Monday, October 13, 2025

Subject Pronouns: Model Text and Worksheet

(TESOL Materials--Subject Pronouns)

* Worksheet: docs, pub

[Notes: This model text was created using AI, specifically Gemini Storybook.  The prompt was: "Create a storybook to introduce subject pronouns to ESL students. Remember to use simple English, and be sure to include all the subject pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they"  The chat can be viewed here.   In my classes, I read the story with my students once for general understanding, then I handed them the worksheet, and asked them to identify the referent for each underlined word.  Then we went through it together in feedback.]

“Hello! My name is Leo. I am going on a picnic.”

Leo sees his friend Mia. “Hello, Mia! Are you ready?” he asks.

Mia sees her dog, Pip. “He is ready, too!” she says. Pip wags his tail.


Leo sees his friend, Mia. “She is bringing the blanket,” he says.

The picnic basket is full of food. “It is heavy!” says Leo.

Leo and Mia walk together. “We are going to the park,” says Leo.


They see more friends at the park. “Hello, everyone! Are you ready for fun?” asks Mia.


The friends are playing a game. “They are playing with a ball,” says Leo.


Everyone sits down to eat. “We are so happy to be here!” says Mia.


The picnic is a lot of fun. They eat, they play, and they laugh. It is a perfect day.


Subject Pronouns Index

(TESOL Ideas and Worksheets Subdivisions)

Subject Pronouns: Model Text and Worksheet

See also: Subject Pronouns versus Object Pronouns
Started: Read Real Japanese: Fiction edited by Michael Emmerich [I started this book years ago but never finished it.  There are actually two books in this series--the fiction one and the essays one.  The essays one I kept with me for several years--I mentioned it on this blog before here, here--before finally getting rid of it in this post here.  I've decided to give studying Japanese another try, but I'm going to start out with the fiction one.)

Quizlet:

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Sunday, October 12, 2025

Matching Cards for CVC words with -en


Google: docs, pub

I use these cards in several stages.
I start out with some of the alphabet cards from this previous activity.  I take the "E" card, and ask students what sound it makes.  Then I take the "N" sound, and ask what sound it makes, and then put the two cards together, and try to get students to tell me the sound.
I then take out several consonants, and get the students to tell me the sound, and then put these consonants together with the -EN to make different words, helping students to sound them out.  
At this point I put out the picture cards, and as we do different CVC -at words, I get students to identify the pictures.  
Once all the words and pictures have been identified, then we play a memory card game to match the words and pictures.  
Lastly, I put away the word cards, and just show students the pictures.  The students have to write down the word on their mini-white boards.

den

hen

men

pen

ten

zen



Ben and His Hen and Ben's Zen Pen


Both storybooks were created using a similar prompt: create a storybook for brand new readers. Use these words: ben, hen, den, men, pen, ten, zen.  (Although I forgot to include "den" in the first book, which was part of the reason I created a second book.)  

The Gemini Chat which created these books can be viewed HERE.




I used this video in my classes to help students learn the -en word family.  

-en Word Family (CVC words)

(TESOL Ideas and Worksheets Subdivisions)


BBC Bible Mysteries: TV Show Review



This is part of my so-called "Scripted Review" series, in which I make a Youtube video based on an old blogpost.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see HERE:
In this case, the old blog post is here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2013/11/bible-mysteries.html


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Wednesday, October 08, 2025

Tuesday, October 07, 2025

What is it? It's a.... Lesson

(TESOL Materials--English World 1, What is it?)

