Body and shapes 1 lesson plan
“Touch your toes!”
Lesson 10 Level 1 Age 3-5
Lesson plans for ESL kids teachers
Lesson 10
Body and shapes 1
This lesson introduces parts of the body and some simple shapes. Students learn some new vocabulary and play fun games and activities.
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Materials:
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Age: 3-5 years
Time: 40 mins – 1 hour
Objectives: Identify and recognize 4 body parts and 2 shapes.
Structures: “What is it?”, “Which part of the body is that?”, “Touch your …”.
New vocabulary: head, shoulders, knees, toes, square, circle, bag.
Review vocabulary: numbers 1-10, [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us].
Lesson materials
Flashcards:
- head, shoulders, knees, toes
Printables:
- Square and circle trace worksheet
- Square and circle body worksheet
Songs:
- Hello song
- Goodbye song
- The numbers song
Readers:
- Numbers 1-10
Supplies:
- name tags for each student
- a glove puppet
- [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] crayons / pencils
- plastic fruit
- a large cloth bag
- squares and circles cut out of [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] card
- cushions (1 per student)
- device to play the songs on
Students learn some body and shape vocabulary and play lots of fun games.
Lesson procedure:
Warm up and maintenance:
1. Greetings
Greet the students by name as they enter the classroom and gesture for them to sit down (on cushions if you have them) in a fan-shape around you.
2. Name tags
Before class, prepare some name tags (stickers or pin-on tags) with each student’s name written in dots or dashes in lower case letters. Sit down with your students and lay out the name tags in front of you. Pick up each tag and encourage the student to recognize his/her name. Do this for everyone.
Finally, have everyone take out a crayon or pencil and trace their name on their tags and stick them on.
3. Glove puppet greetings
Bring out your glove puppet bag and have everyone shout “Hello!“ into the bag until he wakes up and jumps out of the bag. Then model talking to the glove puppet …
Teacher: “Hello”, What’s your name?”
Puppet: “My name is…”.
Puppet: “How are you?”
Teacher: “I’m fine, thank you”.
… and then have the puppet say hello to each student and ask them the same questions.
Finally, go around saying “Goodbye” and “See you” before going back into the bag to sleep.
4. Sing the “Hello song”
Sit in a circle and sing the song (clap along or pat knees).
Lyrics for the “Hello song”
Hello, hello,
How are you today?
Hello, hello,
How are you today?
I’m fine, thank you,
I’m fine, thank you,
I’m fine, thank you,
And how about you?
Hello, hello,
How are you today?
I’m fine, thank you,
And how about you?
Gestures for the “Hello song”
These are quite straight forward. First time you play the song do the gestures and encourage everyone to do them with you.
- Wave as you sing the “Hello, hello” parts.
- Gesture to others as you sing, “How are you today?”
- Point to yourself as you sing, “I’m fine, thank you”
- Hand gesture towards another student as you sing, “And how about you?”.
[hide_on_uk]Short sample (members get full-length song):
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[hide_on_us]Short sample (members get full-length song):
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5. Homework check
Check each student’s homework that you set in the last lesson. Ask each student some questions about their homework worksheet (e.g. “How many melons are there?”), give lots of praise, and then put some kind of mark on the homework sheet (e.g. a sticker, a stamp or draw a smiley face).
Finally, tell your students to put their homework back into their bags.
6. Do “Exercise routine” activity
Say the following and have the students follow your lead:
- “Stand up” (Teacher stands and so does everyone else)
- “Hands up / hands down” (do 4 or 5 times)
- “Jump” (4 or 5 times)
- “Kick” (4 or 5 times)
- “Run! / Stop!” (4 or 5 times)
- “Turn around! / Stop!” (4 or 5 times)
- “Wiggle” (a few seconds)
- finally “Sit down”.
7. Sing “The numbers song”
Get everyone to stand up and march along and do the actions. Make sure you do the actions with your students so that they can follow you and copy what you are doing.
Lyrics for “The numbers song”
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Jump!
6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 Jump!
Turn around and clap your hands
And jump!
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Kick!
6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 Kick!
Turn around and clap your hands
And kick!
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Wiggle!
6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 Wiggle!
Turn around and clap your hands
And wiggle!
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Jump!
