Halloween ESL Lesson Plan

OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES

This Halloween ESL lesson plan offers engaging activities, worksheets, and digital resources made for intermediate B1-B2 students. In this lesson, students will:

• Discuss various Halloween traditions and guess the origins of popular customs.
• Watch a video about the history of Halloween, tracing its evolution from ancient to modern times.
• Practice listening comprehension by identifying key events and answering questions about Halloween traditions.
• Expand their use of past habits with would and used to through guided practice.
• Share personal memories and reflect on similar traditions from their own culture.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

Students begin this Halloween ESL lesson plan by thinking of three Halloween-related activities or objects and take turns describing them to a classmate without saying the words directly. They then look at images depicting various Halloween traditions, such as trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving, and discuss what they already know about each activity. Finally, they guess whether statements about Halloween are fact or fiction, encouraging critical thinking and setting the context for the video they will watch.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

Students watch a video that explores the origins of Halloween, from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain to the emergence of traditions like souling and guising, and how these practices influenced modern celebrations such as trick-or-treating. Students work to sequence historical events covered in the video, from the Celtic festival to Halloween's adaptation in America, and how it became a mainstream, commercial holiday. They then answer comprehension questions to deepen their understanding of the historical roots and evolution of the holiday. Afterward, students revisit the statements from the Preview section to check which ones they correctly identified as fact or fiction.

DISCUSSION & GRAMMAR

In the second half of this ESL lesson on Halloween, Students discuss open-ended questions to reflect on the video content and connect it to their own experiences. They share what they find most interesting about Halloween, talk about how they celebrate it (or think others enjoy it), and explore any similar traditions from their own countries. In addition, students examine the grammatical use of "would" in the context of past habits, choosing the correct usage and identifying phrases with similar meanings. They complete sentences to reinforce their understanding of would and used to in describing past routines, habits, and traditions.

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE: REVISITING THE PAST

Students engage in a personal reflection exercise by choosing from two options. In Option A, they recall and share memories from their past, such as holiday experiences or childhood traditions, using prompts to guide their thoughts. They discuss these with a classmate, utilizing would and used to for describing past actions. In Option B, students select from various talking points, exploring topics like past traditions, the commercialization of holidays, and memorable Halloween experiences. Both options encourage them to practice using the language structures learned throughout the lesson while reflecting on cultural traditions and personal stories.

BENEFITS OF USING THIS HALLOWEEN ESL LESSON PLAN

• Students explore Halloween’s rich history, making the lesson both informative and entertaining.
• This ESL lesson on Halloween increases cultural awareness by showing how customs evolve and adapt.
• Students improve their language skills with activities that cover listening, speaking, and vocabulary.
• Grammar practice focuses on using "would" and "used to", helping students confidently describe past habits.
• Open-ended discussions and group tasks encourage active participation and plenty of conversational practice.