Support for teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic
To support teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic, there are two versions of this lesson plan – one specifically for online lessons and one for face-to-face classrooms where physical distancing procedures are in place, although it can be used in any face-to-face teaching context.
Face-to-face classroom lesson
This lesson is designed to help primary children's transition back to school in the English classroom, giving them opportunities to think about and share experiences from their time at home, and to establish a set of rules for the classroom where Covid-19 restrictions apply. The lesson is largely based around the popular game 'Pictionary', which helps learners reinforce vocabulary and understand new concepts in a visual way.
Aims
- To allow learners to reflect upon and share activities that they did during time spent at home
- To help learners' transition back to school
- To establish class rules where Covid-19 restrictions are in place, and reflect upon what is done differently
- To help learners develop vocabulary and understand concepts in a visual way
- To encourage group work and collaboration
Online classroom lesson
With the global Covid-19 pandemic, most children have experienced school closure and learning from home. They have had to get used to new ways of learning very quickly. Those using online platforms have had to learn to use the technology as well as adapting to learning in a home environment. This lesson has been designed to help children think about home as a place for free time and for school time and how to transfer traditional classroom rules into online classroom rules. The lesson is largely based around the popular game 'Pictionary', which helps learners reinforce vocabulary and understand new concepts in a visual way.
Aims
- To provide learners with the opportunity to reflect upon ways of learning online (for school and for fun)
- To help learners develop vocabulary and understand concepts in a visual way
- To reflect upon the 'etiquette' or rules for a live online lesson, and how to use technology in a polite, responsible and effective way
- To promote group work and collaboration skills
Age
Primary (8–11 years)
Level
CEFR level A2 and above
Time
60 minutes
Materials
The lesson plans and materials can be downloaded below. In addition, the learners will need a mini whiteboard and pen, or paper and a pen or pencil.
Important: Please read
Included in the teachers' notes for each lesson, you will find either:
- Guidance and advice on managing group and pair work activities in face-to-face classrooms with physical distancing protocols.
- Guidance and advice for what teachers need to know and do before and at the beginning of an online class. Please read the lesson instructions carefully before using them. They are for guidance only, and designed to be used with the most common online platforms. You may need to adapt the lesson to the format and online platform you are working with.
A combination of the lesson plan for online teaching and the lesson plan for face-to-face teaching can be used in 'hybrid' situations, where some students in the class are studying from home and others are physically in the classroom. Classroom material for the online lesson is provided as a PowerPoint presentation and a PDF.