</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/89/lessons/1555">Infinitives: I Like To&hellip;</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/2256/">Gerunds &amp; Infinitive</a></li>
</ul>

<div class="video-container"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_JxoKsi-n6w" width="560"></iframe></div>


10 Ways to Use Flashcards: Likes & Dislikes

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1359/Tara_Ten-Ways-to-Use-Flashcards-Likes-and-Dislikes_Banner.png

<p>Are your students heading off for the summer? Have you taught your learners some different expressions for <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/92/lessons/1736/">Saying&nbsp;Goodbye</a>?</p>

<p><em>See You Later, Alligator</em> is a fun, easy skit to celebrate the end of a school year or term. This skit can be adapted depending on the number of students you have. If you have fewer than 20 students, cut out some of the parts. If you have more students, put your thinking cap on and come up with some more goodbye rhymes. You may want to throw in some other&nbsp;languages or change some of the rhymes to better suit your students&rsquo; personalities. Have&nbsp;fun!</p>

<h1>Characters</h1>

<ul>
	<li>Teacher (or a student dressed/acting like the&nbsp;teacher)</li>
	<li>Students (organized in pairs)</li>
</ul>

<h1>Props</h1>

<ul>
	<li>backpacks</li>
	<li>school books</li>
	<li>one coat</li>
	<li>animal masks/signs (optional&mdash;if including, you may want to use our <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/14/flashcard_categories">Animals &amp; Wildlife</a> flashcard set)</li>
	<li>noisemaker for teacher (optional)</li>
</ul>

<h1>Script</h1>

<h2>See You Later, Alligator</h2>

<p>The teacher (this can be you or a student acting like/dressed like the teacher) stands front and center. The students stand on two sides of the teacher with their backpacks on (Student 1 left stage; Student 2 right stage, etc.). After the first few lines, Students 1 and 2 walk from opposite sides of the stage and meet up in the center to say their line. After they each say their line, they give high-fives/fist pumps or shake hands and walk off the stage going opposite ways and waving goodbye to the remaining students and teacher until only the teacher remains on the&nbsp;stage.</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td><em>[extra sweetly to class]</em> I can&rsquo;t believe it&rsquo;s the last day of&nbsp;school!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>All&nbsp;students:</th>
			<td><em>[loudly]</em> Me neither!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td><em>[to audience/parents]</em> I need a breather.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td>I&rsquo;ll miss you all this summer!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>All&nbsp;Students:</th>
			<td><em>[loudly]</em> Me too!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td><em>[to audience/parents]</em> What a zoo!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>&nbsp;</th>
			<td><em>[Students 1 and 2 walk to center stage from opposite&nbsp;sides.]</em></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;1:</th>
			<td>See you later, alligator.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;2:</th>
			<td>In a while, crocodile.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>&nbsp;</th>
			<td><em>[Students 1 and 2 wave or give high-fives and walk off in opposite directions. Stage actions repeat for each pair of students until only the teacher&nbsp;remains.]</em></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;3:</th>
			<td>See you soon, cute racoon.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;4:</th>
			<td>Bye-bye, house fly.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;5:</th>
			<td>Take care, panda bear.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;6:</th>
			<td>Farewell, snail shell.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;7:</th>
			<td>Toodle-oo, caribou.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;8:</th>
			<td>On my way, stingray.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;9:</th>
			<td>Grab your coat, billy goat.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;10:</th>
			<td><em>[runs to grab coat from the ground]</em> Till next year, white-tailed&nbsp;deer.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;11:</th>
			<td>Hasta ma&ntilde;ana, fuzzy llama.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;12:</th>
			<td><em>[makes peace sign]</em> Peace out, rainbow trout.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;13:</th>
			<td>Thanks for the laugh, tall giraffe.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;14:</th>
			<td><em>[makes a gesture for friend to call him/her]</em> Let&rsquo;s talk,&nbsp;peacock.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;15:</th>
			<td>Hit the road, little toad.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;16:</th>
			<td>Off you go, buffalo.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;17:</th>
			<td>See you at the park, great white shark.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;18:</th>
			<td>Catch you at the lake, rattlesnake.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;19:</th>
			<td>Ciao for now, daisy cow.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;20:</th>
			<td>Cheers, rabbit ears.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Teacher:</th>
			<td><em>[waving]</em> Keep in touch, creatures. Don&rsquo;t miss your&nbsp;teachers!</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>Note: If you have an uneven number of students or a very shy student (or twins who want to go up together), have two students come out as the &ldquo;giraffes&rdquo; and change the peacock&rsquo;s line to &ldquo;Thanks for the laughs, tall giraffes.&rdquo; The two students can both say the line: <em>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s talk,&nbsp;peacock.&rdquo;</em></p>

