Teaching Ideas

The following are a collection of ESL teaching strategies that can be applied to any subject:

Strategies for creating an inclusive classroom community

Principles for teaching English learners in the mainstream classroom

All Subjects
Teaching/Assignment Ideas

The following are a collection of subject specific ESL teaching strategies:

English/ELA
Teaching/Assignment Ideas
Questionnaires and Surveys

Social Studies
Teaching/Assignment Ideas
Teaching/Assignment Idea Reviews
Website Reviews
Multicultural Literature

Math
Teaching/Assignment Ideas

Physical Education
Teaching/Assignment Ideas

Arts
Teaching/Assignment Ideas

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Submitted Teaching/Assignment Ideas

The following resource includes lesson plans, assignments or general ideas that can be
used with students in mainstream and/or ESL classrooms. Educators have posted in efforts to share ideas that have been successful in their classrooms. This sharing also brings educators from around the world together in effort to provide quality education to ESL students.

General

Helpful Strategies Brainstorm
Submitted by: Mira

English Captain
Submitted by: Rena Banks

Jam Circle (Music, Grade Ten)
Submitted by: Jeff Wolosewich

Continue the Discussion Activity
Submitted by: Colleen Grandy

Count to Ten
Submitted by: Colleen Grandy

BONK, Grades K-3
Submitted by: Colleen Grandy

A Visit to the Textile Museum
Submitted by: Radu Prelipcean

Career Studies (Grade 10)
Submitted by: S.Wong

Detailed

Introduction to Graphing
Submitted by: Heather Ichiyen

Lesson Ideas: Gr. 5 Science – human body (circulation and blood)
Submitted by: Leanne Castorina and Rachel Ziatas

"A day in the life of a Wendat person"
Submitted by: Karena Schneider, Maria Antoniou

Modified Lesson Plan: Grade 3 Math
Submitted by: Ken Chiu & Leanne Dumitru

Gr. 4 Visual Arts
Submitted by: A. Grimwood Wilson

Family Studies - Food and Nutrition 9/10
Submitted by: L.Cheng

A Field Trip to the Textile Museum
Submitted by: Radu Prelipcean

2-D Shapes
Submitted by: Faizah Mitha

Historica Fair Research Project
Submitted by: Rowe

Moving Stories
Submitted by: none

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Moving Stories

Subject Area: Language Arts/English/ESL and Social Studies
Level: all
Time: one or more class periods

Summary:
Students will read stories by other students about moving to a new country. They will use
a process-writing approach to develop their own stories.

Materials:
Hard copies of some of the stories from the Rainbow Website student bulletin board.

Adapting the Lesson:
For younger students, sharing ideas about what it would be like to live in an imaginary
place might be a good way to catch their imagination. Also, more time can be spent
sharing stories orally. In place of individual work, the students might work more in groups
or pairs with teacher guidance.
For students with ESL/literacy needs, vocabulary brainstorming before the reading and
writing should be helpful, as well as spending more time sharing stories orally and working
on writing outlines.

Suggested Procedures
● Ask students if they have any stories they would like to share or opinions about what
it is like to move to a new country (e.g., Canada).
● In groups, come up with lists of factors that make such a transition easier or more
difficult; as a class, discuss these lists.
● As a class, read one of the shorter stories from the bulletin board; discuss the main
ideas of the story, and why they may be important to the writer.
● In groups, choose the three stories that have the most impact; as a class, discuss
these choices.
● Individually, write stories about (a) what it was like to move to Canada or (b) what it
might be like to move to a new country. This can begin with individual time for
brainstorming ideas, then developing and getting feedback on an outline, writing and
getting feedback on a first draft, and finally editing and writing a final draft.
● Individually, post stories on the Rainbow Website.

Related Ideas:
● Groups (or the entire class) can make an advice handbook for new arrivals to
Canada (this can be posted on the Rainbow Website).
● Individuals or groups can create pictures related to life in a new country (e.g., things
they [think they would] miss from home, things that are/would be exciting). These
can be posted on the website.

Questionnaires and Surveys

Subject Area: Language Arts/English/ESL and Social Studies
Level: intermediate/senior
Time: two or more class periods

Summary:
Students will discuss research and conduct a research project of their own.

Materials:
Examples of questionnaires from magazines (e.g., teen magazines), books, newspapers,
and mail surveys (e.g., the Red Cross).

