Autumn Leaves American English Teacher

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GENERAL ENGLISH · ENGLISH IN VIDEO · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
AUTUMN
LEAVES
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1 Warm up
Try this quiz about fall leaves. Choose the best option to complete each sentence.
1. Tree leaves appear yellow in autumn because
a. they start producing a new chemical that makes them look yellow.
b. they produce less of the chemical that makes them look green.
c. they need to attract insects.
2. In some places in the world, like New England in the US, the fall is especially beautiful because
a. there are many sunny days during this season, and this makes the colors look brighter.
b. there isn’t much wind to make the leaves fall, so the display lasts longer.
c. a high percentage of the tree species produce special chemicals that make their leaves look
red.
3. Maple and oak trees are interesting because
a. they produce nuts and berries in the autumn.

b. they can produce many different colored leaves on the same tree at the same time.
c. they grow in places where no other trees with beautiful fall leaves can grow.
4. The best type of weather to produce a colorful fall leaf display is
a. cool clear days with frost- b. cold days and frosty c. warm days and frosty
free nights. nights. nights.
5. People who enjoy looking at fall leaves in the US are sometimes called
a. tree people. b. fall folk. c. leaf peepers.
Do you enjoy looking at fall leaves? How does this make you feel?
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AUTUMN LEAVES
2 Vocabulary
Complete these sentences with words from the box.
diversity / dormant / fabulous / foliage / paintbrush / peak / potential / vibrant
1. He definitely has the to become a professional football player, but he needs more
practice.
2. I thought the formal dresses at the fashion show were absolutely even if they
were very expensive.
3. I’ve been thinking of dying my hair bright pink or some other color.
4. She’s been watching art lessons on the Internet to learn some new techniques for using a
.
5. Summer is our season for tourists - there are no empty hotel rooms!
6. This volcano has been for more than 100 years - there hasn’t been any activity
since 1910.
7. We’re very proud of the of our workplace - we employ people from five different
continents.
8. Your garden looks great! I love the way those red flowers stand out against the dark green
.
Explain what the words in the box mean.
1. Which words are nouns?

2. What part of speech are all the other words?
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AUTUMN LEAVES
3 Watch the video
You are going to watch a short news video about people enjoying the fall season at the Thain Family
Forest, which is part of the New York Botanical Garden. Match each person who speaks with a
summary of what they say. One option is extra.
1. Tiffany Hart a. appreciates the chance to enjoy fall colors in the city
2. Jessica Shuler b. compares the fall leaves to a fire
3. Dexter Henry c. explains how large and how old the Thain Family Forest is
4. Jennifer Rosen d. gets a bit sad at this time of year
5. Kerry Butts e. has a religious feeling about the fall colors
6. Martha Cohen f. thinks the forest is a great place to relax
7. Extra: g. was concerned about the timing of the color change
Which person works at the botanical gardens?
Which person expresses the opinion that you share the most?
4 Language in context
Read the sentences from the video and try to remember the missing words that complete the informal
expressions. Watch the video again to check.
1
1. You to see, like, these trees go from green to bright orange to purples...
2
2. We’re always about the first week of November, and I think we were pretty on.
3. When we were ... asking people what they thought, they thought the forest was five
3
of five, which is what it should be.
4 5
4. ...it’s a great way to escape the and .
5. Experiencing the beauty and diversity of the vibrant colored leaves is what visitors say fall is all
6
.
Explain what the underlined expressions in each sentence mean.
Give examples of:
• something you wanted to do when you were little, but you didn’t usually get to do
• a time when you or someone you know made a prediction that was spot on
• how you would score the fall leaves in your city or country
• a place you know that has lots of hustle and bustle
• what you think summer is all about

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AUTUMN LEAVES
5 Talking point
Discuss these questions in pairs or small groups.
1. Where is your favorite place to enjoy autumn foliage?