<h1>Vocabulary for Leave-Taking</h1>

<table>
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Saying Goodbye</th>
			<th>Usage</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Goodbye.</th>
			<td>formal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Bye.</th>
			<td>less formal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Bye-bye.</th>
			<td>often used with children</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>See you later.</th>
			<td>common, formal or informal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>See you/ya.</th>
			<td>common, informal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Talk to you soon.</th>
			<td>spoken or written</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Keep in touch.</th>
			<td>often written</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Later.</th>
			<td>informal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Cheers.</th>
			<td>informal, friendly</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Have a nice day/week/summer!</th>
			<td>common, formal or informal</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/92/lessons/1736">Saying Goodbye</a>: Functional English</li>
	<li class="flashcards"><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres">Animals &amp; Wildlife</a>: Flashcards</li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/english-skit-for-young-learners-so-long-polar-bear">English Skit for Young Learners: So Long, Polar&nbsp;Bear</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/english-skit-for-ells-spring-fever">English Skit for ELLs: Spring Fever</a></li>
</ul>


End-of-Year English Skit for ELLs: See You Later, Alligator

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1231/Tara_See-You-Later-Alligator_Banner.png

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Date:</th>
			<td>Wednesday, March 28, 2018</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Location:</th>
			<td>McCormick Place, Lakeside Center East, Chicago</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Room:</th>
			<td>E264</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Presenters:</th>
			<td>Tara&nbsp;Benwell&nbsp;(head&nbsp;writer) &amp; Tanya&nbsp;Trusler&nbsp;(lead&nbsp;editor)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Session Description:</th>
			<td>Join ESL&nbsp;Library&rsquo;s publishing team as we debut our new section for teaching young learners. Our writers will unveil our new YL content and look for feedback and suggestions from you. Come out and share your ideas and be part of ESL&nbsp;Library&rsquo;s exciting&nbsp;expansion!</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="541" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vRZ_T5udxjDnmSifaSJgFYvyzrXf57Fwb8qMW_vlsKO_n7gTydSZNQ2dbzWKYuGlW8WFO7MXMhfRN24/embed?start=false&amp;loop=false&amp;delayms=3000" width="683"></iframe></p>

<h1>YL Materials on ESL&nbsp;Library</h1>

<p>The presenters officially launched ESL&nbsp;Library&rsquo;s <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/#young-learners-adult-literacy">Young Learners &amp; Literacy</a> section at TESOL&nbsp;18. As of March&nbsp;2018, this includes the following six&nbsp;sections:</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons">Phonics</a></li>
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons">Word Bank</a></li>
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons">Fun Grammar Lessons</a></li>
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons">Discovery </a></li>
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/119/lessons">Guided Writing</a></li>
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/120/lessons">Artistic Activities</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Teachers of young learners will also be interested in the&nbsp;following:</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="flashcards"><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres">Flashcard Library</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/categories/young-learners">ESL Library Blog: Young&nbsp;Learners</a></li>
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/90/lessons">Grammar Stories</a></li>
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/89/lessons">Basic Grammar Sentences</a></li>
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/91/lessons">Simple Sentences</a></li>
</ul>

