Seasonal lessons for older newcomers are often just vocabulary lists. But fall is a perfect time to teach real grammar, because the topics are fun and the pictures do half the work.
3 fall grammar lessons
1. Fall is here: there is / there are. Show a fall scene and ask, “What do you see?” Teach the pattern: “There is a scarecrow.” “There are leaves.” Then students describe a picture to a partner, who draws it.
2. Pumpkin patch: comparing with -er + than. Line up three pumpkins (real or pictures) and compare: “This pumpkin is bigger than that one.” “The tall one is heavier.” Students love finding the heaviest pumpkin.
3. Costume day: going to for plans. “I am going to be a scientist.” “She is going to be a pirate.” Superhero, wizard, robot and dinosaur are big favorites. If your school doesn’t celebrate Halloween, make it a Fall Festival role-play with the same language.
Two levels, one lesson
Teach the group together. Starter students use a short frame (“There is a ___.”), while Stretch students use a longer one (“There are ___ next to the ___.”) and do extra tasks in the workbook.
If you want it ready to go
My Fall & Halloween ESL Newcomer Lessons for Grades 3–5 has all three lessons: 47 slides with teacher notes on every slide, a teacher guide with grammar notes and an answer key, a student workbook with Stretch tasks, 22 vocabulary cards and a family page in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Nothing is scary.
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