Lesson plan
Topic
Signs of spring
Learning outcomes
• Celebrate the coming of spring and vocabulary related to nature
• Practise speaking about the weather and the plants, insects and animals we see on a daily basis
• Develop observation and collaboration skills
• Practise the present simple when completing the worksheet and past simple when reflecting
Age group
Young learners aged 5-8 years
Level
CEF Level A1–A2
Time
50–60 minutes
Materials
• Signs of spring worksheet (one per pupil or group)
• Pictures of spring scenes (optional)
• Pencils to complete the worksheet; coloured pens, pencils or crayons for colouring (optional)
• LE Kids song:
Introduction
This activity is for young learners to celebrate spring, and to see how nature comes to life in this season.
In this lesson children identify the objects on their worksheet together and then go outside or look at
pictures inside the classroom to see what they can find.
They first tick the weather boxes and then search for the plants and animals on their worksheet. When
they see an item, they tick the box.
Children then go through the list as a class, putting a cross in the boxes next to the things they didn’t
see. If children wish to, they can colour their worksheets and display them. As spring progresses, more
[Link]
© The British Council, 2018 The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
Lesson plan
and more of the animals on the worksheet appear, so your students may enjoy doing the activity at the
beginning, middle and end of the season.
Procedure
Before the lesson Download and make a copy of the worksheet (one per student or group). Have the
song ready on your computer or screen if you’re doing the follow-up activity.
Outdoor version
If you’re doing this lesson outdoors, you will need an outdoor space with some
greenery to attract birds and insects. More of the objects on the worksheet can
usually be seen on a warm, sunny day.
Make sure that they know exactly which part of the garden or playground they are
allowed to explore. If children are working in groups, they’re easier to keep an eye
on, since they will also be looking out for each other.
Be prepared for having to work indoors if the weather is unsuitable.
Indoor version
Either find four or five copyright-free images of spring landscapes and common
insects or use your own spring photos. Print these before the lesson and pin them
to walls around the classroom.
1. Warmer Introduce the topic by asking children what season it is and what they know about
(10 minutes) it (spring: green, rain, new plants, flowers, insects and birds). Tell students they will
be going outside to look for the items on the worksheet and put the students into
groups if they will be working together.
Give each student (or group) a worksheet and pencil and go through the list of
items. If possible, show them what to do by completing the weather row together.
Look out the window and ask, What’s the weather like today? If it’s cloudy and they
can’t see the sun, students put a cross in the sunny and rainy boxes and a tick in
the cloudy box.
Go through all the objects on the worksheet. Children repeat after you.
[Link]
© The British Council, 2018 The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
Lesson plan
If it’s possible where you work, prepare children to go outside. Once they’re lined
up, tell the children that they must not pick the plants or touch the animals because
in spring they are all growing and getting ready to make new life.
2. Group activity Outdoor activity
(15-20
minutes) Encourage the children to point out the plants and animals they see to the others:
Look! It’s an ant. Look! I can see a bird in the tree! Monitor the groups and support.
Give students a time limit and count down so that they know how much time they
have: We have five minutes left. What else can you see? OK, everyone, in one
minute we’re going back inside. Line up, everyone! It’s time to go to the classroom!
Indoor activity
Ask students to spend a few minutes looking at the pictures around the room to
find the plants and animals on their worksheet.
3. Group activity Once you are all back inside or the students are sitting back in their seats, go
(10 minutes) through the worksheet together: Was/Is it sunny? Yes! Was/Is it windy? No! What
did you see? Did you see a big bird? Yes! What colour was it? It was black! Did
you see a butterfly? No? Oh well, maybe we’ll see one next time.
4. Colouring Children colour the drawings and display their worksheets on the noticeboard – or
activity (10 they could glue them into their notebooks.
minutes)
5. Extension (10 Revise and extend the topic using ‘The leaves on the trees’ song:
minutes) [Link]
6. Extra ideas • Do this activity three or four times through the season so that children can see
how new life flourishes and grows as the season progresses.
• Photocopy the worksheet on card and laminate it so that it can be reused each
time. Give children whiteboard markers to put ticks or crosses in the boxes and
a piece of cloth to wipe the board off.
[Link]
© The British Council, 2018 The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
Lesson plan
• Have children make their own worksheets in groups, predicting what they will
see on their playground explorations.
• Plant seeds (radishes, cress and impatiens work well) in class so that children
can care for the seedlings and watch them grow into plants.
• Learn about bugs and insects (talk about the role of insects in pollinating
flowers to help them produce seeds).
Sources of [Link]
copyright free
images [Link]
Contributed by Karen Elliot; Edited by Suzanne Mordue
[Link]
© The British Council, 2018 The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.