<h1>YL Samples Shown</h1>

<p>The following samples were&nbsp;shown:</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="flashcards">Flashcards: <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/13/flashcard_categories/42">Fruit</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/14/flashcard_categories/6">Animals</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/10/flashcard_categories/59">Living Room</a></li>
	<li class="lesson">Phonics: <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/118/lessons/2593">The Letter T</a></li>
	<li class="lesson">Word Bank: <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2394">Easter</a></li>
	<li class="lesson">Fun Grammar Lessons: <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons/2515">Prepositions of Place</a></li>
	<li class="lesson">Discovery: <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons/2554">Elephants </a></li>
	<li class="lesson">Guided Writing: <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/119/lessons/2674">My First Winter</a></li>
	<li class="lesson">Artistic Activities: <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/120/lessons/2641">Castle</a></li>
	<li class="lesson">Phonics Stories: <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/miscellaneous/resources/2683-phonics-stories-the-fat-rat-sample">The Fat Rat</a> (Coming&nbsp;soon!)</li>
</ul>

<h1>Handouts</h1>

<p>The presenters offered a few giveaways:</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/visual-learning/resources/2147-spring-easter-idioms-poster">Spring Idioms Poster</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/visual-learning/resources/2215-following-the-teacher-s-instructions">Following the Teacher&rsquo;s Instructions</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Thank you to all attendees! Please <a href="https://ellii.com/contact/new">contact us</a> with any&nbsp;questions.</p>

<p>Tara &amp; Tanya</p>


(TESOL 18) NEW on ESL Library: Materials for Young Learners

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1370/Tara_Materials-for-Young-Learners_Banner.png

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

Articles

Posts describing lessons or activities for the ESL classroom.

Activities

<p>Will you be talking about Easter in class this week? Hop to it and try our&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2394" target="_blank">Easter</a> vocabulary lesson&nbsp;with brand-new illustrations that kids will love! This nine-page <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons" target="_blank">Word Bank</a> lesson&nbsp;includes a colorful picture dictionary with images related to Easter. Activities such as a matchup, word choice, word search, word scramble, and spelling bee help make this lesson engaging and fun. Discussion questions at the end allow your students to use the new vocabulary in context. This lesson also has a listening activity. Our Word Bank lessons all come with a set of printable flashcards at the end. Hang them around your classroom for ready-made Easter decorations, or use them to elicit the vocabulary before the lesson or to quiz your students after the lesson. Find this lesson in the <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons" target="_blank">Word Bank</a> section.</p>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/visual-learning/resources/2147-spring-easter-idioms-poster" target="_blank">Spring &amp; Easter Idioms</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/english-skit-for-ells-spring-fever" target="_blank">English Skit for ELLs: Spring Fever</a></li>
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/7/lessons" target="_blank">Spring &amp; Easter Collection</a> (includes Easter lessons for all levels)</li>
</ul>

Easter Vocabulary Lesson

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1602/Tanya_Grammar_Banner.png

<p>Has spring sprung in your neck of the woods? Have you taught your learners some <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2147">spring idioms</a>? <em>Spring Fever</em> is an easy skit to celebrate the beginning of spring. This skit has five main parts (one narrator and four neighbors). There are also a few lines for the chorus (other neighbors). You can change the names to your students&rsquo; names. Happy&nbsp;Spring!</p>

<h1>Characters</h1>

<ul>
	<li>Narrator</li>
	<li>Ella</li>
	<li>Lucille</li>
	<li>Juan</li>
	<li>Ralph</li>
	<li>Neighbors (who will say everything in bold)</li>
</ul>

<h1>Props</h1>

<ul>
	<li>sunglasses or Easter bonnet for Ella</li>
	<li>cane or gray wig for Lucille</li>
	<li>briefcase or file folder for Juan</li>
	<li>garden tools for Ralph</li>
	<li>rakes or brooms for the neighbors</li>
</ul>

<h1>Script</h1>

<h2>Spring Fever</h2>

<p>The energetic, joyful narrator stands in the center of the stage. Each character walks toward the narrator (or performs an appropriate action) when it is his/her turn to speak. The other neighbors (the chorus) can busy themselves raking or sweeping in various corners of the stage. The chorus joins in for all of the idiomatic language and expressions in&nbsp;<strong>bold</strong>.</p>

