Online activities from Jon Flyn – Charles Dickens’ London – lesson plan based on the game

Level: Upper Intermediate/ Advanced

Location: Computer Classroom

Skills Focus: Reading

Language Activity: Note-taking

Language focus: Used to/ would/ could have

Game: Charles Dickens’ London

To celebrate the bi-centennial anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens, Digital Play has found a game for you packed full of lovely written text for your learners to practice reading and learn a little bit about what living around the year 1812 would have been like. I’ve got learners to play this game as a straight reader. That is, they read it for their own pleasure but they may use an online dictionary if they really want to. However, this game also works well with note-taking while playing and then later generating sentences that focus on used to and would. Of course, a presentation and a little practice on this language is best before the game particularly if you ask learners to predict what life was like 200 years ago (when Dickens lived). You also have to be sure you’ve covered the main differences between used to and would. Could have sentences come mainly from the game which tells you what you could have done by a certain stage but didn’t.

Preparation

Print of a copy of the Charles Dickens’ London worksheet. Present and practice the target language.

Pre-play

Hangman Charles Dickens on the board and elicit and information about him. (Do your students know who he is?).

Tell them he lived in London 200 years ago and elicit a few used to and would sentences from students about him. Hand out the worksheet and in pairs learners make a few predictions.

Play

Learners take the worksheet to the computer room and sit in pairs (player and note-taker)

Learners find the game. (Google – Charles Dickens London game).

Stress they need to play the game and take notes. The first person to finish note taking can play and do no writing. If you see a pair playing and not note-taking click on the refresh button at the top – they restart the game. One learner plays the game while the other takes notes. Change every 5 minutes or so. Monitor and elicit sentences verbally from learners who use their notes.

Post Play

Learners compare notes and expand on their own if necessary.

Learners make sentences using their notes and target language.

Learners write a composition about Life in Charles Dickens London.

If you like this lesson plan, check out the Digital Play blog for lots more!