Vocabulary Lesson Plan

VOCABULAR LESSON PLAN

CLASS PROFILE
Ss EFL Level:
Ss Age:
Class Size:
Type of Class:
Topic:

Advanced
Adolescents (16 +)
10 SS
General English
Obesity an ongoing epidemic

Lesson Objective:
Language skills Vocabulary words and
expressions relative with
obesity and nutrition
problems. By the end of the lesson SS will be able to
comprehend a new vocabulary and use it in context. SS
will be able to use this information (vocabulary, key
expressions, and relative topics vocabulary) regarding
the topic of obesity and relative topics as nutrition. It
would be very useful for them in order to practice to
speaking and writing skills.
Equipment Needed: Handouts, Blackboard,
Presentations
Duration of the lesson plan: 50 minutes

Microsoft

PowerPoint

1. WARM-UP (5 minutes)
Materials: Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation
Interaction:
Whole class
Aim:
Introduce target topic in a real-life situation. Engage students
to
spark interest.
The T enters the classroom and says to SS that they are going to see a
small Presentation.
T while showing the Presentation with the title of the passage / text that is
going to follow read the titles of the slides and leaves SS to think about
the presented pictures. The title of the presentation is as it has already
been said Obesity: A Health Bomb. As their level of the language
knowledge is advanced, they are likely to know the meaning of the word
obesity. If they dont, pictures will help them to be warmed up of the
text that follows.
T then leaves each student to say their feeling / reaction about the
pictures that they just saw. For example what would SS choose to eat if
they had to choose between a hamburger an apple at school / university /
work. Or what their opinion is about eating out.

Vocabulary Lesson Plan

Rationale:
The warm-up stage is related to the presentation of the main subject. In
this warm up stage the activity T needs to listen to their reaction and
express their initial feelings about the relevant. pictures. The pictures of
the presentation actually introduce the subject of obesity and nutrition in
general.
2. Pre Reading Activity 1 (5 minutes)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:

Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation

Pairs
Presentation of target structure
through the given mini pair work task

T after the warm up stage of the lesson can continue to help SS to be

engaged with the topic theme which is obesity. T asks from SS to see the
Presentation on the classrooms wall, and work in pair discussing about
the possible problems obesity can cause to people in their everyday life.
At the same Presentation they can see as they speak to each other the
slide with the useful words or expresses. With this help, T shows and helps
SS with the meaning of obesity.
The SS take some time (5 minutes) in order to think and express their
opinion about this question.
At this point T is the monitor of this activity and records what SS say about
this subject.
Rationale:
This pre-reading activity helps students to deal with the meaning of the
word obesity and the people who suffer from it. The given words can help
them a lot to understand more about this word and relative vocabulary
items.
3. Pre Reading Activity 2 ( 5-6 minutes)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:

Exercise Typed by the T (File: Pre Teach Essential

Vocabulary.doc)
Pairs
Present key vocabulary that students need either to
understand the key points in the text or to understand
and/or answer any questions that you'll set them later in
the lesson.

Vocabulary Lesson Plan

T asks from SS to read carefully the exercise and then match the words
with the definition they imagine or they think is correct.
SS work in groups for 3 minutes and then T asks from the 5 groups to
check their answers. When SS have done as much as they can, if they
have dictionaries, ask them to look up
the words to check their answers and to find out the definitions of any
words they are not
sure of. If they don't have dictionaries, T can check their answers and give
them help with any words they aren't sure of.
T asks from SS to read on their own the given material (Unit 1 Whos got
the money?) and
Rationale:
The vocabulary that T gives to SS through a matching activity helps SS to
see some basic vocabulary which is essential to understand the text that
follows.
Correction Strategy:
The number of the words may be small but for an advanced level of SS,
the text that follows does not have much difficult vocabulary. If the
definitions are not comprehensible, T could explain them by using
synonyms or use examples in context.
3. Reading Stage
(Approximately 20 minutes)
3.1 Text reading stage (10 minutes)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:

Photocopied material (File: Obesity: The Health

Time-Bomb)
Individually / Pairs
To understand the meaning and the message of
the text.