<table class="horizontal">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>It&rsquo;s the first day of spring and I am <strong>full of the joys of spring</strong>. Let&rsquo;s see how my neighbors are doing. Here comes Ella. She&rsquo;s <strong>a ray of sunshine</strong>. Well hello there. Happy spring! How are you&nbsp;today?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Ella:</th>
			<td>I couldn&rsquo;t be better! I have <strong>spring fever</strong>. Don&rsquo;t&nbsp;you?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>I sure do! Oh, look. Here comes Lucille. Hi, neighbor. Long time no see. How is your&nbsp;back?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Lucille:</th>
			<td>Well, I may be <strong>no spring chicken</strong>, but even I have <strong>a spring in my&nbsp;step</strong>&nbsp;today!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>That&rsquo;s great to hear. Oh look. Here&rsquo;s my friend, Juan. He seems to be <strong>walking on eggshells</strong>. Is everything okay,&nbsp;<strong>bud</strong>?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Juan:</th>
			<td>I sure hope so. I have a job interview&nbsp;today.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>Didn&rsquo;t you just get a new&nbsp;job?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Juan:</th>
			<td>You know me! <strong>The grass is always greener on the other&nbsp;side</strong>.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td><strong>Don&rsquo;t put all your eggs in one basket!</strong> Hey, have a look at Ralph. He seems ready to <strong>spring into&nbsp;action</strong>!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td><em>[shouting to neighbor who is kneeling in garden]</em> Happy spring, Ralph! You aren&rsquo;t planting flowers already, are&nbsp;you?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Ralph:</th>
			<td>You bet I am! <strong>Everything is coming up&nbsp;roses!</strong></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td><em>[aside to the audience, skeptical that winter won&rsquo;t return]</em> <strong>Don&rsquo;t count your chickens before they&nbsp;hatch!</strong></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td><em>[to Ralph]</em> I think I&rsquo;ll <strong>spring for</strong> some tulips&nbsp;myself!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td><em>[back to audience]</em> Well, there you have it, folks! Spring has sprung! How are things looking <strong>in your neck of the&nbsp;woods</strong>?</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h1>Vocabulary</h1>

<table class="horizontal has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Vocabulary</th>
			<th>Meaning</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>full of the joys of spring</th>
			<td>very joyful</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>a ray of sunshine</th>
			<td>a person who is very positive</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>spring fever</th>
			<td>a feeling of happiness when balmy weather&nbsp;returns</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>no spring chicken</th>
			<td>not a young person&nbsp;anymore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>have a spring in one&rsquo;s step</th>
			<td>to feel alive and&nbsp;energetic</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>walking on eggshells</th>
			<td>feeling nervous</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>bud</th>
			<td>a friend (short for &ldquo;buddy&rdquo;)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>the grass is always greener on the other side</th>
			<td>one always thinks the alternative will bring more&nbsp;happiness</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Don&rsquo;t put all your eggs in one&nbsp;basket.</th>
			<td>Don&rsquo;t rely on one thing to make you happy or achieve&nbsp;success.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Everything is coming up&nbsp;roses.</th>
			<td>Life is wonderful.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Don&rsquo;t count your chickens before they&nbsp;hatch.</th>
			<td>Don&rsquo;t get too excited until you know that something is really going to&nbsp;happen.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>spring for</th>
			<td>to spend a bit more money on&nbsp;something</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>your neck of the&nbsp;woods</th>
			<td>your neighborhood/community</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/visual-learning/resources/2147-spring-easter-idioms-poster">Spring &amp; Easter Idioms (with or without vocabulary)</a></li>
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/7/lessons">Spring &amp; Easter Collection</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/english-skit-for-young-learners-so-long-polar-bear">English Skit for Young Learners: So Long, Polar Bear</a></li>
</ul>


English Skit for ELLs: Spring Fever

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1195/Tara_Spring-Fever_Banner.png

