Author Archives: Dariusz Napora vel Dolce Dario

Video

I’d rather…

Level: B1/B2 Time: 90min

This lesson is based on the infamous situation that took place during 2022 Oscars Ceremony when Will Smith hit Chris Rock.

I tested it with my teenage groups as well as adults. It’s great for introducing grammar of ‘past tenses to talk about unreal situations’. There is some nice vocabulary to work on. Reading comprehension activities and a little bit of writing based on the article written by NYC author, public speaker and well known social critic Fran Lebowitz.

Fran Lebowitz on Will Smith, Chris Rock and the slap heard round the world

The lessons ends with reading Will Smith’s letter of apology and a discussion on physical and emotional violence and a role play in which SS get a chance to put themselves in the shoes of Jade, Will or Chris.

https://www.npr.org/2022/03/28/1089360891/will-smith-apology-chris-rock-oscars-slap?t=1649110178606

btw… I felt kinda old when I found out that none of my students knew the movie G.I. Jane 😉 That’s why I recommend watching a trailer of G.I. Jane before the lesson or as a warm-up activity.

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Video

Busking

Level: B2 and up Time: 90 min

Wise man once said that there is only one type of music and that’s good music, no matter what genre it is.

In this class you and your students will get a chance to listen to and learn about some of the best musicians. From classical to alternative rock with one thing common – they are all buskers.

Vocabulary box, discussion, reading

(link: https://www.classicfm.com/artists/joshua-bell/guides/busking-subway/)

and a video to finish off the class.

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Fashion – Clown Punk

Level: B1-B2 Time: 60-90 min

This class starts with a general discussion on fashion and beauty industry. After that SS get to share their opinions on various brands in the industry. Depending on how talkative your class is and how much detail you want to go into, it’s going to take about 30-45 minutes.

After that, present the vocabulary and watch the video, followed by some comprehension questions. With my less advanced groups I finish the class with SS sharing their memories of clothes or toys that they feel nostalgic about.

With more advanced groups I gave SS another video and invited them to prepare a similar set of comprehension questions that they exchanged in pairs.

These are free materials that you can use during your regular or online classes.

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Gallery

PB&J Sandwich Lesson

Level: Young Learners and up Time: 30-45min

photo: Karolina Grabowska

This lesson was designed as a follow up to my other YL lesson on astronaut food: https://englishvee.com/2021/01/17/kids-try-astronaut-food/

It can be used for YL and more advanced SS, depending on your lesson plan. There are two worksheets to choose from.

I always start the lesson with this video. I pause it after every fail and ask SS three questions:

  1. What went wrong?
  2. How do the kids feel?
  3. How does the dad feel?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct-lOOUqmyY

Handouts:

This handout is more of a passive, multiple choice, cross-out type of activities…

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This one on the other hand allows T and SS to get a lot more creative. You can ask SS to write a recipefor a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (pb&j) in their own words or based on some YT tutorial. You can also use it to introduce vocabulary for sequencing (First, next, after that, later, last, etc.)

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For more advanced SS you can use this material for a fun and a very educational CLIL activity (science and IT). Invite SS to imagine that they writing instructions for a robot or an alien.

Using the instructions SS provide T attempts to make PB&J sandwiches.

Follow the instructions as literally as possible

It can get super fun, as T (the robot) cannot even open a jar.

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Audio

December Festivals

Level: A2 and up Time: 90 min

As much as I enjoy talking about Christmas traditions in the UK and the US, this year I felt like doing something a little different. Instead of sticking to the usual topics, I decided to explore how people celebrate December in other parts of the world 🌍❄️

Have you ever heard of Hogmanay, Yalda, or Chaomos? I hadn’t either!

This worksheet offers:
🎄 a bit of reading
🎧 a bit of listening (yes, with Elmo from Sesame Street)
🌍 some CLIL vocabulary connected with astronomy and geography
🗣️ plenty of opportunities for discussion

All in all, it’s a fun, festive, and slightly different December ESL lesson that goes beyond Christmas — perfect for end-of-year classes that still need structure and learning with a seasonal feel.
Download the worksheet below and try it with your students! 🎅📄

Let me know how it worked?

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NFT explained by a Kid

Level: B1 and up Time: 90 min

This lesson was designed for my teenage students but it will work with other age groups provided they don’t know much about the topic.

NFT has become a craze in the online market. NFT can be tied to any digital asset such as video clips, songs etc. You can turn pretty much any unique bundle of information into an NFT, but they’ve really taken off in the art world. A digital NFT picture was sold for over $58 million and an NFT tweet for $3 mln. There is a lot of controversy around NFTs regarding copyright, forgery and even natural environment issues. Which makes it a perfect topic for a lesson 😉

It took me a while to find the right material for this topic and I think that Handsome Blader has done better job than CNN, Bloomberg and CNBC put together!!!

You’ve got a slideshow, Answer Key and a quizlet with vocabulary flashcards if you decide that your SS need it: https://quizlet.com/_altjeo?x=1jqt&i=sje7e

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Video

Thanksgiving Traditions

Level: B2 and up Time: 60-90 min

I made this lesson for my teenage group of 13-14-year-olds. It is an opportunity to explore this traditional American holiday.

I started with a brainstorming activity, followed by vocabulary presentation, and a video that follow.

Vocabulary: https://quizlet.com/_anz6un?x=1jqt&i=sje7e

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Image

Thanksgiving – The True Story

Level: B1 and up Time: 90 min

I made this lesson for my teenage group of 13-14-year-olds. It challenges some of the popular myths about Thanksgiving and is an opportunity to explore this traditional American holiday.

I started with a brainstorming activity, followed by a vocabulary presentation, reading assignment and a video that follows.

Vocabulary: https://quizlet.com/_anz6un?x=1jqt&i=sje7e

Six Native American girls school on the REAL (or not) history of Thanksgiving. https://www.teenvogue.com/video/watch/the-real-history-of-thanksgiving

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School dress code

Level: B1 and up Time: 120 min

This one is going to work great with most classes from B1 up.

A dress code is a set of rules, often written, with regards to what clothing groups of people must wear. Dress codes are created out of social perceptions and norms, and vary based on purpose, circumstances, and occasions.

One of the places where dress code causes the most controversy are schools.

Uniforms, piercing, low cut shirts, tank tops etc… The lesson is a great opportunity to present/revise clothes vocabulary and involve SS in a lively discussion.

Look at teachers notes for lesson plan and answers to the presentation. The lesson involves quizlet vocabulary set.

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Link

World’s Fastest Gamer

Level: B2 and up Time: 30-45min

These days, more and more gamers are becoming professionals similar to the athletes in other sports.

James Baldwin, 23, from Aylesbury was officially declared “World’s Fastest Gamer”. Obsessed with cars since the age of four, James was a Formula 1 fan as a child and started karting as soon as he met the age requirements – but had to give up in 2015 due to lack of funds.

However, after spontaneously buying a cheap driving simulator rig he quickly began to win competitive races, leaving his job to pursue Esports full-time.

Enjoy this lesson and invite your students to discuss some not-so-obvious career choices.

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