Duration: 50 min

Level: B2 or higher

Preparation: None

Description: This is a lesson I prepared for a 1o Bachillerato group and later reused for 3o ESO. Initially they seemed a little apprehensive (I imagine they were thinking something like “Oh great, another lesson about technology! Is this LA trying to pander to the youths?”) but quickly became engaged. Part of the lesson’s success was setting the tone. By centering on curiosity about my students’ social media habits and how those differ from those in the United States, we could come away from the conversation with different perspectives. As such a young LA, I was also able to bridge the generational gap between the main instructor and my students and help us feel like we were conversing more among peers.

Procedure: Open with some conversation questions, either as a whole class or in pairs. Share out what the students discussed, if necessary, then transition to one of the videos. Complete the gap-fill activity together. Turn back to discussion: Should the government regulate social media use?

Tips

• Here are some ideas for conversation questions: “Who uses TikTok? What do you primarily use it for? How do you learn about current events on TikTok? Do you mainly watch videos or do you like to post? Have you participated in any challenges? What do you like about TikTok? Is there anything you dislike about it? Should there be an age limit?”
• The video about security is quite long and uses some more advanced vocabulary. If you choose to use it, be sure to pause several times and check for understanding.
• Snapchat is widely used by American teens, but most of my Spanish students only had a vague idea of how it works. If you’d like to delve into this more, there was a recent case where a high schooler was suspended from her school for a profane Snapchat story. You can show your students this CNN article and discuss whether their school should have the same rules.

Resources

• TikTok Gap Fill
• TikTok Security
• Cyberbullying

Duration: 50 min

Level: A2 or higher

Preparation: Update the “Two Truths and a Lie” slide to reflect two REAL truths and one lie about you. If you’re using them, print the desired worksheets.

Description: These two lessons were prepared for very different groups. The first slide deck (on the present simple and present continuous) was created for PMAR, a group of students that, for various reasons, need more individualized support but don’t qualify for the school’s special needs class. Some students had a high enough level of English to be able to engage in the material, and others needed constant CFUs (checks for understanding) in Spanish from the lead instructor. The second slide deck on the present perfect was created for a 1o Bachillerato class as a quick grammar refresher, mainly focusing on production. In both cases, I chose to incorporate “Two Truths and a Lie,” a personal classroom staple picked up from my days working with Girls Who Code and which never fails to get students talking. If your students need more review, though, or if you have more time to fill, I have included two tried-and-true activities from my classroom.

Procedure: After the grammar review and practice, introduce the Two Truths and a Lie activity. Share your example and have the students vote for the sentence they think is false. Give the students 5-10 minutes to work, depending on their level. Have them share out and ask the class to vote.

Tips:

• “Two Truths and a Lie” can be expanded if you want your students to spend more time using English. Have them write a whole paragraph about something that happened to them and include one false fact. The students then try to guess the false fact.
• The bingo game technically isn’t bingo! If your students are bingo experts like mine, this could get you in some confusion. It works more as a “Guess Who” activity. As always, remind students that they CANNOT use themselves to fill in any of the answers. Try setting a limit on how many squares a person can count for (e.g. one person’s name can only be used to complete two boxes).

Resources

Duration: 50 min

Level: B1 or higher

Preparation: Print out your chosen activities.

Description: There are enough resources here for a whole week’s worth of lessons. I used selections of these for classes in 1o (11-12 years old) and 3o ESO (12-13 years old) as well as 2o Bachillerato (17-18 years old). The PowerPoint was originally designed by former LA Kalyn Epps. In creating this lesson, I used many of the resources from a previous lesson for adult TESOL students who had approximately a B2-C1 level. In the resources section below, I have uploaded a copy of that lesson plan if you’d like an additional example.

Procedure: Elicit some vocabulary from your students. Complete a warm-up activity, then introduce more advanced vocabulary. Debrief/correct the activity, and add another as necessary.

Tips:

• Below, I have an example of a warm-up activity you can use to get your students expressing opinions about clothes. These include several photos from the 2019 Met Gala. If your students are less familiar with clothing vocabulary, save this for towards the end of the lesson. My 3o ESO group was shy and had a lower level of English, so they struggled to say much about the outfits.
• For more advanced students, try the shopping conversation questions worksheet and the crossword. The crossword was extremely difficult for my 1o Bachillerato students who had a high B2 level of English, so plan accordingly.

Resources

Duration: 50 min

Level: B2 or higher

Preparation: None

Description: Originally designed for a class of 1o Bachillerato students (ages 16-17), this lesson aims to introduce the class to topics such as civil rights, counter-history, and National Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States. Since some of my family members were involved in these events, I was able to talk about their experiences and bring this history closer to my students. It’s a relatively weighty topic, so I chose to round out the lesson with a Jeopardy game. This lesson can easily be adapted for younger students with a similar level of English.

