Lesson Plan:Bucket List - Ambitions Dreams and Goals

Lesson Level:    Senior 1                    Duration:  45

Lesson Title:     Bucket List: Ambitions, Dreams, Goals

Grammar and Vocabulary

Ambition, dream, goal, pipe dream, bucket list, kick the bucket

I’d like to, I want to, I’d try

I wouldn’t like to, I don’t want to, I wouldn’t try

 .

Lesson Objectives

 Students will be able to express their hopes for the future and distinguish between ambitions, dreams. goals (and pipe dreams)

Materials Required

Senior 1 Practical Oral English Book 1 Unit 7 

Preparation

Prepare your own five item bucket list.

Procedure

1 Put students into groups of six. Make sure every group has at least one copy of the text book. 

2 On board write Ambitions

Dreams

Goals

Go through Descriptions in the book.

Add these descriptions to boards.

Ambitions - things you want to do that are achievable and you can work for

Dreams    - things you would like to do that might be harder to achieve or even

                   impossible

Goals       - the smaller things that you need to achieve on your way to your ambition.

Add

Pipe Dream - Something you would like but which probably can’t be achieved

3

Separately on board put Kick the Bucket (and explain that it means die) and Bucket List (things you want to do in your life before you die)

4 Tell class that there was a survey, (explain survey if necessary) by a news paper in England asking people what they want to do before they die. Tell them that you have the most popular ten answers.

Each group must think of  things that might be on the list.

While groups think write the numbers 1 -10 on the board.  Write group numbers at side of board.

5.

Ask each group in turn for an answer. If the answer is on the list (see notes) add it and give the groups points (10 points for 1, 9 for 2 etc).

If the answer is not on the list write it separately.

Go round groups three times.

Explain any answers that the class as a whole doesn’t understand. 

6

Tell students they must now work alone (I.e. NOT as a group)

Tell each student to write down FIVE things that he/she would put on their bucket list.

Tell them that at least ONE must be something NOT already on the board.

7

When students have done that tell them to tell the others (not show) the things they want to do.

Suggest phrases and vocabulary (see above) to use. Other students must agree or disagree using suggested phrases.

8.

Feedback from each group about how many people share things that are on someone else’s list.

Extension Activity

9 Tell students you have five items on your bucket list.

Elicit suggestions as to what they might be. Award an extra point to any group guessing one of them.

My list is

Publish a book of poems (Done)

Live in another country (Done)

Be interviewed on television. (Not done)

Write a novel (Not done)

Learn to play a musical instrument well (Not done)

Notes

Here is a list from a survey in the Daily Mail. I have only included things that the students are likely to know or that are easy to explain.

1. Learn another language

2. Buy a house

3. Swim with dolphins

4. Ride in a hot air balloon

5. See the pyramids

6. Climb a mountain

7. Be in a film

8. Learn to play an instrument

9. Live in a different country

10. Drive a racing car