A trip down memory lane…

Title separator

Speaking
Class

talk about photos

This is a standalone lesson but it can also be used as part of the set titled:

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • discuss photos and keepsakes and what we do with them;
  • think about how photo-taking has changed over time;
  • watch and discuss a video about photo preservation. 

With this lesson, students talk about photos! Students revise vocabulary related to photos and  discuss common photos we all have (e.g. first day of school, a family holiday). They also talk about what they do with their photos (e.g. scrapbooking, editing). Students examine how photography has changed over the years, and watch and discuss a video about photo preservation. Students also discuss questions, analyse reasons for keeping old objects, and play a guessing game about keepsakes.

B1 / Intermediate45 min
60 min
Speaking ClassUnlimited Plan

This is a Speaking Class worksheet. It includes a variety of tasks that let your students practise their speaking skills. This lesson format does not focus on grammar or vocabulary. Learn more about it here.

WARM-UP AND DISCUSSION

B1 students begin to talk about photos with a warm-up in which they describe a photo on their phone. Then, students revise the vocabulary to talk about photos by completing sentences with the correct words (e.g. display, print). Afterwards, they discuss the statements to share what they do with photos (e.g. I often edit my photos before I post them online). Next, students look at some statements comparing photography culture in the past with today (e.g. People didn’t retake photos) and discuss if the changes are negative or positive. Students then talk about photos that most people have (e.g. childhood friends, a family holiday). They also discuss additional points (e.g. if they like the photo, what else happened that day). 

VIDEO AND MORE DISCUSSION

Students continue to talk about photos by watching a video on photo preservation, and saying if they would use any of the methods.  They discuss some questions on the video before moving on to the last two exercises. Then, students look at some old items that people keep. They have to brainstorm what the reason might be for keeping them (e.g. piece of clothing – keeping a wedding dress will help you to remember one of the most important days of your life). Lastly, they have to describe a real or invented object to their classmates! Students need to answer follow-up questions in order for their peers to decide if they’re telling the truth about it or not.

WORKSHEETS

 

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. [email protected]

    I’m going to make a prediction that this lesson is going to work great in conversation groups of all levels. Very teacher friendly. Thanks!

    1. Megan

      What a lovely comment! We hope it’ll work great with every group, too 🙂

  2. Lignum Nyelviskola

    Hello,

    I would like to ask why you used a formal sentence on slide 14: ‘Watch the video and say if you would use any of these ideas. Explain your answer.’ I think it sounds more natural to say: ‘if you used any of these ideas….

    Anyway this is a very creative lesson, and I will supplement it with interesting facts about the scrapbook technique mentioned on the slide.
    Thank you very much 🙂

    1. Megan

      Hi, Lignum!

      We’ve used the conditional, ‘would,’ in the instruction, as we can’t assume that students have indeed used some of the methods before. Phrasing it this way gives a little more wiggle room for hypothetical answers (even if it does sound a little formal!).
      Hope that helps and thank you for your lovely comment about the lesson 🙂

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
talking about brands
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

The power of brands

Business Lifestyle

Get students talking about brands with this lesson! They share their views, learn the brand and the common name for products and watch a video on this topic. Students can also do an extra vocabulary task.

ESL speaking lesson about celebrities
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

Life of a celebrity

General Lifestyle

Talk about the lives of famous people in this ESL lesson about celebrities! Students share opinions, explore how celebrities live and watch a video about a retired celebrity who now lives on a farm.

using so and neither
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Do you buy second-hand? So do I!

Grammar Lifestyle

Explore second-hand fashion with this lesson! Students watch a video about the second-hand clothing business, discuss their experiences and practise structures for agreeing with so, neither and auxiliary verbs.

speaking lesson on art
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

Art at home

Lifestyle

Get students talking about art with this lesson! They discuss items people have at home, watch a video about an art collector’s house and describe rooms with artworks. They can also do an extra task to review useful words.

talking about interest clubs
B1 / Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

Join the club!

Lifestyle

Get students talking about interest clubs with this lesson! They watch a video on book clubs, share their experiences and give suggestions on hobbies for different people. Students can also do an extra task to review useful structures.

have/get something done
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

I will get it checked!

Grammar Lifestyle

Discuss everyday problems and ways to get them fixed! In this lesson, students practise the structure have/get something done. They watch a video about a repair café, describe photos and share their own experiences.

ESL lesson on adventures
B1 / Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

Adventures close to home

Lifestyle

Talk about adventures with this lesson! Students discuss their experiences, explore excuses people use to avoid adventures and read a short text. They also watch a video about micro-adventures.

ESL lesson on social events
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Host with the most

Lifestyle

Talk about parties with this ESL lesson on social events! Students share their preferences and thoughts, practise useful phrases for social events and watch part of a video on hosting a party. They also role-play party situations.

ESL lesson on reflexive pronouns
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Do it yourself!

Grammar Lifestyle

Practise reflexive and reciprocal pronouns with this lesson! Students watch a video segment about a man eating alone in public, share their opinions and discuss solo activities and shared experiences.

Show more lessons

Questions

Title separator

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there's no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won't be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).
Read more FAQ
Title separator

ESL Brains

Forgot password?
or continue with
Title separator
Title separator