T asks from SS to read the text and then in pairs express themselves
about how obesity could be avoided. During this phase, T monitors and
records SS opinions, in order to see if they have understood the meaning
of the text. SS do not need to know all the lexical items to understand the
text.
Rationale:
T gives the text to SS to read it and expects that they will get the gist. SS
can understand the text easily since they are in an advanced level.
Correction Strategy:

Vocabulary Lesson Plan

In case some pairs cannot communicate each other, T who monitors

can help and participate in their conversation in order to get them
engaged with the process.
3.2. Questions (5 minutes)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:

Photocopied material (File:

Questions)
Pairs
To understand the subject of the text.

Skimming

T gives to SS a paper sheet with some statements regarding obesity. SS

are asked to answer if these are correct or not based on the given text.
When then T checks their answers (D and E are correct statements), ask
them there is any word that may confuse them and make it difficult to see
the True Statements.
Rationale:
Through this reading style activity SS practice the texts vocabulary items
and can even deal with new lexical items. Learning vocabulary through a
text is far more educative than just learn definitions of new words or
expressions.
Correction Strategy.
If this pair work is not so engaging for SS, T should ask them if there is
something the text did not mention or they dont agree with.
3.3 Synonyms Synonym expressions (5 minutes maximum)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:

Photocopied material (File: In other words)

Pairs
To understand the subject of the text.

T here gives to SS a photocopied worksheet. Some words and phrases are

bold and T asks them to think the alternative way of saying some maybe
confusing words. SS work in pairs again, T monitors and they can give
them help if they need so. Then they check their answers with the other
groups / pairs.
Rationale:

Vocabulary Lesson Plan

Giving synonyms which can replace these bold words and expressions in
the text means that SS understood the meaning of these words and
phrases and can give an alternative definition. It is a very communicative
activity for SS. They are free to think their own way about a word or
expression in the text without changing the meaning.
Correction Strategy:
There is a high possibility of not finding some words or expressions
synonyms. If so, T can let them use a dictionary and find which of the
meanings could match in each sentence if the text.
4. Vocabulary Activity (5 minutes)
Materials:
Photocopied paper sheet (File: Opposites)
Interaction:
Pairs
Aim:
To practice with the topics vocabulary
T divides SS into five groups. Ask each group to find out if there are
opposite words or phrases in the text. This activity helps SS to practice
with the new lexical items and the phrases in the text. Moreover, SS can
develop their whole language progress.
Rationale:
Trying to find opposites can help in practicing with the definition of lexical
items. Not only as opposite words as T teaches in first grades but as
meaning in the text.
Correction Strategy:
There is a possibility of SS getting bored with this procedure. The other
plan is make them see another very important article about how we can
see
if
we
suffer
from
obesity
(http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/risk.htm).
5. Post Text Stage (5 minutes)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:

No material
Classroom
To practice with the topics vocabulary and
express oneself

T leaves freer the SS in order to express their opinion about the big health
problem of obesity. They can ask them the follow questions:
- Do you believe that obese people can change their lives? Is so, in
what way?
- Do you believe that junk food must have similar warnings as
cigarette packets?
- How can we avoid being obese?
SS say individually their opinion and there is a discussion in the classroom.

Vocabulary Lesson Plan

Rationale:
SS express their ideas based on what they have read in the text and what
they believe about the specific topic.
Correction Strategy:
In case SS are not engaged or they cannot express any idea regarding the
topic, T can switch the theme to a more interesting subject which is more
personal: What do they do in their everyday life? They eat out of house or
they use to cook and eat homemade meal.
6. Feedback (4 minutes)
Materials:
Interaction:
Aim:

Notes written by SS while discussing in the

lesson / Blackboard
Classroom
Practice with the new topic vocabulary

T asks from SS to find tips for healthy diet and physical activity (from
magazines or the
Internet). Elicit what kinds of tips are given in these lists (a mixture of
changing eating
habits and increasing exercise).
Tell them they are going to devise their own top-ten list of these tips.
They should think about who their audience is (young mums, older
people, people
who work in offices).
Students work together in groups of 5 SS per group.
T describes the whole assignment structure, writes on board some key
words (nutrition, food pyramid, exercise, water, countryside life)
SS can copy these words and they can add more giving their opinion
during the lesson.
T also elicits from SS the organization of the essay. (Introductory
paragraph Thesis Statement Main Body Topic Sentence Elaboration
Concluding paragraph)
Rationale:
This process is necessary in order to make SS to get practice with the
topics vocabulary, to find new similar words, and to improve their Writing
sub-skills.
Correction Strategy:
In this case, T sees if SS like this assignment for homework and asks them
to be freer in their assignment. The correction will be done after the SS
bring (next lesson) their assignment.