A lesson plan about summer to practice reading, writing, and vocabulary for intermediate ESL students. (Free download available.)
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Lesson Activities & Exercises: It’s Summertime!

Look at the photo. Can you recognize the activities you see in the picture? What is your favorite summer activity? Discuss briefly with your class, then answer activities A, B and C.
A. Activity: Vocabulary
1. Assign Words
Put each word in the correct section (a, b, c, d)
trip – snorkeling – cruise – windsurfing – climbing – hiking – sightseeing – quiet- camping kayak – sleeping bag – backpacking – sandcastle- journey – expensive – flip flops – sunbathing bathing suit – voyage – sunblock – deck chair – excursion – crowded- surfboard – exciting luggage – scuba diving – goggles – flippers – campfire – tour – noisy – tent – cycling – canoeing |
a) Things to Do
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
b) What It Is Like
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
c) Things to Pack
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
d) Types of Travel
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. Match words
Match the words from exercise 1 to their meanings.
- a long journey by the sea or in space _________________
- visiting places like museums, bridges or monuments _________________
- a chair you can fold and carry _________________
- glasses that protect the eyes from dust or water _________________
- a place full of people _________________
- paddling a small boat _________________
- it protects your skin _________________
- bags that people carry when traveling _________________
- a journey to a place organized for a group _________________
- swimming deep into the sea _________________
- travel or hike wearing only a backpack _________________
- sitting or lying in the sun _________________
B. Activity: Reading Comprehension
Read Cloe’s email.
Dear Marcus,
Thank you for your email. It was nice to hear from you again!
I am always happy to read and know more about your life and your family in Belgium. You asked me to tell you about summer plans, so I will tell you what I’m going to do after school is finally over.
First of all, I will spend more time outdoors with my friends, Katty, Tom, Garry, and Etta. We are planning to ride our bicycles during the day or have a picnic in the park near our school. Tom has a dog called Chip, so he will take it, and we’ll play with it. This year, I will also make movie nights at my place in the evenings. Each movie night, I or one of my friends will choose a film to watch, and the others bring snacks. I’m planning to play “Jumanji”. It’s a really cool adventure movie. Have you watched it?
Also, my family and I are planning a vacation in Italy in August. My mother told me that we will go to a place called Costa Verde in Sardinia. I googled it and it looks absolutely beautiful. The beaches are sandy and long and the sea is clear and perfect for snorkeling and swimming. Snorkeling is one of my favorite beach activities because I collect shells from every beach that I visit. I have 105 pieces in my collection!
Tell me about your summer plans and what do you like to do when you’re on holiday. Hope to hear from you soon!
Best,
Chloe
True or False?
Are these sentences true or false? Write “T” for true, or “F” for false next to each sentence.
- Chloe is planning to walk Chip. ____
- Chloe’s family will go to Italy. ____
- Marcus lives in Bejing. ____
- Chloe’s summer plans start when school is finished. ____
- Chloe’s favorite beach sport is scuba diving. ____
- Katty, Tom, Garry and Etta will bring snacks to Chloe’s. ____
- “Jumanji” is a horror movie. ____
- Chloe’s a collector. ____
C. Activity: Writing
Imagine that you are Marcus and you are writing a short email to reply Chloe. Tell her about your summer plans. (120-150 words)
Download this worksheet in Word and PDF doc format (zipped).
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