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October Topic: Thanksgiving!

It's that special time of the year again when many Canadians celebrate THANKSGIVING - a time for giving thanks for the bountiful harvest and for all the other blessings in life. Even as Canadians take part in roasting turkeys and baking pumpkin pies, people in America are celebrating COLUMBUS DAY - a day for commemorating one of the first European travelers, Christopher Columbus, and his arrival to the New World in 1492. In other parts of the world, countries have been busy with their own HARVEST FESTIVALS  to celebrate all the successful harvests on their land. No matter what part of the world you're in, this time of the year provides ESL students with a bit of history and a lot of vocabulary!  

October Suggested Topics and Themes

There is a lot to talk about in the month of October!  It's Vegetarian Day on Oct 1st and a busy week next week with World Animal Day on Oct 4th, World Habitat Day on the 5th and World Egg Day on the 9th. But, the big topics this month will be Thanksgiving celebrated here in Canada and the U.K. on Monday, Oct 14th as well as Halloween on Oct 31st. Be sure to check out October ESL Planning Themes and 

Topics here and follow ESL Made Easy for updated posts on recommended links to free ESL activities!

More Changes Coming...

It's that time of the year again when the hours of daylight become shorter if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. For those of you who enjoy cooler days and nights, the changing color of leaves, and wearing warm fuzzy sweaters, you don't have long to wait. 

This year, the Autumn Equinox is on Sunday, September 22nd, or depending on where you live, September 23rd. Many of us recognize this time to welcome the change of seasons with traditional celebrations, symbols and festivities. And with that, comes plenty of vocabulary words and activities you can do with your ESL students.

 

Warm-up Questions:

1. Does your country recognize the autumn or spring equinox at this time of the year?
2. What is your favorite season and why? Has your preference changed over the years?
3. Do you think people are affected emotionally, mentally, or physically by the change of seasons?
4. What are some things in people's lives that change with the change of seasons?

 

RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR YOUR ESL STUDENTS:

Earth Sky: Everything you need to know about the September Equinox 

StickyBall: "Fall" phrasal verbs - definitions and worksheet 

ESL Printables: Autumn worksheets:  *lesson sharing site

Bogglesworld ESL: Autumn words bingo cards
Bogglesworld ESL: Autumn worksheets and activities

EL Civics: Autumn powerpoint with picture vocabulary and sentences
English For Students: Fall and autumn vocabulary 
ESOL Courses: Online quizzes, lessons and games about autumn 
Live Science: 5 odd facts about autumn 
Teach-Nology: Reading comprehension worksheet about the autumn season 
Worksheet Library: Acrostic poem - FALL 
Anglomaniacy: Autumn worksheets 
DLTK-Holidays: Autumn puzzles 
English Worksheets Land: Autumn worksheet - practice possessives 
English for Everyone: Autumn worksheet
Educator Worksheets: Reading and comprehension worksheet on the autumn season  
ESL Pod: Listening lesson - things associated with autumn 
ESL Tower: Worksheets on the four seasons 
ISL Collective: Autumn worksheet  *Donation site

Can Teach: Fall poems

June Suggested Topics and Themes

The world needs BEES and there's been a lot of buzz about them lately! Did you know that in North America, one third of the food we consume wouldn't exist without bees and other pollinators?

 

Unfortunately, the global population of bees and other key pollinators is dropping dramatically and scientists are struggling to understand the causes, impacts and potential solutions. A great thing to get your ESL students talking about might be ‎the sort of changes that are affecting the bee population (e.g., loss of habitat, pesticides and even viruses)!

Find recommended links for your ESL students here!

Happy Mother's Day!

Sunday, May12th marks a special appreciation day for mothers! Get your students talking about the roles of mothers in the family and in society as well as the modern history behind this well-known celebration.

RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR ESL STUDENTS AROUND THE TOPIC MOTHER'S DAY:

EL Civics: Mother's Day picture vocabulary lesson with activities
DLTK-Holidays: Mother's Day worksheets
Jennifer ESL: A mini video lesson on Mother's Day
ESL Fast: Mother's Day short reading/listening
History: The history of Mother's Day - video
Ellii: Podcast and follow up worksheets on Mother's Day  membership site
ESL Holiday Lessons: Mother's Day reading with follow up activities
My English Page: Mother idioms
ESOL Courses: Online Mother's Day reading and activities
ESL Discussions: Discussion questions on Mothers
Learning English With Michelle: Mother's Day songs and poems with follow up activities
Mother's Day Celebration: Mother's Day poems

See What Moms Really Want for Mother's Day by Plum District (Infographics Archive)

Earth Day - Suggested Themes and Topics!

