Extreme Weather ESL Lesson Plan

OBJECTIVE & OVERVIEW

This extreme weather ESL lesson plan contains activities, PDF worksheets, and digital materials for C1 advanced students. By the end of the lesson, students will understand and be able to communicate and report about extreme weather situations, climate, and natural disasters, while at the same time using advanced vocabulary to describe these extreme weather cases.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

This lesson on extreme weather starts out by having students discuss some of the vocabulary differences between weather and climate, as well as extreme weather and natural disasters. Students then do some discussion questions about extreme weather and have a conversation about their experience with different kinds of extreme weather. They may also discuss some extreme weather they have heard about in the news recently. In the final activity on this page, students make a prediction about an idea expressed in the video about extreme weather using an illustration.

VIDEO & LISTENING COMPREHENSION

Students watch a TED-Ed video about extreme weather, differences between weather and climate, and why it is becoming more extreme. There is a listening activity that highlights some key differences between and characteristics of weather and climate, as well as some questions about these differences. In the final exericise, students check their predictions from the preview part of the lesson.

DISCUSSION & ADJECTIVES

In the first post-viewing exercise, students take part in some discussion questions about the video and their thoughts and opinions about it. This is then followed by a few vocabulary activities on a few advanced adjectives that were used in the video to describe types of extreme weather. Students then proceed to an activity in which they can learn some more useful adjectives to describe extreme weather in a variety of contexts.

EXTREME WEATHER NEWS REPORT TASK

In this activation, students choose a region/location in the world. They then do an imaginary news report in which they report on an extreme weather or natural disaster scenario and describe it using some of the adjectives they learned. 

Lessons on extreme weather, the climate, or natural disasters tend to work well with ESL students because the topic is generally very relatable and engaging. If you’re looking for an interesting approach to teaching adjectives to advanced students or topics on extreme weather, this is the lesson plan for you!

Benefits of using this extreme weather ESL lesson plan:

Extreme weather events are common occurrences in many parts of the world. Teaching about them provides students with practical knowledge that can be relevant to their daily lives and experiences. In addition, learning about extreme weather helps students understand potential hazards and safety measures during adverse conditions. By using this lesson, they can explore ways to become better prepared to handle extreme weather situations and protect themselves and others.

This ESL lesson plan on extreme weather also introduces students to specific weather-related vocabulary and adjectives that may be useful in their everyday communication, especially since weather is such an integral part of small talk. This enhances their language skills and enables them to communicate more effectively in weather-related conversations.