Would you like to work in an environment with children? What are the challenges of working with kids in a tourist environment?
And what do you think about zoos? Many people disagree with keeping animals in cages but others say that zoos can help preserve animal species and teach us about dwindling animal populations. What do you think?
Activity 1: Vocabulary
Activity 2: Grammar: Simple present
Activity 3: Capsule & comprehension questions
Activity 4: Reading & writing
Activity 5: Speaking
Activity 6: Vocabulary reinforcement (Find a word!)
Vocabulary
Grammar
Simple present tense
The simple present tense is used for habits, facts, routines, and general truths.
- Forming the Simple Present
- For most verbs: Use the base form.
- I/You/We/They play soccer.
- He/She/It plays soccer. (Add -s for third-person singular).
- Spelling Exceptions for Third-Person Singular (He/She/It)
- Verbs ending in -ch, -sh, -x, -s, -o: Add -es
- watch → watches
- go → goes
- Verbs ending in consonant + y: Change y → ies
- study → studies
- cry → cries
- Verbs ending in vowel + y: Just add -s
- play → plays
- enjoy → enjoys
- Negative & Questions
- Negative: Use do/does + not (don’t/doesn’t).
- She doesn’t like ice cream.
- Questions: Use do/does at the beginning.
- Does she study English?
Watch the capsule
Answer the comprehension questions that follow.
Reading and writing
Read the text and look at the verbs in the simple present.
A Day at the Zoo
The zoo is a great place to learn about animals. It is home to many species, each with its own unique behaviour. Lions, for example, are strong and majestic animals. They live in large enclosures where they rest most of the day. The male lion has a big mane, and, in the wild, the females do most of the hunting. They stay together in a pride, but they rarely fight. Lions sleep under trees and enjoy the warmth of the sun.
Zookeepers care for the animals, making sure they have enough food and clean water. Lions eat a lot of meat, and they need to stay healthy. A male lion can eat up to 7 kilograms of meat in one day. Visitors come to see the lions, and they take pictures, but they cannot pet them because lions are wild animals. The zoo also has other animals like giraffes, zebras, and monkeys.
The zoo participates in programs that protect animals from extinction. Lions and other species need help to survive, so the zoo works with different organizations to support animal conservation. The zookeepers teach visitors about the importance of preserving wildlife and creating a safe environment for all animals. It is a place where people can learn and enjoy nature.
Speaking
Animal Facts Presentation
Objective:
You will practice speaking in detail about animals, including behaviors, characteristics, and habitats, using simple present tense.
Instructions:
- Preparation: Choose an animal (e.g., lion, giraffe, zebra, monkey).
- Activity:
- Prepare a short presentation about your animal. You should include information such as what the animal eats, where it lives, how it behaves, and any interesting facts. You may use vocabulary from the unit, such as mane, wild, hunt, sleep, species, conservation, and pride.
- For example: “The lion is a wild animal. It lives in Africa and hunts for food. The male lion has a big mane. The lioness does most of the hunting.”
- Students then present their facts to the class.
- Follow-up Discussion: After each presentation, the class can ask questions using phrases like What does it eat? Where does it live? Why is it important to protect this species?
Speaking Activity 2: “Becoming a Tour Guide for Kids”
Objective:
Practice speaking and adapting your language for a younger audience (children) while describing a popular tourism attraction. You will focus on simplifying language, engaging your audience, and using a friendly tone.
Instructions:
- Preparation:
- Choose a local tourism attraction (e.g., a zoo, a museum, a theme park, a historical site, etc.).
- you will be divided into pairs or small groups. Each group will choose or be assigned a different tourism attraction to present.
- Activity:
- you will prepare a short, engaging tour guide presentation about your attraction, but you must adapt your language to make it easy for children to understand.
- You should use simple language, short sentences, and energetic or friendly tones. You can also include fun facts, questions, and interactive elements like quizzes or riddles to keep the children engaged.
- Key vocabulary to focus on: interesting, fun, amazing, wow, look, see, exciting, discover, learn, explore, play, history, adventure, etc.
- Example: A Museum Tour:
“Over here, we have the dinosaur exhibit. Look at the huge bones! Can you imagine a dinosaur this big walking around? These giant creatures lived millions of years ago. Isn’t that awesome?”
- Presentation:
- After preparing your presentation, you will take turns being the tour guide and “guiding” the rest of the class as if they were children. You must speak slowly, clearly, and use engaging language that is easy for kids to follow.
- Follow-up Discussion:
- After each group has presented, the class will discuss how well the language was adapted for children. Discuss which words or phrases worked best to grab attention and keep the audience interested.
Language Tips:
- Use short, simple sentences to ensure children can follow along.
- Incorporate questions throughout to make the presentation interactive.
- Use positive, energetic language to keep children interested (e.g., “amazing,” “fun,” “exciting”).
- Include visual descriptions when possible (e.g., “Look at the bright red feathers on the parrot!” or “This dinosaur was as tall as a building!”).
Vocabulary reinforcement