Earth Day, not to be confused with Earth Hour, is an annual environmental event held on April 22nd. Worldwide celebrations and campaigns are held to honor our mother Earth and to create an awareness of key global issues our planet is facing today. Get your students to learn more about Earth Day here and have them talk about the world around them and what we can all do to help preserve and protect it for future generations!

See 2 Degree Celsius: A Critical Number for Climate Change video on here.

RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR ESL STUDENTS AROUND THE TOPIC OF EARTH DAY:

Bogglesworld ESL: A word building activity on the words Earth Day
My English Page: Reading comprehension activity on Earth Day
Earth Day: A reading on the history of the first Earth Day
History: Earth Day videos and articles
The Holiday Zone: Activities and worksheets on Earth Day
ESL Discussions: Discussion questions around the topic "Earth"
Ellii: Earth Day lesson plan with activities
ESL Holiday Lessons: Earth Day reading with follow up activities

EL Civics: Earth Day picture vocabulary lesson
Little Explorers: Quiz on Earth Day using first letters
English Exercises: Earth Day vocabulary activity
LHRIC: Earth Day fill in the blanks quiz
Teach-Nology: Earth Day worksheets and activities
ESL Flow: Environmental issues and problems lesson plans and worksheets
Breaking News English: Reading lessons around the topic of the environment
DLTK-Kids: Earth Day songs, poems and quotes

Happy International Women's Day!

International Women's Day  is March 8th! This year's theme, Inspire Inclusion, encourages pledging towards women and girls worldwide to help them achieve their ambitions and to lessen the gap between gender inequality. Various events and traditions will be taking place to honour and celebrate women's rights and achievements worldwide. Take the time to explore this global event with your ESL students and get them talking about the progress made, as well as the struggles that many women still face today.

RECOMMENDED LINKS AROUND THE TOPIC OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY:

5 Minute English: Vocabulary and grammar exercise
ESL Video: Video with comprehension questions on IWD
Women in World History: Reading about the past and the present
Have Fun With Your English: IWD Poem (video and script) by Maya Angelou
BBC: An interactive quiz on women's rights in British history
News In Levels: International Women's Days - Listening and vocabulary
ESL Holiday Lessons: A reading with follow up activities on IWD
My English Pages: Vocabulary related to women rights and equality
My English Papers: Seven Women Who Changed the World - reading
The Holiday Spot: A crossword puzzle on IWD with answers
ISL Collective: Worksheets on IWD  donation site
International Women's Day: Resources for International Women's Day

February is Here!

February is a busy month providing ESL teachers with lots of planning topics. Be sure to check out February Topics and Themes and follow ESL Made Easy for weekly posts on some of them. One fun topic is Valentine's Day coming up on February 14th. The days leading up to it can be a good time to talk about other topics such symbols and customs, love and relationships and special gifts such as chocolate and roses. February is also Black History month which is observed not only in Canada, but in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. It is a special month to honour the experiences and legacies of those who became an important part of black history.

Other mentionables are Canada Flag Day, President's Day, and Levi Strauss's Birthday!

Black History Month: Recommended Sites for Your ESL Students!

 

February is Black History month  in Canada, the U.S., and the United Kingdom. Be sure to get your ESL students learning more about the activities, events, and the important figures in black history.

See recommended links on Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement here.

RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR TOPICS AROUND BLACK HISTORY MONTH:

Worksheet Library: Black History word search 

The Holiday Zone: Black History discussion topics 

The Library of Congress: Lessons and activities for teaching Black History

Learning English VOA News: America Observes Black History Month - read and listen 

ESL-Library: Activities and worksheets for Black History Month membership site

EL Civics: Black History Month lessons 

ADL: 10 ideas for teaching Black History month

ESL Library: Podcast - Black History Month

ESOL Courses: Biographies, quizzes, activities and worksheets 

Sites 4 Teachers: Lessons in Courage - Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and Ruby Bridges 

History: Black History month - videos and quizzes 

Henry4School: A Story of Ruby Bridges - reading and questions 

Black History Canada: Black History in Canada - an Education Guide 

Black History Canada: Black History in Canada Quiz

Please send us any of your suggested topics, links or ideas around Black History Month!

