Our world 1 lesson plan

“Sun in the sky”

Lesson 15 Level 2 Age 5-7

Lesson plans for ESL kids teachers

Lesson 15

Our world 1

In this lesson students are introduced to common vocabulary related to nature, specifically objects in the sky. They play lots of games and activities based around this theme and do a fun craft activity.

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This is a full course lesson plan.

Materials:

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Age: 5-7 years
Time: 50 mins – 1 hour 10 mins
Objectives: Talking about objects in the sky.
Structures: “What’s this?”, “What [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] is this?”.
New vocabulary: white, black, sky, land, sun, cloud, rainbow, moon, stars, day, night.
Review vocabulary: [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us], toys, animals.

Lesson materials

Flashcards:

Animals: cow, dog, sheep, duck, pig, lion, elephant, monkey, tiger, snake, bird, zebra, bear, panda

Printables:

Sky picture worksheet

Songs:

Hello song
Goodbye song
The rainbow song

Supplies:

[hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] pencils
name tags for each student
a glove puppet
a large cloth bag
[hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] origami papers or other [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] papers
toys and farm/zoo animals from previous lessons
a sheet of white paper (A3 or bigger if possible)
a picture showing a scene with the sky and land
a large sheet of construction paper / card
[hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] paints and paintbrushes
a potato cut into 2 halves
[hide_on_uk]absorbent cotton[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]cotton wool[/hide_on_us]
silver glitter and glue
cushions (1 per student)
device to play the songs on

Notes:

In this lesson students start learning vocabulary related to nature, specifically objects in the sky. There are lots of games and activities based around this theme including a fun craft activity to do with a partner.

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
By now your students shouldn’t have any problems writing their names, so there is no need to give them name cards to copy from. However, keep their name cards handy, just in case some students still have problems.

Simply give a blank name tag to each student to write their name on in pencil and stick it on.

Introduce glove puppet - greetings and introductions activity

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 chatting with the glove puppet …

Puppet: “Hello”, What’s your name?”
Teacher: “My name is…”.
Puppet: “How are you?”
Teacher: “I’m fine, thank you”.
Puppet: “How old are you?”
Teacher: “I’m …”.

… and then have the puppet say hello to each student and ask them the same questions, including their age.

Finally, go around saying “Goodbye” and “See you” before going back into the bag and back 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):
 [/hide_on_uk]

[hide_on_us]Short sample (members get full-length song):
 [/hide_on_us]

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. “What’s this?”, “What [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] are the balloons?”, etc.), 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. Do the “What’s in the bag?” activity
Time for the bag again. Before class, put a couple of new 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!)) into the bag.

Show the bag to your students, shake it to rattle the objects inside, and ask, “What’s in the bag?”.

Randomly pull out different objects and teach/elicit the words – in each case, have students hold and pass the 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!

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.

8 Play “Where are the toys?”
Let’s review the vocab from last lesson with a familiar game. Hold up a toy or animal from a previous lesson (flashcards or objects) and elicit the word. Get everyone to close their eyes – place the toy/animal on or near a classroom object.

Say, “Open your eyes. Where is the (ball)?”. Students have to quickly look, point and say the classroom object it is on or near. Continue for all the toys and animals.

New learning and practice:

1. Review and teach new colors and sing “The rainbow song”
We are going to review [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] as well as introduce 2 new [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us]: white and black. Let’s start with the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] everyone is familiar with from “The rainbow song”. Prepare the following pieces [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] paper (origami paper works great) before class:

(for the song) red, yellow, pink, green, purple, orange, blue
(other colors) brown, white, black

Start by holding up the red piece of paper and elicit the [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us]. Chorus the word and then let some students touch the paper as they say the word. Do this for all the rainbow song [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] in the order of the song.

Next, lay the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] on the floor and have everyone sit on the floor in front of you facing the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us]. Play the song and sing along, pointing at each [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] as it is sung.

Lyrics for “The rainbow song”

Verse 1:
Red and yellow and pink and green,
Purple and orange and blue.
I can sing a rainbow,
Sing a rainbow,
Sing a rainbow too.

Verse 2:
Red apples and yellow sun,
Pink flowers in the green grass.
Purple grapes and orange carrots,
A rainbow high in the blue sky.

Verse 3:
Red and yellow and pink and green,
Purple and orange and blue.
I can sing a rainbow,
Sing a rainbow,
Sing a rainbow too.

Gestures for “The rainbow song”

There are a number of activities you can do as you sing along to the song:

Simply pat your knees or clap in time with the music as you sing the song.
Give each student a print out of “The rainbow song” song poster. As they sing along they touch each [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] or picture.
Give out the 7 [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] to students ([hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] paper, origami paper, [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] blocks, [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] pencils – anything will do) and have students touch the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] in time with the song.
Put [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] paper up around the walls of the classroom. Have all of your students point to each [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] as it is sung.

[hide_on_uk]Short sample (members get full-length song):
 [/hide_on_uk]

[hide_on_us]Short sample (members get full-length song):
 [/hide_on_us]

Finally, hold up each of the other three paper [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] (brown, white, black), chorus and pass around the class – with students saying each word as they pass the paper. Everyone should know brown from a previous lesson; black and white are new [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us].

