Spring cleaning

This intermediate lesson plan is about spring cleaning, decluttering and different methods we can use to organise our homes. Students will learn useful vocabulary to talk about cleaning and tidying up the house, read about 3 organising methods (Marie Kondo, The FlyLady, and The Four-Box method) and watch a video with a few spring cleaning and decluttering tips. This lesson can be combined with the lesson “Should we five children an allowance“, where the topic of household chores is discussed.
First, students discuss 6 questions related to spring cleaning, maintaining a tidy and clutter-free home, and cleaning hacks and tips.
Vocabulary: Students learn about different cleaning supplies by matching the words given to the correct photo (e.g. mop, broom, scrub brush). Then they complete 7 sentences with the correct object, depending on what it is used for (e.g. You use a mop to clean the tiled floors.).
Reading: Students read 3 short texts about 3 organising methods (Marie Kondo, The FLyLady, and The Four-Box method). Then they complete 2 activities. First, they are given 10 statements and need to decide which method each one refers to. Then, they need to find words and expressions in the texts corresponding to the definitions given (e.g. get rid of, throw away, give away, declutter). After that, students discuss 7 questions in pairs or small groups.
Listening: Students watch a video called “Pro spring cleaning tips” and complete 2 tasks. First they complete a true/false activity, and then they answer 3 questions.
Speaking and writing: Finally, students work in pairs and create a detailed spring cleaning checklist, using words and expressions from the lesson.
You can use the conversation cards to revise the vocabulary from this lesson, encourage further speaking practice and consolidate their learning.