Civil Rights Day

January 15th is Civil Rights Day in the United States. It is a day to celebrate and honor all those who took part in the American Civil Rights Movement (video) in the 1960's. It also celebrates the contributions of activist Martin Luther King, Jr., who was well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation and to promote black equality in the United States and globally.

RECOMMENDED MOVIE:  THE HELP 

Recommended for: High Intermediate/Advanced Students

An aspiring author during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African-American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.

Listen to Martin Luther King's Famous Speech "I Have a Dream" - Have your students take notes and then discuss as a class.

RECOMMENDED ESL LINKS AROUND THE TOPIC OF 'CIVIL RIGHTS':

EL Civics: A picture vocabulary lesson on the Civil Rights Movement

My English Pages: Related readings and resources on Civil Rights Day

ESL Printables: Teaching civil rights worksheets - membership site

VOA News Learning English: Civil Rights Movement (listening and reading)

LOC: Civil Rights lesson plans
ESL Library: Martin Luther King Jr, Reading and Comprehension  - membership site
Quizlet: Civil Rights Movement vocabulary flashcards
ISL Collective: Civil Rights Movement worksheet (reading and vocabulary)

ESL Holiday Lessons: Martin Luther King Day reading and activities
English Online: A reading on the Civil Rights Movement with vocabulary
English Exercises: A listening and vocabulary exercise "Ruby Bridges Goes to School"
ESOL Courses: A lesson with activities on Rosa Parks
Discovery Education: Lesson plan on the Civil Rights Movement

YouTube: Lenny Kravitz Black and White America - with lyrics

 

Happy Holidays!

Christmas is in the air! Your ESL students should be busy for the next week or so with the various activities, worksheets and lessons related to this festive holiday season found below!

Make sure to spend time talking about the origin and meaning of Christmas as well as the festivities, symbols, songs and stories that make it one of the most joyous times of the year for Christians and non-Christians alike throughout the world!  

RECOMMENDED LINKS AROUND THE TOPIC CHRISTMAS FOR ESL STUDENTS:

ESL About: An easy reading on Christmas traditions
ESL PDF: A vocabulary matching exercise on Christmas symbols (1)
ESL PDF: A vocabulary matching exercise on Christmas symbols (2)
ESL PDF: Intermediate vocabulary worksheet on Christmas words (1)
ESL PDF: Intermediate vocabulary worksheet on Christmas words (2)
Simple ESL: Easy Christmas word search puzzle
ESL-Galaxy: Christmas activities for beginners
Anglomaniacy: Christmas printable worksheets
Daily ESL: Christmas Day reading with listening
English Page: Christmas vocabulary fill in the blanks worksheet
Breaking News English: Christmas conversation and activity ideas
123 Listening: Christmas listening activities and follow up
EL Civics: A picture lesson with follow up activities about Christmas
BogglesWorld ESL: A collection of Christmas worksheets and activities
ESL-Lab: Reading: The Christmas Gift with listening and follow up activities
ITESLJ: Christmas conversation questions
Heads Up English: Conversation questions about Christmas
Many Things: The Origins of Christmas video
ESLFlow: Christmas activities and worksheets for all levels
ESOL Courses: A variety of online Christmas songs, lessons and activities
ESOL Courses: A variety of online quizzes and games on Christmas shopping
Teach-This: Christmas lessons and activities PDF
ESL Holiday Lessons: I Love Christmas Day reading and activities
ISL Collective: Over 600 Christmas exercise sheets:  Donation site

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

SOON: What is Christmas like around the world?
Merry-Christmas: Christmas trivia on traditions, food and music
ESOL Courses: Popular Christmas songs with lyrics, videos and follow up activities
Many Things: Learning video with words - The Origins of Christmas
Huffington Post: Ho-Ho-Ho That Holiday Spending - article
The Digeratilife: Holiday Spending Infographic - and Christmas Budgeting