<p>Are you looking for some fun St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day activities to do at your green party this week? You are having a green party, aren&rsquo;t&nbsp;you?</p>

<p>At a green party, the students dress in green, eat green food, and drink green beverages. You can serve green milk and cookies, or green cupcakes and juice. You&rsquo;ll also need some fun St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day&nbsp;activities!</p>

<h1>3 Activities for St. Patrick&rsquo;s&nbsp;Day</h1>

<p>Print out this <a href="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2153/content_Tara_St-Patricks-Day-Party-Activities.pdf" target="_blank">handout</a> to eliminate prep work. This is a party after all! Photocopy as many copies as you need. You&rsquo;ll also need string, scissors, clothes pegs (or paperclips), and coloring utensils (lots of&nbsp;green).</p>

<p><a href="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2153/content_Tara_St-Patricks-Day-Party-Activities.pdf" target="_blank"><img alt="Preview of activity sheet" height="411" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2154/content_Tara_St-Patricks-Day-Party-Activities_Preview.png" width="1024" /></a></p>

<h2>1. A String of Good&nbsp;Luck</h2>

<p>Put students in small groups or do this activity as one big class. Cut a long piece of string (as long as your classroom or hallway). Brainstorm all of the occasions when people wish each other &ldquo;good luck.&rdquo; Challenge your students to come up with 100! Or ask each student/group to come up with 7 (for good luck). You can print and cut out the clovers (page 1 of the PDF) or have students draw their own. Then have students write their &ldquo;good luck&rdquo; statements in the blanks before they hang their clovers on the string. You may need to help your students with prepositions (with/on/in). In some cases, more than one preposition may be&nbsp;possible.</p>

<p>You could do a few examples on the board. Teach them that they can use <strong>Good luck</strong> <strong>+ -ing verb</strong>. (<em>Good luck winning the drawing contest.</em>) OR <strong>Good luck + preposition + noun</strong>. (<em>Good luck in the drawing&nbsp;contest.</em>)</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Good luck on your speech. Good luck delivering your speech. Good luck in your soccer game. Good luck playing soccer. Good luck winning the lottery. Good luck in the&nbsp;lottery.</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>2. Thank Your Lucky&nbsp;Stars</h2>

<p>Designate an area of your classroom or hallway as a place of <strong>gratitude</strong>! Invite every student and teacher in the school to fill out at least one star. Decorate the hall with things the people in your school are thankful for. Drawing stars is tricky! You can print these stars (page 2 of the PDF) and have students cut them out. Invite some artistic students to make a sign that says &ldquo;Thank Your Lucky&nbsp;Stars.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Here are some examples you could put on the board: <strong>I&rsquo;m thankful for +&nbsp;noun</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<p>I&rsquo;m thankful for sunshine. I&rsquo;m thankful for my teacher. I&rsquo;m thankful for my sister. I&rsquo;m thankful for books. I&rsquo;m thankful for music. I&rsquo;m thankful for peace. I&rsquo;m thankful for printable lesson plans and&nbsp;activities.</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>3. The Luck of the&nbsp;Draw</h2>

<p>Hold a drawing contest on St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day (page 3 of the PDF). Here are some possible things students can&nbsp;draw:</p>

<ul>
	<li>a leprechaun</li>
	<li>a rainbow with a pot of gold at the end of&nbsp;it</li>
	<li>a green scene<strong>*</strong></li>
	<li>their favorite character holding a four‑leaf&nbsp;clover</li>
</ul>

<p>Check out our <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/21/flashcard_categories/89" target="_blank">St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day Flashcards</a> for other&nbsp;ideas.</p>

<p>Be sure to choose the winner randomly so that your students learn the idiom &ldquo;luck of the draw.&rdquo; For the prize you could pick up some chocolate coins or give away something green. Better yet, allow the winning student to be your <strong>&ldquo;Lucky Leader&rdquo;</strong> for the week. You can let your Lucky Leader line up first or choose first for any activities you do this&nbsp;week.</p>

