Why do we get hangry? (word blends / portmanteaus)
Lesson plan overview
This ESL plan is about getting hangry (hungry and angry at the same time) and other word blends, or portmanteau words. It would be most suitable for students at B2 level. Students learn expressions to say “I am very hungry“, and word blends such as staycation, glamping, edutainment, kidpreneur, and others. You can combine this lesson with “Superfoods”, or “Idioms: eating and drinking”.
Speaking: The lesson starts with an initial discussion about hunger and our mood. Students ask and answer 5 questions, which also revise vocabulary words such as grumpy, moody, irritable, fasting.
Functional language: Students learn phrases to say “I am very hungry” (I am starving, I am so hungry I can’t think straight, My belly is empty, I could eat a horse). Then students are tasked with creating a short dialogue and including 2 of the phrases.
Listening: Students watch a video called “Why do we get hangry?” and complete 2 different tasks. Then they discuss what they have learned from the video.
Vocabulary: Students learn different word blends, or portmanteau words, such as glamping, mompreneur, hacktivist, edutainment. First, they take a look at the words and the words that have been merged to create them, and match them to their definitions. Next, they complete a dialogue with 6 of the words. Lastly, they discuss 5 conversation questions with these words.
You can use the conversation cards for additional speaking practice with the word blends.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
Pre-class activities
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In-class activities
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Additional resources
Each video-based lesson plan includes links to additional resources (videos and articles), which are FREE can be found online (in the pre-class activities page. These links aim to extend the learning experience, enabling students to connect classroom knowledge with real-world applications.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
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