6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 Kick!
Turn around and clap your hands
And Jump!
Kick!
Wiggle!
And Jump!
Gestures for “The numbers song”
First time you play the song do the gestures and encourage everyone to do them with you.
- As the music is in a marching-style, start off with everyone marching enthusiastically on the spot to the rhythm.
- Whilst marching, count off the numbers on your fingers as the numbers are sung.
- Do each action word (e.g. jump, turn around, clap your hands, etc.) at the point they are sung in the song.
[hide_on_uk]Short sample (members get full-length song):
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[hide_on_us]Short sample (members get full-length song):
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8. Read classroom reader “Numbers 1-10”
Before class, download and print off the reader “Numbers 1-10”. Let’s read this fun story again!
Get the students really involved in the story by asking lots of questions such as what colors the animals are and the funny things they are doing.
Alternatively, watch our video version of the reader (Internet connection required).
9. Do the “What’s in the bag?” activity
This is a fun vocabulary building activity you can do each lesson as part of your warm-up routine. You’ll need a large cloth bag and put some plastic fruit from the previous lesson inside. Also throw in 2 other objects (e.g. a crayon, a plastic bottle, a sock, a paper cup, a leaf, a ball, a teddy, etc. – anything lying around (and safe!)).
Show the bag to your students, shake it to rattle the objects inside, and ask, “What’s in the bag?”. Pull out the fruit first and elicit them, followed by the 2 different objects and teach/elicit the words – in each case, have students hold and pass the fruit and objects around. You can even have students pull the objects out of the bag instead of you taking them out – with eyes closed to make it fun! Make sure you have at least 1 or 2 fruit/objects in your bag per student.
Finally, place/throw the objects around the classroom and have each student retrieve an object as you call out its name and put it back in the bag.
Each week, we’ll add 2-3 more objects to the objects already in the bag and slowly remove the fruit, so that in a couple of months you’ll have a bag full of new objects – and the students will know the vocabulary for all of them!
New learning and practice:
1. Teach 4 body parts
This lesson we’ll learn 4 body parts and add to them next lesson. Before class, prepare flashcards for head, shoulders, knees and toes.
Slowly reveal each flashcard card so students can guess what the picture is. Then, have your students touch their part of the body (so, when you show the “head” picture get everyone to touch their heads). Chorus each word 3x and ask your students to individually say each word.
2. Practice the body vocabulary
Lay the 4 flashcards that you have just used in front of you, facing your students (or lined up on the board). Randomly touch each card and have your students touch that part of their body and say the word. Do a final, faster round.
3. Play “Teacher says”
This is the game “Simon says” but using the word “teacher“ instead. Go straight into the game (no explanations necessary) by saying, “Teacher says touch your (knees)”. Do the action and make sure everyone else follows along. Do a few more.
Then at some point give a command without the “Teacher says” part (e.g. “Touch your toes”). Everyone will touch their toes, so make it very clear that they shouldn’t do this when you don’t say “Teacher says”.
After a while your students will get the hang of it. Play the game faster and faster. When a student makes a mistake, they have to sit the rest of the game out. The last student standing is the winner.
4. 5-minute play time
This is an optional segment that can be part of all your lessons at this level. Allow your students to play with any games or toys you have. If possible, use large tubs or boxes to hold the toys and bring them out for a few minutes each lesson. Tubs filled with animals, plastic fruit, building blocks, kitchen sets, plastic food, cars & vehicles, Mr. Potato Head dolls and so on.
Encourage your students to ask you for the toy they want to play with, circulate during the play time and ask students about their toys. It’s also a good opportunity for a quick rest room break!
5. Teach shapes “square” and “circle”
Before class, cut out 4 squares and 4 circles from some [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] card.
Start off by showing the square and teaching / chorusing “square”. Hand the square to a student who says, “square” and passes it on to another, each student saying “square” as they pass it around. Next, do this for the circle shape.
You can also elicit [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] and sizes (e.g. a “big, yellow, square”, “a small, blue circle”, etc.).
6. Play “Missing shape” and “Shape touch”
Put all the square and circle shapes on the floor and gather everyone around. Tell everyone to close their eyes. Take away one shape and say, “Open your eyes”. Everyone must guess which shape is missing.