2. How important is it for people to have the opportunity to enjoy nature and the change of seasons?
3. What do people think about when they’re looking at fall leaves?
4. What does autumn mean to you?
6 Reading and writing
Many poets have used the theme of autumn in their work. Read these three poems, using the glossary
to help you understand the vocabulary.
Nothing Gold Can Stay (by Robert Frost)
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
Glossary
hue /hju:/: color or shade of a color
subsides: becomes less strong or extreme

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AUTUMN LEAVES
Autumn Movement (by Carl Sandburg)
I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.
The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman,
the mother of the year, the taker of seeds.
The northwest wind comes and the yellow is torn full of holes, new beautiful things
come in the first spit of snow on the northwest wind, and the old things go,
not one lasts.
Glossary
spit: in this context, spit means the first small amount of snow that we feel as wet.
A haiku (by Murakami Kijo)
First autumn morning
the mirror I stare into
shows my father’s face.
Answer these questions
1. Compare and contrast the content of the poems.

2. How are the poems different in their structures?
3. Which poem do you like the most? Why?
4. Do you know any other poems or songs about autumn?
Write your own autumn poem, using vocabulary from the lesson.

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AUTUMN LEAVES
7 Optional extension
Read the article. Then answer the questions in pairs or small groups.
Autumn versus fall

Why does English have two words for the same season?
1.
The simple answer is that which often takes place at this from British English, particularly
Americans say fall while the time of year. Having the word after the United States became
British say autumn. But it wasn’t autumn made things clearer, and an independent country in the
always this way. it became popular. late 18th century. By the middle
2.
Autumn is the older word. It 3.
People also used the phrase of the 1800s, Americans were
came into general use in English fall of the leaves to refer to using fall, and autumn was more
in the 1300s and appears to have the autumn season, especially in commonly used in England.
a Latin root. Before this time, poetry. By the 1600s this had 4.
However, people in both places
people referred to this season been shortened to fall. For a understand both words, even
as harvest. However, this was time, both fall and autumn were if fall is not used in England.
rather confusing as, in addition used interchangeably in England And because fall doesn’t have an
to being the name of a season, and the American colonies. As adjective, autumnal is a useful
harvest can also mean the act of time went by, American English word in both varieties of English.
bringing in crops from the fields, became more and more different
Now answer these questions:
1. Which word do you usually use when you speak English - autumn or fall?
2. Do you know any other pairs of words that are different in American and British English?
3. Does your language use two or more words for the same thing? Do you know why?
4. Are there different varieties of your language? Give some examples about how they are different

