Lesson Plan: New Year Resolutions (Junior Version)

Lesson Level: Junior 1                       Duration:  45 Minutes

Lesson Title:     New Year Resolutions

Grammar and Vocabulary

Resolution, Promise

words arising from lesson

I will, I will not¹   

He/She should/shouldn’t

Lesson Objectives

Students will identify various bad habits from pictures and create resolutions for them using “I will”/”I won’t” 

Materials Required

A4 pictures representing the following (funny cartoons are best and can easily be found on the internet)

Someone very overweight

Someone lazily sleeping on a couch

Children talking in class

Someone who looks very tired

Someone smoking

Someone studying very late at night.

Someone eating junk food

Someone with no money

Someone drinking beer

Someone playing computer games

Someone dropping litter

Two children arguing 

Preparation

Prepare the pictures.

Procedure

1 Wish the class “Happy New Year”

Write “New Year Resolutions” on the board

Explain that a “resolution” is a promise you make to yourself. (May need to also explain “promise”)

2 Write and drill “I will”/”I will not”/”He should”/”He shouldn’t”/”She should”/”She shouldn’t”

3 Put the pictures on the board one at a time and elicit sentences using “should” or “shouldn’t”. Write the sentences at the side of the pictures. Leave space by each one to add another sentence later.

4 When all pictures are done in this form use the first two pictures to illustrate how THE PERSON IN THE PICTURE would make his resolution.

“This year, I will…”

“This year I will not…”

5. Put class into groups of four or six.

Tell groups to write similar sentences for the other pictures.

Monitor and assist as necessary.

6 Feedback suggestions using ball toss to choose students.. Correct as necessary.²  Write corrected versions on board.

6. Tell class that all students (not groups) must now write two things that they will or will not do this year.

Monitor and assist as necessary.

7. Feedback some of the ideas. (Use ball toss to get ideas.)

8 Tell class their homework is to do the things they wrote on the paper for the whole year.

 Notes

1. I use “will not” rather than “won’t” because junior students tend to confuse “won’t” with “want” and explaining it can take a good part of the lesson.

2. The most common mistake is to say things like “I will not smoking”. Be prepared to explain that you never use “ing” with “will” or “will not”.