Summer love (lower level)

Use this lesson with secondary and adult students at CEFR Level A2 and B1. Students will do speaking, listening and writing activities related to a photo.

A heart drawn in the sand with two initials in the middle

ELTPics image by @mkofab

Author

Fiona Mauchline

Introduction

This lesson is designed to encourage students to develop their higher-level critical-thinking skills to speak about images. It focuses on a photograph of a heart drawn in the sand with two initials, and a recording of the photographer talking about the photo. Before they listen, students are given words from the recording and make predictions. They listen and answer questions, then have the option of retelling the story. A final activity asks them to select a picture to develop their story writing skills and focus on narrative tenses.

As long as teachers can show photos, it is possible to deliver this lesson with no other resources. However, teachers can also use a presentation and / or a student worksheet.

Learning outcomes

Make predictions about a text using words from the text
Identify specific information in a spoken text
Write a story about a photograph

Age and level

13-17, Adults (A2 / B1)

Time

Approximately 45-55 minutes + 20 mins optional activities

Materials

Materials can be downloaded below.

Lesson plan
Presentation
Student worksheet
Audio file: Summer love
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/54942754@N02/5910272137/in/photolist-a1gFZK

In addition, you will need to show: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eltpics/sets/72157629301043891/

Lead-in (optional) (10 mins)

Write ‘Love is …’ on the board. Ask students to complete the sentence with their own ideas. They can do this individually or in pairs.
Put students / pairs together to make small groups. They compare their sentences and try to agree on a group definition.
Ask one student from each group (or some of the groups) to read out their definition, then get the class to vote for the most romantic, funniest etc.

Speaking (sharing experience / ideas) (5-10 mins)

Show slide 2 of the presentation or display the photograph: https://www.flickr.com/photos/54942754@N02/5910272137/in/photolist-a1gFZK
Option 1 (with adult students): Ask if students have ever done anything similar (i.e. drawn a heart in the sand with initials). In groups or as a whole class, students talk about the most romantic things they have ever done / would like to do.
Option 2 (with secondary students): In small groups, or as a whole class, students write five gestures that are considered romantic (e.g. writing a love letter, buying flowers). Write their ideas on the board.

Speaking (prediction) (10 mins)

Explain that students are going to listen to the person who took the photograph of the heart in the sand.
Show slide 3 of the presentation or refer students to Task 1 in the student worksheet.
Alternatively, write some of the key words from the word cloud on the board e.g. beach, summer, girlfriend, child, walk. You can make the following prediction task easier / more difficult by choosing more or less obvious words.
Explain that the words are used by the person who took the photograph to talk about the photo. Students should look at the words and try to answer questions 1-3.
If you are not using the presentation or worksheet, write the following three questions on the board:
1.    Where do you think the photographer took the photo?
2.    Why do you think the photographer took it?
3.    What do you think has happened since?
In pairs / small groups, students use the words to answer the questions. Ask some groups to share their ideas with the class.

Listening (10-15 mins)

Show slide 4 of the presentation or refer students to Task 2 in the student worksheet.
If you are not using the presentation or worksheet, write the following questions on the board:
1.    Where did the photographer go for her summer holiday when she was a child?
2.    Where does the photographer go now for her summer holiday?
3.    Who does she take with her on holiday?
4.    Who drew the heart in the sand?
5.    What has happened since the photographer took the photo?
Play part one of Audio: Summer love (from the beginning until ‘Every summer.’ Stop at 01.25).
Students listen and try to answer questions 1-3. After listening, give them a minute or two to discuss their answers, then if necessary, play the first part of the audio again. Check answers with the class.
Repeat with part 2 and part 3 of the audio file.
o Part 2: From ‘And this photograph is of the beach’ until ‘A and J’. (From 01.25 – 02.22). Students listen and try to answer question 4.
o Part 3: From ‘But, as always, of course, the sea washed away the heart’ until the end. (From 02.22 – 02.50). Students listen and try to answer question 5.
If you like, you could show the transcript for students to check their answers, or if they need more support while listening. It is available at the end of this lesson plan, and on slide 5 of the presentation.
Check answers with the class.
Answers: 1. A beach in Belgium, 2. A beach in Belgium (she’s been going to the same beach every year since she was a child), 3. She goes with her children, 4. Her son and his girlfriend, 5. Her son and his girlfriend are still together and in love.

Retelling the story (optional) (10 mins)

In pairs, students work together to retell the story of the photo, using their answers to the questions and the words in the word cloud to help.
As they work, walk around and listen to pairs. Make a note of any errors related to use of tenses, and review them at the of the activity.

Writing / homework (20 mins+)

Display the following photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eltpics/sets/72157629301043891/.
The link / instructions are also available on slide 6 of the presentation and at the bottom of the worksheet.
Individually or in pairs, students choose a photo and imagine that they took it. They make notes about:
o    Where / when the photo was taken
o    Why they took the photo
o    What has happened since they took the photo
Students write the story. If they write the story in class, walk around and help as necessary. Encourage them to think about tenses.
Get students to share the photos and stories. They could do this as a presentation, or you could post the stories around the room or online. Encourage students to comment on the stories. Which is the most romantic?

Transcript

Photographer
I am from Belgium, and when I was a child, our holiday at the beach in Belgium was the absolute best moment of the year, the thing we waited for and dreamt about for twelve months.
My parents first took us to the beach in Belgium in summer in 1958. I was very young, and since that time, and oh, it seems a long time ago, since that time, I have spent a few days at the beach in Belgium every year, every single year, so that it means more than fifty holidays!
Now I am the parent, I have my own children, and my children inherited that love for the beach, so this annual visit has continued as a tradition in my own family too, we still spend a few days or or a week or two at the beach here in Belgium in summer. Every summer.
And this photograph is of the beach, of course, in Belgium. I took it in 2010, I think. And the story? Well, my son went for a walk along the beach with his girlfriend, a romantic walk as young people do, young people in love, and like all young lovers all, um, everywhere in the world, they drew a heart. This heart. And in this heart they drew – or they wrote - their initials in the wet sand, as you can see - A and J.
But, as always, of course, the sea washed away the heart. It took it away, the heart was gone forever. But they – my son and his girlfriend – their love continues. They are still very much in love today.
Interviewer
Ah, what a romantic story!