Daylight Saving Time ESL Lesson Plan

OBJECTIVE & OVERVIEW

This daylight saving time ESL lesson plan contains PDF worksheets, activities, and digital materials for intermediate B1 students. By the end of the lesson, students will understand how daylight saving time works, why it exists, and the pros/cons of it. Students will also be able to compare and express their favorite and least months or times of the year using comparative adjectives.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

This ESL lesson plan on daylight saving time starts with students explaining what daylight saving time is in their own words, followed by comparing it in autumn and spring. Next, students move on to discuss some questions about daylight saving time. The final part of the preview part has students talk about the pros and cons of daylight saving time for certain groups of people.

VIDEO & LISTENING COMPREHENSION

Students watch a video from BBC Newsround about daylight saving time and how it works, along with some information about its origins. In the video, a reporter goes through a few benefits and disadvantages of daylight saving time, as well as whether what some people think about it. In the viewing and listening activities, students compare daylight saving time in autumn and spring according to the information in the video. They also answer some short questions about the video.

DISCUSSION & COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES

When students finish watching the video, they move on to some more discussion questions about daylight saving time. Next, students analyze a quote from the reporter in which she uses some comparative adjectives — such as "darker" and "brighter" when comparing daylight saving time in different halves of the year. This followed by an activity for students to transform some adjectives into their comparative forms — including some irregular ones like "fun" and ones with double consonants. They'll then provide some of their own examples of adjectives and their comparative forms to describe different months.

FAVORITE & LEAST FAVORITE MONTHS OF THE YEAR

The final communicative activation for this lesson is designed for students to choose and describe their favorite and least favorite months of the year using some comparative adjectives. They then engage in a conversation with a classmate or teacher about these months and talk about why they're their favorite and least favorite.

Benefits of using this daylight saving time ESL lesson plan:

Relevance to Real-life Context: Daylight Saving Time is a real-world topic that engages students in conversations about time, seasons, and daily routines. It's a practical subject they can relate to, making the lesson more engaging.

Vocabulary & Grammar Development: Comparative adjectives are essential grammar and vocabulary skill for learners to learn in order to make comparisons. By discussing different months, students can expand their vocabulary, which is particularly useful when describing seasons and conditions. They'll also learn some irregular forms that many students often confuse.

Cultural Understanding: Daylight Saving Time varies from country to country, providing an opportunity to explore cultural differences and similarities in timekeeping practices. This can help students understand daylight saving time and how it's perceived and implemented in other countries.