The School Survival Guide ESL activity Students requires students to think of information advice for potential new classmates.
Setup
Students can do this activity individually, or in pairs.
They can simply write in their notebooks, or create a poster using large pieces of paper and coloured pens/pencils (good for younger kids).
Activity
- Ask the class to imagine the situation of a new student coming to the school. What type of things do they need to know?
- The students think of (and write down) ten important rules and pieces of advice for a new student.
- They must use a variety of different modal verbs (five to ten depending on the level). Focus the students’ attention on using the correct modal verb for the desired meaning. It may be a good idea for you to check their sentences before they write them on a poster.
- When they have finished, ask each student/pair to share two or three of their most important rules or recommendations. Don’t let them repeat the previous students! Or, if your students created posters, they could present them to the class.
Target Language
In doing the School Survival Guide ESL activity, students practise using modal verbs for obligation, permission and advice. When students share their rules, you can check that the rest of the class agrees with their language, and use peer correction.
The activity also fits well with a class on the topic of education.
For a similar project to practise modal verbs (on the topic of travel), try Tourist Guide.
Got a picture or video of this activity in action? How about snapping one next time you use it? We'd love to showcase your submissions- find out more here.