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TEACHER MATERIALS · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
AUTUMN LEAVES
Transcripts
3. Watch the video
Dexter Henry: The brilliant shades of brown, red, and yellow have been found all around, even in
New York City.
Tiffany Hart: You get to see, like, these trees go from green to bright orange to purples to, like,
uh, other, like, autumal (sic) colors, and it’s, like, it’s on fire, almost.
Martha Cohen: Some of the colors are beautiful, and some of the way {sic) they planted this garden
are beautiful, the way there’s purple planted against green and red and yellow. It’s
beautiful - this is a special place.
Dexter Henry: That place is the Thain Family Forest at the New York Botanical Garden, where after
a warm start to autumn, there was potential for peak fall foliage to show later than
usual.
Jessica Schuler: We’re always about the first week of November, and I think we were pretty spot
on. I was worried that things were going to go too fast because it was dry, also, so
there wasn’t enough water, and plants were going dormant a little bit early.
Dexter Henry: But they came right on time, and during November, thousands of people have visited
the garden’s fall forest weekends, enjoyed wildlife presentations, and even a bit of
Shakespeare in the forest.
Actor: And in the wood, a league without the town, where I did...
Jessica Shuler: When we were doing some reading, and just asking people what they thought, they
thought the forest was five out of five, which is what it should be, and what I know
it is, but, uh, many people had never walked through before, and it’s brought a new
audience, and they loved it.
Dexter Henry: The fifty-acre Thain Family Forest is the largest old-growth forest in New York City,
and people here to visit and see the peak fall foliage say it’s a great way to escape
the hustle and bustle.
Jennifer Rosen: Oh, it’s wonderful to get away from all the loud noise from, you know, the Bronx,
Arth... you know, down Fordham Road and all that. To come here, it’s nice and quiet
and peaceful; you don’t feel like you’re in the Bronx at all.
Kerry Butts: I’m happy to go upstate earlier in October, but it’s really nice that here, later on in
the season, that we get to experience the changing colors here in the city.
Dexter Henry: Experiencing the beauty and diversity of the vibrant colored leaves is what visitors
say fall is all about.
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Martha Cohen: And it’s almost as if God had this magnificent painting, uh, and it just happens. You
know, it’s yellow and red and orange and green and two weeks before it was all
green. And then there’s the magic of the paintbrush, and it is absolutely fabulous.
Dexter Henry: Reporting in New York City for AccuWeather, I’m Dexter Henry.
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Key
1. Warm up
5 mins.
Go over the introduction and elicit or explain that autumn and fall refer to the same season, but while fall is the
term used more often in the US it is is not used in the UK. These terms will be used interchangeably throughout
the lesson and are explored further in the optional extension activity. Students can work in pairs to choose the
best answers to complete the quiz sentences before you check answers with the class. You may need to explain
that peep means to take a quick look at something. Pose the follow-up question to elicit a brief range of responses.
Tell students they are going to explore this topic further in the lesson.
1. b 2. c 3. b 4. a 5. c
2. Vocabulary
10 mins.
Students define some useful vocabulary to prepare them for the news report. Check answers, including pronunciation
(stressed syllables are underlined). Ask students to explain the meaning of the words in the box using the context of
the sentence. If your class is mono-lingual, translation may be the fastest way to check understanding, but sample
definitions in English are also provided. Pose the follow-up questions to help students process the vocabulary.
Definitions: potential refers to the possibility of achieving something in the future; fabulous means very good or
amazing; vibrant means strong and colorful; a paintbrush is something that people use to apply paint to a surface;
peak refers to a time when something is at its highest level; dormant means inactive or sleeping; diversity refers to
a group which has a lot of variety within it; foliage means the leaves on plants.
1. potential 2. fabulous 3. vibrant 4. paintbrush
5. peak 6. dormant 7. diversity 8. foliage
Meanings
1. Diversity, foliage, paintbrush, potential. You could also elicit/point out that these three items are uncountable:
diversity, foliage, potential.
2. Adjectives.
3. Watch the video
10 mins.
Students watch the short video (~2 mins) to recover some general ideas. Go over the introduction and the
instructions - one item is extra. Note that all the speakers’ names are shown in captions on the report and follow
the same order as the report although some speakers appear more than once. Students should look through the
options before they watch, and you might want to ask them to predict (or after watching, to recall) the exact words
for each option. Play the report and then check answers. Pose the two follow-up questions to the class.
1. b 2. g 3. c 4. f 5. a 6. e 7. d
Which person works at the botanical gardens? - Jessica Shuler
4. Language in context
10 mins.
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AUTUMN LEAVES
These five phrases from the report are frequently used in informal spoken English and would be useful additions
to students’ productive range. Students could look through the sentences in pairs to predict the missing word and
then watch the video again to complete the listening-for-detail exercise. It would be fine if they need to listen
to the relevant section of the video more than once to hear the missing words. Students then use the sentence
context to explain the meaning of the items. Then students can work in pairs to generate further examples. Elicit
some ideas, encouraging them to speak in full sentences using the target language.
Definitions: you get to = you have the lucky chance to do something special; spot on = accurate, correct; five out
of five = top marks, a perfect score; hustle and bustle = lots of people engaged in busy and noisy activities; be all
about = relate strongly to or be connected with.
1. get 2. spot 3. out
4. hustle 5. bustle 6. about
5. Talking point
10 mins.
This stage offers students a chance to respond to some themes raised by the news report before they look at some
seasonal poems in the next stage. Students work in pairs or small groups to discuss these questions. They should
answer in full sentences, use vocabulary from the lesson, and give reasons and examples for their ideas. Monitor
and support as necessary. Round off this stage by sharing some successful responses and interesting ideas.
6. Reading and writing
15 mins.
Students compare three short autumn poems in terms of content and structure. Give them a couple of minutes to
read the poems, using the glossary. Poetry is meant to be heard, so you should also read out the poems yourself,
or ask students to read them to the class or to each other in pairs, or even just have students read them out loud
to themselves.
Then pose the follow-up questions. Depending on your group’s knowledge, experience and confidence, you could
do this with the whole class or ask students to work in pairs or small groups. Their responses may cover a wide
range of ideas. Sample answers are provided, but there are no wrong answers as long as students are responding
thoughtfully.
You can set them the task of writing their own poems. They could start in class and complete this for homework.
Encourage them to use vocabulary from the lesson and draw on some of the structures in the poems for inspiration
if they wish.
Sources:
-Nothing Gold Can Stay https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/148652/nothing-gold-can-stay-5c095cc5ab679
-Autumn Movement https://poets.org/poem/autumn-movement

