As the summer holidays approach, it’s time to inject some fun and excitement into the classroom before the students go off to relax. What better way to do this than by planning a party? This week, we will be diving into the world of party food in the first part of our three-part lesson series. We will be focusing on (un)countable nouns and creating a shopping list for our imaginary party. This lesson is designed specifically for primary school ESL students.
1. Begin by brainstorming different types of parties and the food typically served at them. Have students match food vocabulary to images, and for a more culturally rich experience, encourage students from different countries to draw and write about the typical party food from their own cultures.
2. Introduce the concept of countable and uncountable nouns, and have students complete a table either individually, in pairs, or as a whole class. Explore different categories of uncountable nouns such as drinks, meats, rice, and pasta. Utilize a worksheet for further practice.
3. Focus on the usage of “a,” “an,” “some,” and “any” by examining a WhatsApp conversation between Max and Louisa. Have students discuss the food they have or need for their party, and let them figure out the rules for using the articles through the conversation. Use the worksheet for additional practice.
4. Have students think about the first step in organizing their own party – creating a grocery list. In teams, they can brainstorm and write down all the food and drinks they would like to have at their party.
5. Students can then present their shopping lists to students from other teams and receive feedback.
6. In the final stage, engage the whole class in a discussion about the shopping lists and ask for their opinions on the choices made.
6. In the final stage, engage the whole class in a discussion about the shopping lists and ask for their opinions on the choices made.
The ESL Resource Hub 