Google: slides, pub
Cards: docs, pub
[This a slideshow that uses images and video from English World 1 to practice the grammar structure "What is it?" "It's a...?".  The slideshow also includes links to materials previously published on this blog here, here, here and here.  The cards can be used for students to color with a color of their choice, and then use in a class mingle where they ask and answer, e.g. "What is it?" "It's a pink ball" ]

* What is it?  It's a (color) (noun) Flippity Matching Game

This is a memory game on Flippity Matching Game for practicing "What is it?  It's a (color) (noun)."
The Google sheets links are here: docs, pub--and the playing link is here.
The game makes use of images that are linked to from around the web, so hopefully the links will stay up, so the game will keep working.  (Maybe test this game out before you use it in the classroom, especially if you're finding this a few years from the date of posting.)
When students turn over a card, the teacher asks "What is it?" Students have to be able to say the color and animal in order to get a chance to find the matching card.
All but one of the pictures is to an animal.  (There's one picture of a cactus, everything else is an animal.)  So this activity could also be used to practice animal vocabulary.
* Wordwall: J1A - Unit 1 p.26

This is a Wordwall game designed by a former colleague of mine.  It was made to practice "What is it? It's a..." as well as "Is it a...?"  It was made to supplement English World 1, but I have also used them independently of the textbook, so I'm posting them here as well.



I used this video in my classes to practice the language of  "What is it? It's a..."
* baamboozle: Writing J1A Unit 1

These are two baamboozle games that practice the language "What is it? It's a..."  I made them to supplement English World 1, but I have also used them independently of the textbook, so I'm posting them here as well.

What is it? It's a...

(TESOL Ideas and Worksheets Subdivisions)


[Notes: Anyone have any ideas about what to classify these materials as?  I'm thinking I'll put it as Functional Language, but I'm not sure.]
Started: The New Teen Titans Volume Eleven by Marv Wolfman

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Sunday, October 05, 2025

* Present Continuous Yes/No Questions Kahoot

This is a Kahoot game for making yes/no questions for present continuous.  I've used it in my class, and I've found it useful for beginner students who are still learning question formation.
Teaching ESL/EFL Reading and Writing by I.S.P. Nation: Book Review





This is part of my so-called "Scripted Review" series, in which I make a Youtube video based on an old blogpost.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see HERE:


Teaching ESL/EFL Reading and Writing by I.S.P. Nation Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7dEqRIJKbop9RE15uXlhuF&si=AQ-bKJHhOCCMSxPx

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Saturday, October 04, 2025

Started: Gremlins: The Wild Bunch

Watching Progress (Dates indicate when episodes are completed)
October 4--Episode 2: Never Take the Tour
October 10--Episode 3: Never Use Double Negatives
October 11--Episode 5: There's Always a Fortune in the Cookie Factory
October 12--Episode 6: Never Get Out of the Truck
October 13--Episode 7: Always Ask for Backstory

Friday, October 03, 2025

Some More News does a good job of trying to explain our current cultural moment:


* Present Continuous: Questions and Short Answers Quizziz (Wayground)

This is an activity for present continuous questions and short answers I made on Quizziz (now called Wayground).  It is made for low level students who still need practice with basic sentence formation.

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai (Gremlins TV Show Season 1): Review

(TV show Reviews)


This is my first time reviewing this series, so according to my new rules, I am doing this as a video only review.



I ramble on a bit at the beginning.  The actual review starts at about 7:00

Links to stuff mentioned:

Red Letter Media Ranking Every Joe Dante Movie: https://youtu.be/RWP-ahN5sfY?si=Do1ha0EeA3YeqPxv

Related Playlists:


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Thursday, October 02, 2025

Present Continuous Questions and Short Answers PowerPoint


Making Questions PowerPoint: driveslidespub
[Note: I originally designed this to supplement English World 2 page 26, and the illustrations are from that textbook.  But I've decided that this could also be used as independent practice on present continuous questions.]

What are they doing? PowerPoint: Slides for Practicing Present Continuous

(TESOL Materials--Present Continuous)

What are they doing? Powerpoint: driveslidespub
[Note: I originally designed this to supplement English World 2 page 26, and the illustrations are from that textbook.  But I've decided that this could also be used as independent practice on the present continuous.]

Wednesday, October 01, 2025

* Present Continuous Quizziz (Wayground)

This is a present continuous activity I made on Quizziz (now called Wayground).  It is made for low level students who still need practice with present continuous formation.

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

The Gingerbread Cookie Mystery by Judy Katschke and Clare Elsom

(TESOL Materials--Graded Readers

I used this graded reader with some of my students.  I attempted to get several readings out of it--one reading for general understanding, and another reading for specific details (i.e. the old Celta method of gist reading and then specific information).  Because I was using this book for reading groups time, I used it over several days.