<p><strong>*</strong>This would be a fun time to introduce some different shades of green: forest green, mint green, turquoise, teal, olive, army green, and of course Kelly green, after the Irish name&nbsp;Kelly!</p>

<h1>Related</h1>

<p>For all of our related lessons and materials, check out our <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/5/lessons" target="_blank">Lesson Collection on&nbsp;Luck</a>!</p>


St. Patrick's Day Party Activities

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/381/Tara_St-Patricks-Day-Party-Activities_Banner.png

<p>Are your students learning about animals? Do they like to perform and show off what they&rsquo;ve learned? Here is an easy skit for your young learners to&nbsp;try. This skit has seven main characters with a few lines each. There are also a few lines for the rest of the class. Have&nbsp;fun!</p>

<h1>Characters</h1>

<ul>
	<li>Narrator</li>
	<li>Elephant</li>
	<li>Parrot</li>
	<li>Peacock</li>
	<li>Lion</li>
	<li>Polar bear</li>
	<li>Zookeeper</li>
	<li>Zoo visitors (everyone else)</li>
</ul>

<h1>Props</h1>

<ul>
	<li>Pictures of the 5 animal characters taped to sticks (scroll to end of <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2427">Zoo Animals</a> lesson for full-page flashcards)</li>
	<li>Many signs that say <em>Send the polar bear home!</em> and <em> The polar bear needs to roam!</em> and one sign that says <em>THE END</em> (print these <a href="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/211/content_Tara_So-Long-Polar-Bear_Signs.pdf">ready-made&nbsp;signs</a>)</li>
	<li>A name tag that says <em>Zookeeper</em></li>
</ul>

<h1>Script</h1>

<h2>So Long, Polar Bear</h2>

<p>Animal characters stand in the center of the stage holding the picture of their animal out for the audience to see. The animals can step forward when it&rsquo;s their turn to speak. The signs about the polar bear can be placed at their feet. The narrator stands at the side or front of the stage. The visitors (extras) stand on the other side of the stage with their polar bear signs behind their&nbsp;backs.</p>

<table class="horizontal">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>Once upon a time there was a big zoo. The biggest animal at the zoo was the&nbsp;elephant!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Elephant:</th>
			<td>This zoo is too small.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Parrot:</th>
			<td><em>[parrot voice, repeating]</em> This zoo is too small.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>The prettiest animal was the peacock.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Peacock:</th>
			<td>I&rsquo;m the prettiest animal of all.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Parrot:</th>
			<td>I&rsquo;m the prettiest animal of all.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>The loudest animal was the lion.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Lion:</th>
			<td><em>[loudly]</em> I&rsquo;m the loudest animal. Hear me roar!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Parrot:</th>
			<td>I&rsquo;m the loudest animal. Hear me&hellip;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Lion:</th>
			<td><em>[looks at parrot]</em> Roar!</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p><em>The parrot flies offstage.</em></p>

<table class="horizontal">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>The lion was the loudest, but the noisiest animal was the parrot.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p><em>The parrot flies back onstage.</em></p>

<table class="horizontal">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Parrot:</th>
			<td>The noisiest animal was the&hellip;hey!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Everyone (except parrot):</th>
			<td><em>[Laughter]</em></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>The saddest animal at the zoo was the polar bear.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Polar Bear:</th>
			<td><em>[sadly]</em> This zoo is too warm.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Everyone:</th>
			<td><em>[sadly]</em> Aww!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Parrot:</th>
			<td><em>[in a more serious voice]</em> It&rsquo;s true. This zoo is too warm for the polar bear.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Everyone:</th>
			<td>You can say that again.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Parrot:</th>
			<td>This zoo is too warm for the polar bear.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>One day, the zoo animals had a meeting.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Elephant:</th>
			<td>It&rsquo;s too warm for the polar bear at this zoo. What are we going to do?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Lion:</th>
			<td>The polar bear needs to go home.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Peacock:</th>
			<td>The polar bear needs to roam.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Parrot:</th>
			<td><em>[excitedly]</em> The polar bear needs to go home. The polar bear needs to roam.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Everyone:</th>
			<td>The polar bear needs to go home. The polar bear needs to roam.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>The zoo animals made some signs.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p><em>Animals hold up signs that say:</em> The polar bear needs to roam. Send the polar bear&nbsp;home.</p>

