This ESL lesson plan focuses on the history of Halloween celebrations in the UK and USA. The video-based EFL lesson is designed not only to improve listening skills but also introduce vocabulary related to Halloween customs and traditions. At the end of the lessons your students will be able to talk about Halloween traditions and explain its origins.
On the board write the following :
/bɑbɪŋ fɔr æpəlz/ /ɒl ˈhæl oʊ ɪv/ /ˈθɜr ti fərst əv ɒkˈtoʊ bər/ /ˈeɪn ʃənt ˈkɛl tɪk fɛs tə vəl / /ˈsɑ wɪn/
/soʊl keɪk/ /fænsi drɛs kɑ stum/ /trɪk ər trit/
Ask students to work in pairs and write the words that have been transcribed. Here are the answers:
bobbing for apples All Hallows’ Eve 31st Oct ancient Celtic festival Samhain
soul cake fancy dress costume trick or treat
Ask students if they know which celebration they are going to talk today. Later tell learners to work in pairs to give the definitions/ meanings of the words. Elicit answers, show photos when necessary.
Give out the worksheet and do Ex. 1 -here students have a number of different names associated with Halloween. Their task is to watch the video and write the exact day of each celebration:
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All Saints Day
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Samhain
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All Hallows
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All Hallows’ Eve
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All Souls
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Halloween
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All Saints Day – 31st Oct
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Samhain – 1st Nov
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All Hallows- 31st Oct
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All Hallows’ Eve- 1st Nov
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All Souls day- 2nd Nov
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Halloween – 31st Oct
Learners watch the video again and answer questions Ex.2- it’s the part of the lesson when your Sts listen for more details. Exercise 2 with answers:
1. Which of the customs below are celebrated during Halloween?
a) parades Answer: Yes
b) bobbing for apples Answer: Yes
c) giving presents Answer: No
d) trick or treating Answer: Yes
2. What two things did people use to do at the night of 31st October? Why did they do it?
a)…..Answer: put the food and wine at the doorstep to keep ghosts away ……………………
b)….Answer: wear masks when they left home so that they were mistaken for fellow ghosts …..
3. What are the names of the following customs:
a) A custom during which needy people offer their prays for dead relatives in return for pastry, such as soul cakes, is called …souling……….. .
b) A custom during which young people dress up and accept food, wine or money in exchange for singing , reciting poetry or telling jokes is called ….guising……….. .
4. Read the text and write a missing word
Halloween has become a family-friendly, kid-centred custom in …1950s..………. . Since then it’s been growing in popularity all over the world. It’s estimated that on average US consumers spend round ….$2.5 billion …… on costumes annually, and the remaining on …candy………….. . Making it the second most commercial holiday after …Christmas……….. .
At the end of the lesson, ask your students to close all the notebooks, hand out a small piece of paper to each learner, tell them to write as many new words and traditions they remember from the lesson as possible. Then divide students into pairs (2-3 sts). Each pair chooses 4 most difficult words from the lists they have. Once students have written the words take the papers and prepare a quiz.
How to set up the QUIZ
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students remain in the groups as before
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write the name of each person from the group on the board and asks for the name of the team (e.g. Only the brave, Gangsta- see below)
Only the brave |
Gangsta |
Girl Power |
√ √ √ √ Ana, Elton, Adriana |
√ √√ Marta, John |
√ Aga, Monika |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0.5 |
1 |
0 |
Rules:
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teachers tells the word (you choose the words that your sts gave you) aloud
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sts have 15s to discuss the answer
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teacher appoints the team that has to give the definition
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one member of the team gives the definition, s/he has 20s to explain the meaning of the word, the remaining teams listen to the answer and tell if they agree with the explanation
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the team on the left listens to the definition and tries to guess the word- if the guess correctly- they get 1 point, if not the next team has a chance of getting 0.5 points
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teacher puts a √ above the name of the learner who said the definition ( see the above table)
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