Seasonal allergies

This spring ESL lesson deals with the topic of seasonal allergies. Students will learn useful vocabulary and collocations to talk about allergies and will watch 2 videos. You can combine this lesson with other spring-related lessons, which you can find here, as well as other health-related lessons, which you can find here.
The lesson starts with a short discussion about allergies. Students discuss 6 questions given.
Vocabulary: First students learn vocabulary to talk about seasonal allergies symptoms by matching the words to the correct photo (e.g. sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, fatigue). Then students look at expressions that will later appear in the video (e.g. keep at bay, wreak havoc on, culprit, over-the-counter drugs). They match the expressions to their definitions, and then engage in a pre-listening discussion.
Listening: Students watch the first video, which deals with the relationship between seasonal allergies and climate change, called “Why your allergies get worse every year”. First, they complete extracts from the video with the correct word. Then, they are asked to choose the correct preposition, and watch the video again to check their answers. After that, they discuss the video. The second video is called “How to survive spring allergies”. Students watch the video and take notes.
Vocabulary development: Finally, students take a look at verb+noun collocations with allergy and allergen (e.g. to trigger an allergic reaction, to have an allergy, to cause an allergy, to outgrow an allergy). They underline the collocation in the sentences given. To practice, they complete 4 sentences with their own ideas.
For more speaking practice, you can check out the conversation cards.