Adapting the Lesson:
For younger students, themes will be important—they may be more interested in a survey
of different kinds of pets other students have rather than what kind of music is popular.
Also, doing oral surveys may be an effective alternative to or introduction to creating
written questionnaires. The class may also choose to create one collective research project
and write it together rather than individual projects.
For students with ESL/literacy needs, vocabulary brainstorming before looking at the
questionnaires and before creating their own questionnaires would be helpful. It may also
be a good idea to work as a class making questions on the board before students work
individually. Pair/group work with teacher guidance may be more suitable than individual
work.

Suggested Procedures
● Ask students if anyone has ever filled out a questionnaire that they received in the
mail or found in a popular magazine.
● In groups, make a list of things these kinds of questionnaires are used for (e.g.,
marketing, health care, entertainment).
● In groups, look at different questionnaires from magazines, etc., and discuss the
purpose and style.
● In groups, brainstorm for ideas for student research projects (e.g., a survey of
favourite foods, movies, or music in the class); share with the class.
● Individually or in pairs, choose a topic for a small project, make a questionnaire, use
questionnaire to collect data (in or outside class), and write report.
Individually, post reports on the Rainbow Website.

Related Ideas:
● Groups can examine newspapers or magazines for references to research and
discuss (a) how they think it was done and how important it might be, or (b) what
the "hot topics" in research seem to be.
● Individuals can search the internet for questionnaires, print them out, and bring
them to class to discuss.

_________________________________________________________________________

Submitted Teaching/Assignment Ideas

General

Language Arts - Grade 5 - How to Write a Business Letter
Submitted by: Pauline Chronakis & Tricia Lee

List Poetry Lesson
Submitted by: Andrea Emanuel

A Day in the Park
Submitted by: Natalie G.

English
Submitted by: Janice Stainton

English
Submitted by: None

ESL Lesson Idea (Short Story)
Submitted by: Dwayne Tyson

The newspaper
Submitted by: Natalia Charles

Interviewing
Submitted by: Natalia Charles

Pourquoi Tales
Submitted by: Elisabeth Leggett

Detailed

Cut and Paste Poetry
Submitted by: Colleen Grandy

Poetic Balderdash - Grade 10
Submitted by: Colleen Grandy

Collaborative Writing
Submitted by: Colleen Grandy

Brainstorming for the preparation for writing
Submitted by: Natalia Charles

Journals
Submitted by: Lorna

Submitted Teaching/Assignment Ideas

General

Grade 10 Canadian History – The Great Depression
Submitted by: Paolo Artale and Grace Ventura

Being a Canadian Citizen
Submitted by: Tetyana Ryaboshapko

The three R’s (recycle, reuse, reduce)
Submitted by: Natalia Charles

Families on display: an introduction to the study of families
Submitted by: Natalia Charles

Energy Consumption
Submitted by: N. Charles

Movie Production
Submitted by: N. Charles

Career Exploration
Submitted by: Natalia Charles

Major theories in the organization of Families
Submitted by: Natalia Charles

The life of Malcolm X
Submitted by: N. Charles

First Nation Peoples & Storytelling
Submitted by: Erika Carlson

Detailed

Celebrating Diversity
Submitted by: Tetyana Ryaboshapko

Newspaper and Its Integrative Function
Submitted by: Natalia Charles

Postcards from Afar
Submitted by: Erika Carlson

Identifying the Classics
Submitted by: Erika Carlson

Peace Plan
Submitted by: Erika Carlson

Submitted Teaching/Assignment Ideas Reviews

The following postings have been submitted by educators and provide feedback on lesson plans, assignments or general ideas that have been posted to help ESL students in mainstream and/or ESL classrooms. The original contributions, which are reviewed below, can be found in the Teaching/Assignment Ideas section.

Celebrating Diversity
Submitted by: Tetyana Ryaboshapko

Newspaper and Its Integrative Function
Submitted by: Natalia Charles

Postcards from Afar
Submitted by: Erika Carlson

Identifying the Classics
Submitted by: Erika Carlson

Peace Plan
Submitted by: Erika Carlson

Website Reviews

Subject Area: English (media literacy)
Level: all
Time: two or more class periods

Summary:
Students will read stories by other students about moving to a new country. They will use
a process-writing approach to develop their own stories.