My students enjoyed the gist reading, as they got hooked on the mystery of who ate the Gingerbread Cookie.
Unfortunately, once they knew the ending, they were not so enthusiastic about subsequent readings.  Perhaps it was a mistake to try to milk this book for several readings.

However, if you were to try to work through this book in detail, it does have a lot of good vocabulary you can pull from it.  The sentences are simple and basic, so it's easily understood by the students, even though some of the vocabulary is more advanced.  And then once they've understood the main idea, then you can go and teach the vocabulary.

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VJt4hG      (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)

The materials I used to teach this book are below:
Google Drive Folder HERE ; Quizlet Folder HERE
* Youtube video HERE
Part 1 p.3-11
Part 2 p.12-21
Our institutions are under attack: 


Monday, September 29, 2025

Prepositions of place

I was looking for a Kahoot to practice prepositions of place. Once again, it turns out there are already a lot of good Kahoots out there for this topic.  But in my case, I was looking for something which would complement the words I had taught in this lesson here.  
I found one kahoot here which was pretty close to what I wanted, and I modified it with my own adaptations here.

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Started: Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai

Watching Progress (Dates indicate when episodes are completed)
September 26--Episode 5: Always Stab or Run
September 27--Episode 6: Always Buy a God a Drink First
September 28--Episode 7: Never Squeeze a Fox
September 20--Episode 8: Never Hug a Mogwai
September 30--Episode 9: Never Give Up
October 1--Episode 10: Never Ever Expose Them to Bright Light

Thursday, September 25, 2025


I was looking for a Kahoot to practice prepositions of movement. It turns out there are a lot of good prepositions of movement Kahoots out there.  You can search the site yourself and find some of them.
In my case, however, I wanted to find a Kahoot that focused specifically on the prepositions of movement that I had taught in this lesson here.  
I found one kahoot here which was pretty close to what I wanted, and I modified it with my own adaptations here.

Memory Game for Basic Irregular Verbs (Present and Past Tense)

(TESOL Materials--Irregular Verbs, Past Simple)

Paper Version: docs, pub

This is yet another memory game on irregular past tenses.  
I've previously created other memory games on the irregular past tense, but I was preparing a lesson for a new group of learners, and I decided none of my previous games were suitable.  This one was based on a white board grid, and I decided I wanted a more traditional memory card game.
This game, on the other hand, had some lower frequency irregular verbs, and for the group of learners I presently have, I needed something much more basic.
So, I made yet another with very basic irregular verbs.  I made both a paper version, and a flippity version.  I also put the irregular verbs into sentences to try to help my learners understand the difference between present and past tense.

I go to school every day.

Yesterday I went to school.

I drink coffee every day.

Yesterday I drank coffee.

I run every day.

Yesterday I ran.

I come home every day.

Yesterday I came home.

I eat pizza every day.

Yesterday I ate pizza.

I drive to school every day.

Yesterday I drove to school.

I read a book every day.

Yesterday I read a book.

I see my friend every day.

Yesterday I saw my friend.

I sing every day.

Yesterday I sang.

I write a letter every day.

Yesterday I wrote a letter.




Wednesday, September 24, 2025

These are both Gemini Storybooks for the CVC -an Word Family.

Both of these books were created using the same prompt: "create a story book for new readers based on these words: ban, fan, can, van, pan, tan, man, ran"
The Gemini chats which created these storybooks can be viewed here and here.

-an Word Family (CVC words)

(TESOL Ideas and Worksheets Subdivisions)


Zippy's Big Adventure and The Gap and the Map and also The Cap and the Map (this last one has the simplest language).

These are both Gemini Storybooks for the CVC -ap Word Family.

Both of these books were created using the same prompt: "create a story book for new readers based on these words: gap, rap, tap, lap, sap, nap, yap, map, cap, zap"
The Gemini chats which created these storybooks can be viewed herehere and here.

-ap Word Family (CVC words)

(TESOL Ideas and Worksheets Subdivisions)