Lesson Plan: Giving and Getting Directions

Lesson Level: Junior 1 and 2 (Grades 7 and 8) Duration: 45 Minutes

Lesson Title: Giving and Getting Directions

Grammar and Vocabulary

Vocabulary of buildings and places in town.

Polite language.

Lesson Objectives

Students will increase vocabulary for places in town and be able to use polite language to give and get directions.

Materials Required

Large map for board¹ and additional cards representing building² to place on it.

10-15 small copies of completed map for groups.

A cardboard person as an icon to move around the board.

A prepared dialogue³ or a dialogue from appropriate unit of book

(If book dialogue not available write prepared dialogue on a poster.)

Magnets or adhesive to stick buildings to map. 

Soft ball for throwing.

Preparation

Prepare map and cards.

Procedure

1

Introduce lesson.

Tell class it is about giving and getting directions.

Divide class into groups of 6-8

2

Elicit some examples of buildings you find in a town (4-6 is enough)

3

Play “Stop game” with groups – names of buildings in a town.

Procedure: Give groups two minutes to make lists of buildings. While the are doing it draw columns on board – one for each group.

Get one member of each group to board simultaneously.

Students have one minute to write lists.

Check lists – two points for a correctly spelled word that is a building in a town, one point if incorrectly spelled, zero points if not a building.

Tally score for game.

4

Choose two students to read dialogue from student book or poster.

If using poster put poster on board.

Put vocabulary for directions on board

• Turn left, turn right, go straight ahead, take the <no> left/right
• at the junction, at the crossroads, at the traffic lights
• it’s on the left, it’s on the right

5

Put large map on board.

For each card chooses a student and tell them where one of the new buildings is located

Student comes and puts building onto map.

Place final building (My House) yourself.

Place icon for person at My House.

6

Use ball toss to select students.

For selected student tell him where you want to go

Student gives directions.

Move your character icon accordingly.

Early students can give directions as you move.

Later students must give all directions before you move.

7

Give each group a copy of the map.

Students take turns to ask for and give directions from one place to another.

8

Extension Activity:

Write a list of places you want to visit today.

Students must plot the quickest route to visit all of them. Starting and finishing at “My House”

Feedback.

Notes

1

Version for board should show streets and street names only.

2

Shops	Doctor
Sports Centre	Art Museum
Supermarket	Restaurant
Bar	Police Station
Bus Station	Post Office
Dentist	Hospital
Factory	School
Football Stadium	My House
Hotel

3

Suggested dialogue.

John: Excuse me, can you help me?

Mike: Yes, of course.

John: Could you tell me where the nearest book shop is?

Mike: There is one in King Street.

John: How do I get there?

Mike: Go along here until you reach the traffic lights, then turn right. Take the next left. The bookshop is on the right, next to the bank.

John: Turn left at the lights...

Mike: No, right.

John: Turn right at the lights, take the next left. It's on the right.

Mike: That's right.

John: Thank you.