Materials:
Hard copies of the various pages of the Rainbow Website.

Adapting the Lesson:
For younger students, working as a class rather than individually may be more suitable.
Also, rather than examining the way a particular product is advertised in different media,
students ma be more interested in a familiar character from a book or cartoon and the way
it appears on the internet.
For students with ESL/literacy needs, brainstorming for internet or computer vocabulary
would be heplpful. Students can also work in pairs or groups with teacher guidance when
posting Reviews rather than working on their own.

Suggested Procedures
● As a class, discuss the internet (e.g., who has used it, what for); do a survey of
favourite sites.
● As a class, make a checkilist of what makes a website good or bad (e.g., nice
graphics, too much text).
● In groups, look at the Rainbow Website pages and try to figure out what its purpose
is; share with the class.
● In groups, use the checklist to Review the Rainbow Website; discuss various features
(e.g., graphics) and why you think the website was designed that way; share with
the class.
● Individually, post Reviews at the Rainbow Website.
As a class, discuss the similarities/differences between the internet and other media
(e.g., TV, newspapers/magazines). For example, How do they try to attract people's
attention?
● In groups, choose one product and examine how it is advertised in the different
media; prepare a report for the class.

Related Ideas:
● Groups can choose a product or topic and design their own website (either on paper
or, if they have access to internet space, on the internet).
● The class can do a survey to find out students' areas of interest and then create an
internet directory of relevant websites and a review of each site (these can be added
to the list of hot links at the Rainbow Website).
● Individuals can do a survey to find out how much classmates are using the internet
compared to other media and write a report.
● Groups can examine media use around the world and report on which countries rely
on which media and what impact this has.
● A class can discuss censorship and compare the different media in this respect.

Multicultural Literature

Subject Area: English
Level: all
Time: one or more class periods

Summary:
Students will read and review books related to multicultural/diverse themes.

Materials:
● Hard copies of the Literace Lifeline page from the Rainbow Website;
● Access to books

Adapting the Lesson:
● For younger students, choice of books will be important. Also, reading aloud as a
class rather than individually may be more suitable. A class contribution to the
Rainbow Website may be more appropriate than individual contributions.
● Students with ESL/literacy needs can talk about books they may have read in
another language. They can also work in pairs or groups with teacher guidance when
reading rather than working individually.

Suggested Procedures
● As a class, do a survey of students' favourite books; ask the students to arrange
these in themes.
● In groups, look at the list of books from the Rainbow Website; check off any that
students have read.
● In groups, discuss the themes on the list (e.g., why were they chosen?); share with
the class any themes that should be added to the list and explain why.
● As a class, discuss what criteria you think were used for adding books to the list (e.
g., fun to read, representing a particular group of students).
● Individually, choose either (a) a book that is on the list or (b) a book that is not on
the list that you think should be added; read it and write a report explaining how it
made you feel and why you think it is on the list or should be added.
● Individually, post reports on the Rainbow Website.
● Groups can look critically at books representing a particular group or culture (e.g.,
What themes seem to be stressed in books about that group? Why?).
● Individuals or groups can read a book from the list and use the main ideas to create
(a) a picture/mosaic or (b) a poem (this can be posted at the Rainbow Website).
Groups can discuss a book and try to find a song that best represents the story or
how they feel about the story.
● The example lesson above can be done with videos from the Rainbow Website list.

Submitted Teaching/Assignment Ideas

The following resource includes lesson plans, assignments or general ideas that can be used with students in mainstream and/or ESL classrooms. Educators have posted in efforts to share ideas that have been successful in their classrooms. This sharing also brings educators from around the world together in effort to provide quality education to ESL students.

General

Body Numbers
Submitted by: Joan

Today’s Target
Submitted by: Natalia Charles

The BBA Bachelor Program in Switzerland.
Submitted by: sainy

"Other" Famous Mathematicians
Submitted by: None

Volume and Base Area of Prisms and Cylinders
Submitted by: None

Detailed

Grade 5 Mathematics – Fun with Fractions
Submitted by: Francesca Lavecchia & Angela Dinneen

Measurement
Submitted by: Kristina Jenkins

Decimals
Submitted by: Natalia Charles

Shapes
Submitted by: Natalia Charles

Sketching graphs of polynomial functions
Submitted by: Gregory Sperlin