Thanksgiving traditions : An ESL ready Activity + Video with questions (4th Thursday of November)

Teaching Thanksgiving Traditions in the ESL classroom is a wonderful way to introduce students to cultural topics while building meaningful language skills.

Here you have some resources to make it easy to explore the history and customs of the holiday—such as the feast, the parade and expressions of gratitude—through accessible reading and vocabulary work. Activities like The Gratitude Tree help students reflect on what they are thankful for, encouraging positivity, empathy and classroom community. 

Thanksgiving lessons not only enrich students’ cultural knowledge but also create a warm, reflective atmosphere that supports communication and personal expression in English.

If you want something for higher level, this video will help you. You have comprehension questions and the answers.

1. When and where did the first Thanksgiving take place?
2. Who were the two groups of people that celebrated together?
3. Why did the Pilgrims come to America?
4. What kind of food did they probably eat at the first Thanksgiving?
5. When did Thanksgiving become an official national holiday in the USA?
6. Who decided the exact date of Thanksgiving we celebrate today?
7. How do Americans usually celebrate Thanksgiving nowadays?
8. What is the main idea or message of the video?

        Answer Key:

1. In 1621, in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

2. The Pilgrims and the Native Americans (Wampanoag).

3. They came to America to find religious freedom and a new life.

4. They probably ate wild turkey, corn, pumpkin, and fish.

5. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made it an official holiday.

6. President Franklin D. Roosevelt fixed it as the fourth Thursday of November.

7. Families get together, eat a big meal, and watch parades or football games.

8. To remember the first harvest celebration and to be thankful for what we have.

The Past Perfect Simple

 

This tense can be tricky for learners. I’ve used this material with my 4th ESO students (A2- B1 level), and it really helped them understand it better. I hope it’s just as useful for you and your students too!

Vocabulary Game: I have got ...who has got?

This is a great game to play in class if you want to review vocabulary. My 1º E.S.O. students love it! Here you have a pack of 27 cards with school vocabulary. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Gunpowder plot

The 5th of November is an important day in British history. Over 400 years ago, a group of Catholics plotted against King James I. They decided that the King, his family, royals, bishops, and other members of the government must die because of the persecution Catholics were suffering in England. Their plan failed, and the plot's failure has been celebrated every 5th of November since.

This is the material I’ve designed for my classes. They are tailored for 4th ESO bilingual courses and 2º bachillerato students, as well as  students at B1-B2 levels.      I hope you enjoy them!

I let you the link to the videos  I used in the material above.

                                     

USING FILMS IN ENGLISH CLASSES: Jumanji welcome to the jungle

Every year, I like to watch a film with my students—no matter their level. Choosing the right film is key: it has to be something they enjoy, something that captures their attention. Of course, most of them prefer to watch with Spanish subtitles (their mother tongue), but I always encourage them to give English subtitles a try. In my experience, this makes a huge difference in improving listening skills and expanding vocabulary.

One of my favourite classroom films is Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. It’s fun, full of action, and perfect for keeping students engaged from beginning to end.

Here you can find the English trailer and a link to the teaching material I’ve designed to go along with the film.

I hope you and your students enjoy it as much as we do!

 

FUN SPELLING GAMES

Give your students the tools to spell confidently in English with this interactive PowerPoint.

This resource is perfect for beginners to A2 learners and includes:

• A colourful review of the English alphabet with phonetic symbols.

• A guessing game with drawings, definitions, and phonetic transcription.

• A ready-to-use alphabet poster.

Ideal for: whole-class practice, pair work, or fun spelling competitions.

Helps students recognise confusing letters (a/e/i, g/j, b/v, etc.) and use phonetic transcription to clarify words.

Suitable for primary, secondary, and adult beginners.

Past Simple Regular Verbs Pronunciation

CLICK THE PICTURE TO SEE THE MATERIAL IN EDUKI

This new resource is designed to help English learners practice and master the pronunciation of regular verb forms in the simple past tense. Each exercise includes an audio guide to support students in improving their pronunciation. Click the image to access the material on Eduki. Below, you’ll find a free sample with an aduio.

FREE SAMPLE PAST SIMPLE REGULAR VERB PRONUNCIATION

Start the upcoming school year with a new calendar

This visually engaging, printable calendar highlights key cultural celebrations and awareness days in the United Kingdom and the United States from September to December 2025. It now includes direct links to my related teaching materials already published on Eduki—perfect for planning meaningful and timely lessons!

Back to school. First day activities. Students A1-A2

I know there is still a whole month of holidays left for some of us. However, in my experience, it’s better to have a good plan for the first days of class. Nice activities will help students get into the mood for learning. These are the activities I’ve prepared—I hope you enjoy them with your students!

The resource includes five varied activities for your English lessons:

1.  Word Cube: Students explore a word cube to identify and classify key vocabulary about people, school subjects, supplies, and places—then translate the words into their native language. (Solutions included!)

2. Wordsearch: A visual word search where students look for school‑related objects; words appear horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and backwards.

3. Motivating Sentences: Students match halves of motivational sentences, choose their top three favorites, and vote to select a class motto for the year.

4. Getting to Know Your Classmates Better: Students write questions to ask classmates, then interview each other to discover new things.

5. Crossword / Vocabulary Revision: A fun crossword to review and consolidate school vocabulary in an interactive way.

Back to School. First Day Activities for A2- B1 students

 

Incredibly enough, we’ve been on holiday for a whole month, and it seems it’s time to start thinking about the next school year.

Here are some activities for students from 3º ESO to 2º Bachillerato (A2–B1.2 level) to start the year by revising vocabulary and grammar, and practising speaking and listening.

I hope you find them useful!

Speaking Cards: 20 Topics to Boost Speaking From A2 - B2

CLICK IN THE PICTURE

This resource is designed for English as a Second Language (ESL) learners at CEFR levels A2 to B2. With this material, students will be able to:

• Build fluency and confidence in spoken English.

• Practice individual dialogues and monologues on personal topics.

• Develop critical thinking and creativity through open-ended questions.

• Improve pronunciation, coherence, and vocabulary in a flexible learning environment.

• Prepare for oral exams, classroom presentations, and formal assessments.

I hope you find this material useful. 

 

Phonetic Fun: English Alphabet Poster & Flashcards Set

This material is a fun and effective tool for learning the English alphabet. With it, students will be able to:

1. Learn the English alphabet in a visual and practical way.
2. Get introduced to phonetic transcription and its basic symbols.
3. Understand the importance of fluent spelling to clarify words in everyday situations.

Here is the link to  the pronunciation. I hope you find it useful!

Shakespeare in Pieces: A Pair Work Activity to Master Wh-Questions

To celebrate Shakespeare Week, what better way than to work on reading comprehension, speaking skills in pairs, and reviewing past interrogative sentences? Here is the material I have prepared for my classes. I hope you like it!