With the shapes still on the floor, say, “Hands up in the air!” – once all hands are up say, “Touch a (green) circle” – and have everyone quickly touch (not slam!) a green circle. Do this for all of the shapes.
8. Do “Square and circle trace” worksheet
Hold up the worksheet and model tracing and [hide_on_uk]coloring[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colouring[/hide_on_us] in the shapes – elicit the shapes and [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] as you do so. Have your students take out their crayons and complete their worksheets. Spend time with each student, helping, asking questions and praising.
Finally, hold up each student’s work in turn and ask them to tell you the shapes and [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us].
Tell your students to put their worksheets into their bags.
Wrap up:
1. Assign homework: “Square and circle body“
Hold up the homework worksheet and model matching and [hide_on_uk]coloring[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colouring[/hide_on_us] in the shapes. Give out the worksheets and say, “Put your homework in your bags” and help them to do so – this is important as they will probably want to start [hide_on_uk]coloring[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colouring[/hide_on_us] them right away.
2. Say goodbye to the glove puppet
Take out the bag again and get everyone to wake up the glove puppet by shouting its name into the bag (e.g. “Cookie Monster!”). Bring out the puppet and go through the same routine – go to each student and say hello, ask their name and the say goodbye / see you. Then put the puppet back in the bag (back to sleep).
3. Sing the “Goodbye song”
Sit together in a circle and sing and clap along.
Lyrics for the “Goodbye song”
Goodbye, goodbye,
See you again.
Goodbye, goodbye,
See you again.
It’s time to go,
It’s time to go,
It’s time to go,
See you next time.
Goodbye, goodbye,
See you again.
It’s time to go,
See you next time.
Gestures for the “Goodbye song”
These are quite straight forward. First time you play the song do the gestures and encourage everyone to do them with you.
- Wave as you sing the “Goodbye, goodbye” parts.
- Hold your hand above your eyes (as you would when you are looking into the distance and keeping the sun out of your eyes) and look at another student as you sing, “See you again”.
- Tap watch (or imaginary watch) and then point to the door as you sing, “It’s time to go”.
- Point towards another student as you sing, “See you next time”.
[hide_on_uk]Short sample (members get full-length song):
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[hide_on_us]Short sample (members get full-length song):
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4. Do “Quick check” and say goodbye
Time to leave the class. Make sure everything is put away and the students have gathered their belongings. Have them line up at the door and place yourself between the door and the students.
For each student hold up the worksheet from today’s lesson and ask them to say both shapes and their [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us].
When they answer correctly say goodbye and let them leave. If they make a mistake, have them go back to the end of the line – they will have to try again once they reach the front!
Other lesson plans
Levels:
Level 1 lessons (Age 3-5)
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Level 3 lessons (Age 7-9)
Level 4 lessons (Age 9-12)
Mini lessons (all ages)
Lessons in this level:
- Intro lesson
- [hide_on_uk]Colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]Colours[/hide_on_us] & fruit 1
- [hide_on_uk]Colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]Colours[/hide_on_us] & fruit 2
- [hide_on_uk]Colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]Colours[/hide_on_us] & fruit 3
- [hide_on_uk]Colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]Colours[/hide_on_us] & fruit 4
- Fruit and counting 1
- Fruit and counting 2
- Fruit and counting 3
- Review lesson: [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us], fruit and counting
- Body and shapes 1
- Body and shapes 2
- Body and shapes 3
- Body and shapes 4
- Review lesson: Body, shapes and [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us]
- Farm animals 1
- Farm animals 2
- Zoo animals 1
- Zoo animals 2
- Classroom objects and toys 1
- Classroom objects and toys 2
- Classroom objects and toys 3
- Review lesson: Animals, classroom objects, toys
- Our world 1
- Our world 2
- Weather 1
- Weather 2
- Clothes 1
- Clothes 2
- Vegetables and likes 1
- Vegetables and likes 2
- Vegetables and likes 3
- Review lesson: Our world, weather, clothes, vegetables
- Feelings and emotions 1
- Feelings and emotions 2
- Directions
- Wheels on the bus
- Review lesson: feelings, directions, wheels on the bus
Special lessons:
- Christmas lesson
- Halloween lesson
- Easter lesson
- Thanksgiving lesson
