Lesson plan

Clothes
Topic
Clothes

Aims
 To practise and extend learners’ clothes vocabulary
 To develop learners’ listening and speaking skills
 To develop learners’ writing skills

Age
Primary (7–11 years)

Time
60 minutes

Materials
1. Flashcards
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/flashcards/clothes-flashcards
2. Word games: ‘Clothes 1’ and ‘Clothes 2’
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/word-games/clothes-1
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/word-games/clothes-2
3. Story, activity sheet, answers and transcript: ‘My favourite clothes’
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/my-favourite-clothes
4. Song, activity sheet, answers and lyrics: ‘Don’t put your trousers on your head’
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/dont-put-your-trousers-your-head
5. Game: ‘Teddy dresser’
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/games/teddy-dresser
6. Your turn: ‘Clothes’
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/your-turn/clothes
7. Your turn: ‘Favourite T-shirt’
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/your-turn/favourite-t-shirt
8. Your turn: ‘Favourite shoes’
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/your-turn/favourite-shoes
9. Worksheets: ‘Clothes’ and ‘T-shirt design’
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/worksheets/clothes
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/worksheets/t-shirt-design

For a complete list of all ‘Clothes’ content on LearnEnglish Kids, click here:
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/category/topics/clothes

www.teachingenglish.org.uk
© The British Council, 2017 The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
 Lesson plan
Introduction
In this lesson children practise clothes vocabulary with flashcards and online games. They listen to and
watch a story about a boy and his favourite clothes, and then join in with a song about clothes. They play
an action game, then write about their favourite clothes for homework.

Procedure
1. Flashcards  Draw a suitcase on the board. Tell the class that your suitcase is very heavy (and
(15 mins) mime dragging heavy suitcase). Can they guess what’s in it? (Clothes) Can they
guess which clothes? Ask for hands up to guess and accept any answers with a
‘Maybe, yes’.
 Choose up to 12 of the clothes flashcards. Tell the class ‘In my suitcase I’ve got …’,
show the flashcards one by one and say the name of the item.
 Now show the cards one by one, say the word and learners repeat. Stick the cards
on the board or display on the floor. Ask the learners to guess which are your
favourite clothes (e.g. green jumper, blue jacket). Ask the children to put their hands
up and to tell you their favourite clothes.
 Drill ‘What are your favourite clothes?’ like this –
Teacher: Listen. What are your favourite clothes? Listen and repeat. Clothes.
Class: clothes
Teacher: favourite clothes
Class: favourite clothes
Teacher: your favourite clothes
Class: your favourite clothes
Teacher: What are your favourite clothes?
Class: What are your favourite clothes?
 Learners ask and answer this question in pairs. Demonstrate the activity to the class
with two stronger learners. Monitor as learners speak but also stick flashcards
around the room in preparation for the flashcard game next.
 Play a flashcard game. Stick the picture cards and word cards on the walls around
the room. Say the name of the item of clothing and either ‘word’ or ‘picture’ and the
children have to run and touch the correct card. Ask a volunteer to collect the cards
when you have finished.
 Play the ‘Clothes 1’ word game as a class. Display the games and ask children to sit
quietly. Choose volunteers to take turns to match the clothes words and pictures
correctly.

2. Story  Pre-teach ‘slippers’ using the image from the story or show the flashcard. Ask
(15 mins) learners where they wear slippers. Do they have slippers? What colour are they?
 Display the initial image of the story ‘My favourite clothes’ to the class. Ask the
children to guess what it’s about. Tell them they are going to listen and watch a story
about a boy and his favourite clothes.
 The first time you play the story ask the children to remember the boy’s favourite
clothes. You could ask a volunteer to write the clothes on the board. Play the story
again for learners to check.
 Ask if the boy’s clothes are too big or too small? (Small) Why are they too small? (He
has grown.) Who can wear the clothes now? (His teddy)

www.teachingenglish.org.uk
© The British Council, 2017 The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
 Lesson plan
 Hand out the worksheet (page one). Learners do exercise 1 (matching clothes and
words). Learners try to match the parts of sentences in exercise 2, and then watch
the story again if necessary or to check. Higher levels or early finishers can do either
of the exercises on the second page of the worksheet.

3. Song  Display the song ‘Don’t put your trousers on your head’ to the class. Ask ‘Where are
(15 mins) his trousers?’ (On his head) ‘Do you wear trousers on your head?’ (No!)
 Play the song and ask children to remember the clothes that they see.
 Play the song again. This time children have to say what problems there are with the
clothes. (Trousers are undone, trousers fall off, shoes undone, hoodie on back to
front, gloves on feet)
 Play the song again and encourage children to sing along and join in with actions.
You can make up actions as a class.
 There is an optional worksheet to download for higher levels under the song.

4. Games  Play an online game on the topic of clothes. You can try the ‘Clothes 2’ word game,
(15 mins) or younger children will like the Teddy dresser game.
 Finish with a game of ‘Change place if …’. Children sit in a circle. The teacher says
‘Change places if you’re wearing blue socks / a red T-shirt / jeans, etc.’. After a
couple of rounds ask for a volunteer to give instructions. Make the game more
competitive by removing a chair from the circle each time the children get up to
change places. Anyone who can’t find a chair is ‘out’.

5. Homework  Children who are registered on LearnEnglish Kids can write in the ‘Your turn’ section
on the website and describe their favourite clothes, favourite T-shirt or favourite
shoes. If your learners aren’t registered they could answer the questions in their
notebooks or you could make a class poster with their descriptions and decorate with
pictures of clothes.
 Alternatively, you could assign the ‘Clothes’ or ‘T-shirt design’ worksheets.

Contributed by
Sally Trowbridge

www.teachingenglish.org.uk
© The British Council, 2017 The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.