<table class="horizontal">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>The zoo visitors made signs&nbsp;too.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p><em>Zoo visitors walk across the stage showing their signs:</em> Send the polar bear home. The polar bear needs to&nbsp;roam.</p>

<table class="horizontal">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>One day, visitors stopped coming into the&nbsp;zoo.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p><em>Visitors walk offstage.</em></p>

<table class="horizontal">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>All of the animals were sad. The saddest animal was still the polar&nbsp;bear.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Lion:</th>
			<td>This zoo feels too quiet.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Elephant:</th>
			<td>This zoo feels too big.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Peacock:</th>
			<td>I don&rsquo;t feel pretty.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Polar Bear:</th>
			<td>I feel too hot.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Parrot:</th>
			<td>Too quiet. Too big. Too hot. Not&nbsp;pretty!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>One day, the zookeeper made a big&nbsp;announcement.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Zookeeper:</th>
			<td>We are sending the polar bear home! The polar bear needs to&nbsp;roam!</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p><em>Zoo visitors walk onstage and tear up their&nbsp;signs.</em></p>

<table class="horizontal">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Narrator:</th>
			<td>All of the animals cheered! All of the people cheered too.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Everyone:</th>
			<td>So long, Polar Bear!</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p><em>Everyone waves. The polar bear runs happily off the stage. The parrot flies across the stage with a sign that says THE&nbsp;END.</em></p>

<h1>Vocabulary</h1>

<table class="horizontal has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>Vocabulary</th>
			<th>Meaning</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>you can say that again</th>
			<td>I agree strongly</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>roam</th>
			<td>to move about freely</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>cheer</th>
			<td>to express happiness/success loudly</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>so long</th>
			<td>goodbye</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2427">Word Bank: Zoo Animals</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons">Fun Grammar Lessons: Adjectives</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons/2532">Fun Grammar Lessons: Superlatives</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/1263">Discussion Starters: Climate Change</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/72/lessons/1220">Discussion Starters: Zoos</a></li>
	<li class="flashcards"><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/14/flashcard_categories/6">Flashcards: Animals</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Find ESL Library&rsquo;s lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2427">Zoo Animals</a> in the <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/">Word Bank</a>&nbsp;section.</p>


English Skit for Young Learners: So Long, Polar Bear

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1194/Tara_So-Long-Polar-Bear_Banner.png

<p>Many countries will celebrate Valentine&#39;s Day on February 14. In some schools, it&#39;s common to participate in Valentine&#39;s Day activities like giving out cards and candy in class. Your students will also love our colorful&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2616" target="_blank">Valentine&#39;s Day</a></strong> vocabulary lesson! This lesson is suitable for young learners and literacy students. Our nine-page <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons" target="_blank">Word Bank</a> lesson includes a colorful picture dictionary with 12 Valentine&#39;s Day words. Activities such as a matchup, word choice, word search, word scramble, spelling bee, and listening activity help make this lesson engaging and fun. Finish up with the discussion questions so that your students can try using the new vocabulary in context!</p>

<p>Check out our <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/21/flashcard_categories/107" target="_blank">Valentine&#39;s Day Flashcards</a> for even more theme-based vocabulary.</p>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/4/lessons" target="_blank">Love &amp; Relationships Lesson Collection</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/1959" target="_blank">Valentine&#39;s Day &ndash; Beg </a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/1863" target="_blank">Valentine&#39;s Day &ndash; Low Int </a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/1862" target="_blank">Valentine&#39;s Day &ndash; High Int </a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2145" target="_blank">Love Idioms Poster</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/valentines-day-interview-a-love-story" target="_blank">Valentine&#39;s Day Interview: A Love Story</a></li>
</ul>


