Why do we need leap years?
Lesson plan overview
This A2-B1 ESL lesson plan looks into Leap years and why we need them. Students learn and practise useful expressions about basic mathematics, fractions, and expressing approximation. Another interesting video-based lesson is “Chinese New Year”.
The lesson starts with a few conversation questions about measuring time, and different calendars used in the world today.
Vocabulary: Students learn words related to basic mathematics (plus, minus, times, multiplied by, equals, divided by) by looking at different equations. Then, they practise with a few more equations given, and finally they write their own equations and dictate them to a partner who needs to write them down correctly.
Next, students learn fractions (a half, a third,a quarter, a fifth, etc.), and then practise by describing what they see in 6 photos.
Finally, they look at three sentences introducing vocabulary they will later hear in the video (to round up, to add up to, to be divisible by), and match the expressions to their definitions. After that they discuss 3 questions given.
Video: Students watch a video called “Leap years and why we need them”, and complete 2 comprehension activities.
Vocabulary: Students learn vocabulary to talk about approximation and estimates. They look at 7 sentences, and underline the expression that expresses “close, but not completely exact” (roughly, around, about more or less, give or take, plus or minus). The rest of the activities are dedicated to speaking. First, students divide into teams and try to answer the questions given with the closest approximation. Then they do a bit of research to find out the correct answers. Next, they talk about their personal experiences, and use the expressions learned. Finally, students write their own questions and discuss them in pairs or small groups.
To review the target vocabulary from this lesson, you can use the conversation cards.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
Pre-class activities
All video-based ESL lesson plans include online pre-class activities, which are FREE and can be completed without registration. Perfect for teachers who wish to embrace the blended learning approach. By providing students with resources and engagement opportunities before the actual class session, educators can foster active participation, enhance comprehension, and optimise in-class discussions.
The pre-class activities are optional: if you choose not to assign them, or your students don’t complete them, it will not disturb the flow of the class. You can find and review the pre-class activities for this lesson plan here:
To send the pre-class activities to your students, copy the link below.
In-class activities
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.
Unlock these resources with one of our subscription plans
Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
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