Here are a few examples of lessons that I created for lower levels. Usually, I use them in a Peardeck mode, so that students respond to questions and complete activities as we move on in the lesson. Anyway, these lessons may be used in different ways, according to the teacher’s style and students’ needs.
1. Mi presento
Learning objective: introduce yourself.
Presentation: paragraph with example on “Let me introduce myself”, instructions for students and several examples of students. Students read and study the initial paragraph, then use the template to write their own introduction. Encourage students to use a bitmoji or pictures of what they like. When they are done with the paragraph, they present it to the class. When they present their own paragraphs, encourage other students to ask questions that have an answer in the paragraph (“come ti chiami?”, “quanti anni hai?”, “dove abiti?” etc.)
• Lesson example
2. Expressions with “avere”.
Learning objective: expressing basic needs.
Presentation: review verbs essere and avere, exercises to practice with these two basic verbs, idiomatic expressions with avere, activities to assess new expressions, flashcards to practice, online games.
• Lesson example
3. Luoghi d’Italia.
Learning objective: major landmarks in Italy + c’è/ci sono.
Presentation: practice with expressions c’è/ci sono, sentences describing places in Italy and why they are famous, true/false activity, flashcards, online game “whack-a-mole”, complete, match, dialogues in pairs, “your city” project and presentation, Thinglink activities.
• Lesson example
4. Nutella.
Learning objective: a famous Italian product.
Working with authentic material: an advertisement, some Italian products, famous Italian cities, some Carnevale masks, the meals of the day, ordering breakfast at a coffee bar, family members, means of transportation, kahoot: symbols of Italy.
• Lesson example
5. Express likes and dislikes.
Objective: express likes and dislikes, favorite things.
Presentation: mi piace, ti piace, gli piace, le piace.., Qual è il tuo …preferito?, Cosa ti piace di più?, Qual è la cosa più bella di…?, (non) mi piace perché…., flashcards, online games, dialogues, Kahoot.
• Lesson example
6. Agree & disagree.
Objective: agree and disagree.
Presentation: explanation chart, true/false activities, online games, practice with expressions, Kahoot, flashcards.
• Lesson example
7. A virtual tour.
Objective: Italian landmarks, traveling around Italy.
It is a “scavenger hunt” kind of activity: the teacher divides students in pairs or groups and then reveals clues one at a time. The students who respond first get a piece of candy, while the whole class is engaged in this hunt throughout Italy. The instructions are included, but the teacher may adapt the activity based on their own needs.
• Lesson example
8. Bingo.
Objective: practice with basic questions in a conversation.
At the beginning of the year, I use this activity in levels 2, 3 and 4, in order to have students get to know one another and practice with the language probably dusted for the summer vacations. I go over some of the typical questions to ask in a basic conversation, then I provide students with the grid on which there are some basic questions. Students walk around the classroom asking these questions to other students, with the objective to find 5 people whose answers will allow them to complete a column or a row. The first student who gets these 5 answers will get a piece of candy. Then, teacher uses these grids in class to have students practice the language.
• Lesson example II
• Lesson example III
• Lesson example IV-V
9. Pippi Calzelunghe e Pinocchio.
Objective: describe self & others.
The activities in this lesson aim to have students practice with physical descriptions, personality and what they generally do. Such activities are presented through two fictional characters that are very popular with children. The first one is Pinocchio, one of the most important fictional characters in Italian literature. The second character is not Italian, but it is quite famous in Italy.
• Lesson example
10. Tormentoni e vocabolario dell’estate
Objective: practice with Tormentoni and summer objects and scenes
Students are presented with a description of tormentone 2022 and then they learn or review a list of summer objects. They watch the video and discuss about the typical Italian products and customs that are shown in the video. They learn and sing to the refrain and then do some online games with the vocabulary they learned. They also learn about some tormentoni of 2024 and do some language activities. They also describe their favorite singer based on the example shown. Finally, they do a project with AI. They need to create a picture based on their detailed description, based on the example that the teacher gives them.
• Lesson example 1
• Lesson example 2