-Haiku https://www.haiku-poetry.org/famous-haiku.html
1) Sample answers: All of them express the idea of change and decay, using the seasonal change as a metaphor.
However, they use slightly different imagery: Frost focuses on the changes that trees undergo during the seasons
and also uses words that indicate a downward movement, evoking the fall of leaves. Sandburg focuses on autumnal
colors and weather, but he finds beauty in the winter too. Kijo compares the autumn of the year to his own middle
age.
2) Sample answer: Frost uses a simple structure that rhymes the last words in every pair of lines. Sandburg’s poem
is free form, but he repeats certain words and phrases. Kijo’s haiku follows a classic 5-7-5 syllable structure.
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AUTUMN LEAVES
7. Optional extension
10 mins.
This activity is meant as a filler or cooler if you have time at the end of your lesson. Students read a short article
which leads into a discussion.
Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/autumn-vs-fall
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

GENERAL ENGLISH · ENGLISH IN VIDEO · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

1. Tree leaves appear yellow in autumn because

3. Maple and oak trees are interesting because

a. they produce nuts and berries in the autumn.

4. The best type of weather to produce a colorful fall leaf display is

a. tree people. b. fall folk. c. leaf peepers.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/6

Complete these sentences with words from the box.

diversity / dormant / fabulous / foliage / paintbrush / peak / potential / vibrant

Explain what the words in the box mean.

1. Which words are nouns?

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3 Watch the video

2. Jessica Shuler b. compares the fall leaves to a ﬁre

4. Jennifer Rosen d. gets a bit sad at this time of year

5. Kerry Butts e. has a religious feeling about the fall colors

6. Martha Cohen f. thinks the forest is a great place to relax

7. Extra: g. was concerned about the timing of the color change

Which person works at the botanical gardens?

Explain what the underlined expressions in each sentence mean.

Give examples of:

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 3/6

Discuss these questions in pairs or small groups.

1. Where is your favorite place to enjoy autumn foliage?

6 Reading and writing

Nothing Gold Can Stay (by Robert Frost)

Nature’s ﬁrst green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf’s a ﬂower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 4/6

Autumn Movement (by Carl Sandburg)

I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.

the mother of the year, the taker of seeds.

not one lasts.

A haiku (by Murakami Kijo)

First autumn morning

the mirror I stare into

shows my father’s face.

Answer these questions

1. Compare and contrast the content of the poems.

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Autumn versus fall

Now answer these questions:

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3. Watch the video

3. Watch the video

Which person works at the botanical gardens? - Jessica Shuler

6. Reading and writing

-Autumn Movement https://poets.org/poem/autumn-movement

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