The last king of Ireland

In this Upper-Intermediate lesson plan, students will talk about Ireland, discuss some fun facts about the Irish language, culture, traditions, and differences between English and Irish culture,  as well as discover more on the topic of passive impersonal structures, namely distancing expressions.

Warm-up

The student names objects in pictures and thinks of a country they refer to (shamrock, leprechaun, harp, etc.).

Vocabulary: Irish culture

The student learns new vocabulary related to Irish culture through a matching activity (leprechaun, Guinness, St. Patrick, etc.).

Reading: Irish holidays

The student reads and completes a text about Irish holidays (Bloomsday, St. Patrick’s Day, and Galway International Arts Festival).

They learn about Irish musical instruments (harp, fiddle, and bodhran), match the descriptions to the images and play the sound of each instrument.

They learn about well-known Irish dishes by completing Reddit comments with the missing words.

Video: The last king in Ireland

The student watches a video about the last “king” in Ireland. They complete the video comprehension activities.

Grammar: Passive forms of reporting verbs

The student learns about passive forms of reporting verbs (reported, suggested, said, etc.) and practices using them in sentences.

Vocabulary: Adjectives to describe a place

They practice describing a place using different adjectives such as shabby, quaint, bustling, etc.

The lesson ends with a quick review of vocabulary and grammar.