2. Play “[hide_on_uk]Color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]Colour[/hide_on_us] touch”
Walk around the room and stick the pieces of [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] paper to the walls as you walk around. Say each [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] word as you stick them onto the walls and make sure they are at a level your students can reach.

Now model the game: say, “Touch green!” and show everyone how you look around the walls for the green paper, then run and touch it. Encourage your students to do the same.

Now have everyone stand up in the middle of the room. Say different [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] as your students run around touching the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us].

3. Do “Abstract art picture“ activity
Get a big piece of blank paper (A3 or bigger if possible). Have everyone sit in a circle around the paper with their crayons. Say, “Everyone draw a (blue) line”, and model taking out a blue crayon, drawing a nice blue line on the paper and then putting the crayon back into your pencil case. Get everyone to follow suit. Continue with all the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us].

In the end you will have a nice abstract piece of artwork that you can pin to the classroom wall!

4. Read and write time
This segment can be part of all your lessons. Spend 10 to 15 minutes building up your students’ writing and reading skills. You’ll need to assess your students’ reading/writing level and then choose to start at one of the following stages:

Reading and writing activities by level:

1. Beginners: students cannot read or write the alphabet.
Each lesson introduce 3 lower-case letters of the alphabet (first lesson will be a, b, c). Use flashcards to do this. Play alphabet games and do printing worksheets.
» See our ‘Alphabet a-z (lowercase)’ mini-lesson plans for full details.

2. Early starters: students have experience with the alphabet but need phonics practice.
Each lesson introduce 5 lower-case letters of the alphabet (first lesson will be a, b, c, d, e). Use flashcards to do this. Start by working on the sounds of the letters and then move onto letter clusters (e.g. sh, ee, etc).
» See our ‘Alphabet’ and ‘Letter clusters’ mini-lesson plans for full details.

3. Early readers.
Work on reading and writing simple sentences with lots of practice activities.
» See our ‘Early reading’ mini-lesson plans for full details. (click on “Early reading” tab)

4. Elementary readers: students can read and write simple sentences well.
Work on reading and writing short texts and stories.
» See our ‘Reading short texts’ mini-lessons for full details. (click on “Reading short texts” tab)

5. Teach new vocabulary “sky” and “land”
Before class, find a picture in a book or magazine which shows a scene with the sky and land. Using this picture, point to the sky and chorus “sky” 3 times. Then say, “Let’s touch the sky!” and jump as high as you can and mime touching the sky. Get everyone to copy you.

Then point to the land in the picture and chorus “land” 3 times. Say, “Let’s touch the land!” and crouch down and touch the ground, with everyone else following along.

Next, line everyone up and shout out instructions, “Touch the sky!”, “Touch the land!” with everyone jumping and crouching down. Make a game of it by going quickly but sometimes calling out sky or land twice in a row.

6. Do “Sky craft”
This lesson we’ll focus on the sky – next lesson we’ll learn about the land. Before class, prepare a large sheet of construction paper / card and paint the left-half blue (day sky) and the right-half black (night sky). This will be your craft paper. You’ll also need a sheet of paper (A3 if possible) for each pair of students, also painted blue/black.

To create the crafts, you’ll also need colored paints and paintbrushes, a potato cut into 2 halves, some [hide_on_uk]absorbent cotton[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]cotton wool[/hide_on_us], silver glitter and glue.

Start by taping your day/night card to the board and give each pair a blue/black painted sheet. Begin on the day side (left) of your card: take a potato half and paint the face yellow – then press this onto the card to create a sun. Use your paintbrush to paint the rays coming out of the sun. Ask, “What’s this?” and teach/elicit “sun”. Chorus x3. Then pass the potato around the class, having pairs paint it yellow and press onto their sheets to make a sun.

Continue making your craft having everyone follow you and chorusing the new vocabulary:

day: absorbent cotton and glue = make clouds, colored paint = paint a rainbow
night: potato half and white paint = make a moon, glue and glitter = make stars

When finished, have everyone hold up their craft sheets and ask individual students what some of the objects are.

7. Play “Day / Night run“
Now for a fun game. You are going to say the words for the objects on your craft and have students run to a side of the classroom that represents day or night. On one side of the room stick a sun picture on the wall, high enough for everyone to touch. On the opposite side stick up a moon picture.

For each picture, chorus x3:

sun … day
moon … night

Gesture waking up for “day” and sleeping for “night” as you teach/chorus. Then model the activity: point to the stars on your craft sheet, say “stars” and point to the two pictures on the wall. Then run to the moon picture and touch it, shouting “night” as you do so. Do the same thing, but this time for “clouds”, running and touching the sun picture and shouting “day”.

Now have everyone stand up and gather in the middle of the classroom. Say a word from the craft sheet (e.g. rainbow) and have everyone run to the sun picture, touch it and shout “day!”.

Continue for all the words on your craft … it will be hectic but a lot of fun!

Wrap up:

1. Assign homework: “Sky picture” worksheet
Hold up the homework worksheet – this is a simple [hide_on_uk]coloring[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colouring[/hide_on_us] activity. Model [hide_on_uk]coloring[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colouring[/hide_on_us] in the different sky objects, saying the word for each as you [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us].

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 working on them 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):
 [/hide_on_uk]

[hide_on_us]Short sample (members get full-length song):
 [/hide_on_us]

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 craft you made today and point to an object and ask, “What is this?”.

When they say the words 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!