Canada Day!

                                Happy Birthday Canada! 

Wednesday, July 1st marks the anniversary date (1867) of the union of the British North America provinces. This statutory holiday means fireworks, festivals, concerts and parades all across Canada! 

It's a proud day for Canadians to celebrate their heritage so why not get your ESL students talking about Canada Day too!

 

Watch Canada Travel Guide video here >>>

The Importance of Bees!

The world needs BEES and there's been a lot of buzz about them lately! Did you know that in North America, one third of the food we consume wouldn't exist without bees and other pollinators?
 

Unfortunately, the global population of bees and other key pollinators is dropping dramatically and scientists are struggling to understand the causes, impacts and potential solutions. A great thing to get your ESL students talking about might be ‎the sort of changes that are affecting the bee population (e.g., loss of habitat, pesticides and even viruses)! >>>

Happy Father's Day!

 

 

Sunday, June 18th marks a special appreciation day for fathers! There's no shortage of online resources so get your ESL students talking about the role of fathers in the family and in society as well as the history behind this celebration!

ESL News Online

Keep your Students Current!

Reading and listening to news online or in print can provide  ESL learners with an opportunity to build vocabulary and improve fluency related to specific news topics. Exposure to authentic material such as news articles not only keeps your students up to date with world issues, but also provides students with a platform for interesting and lively discussions!

TIP: When using news articles, try not to get in the position of having to explain the mechanics of the written piece (grammar and sentence structure), but rather on understanding the related vocabulary and the gist of the story. 

Find up-to-date ESL friendly news stories curated by ESL Made Easy here.

SEE SUGGESTED IDEAS ON HOW TO USE NEWS IN THE CLASSROOM (or 1-on-1) AND RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR NEWS ONLINE FOR ESL STUDENTS HERE.

June Topic: Donating Blood

June 14th is  WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY! This is a great opportunity to get your ESL students talking about what it means to be a blood donor and how donating their blood helps save lives around the world. You might also want to show the World Health Organization's short video clip in support of their "Thank you For Saving My Life" theme this year and read more about this day here. >>>

Learn about blood types, facts and information here by the American Red Cross.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS ON THE TOPIC OF BLOOD By ESL Made Easy:

1. What is blood and why is it important?

2. Does the thought or sight of blood make you feel queasy and faint? Why?

3. Have you ever been a blood donor or needed a blood transfusion? Explain.

4. What are some things that can go wrong with blood? (i.e. blood clots, anemia...etc?)

5. Have you, or has someone you know, ever had problems with their blood? Explain.
 

RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR ESL STUDENTS AROUND THE TOPIC OF BLOOD:

ESL Discussions: Discussion questions about blood

ESL Holiday Lessons: Reading activities on World Bloor Donor Day

News English Lessons: Listening activity on blood donation

ESL Podcast: A ESL podcast on donating blood

Heads Up English: Reading lesson with activities on "What's Your Blood Type?"

ESL-Lab: Listening activity on blood donations

The Free Dictionary: Idioms with the word "blood"

ESL Fast: Listening dialogue with vocabulary on blood pressure

Breaking News English: Reading lesson with activities on blood and life expectancy

Listen A Minute: Reading with activities on the topic of blood

ESL Teachers Board: Blood types - the basics

Poet Poetry Rhymes: Blood donation poem



June Topic: Oceans

June 8th is WORLD OCEANS DAY!  Officially declared by the U.N. in 1992, this day was intended to help us recognize the importance of oceans as part of our overall ecosystem. Given that they cover 71% of the Earth's surface and represent 99% of the living space, why not get your ESL students talking about the importance of oceans as sources of food, oxygen, and medicine around the world! >>>

Read more about World Oceans Day here!