Valentine's Day Vocabulary Lesson & Flashcards

https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1598/Tanya_Grammar_Banner.png

<p>Love stories are a lot of fun when they involve people you know. This month, ask your students to interview a couple that they know. They should interview one person at a time using the same four questions (provided below). After the interview, they can practice using the simple past tense to retell the love story to their classmates. Which couple had the best love&nbsp;story?</p>

<h1>1. Choose a&nbsp;Couple</h1>

<p>Tell your students to choose a couple that they know. Here are some&nbsp;ideas:</p>

<ul>
	<li>mom &amp; dad</li>
	<li>grandma &amp; grandpa</li>
	<li>cousin &amp; boyfriend/girlfriend</li>
	<li>a married couple next door or at church/soccer</li>
	<li>teacher &amp; husband/wife</li>
</ul>

<h1>2. Interview the&nbsp;Couple</h1>

<p>Print two copies of&nbsp;the <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/105/resources/3471">Love Interview</a> for each student. Each student needs two pages so that students can interview the two people separately. They should ask each person the following four&nbsp;questions.</p>

<ol>
	<li>How did you meet (<em>sweetheart&#39;s name</em>)?</li>
	<li>Why did you like (<em>sweetheart)</em>?</li>
	<li>What&rsquo;s the best gift (<em>sweetheart</em>) ever gave&nbsp;you?</li>
	<li>Describe (<em>sweetheart</em>) in one&nbsp;word.</li>
</ol>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/105/resources/3471"><img alt="" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1180/content_Tara_A-Love-Story.jpg" /></a></p>

<h1>3. Share the Love&nbsp;Story</h1>

<p>Have your students report their findings to a classmate or the whole class as a Valentine&rsquo;s Day&nbsp;activity.</p>

<h2>Example</h2>

<ul>
	<li>My grandparents met at a grocery&nbsp;store.</li>
	<li>My grandpa liked my grandma&rsquo;s long&nbsp;hair.</li>
	<li>My grandma liked my grandpa&rsquo;s sense of&nbsp;humor.</li>
	<li>The best gift my grandma received was an engagement&nbsp;ring.</li>
	<li>The best gift my grandpa received was a subscription to a car&nbsp;magazine.</li>
	<li>The word my grandpa used to describe my grandma was&nbsp;<em>genius</em>.</li>
	<li>The word my grandma used to describe my grandpa was&nbsp;<em>joker</em>.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Optional Activity: Fact or&nbsp;Fiction?</h1>

<p>Older or more advanced learners might have fun mixing this activity up a little. During the sharing time, tell your students they can change the answers if they want to. Some of the answers can be true, and some can be made up. My students love fooling their friends&mdash;don&rsquo;t&nbsp;yours?</p>

<table class="has-borders horizontal">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;A:</th>
			<td>My grandparents met at the Olympic&nbsp;Games.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;B:</th>
			<td>I don&rsquo;t believe you!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;A:</th>
			<td>It&rsquo;s true!</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;B:</th>
			<td>Really? Why did your grandpa like your&nbsp;grandma?</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;A:</th>
			<td>My grandpa liked my grandma because she was a good&nbsp;cook.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;B:</th>
			<td>I believe that.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Student&nbsp;A:</th>
			<td>You do? I fooled you. My grandma is a terrible cook! My grandpa liked my grandma because she wore a pretty&nbsp;dress.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>The interview couple might also like to see each other&rsquo;s answers. Encourage your students to share the answers out loud with the couple&nbsp;too.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Grandpa said you met at a grocery store. Grandma said she liked your sense of&nbsp;humor.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Happy Valentine&rsquo;s Day!<br />
Tara</p>

<p>PS. I hope you&rsquo;ll come back and share a love story with us in the&nbsp;comments!</p>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons/2504">Simple Past Lesson</a></li>
	<li class="collection"><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/4/lessons">Love &amp; Relationships</a></li>
	<li class="flashcards"><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/21/flashcard_categories/107">Valentine&rsquo;s Day Flashcards</a></li>
</ul>
