LESSON PLAN

School: Tran Hung Dao High School.

Teacher’s full name:Mavis Kumba
Teaching date: Ist -5thNovember 2021

HALLOWEEN

Image by Myriam Zilles from Pixabay

Language: learning about the Halloween tradition.

Additional resources: lesson uses the Internet and a projector screen

LESSON AIM:To help students understand how :

 To be expressive and use their imagination
 To take turns
 History of Halloween
Warm-up: What Are You Afraid Of? (10 min)

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1. Set the tone by dimming the lights, shutting the blinds and turning on spooky
sounds:

: http://bit.ly/2J5Wphq

2. Using your phone’s flashlight, lit your face from below.

3. Ask: Do you like to be scared?

4. If the room is dark, let your students run free for a minute, spooking each other.
They can also use flashlights in their phones or sneak up on their friends.

If the class atmosphere doesn’t allow that, move on to the next step.

5. After they’ve warmed up, ask: What are you afraid of?

6. Students name things they are afraid of. Ask volunteers to come to the board and
write their suggestions down.

For example:
Spiders, Ghosts, Vampires, Heights, Darkness, Bats, Homeworks, etc.

7. Eventually you should have 10 – 15 scary examples to work with. Next, you’re
going to find the scariest thing of them all.

8. Ask your students to individually pick 2 – 3 things they are truly afraid of.

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9. Decide on an action, e.g.: hide your face under the desk or run out of the
classroom.

10. Go over all the spooky examples and count the amount of students that performed
the action. Write that number next to the example.

11. The example with the most points is officially the scariest thing.

Group Exercise: Spooky Project (20 min)

1. Divide your class into groups of 3 – 5 students.

2. Provide each group with a piece of A4 paper.

3. Ask the groups to pick one of the top scariest examples. Make sure you check with
each group which one they commit to, otherwise they might change their mind in the
middle of the exercise.

4. Task nr 1: Make the scariest drawing.

5. Task nr 2: Prepare to describe every detail that makes it scary.

6. When your groups have finished, invite each group to the front of the class to present
their scary creation. Make sure that speaking is equally distributed amongst the
group members.

Video: History of Halloween (10 min)

1. While your students are busy with the previous task, take time to prepare for this next
exercise.

2. Play the video (twice), then ask the following questions.

Note: in the holiday spirit, make sure to reward each good answer with a treat.

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For kids: http://bit.ly/2oZmQOR (3 min)

Questions:
Who started Halloween and when?
(Celts, 2,000 years ago)

When was the Celtic New Year?

(1st November)

What happened on the night before the New Year?

(the ghosts came to life)

Why did the Celts celebrate Halloween?

(to protect themselves from these ghosts)

What’s the origin of the word ‘Halloween’?

(holy evening)

What vegetables did the Celts use for Jack-o-lanterns?

(potatoes and turnips)

Why did they carve faces in produce?

(to guide good spirits into their homes)
For advanced adults: http://bit.ly/2VYZO6R (6 min)

Questions:
Which culture originated Halloween?
(the Celts)

What did they celebrate on Oct 31st?

(the end of the harvest season)

What did the Celts believe happens on Oct 31st?

(the border between death and life opens)

What was the original name of Halloween?

(Samhain – pron. Sa-mon)

What did the Catholic Church do against this pagan festival?

(declared All Saints on 1st of Nov)

And why?
(to help pagans convert to Christianity without losing their traditions)

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What’s the origin of the word ‘Halloween’?
(All Hallows Eve)

Who brought Halloween to America?

(the Irish)

What’s the history of tricking?

(in 1930s it was a real vandalism in order to get candy)

What’s the history of treating?

(to put an end to vandalism, children were encouraged to simply ask for the treats)

Pair Exercise: Speaking about Halloween (5 min)

1. Put your students into pairs and ask them to discuss Halloween with their partner.

Key questions:
Do you like Halloween? Why?
Do you, or your family, celebrate Halloween?
What costumes do you like to dress up in? Why?
What’s your favourite way to spend this holiday? Why?
Optional: Do you think it’s wise to encourage kids to eat as much candy as possible on
Halloween?

Write these on the board, or show on the screen.

2. Quiz pairs. Always ask one student about their partner’s answers to the questions.
That way students practice both, listening & paraphrasing, skills without realizing it.

Optional Class Activity: Trick!

1. Show this picture of a decorated house: http://bit.ly/2P9wQ2D

2. Tell your students that after being asked: Trick or Treat? the owner of the house
replied: Trick!

3. Now you need to figure out a good trick to play on him/her.

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4. Ask your students for suggestions of some possible pranks.

Optional Create a Halloween Mask

1. Provide your students with materials such as: coloured paper, markers, cardboard,
string, crayons, glitter, etc.

2. Show them this video for reference: http://bit.ly/31zcna6

And/Or some pictures:

http://bit.ly/2MxLmPT http://bit.ly/2MzQ5ke
http://bit.ly/2Bvjgyx

3. Instruct your students to make beautiful (yet scary!) Halloween masks.

Homework

Go Trick-or-treating and collect as much candy as you can carry!

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