Tips:

• If you need some additional background to feel prepared to give this lesson, History.com has an accessible summary.
• The historical context section has a lot of dates. Instead of going through them one by one, I briefly explained the way the borders in the American Southwest have changed over time, how the Treaty of Guadalupe laid the groundwork for displacement and prejudice, and how the events of the Civil Rights Movement coincided with key events in the Chicano movement.
• Have your students read aloud the Mario Garcia quote and discuss it together.
• In the PDF slides below, I have omitted the slides about my family. If you would still like to add a more human element, add a slide or two about a prominent Chicanos from that period. For ideas, check out this article about Chicana activists.
• Are your students particularly interested in art? There is online access to this Smithsonian exhibit on Chicano graphics.
• Terms you can pre-teach: deny, counter-history, lore, civil rights, strike, labor union, shortages, delinquent, unpatriotic, clash, political organizing.

Resources

• A Jeopardy game about Hispanic Heritage Month

Duration: 50 min

Level: B2 or higher

Preparation: None

Description: This lesson was originally designed for a group of 1o ESO (11-12 years old) who were reviewing “should”, “ought to”, and “had better.” The week before, I had taught a lesson on superlatives and comparatives. Given that the level of these students was quite high, I wanted to introduce a little quirk that I had noticed from some English speakers: saying “had best” instead of “had better.”

Procedure: Talk about the Garfield topic on the first slide. What makes it funny? What is the difference between “should” and “must”? On the next slide, introduce the three ways we talk about obligation in English and the positive/negative forms. Be sure to point out that while “should not” and “ought not” can be contracted to “shouldn’t” and “oughtn’t”, “had better not” is different. Spend 5 minutes on the warm-up activity. Tell them the group with the most job titles wins! Next, elicit example sentences from the class about a teacher’s responsibilities. After about five examples, explain the main task. Tell them that the class is going to guess the profession based on the responsibilities. Give students 10-20 minutes to complete the task, depending on how quickly they work. Be sure to leave at least 10 minutes at the end of class for students to share what they wrote. When you end the activity and ask for your first volunteers, remind them that they should NOT state the name of the profession!

Tips:

• My class was incredibly quick with the warm-up activity, and had lists of up to twenty job titles. For them, it was great vocabulary practice. If your students are similar, consider shortening the time for the activity!
• If the class is stumped about what makes a good teacher, suggest things that make a poor teacher: “Should a good teacher assign a lot of homework on holidays?” “Should a good teacher yell at students?” Try framing this as if you’re trying to learn from the students; it’s a fun role-reversal for them.
• Again, six sentences can be challenging. Consider mixing it up to save time! The priority is getting students to use English and then sharing their responses.
• If you have remaining time, you can use the bonus activity at the end of the PowerPoint.

Resources

Duration: 25 min

Level: B2 or higher

Preparation: None!

Description: I used this game with a group of 2o ESO to practice the past continuous. We ended up playing two rounds. For the first round, I added a “plot twist” where the penguin was discovered safe and sound back in the zoo. During the second round, I had the “suspects” tell me which of them was going to be the real thief. However, when it came time for the reveal, the suspects surprised me by changing up who was guilty! Be prepared for similar antics from your class.

Procedure: Tell students, “There has been a crime! Someone stole a penguin from the zoo! There are three suspects. Who would like to volunteer as a suspect?” Choose three students and write their names on the board. Elicit alabis for each student, e.g. “What was María doing when the penguin was stolen?” Ask what makes a good alibi. Then, bring the three “suspects” into the hallway and tell them to prepare what they’re going to say (e.g. “I was making spaghetti with my best friend that evening.”) and to decide who the real thief is. Go back to the classroom and close the door. Have the class come up with questions to ask each student, making sure to use the past continuous. Write down at least three questions for each suspect. When you’re done, bring in the students from the hall and “question” them one by one. Have the class vote on which student is the most suspicious. Then, ask them who the real thief was!

Tips:

• Have the “suspects” bring some paper with them so they can write down their alibis.

Duration: 50 min

Level: B1 or higher

Preparation: None!

Description: Originally, I designed this activity for a shy 1o Bachillerato class. Some students were preparing for the Trinity exam and needed more practice with interviews. Others were preparing to enter the workforce, so this was a highly practical skill for them to learn. That said, this activity was also a hit with a 1o ESO class that had a particularly high level of English.

Procedure: Put students in pairs for the warm-up activity. Then, have students report back about their partner. Next, explain the activity format and show the example. Tell them this is a guessing game, so the interview should not contain obvious hints like the celebrity’s name. Give students 10-15 min (depending on their level, they may need longer) to write their interview. Then, have students read aloud their interview by role-playing and have the class guess the celebrity.

Tips:

• Five questions is a lot, so consider reducing the requirement to three.
• If you have any groups of three, have two students act as the interviewers and one student be the celebrity.