Summary
This downloadable PDF lesson plan for English teachers explores the viral success of the game Wordle. This ESL class material for C1 students uses a video and engaging activities to teach advanced vocabulary, idioms, and grammar related to technology and trends.
This 90-minute lesson plan guides students through the phenomenon of Wordle's success. Activities include a warm-up discussion on viral trends, a vocabulary matching task, and a video comprehension exercise. Students will learn idioms related to habits and popularity, practice using gerunds and infinitives, and conclude with a creative group project where they design and pitch their own viral game. This class material is designed to spark conversation and practical language use.
Activities
- Students start by discussing viral trends and simple online games, sharing their own experiences with popular apps like Wordle to activate prior knowledge and prepare for the lesson's topic.
- A vocabulary matching exercise introduces key terms like 'gimmick' and 'explosive growth' before students watch a video about Wordle's rise to fame and complete a true/false comprehension task.
- The lesson includes a gap-fill activity focusing on useful idioms like 'hooked on' and 'word of mouth' to help students discuss habits and popularity in a more natural, fluent way.
- A dedicated grammar section explains the difference between gerunds and infinitives, followed by a practice exercise where students complete sentences related to the video's content.
- The lesson culminates in a collaborative speaking task where students work in groups to design and pitch their own simple, viral game, applying the vocabulary and grammar learned in class.
Vocabulary focus
This lesson focuses on vocabulary related to trends, popularity, and habits. Key terms include cryptic, to brag, gimmick, explosive growth, and word of mouth. Students will also learn and practice idiomatic phrases such as to be hooked on, jonesing for, daily routine, and a roller coaster of emotions through contextual exercises.
Grammar focus
The grammar section focuses on the correct usage of gerunds and infinitives. Students will review the rules for when to use the -ing form versus the 'to + verb' form after certain verbs and to express purpose. They will then apply this knowledge in a contextualized practice exercise related to the lesson's theme of gaming and motivation.
