Exploring My Neighbourhood

Curriculum Area:

Learning Languages — ESOL Level 1
Aligned with The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC), this lesson supports students in developing communicative competence in English through meaningful interaction and contextualised learning.
Focus strand: Interpersonal Communication
Curriculum Level: Level 1 (ESOL Progressions)
Context: My Neighbourhood — Week 3 Focus

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Learning Goals

Language Focus:

• Grammar: There is / There are + some / any
• Vocabulary: Places around the neighbourhood: library, park, supermarket, school, dairy, petrol station, bus stop
• Prepositions: next to, near, opposite, behind, in front of

Language Outcomes: By the end of this 45-minute lesson, students will be able to:

• Describe local places using correct structures, e.g., “There is a library next to the school.”
• Ask and answer questions, e.g., “Is there a park near your house?”, “There aren’t any dairies near my house.”
• Understand spatial concepts with visual and kinaesthetic prompts.

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Class Context

• Year Group: Year 7
• Group Size: 11 ESOL learners
• English Proficiency: Emerging at ESOL Level 1
• Special Considerations: Visual and kinaesthetic support embedded throughout; vocabulary recycling and repetition prioritised; plenty of speaking practice in safe, low-pressure settings.

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Materials Required

• A3 paper or blank laminated whiteboard maps for each pair
• Assorted coloured markers
• Laminated vocabulary & preposition prompt cards
• Cut-up sentence scramble cards with “there is/are” structures
• Mini place icons/stickers (shops, schools, libraries, etc.)
• Visual slide/printed exemplar map for modelling

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45-Minute Lesson Breakdown

⏱ 0–5 minutes — Warm-Up / Review Circle

Purpose: Activate prior knowledge and review previous vocabulary.

• Teacher holds up place flashcards one at a time.
• Students call out the name and use a gesture to show location (e.g., point behind, beside).
• Quick thumbs up/down questions: “Do you live near a park?” “Is there a supermarket in your street?”
• Recap grammar highlights using small chant:
  “There is a school… There are some shops... There aren’t any…”

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⏱ 5–20 minutes — Map It Out! (Collaborative Activity)

Purpose: To practice vocabulary and prepositions while creating personalised content.
In Pairs

• Each pair receives an A3 map template and place stickers.
• Teacher models with their “neighbourhood” at the board, e.g.,
  “First, I put a park next to my house. There is a park near my house.”
• Students build their maps with 5–7 landmarks using the stickers and draw connecting roads. Encourage variety in layout.
• Partner talk: Using their maps, students take 2 minutes each to describe it to the other:
  “There is a dairy next to the library.” “There aren’t any schools near my house.”

Teacher Circulates: Checks for grammar use and provides prompt cards as scaffolds.

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⏱ 20–30 minutes — Sentence Scramble Challenge

Purpose: To consolidate use of “there is/are” + places + prepositions in written form.

• Students work in two teams of 5–6.
• Teacher hands out a set of scrambled sentence cards. Example:
  • a / is / house / my / There / near / library
  • parks / there / any / aren’t
• Teams race to correctly order each sentence. Points for speed + accuracy. Teacher reads aligned sentences aloud.

Extension for fast finishers: Make a new (correct) sentence with some of the words or swap in new vocabulary for challenge.

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⏱ 30–40 minutes — “Is there a…?” Q&A Carousel

Purpose: Speaking practice using target language in engaging, repetitive dialogue.

• Students stand and walk around with their map from earlier. They partner up and ask each other 3 questions:
  • “Is there a school near your house?”
  • “Are there any shops?”
  • “Where is the library?”
• Swap partners each time (4–5 rounds)

Teacher Listens For:

• Correct structure of Yes/No responses
• Use of “some/any”
• Accuracy with prepositions

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⏱ 40–45 minutes — Wrap-Up & Reflection

Purpose: Consolidate learning & encourage metacognitive awareness.

• Students write one sentence about their map in exercise books using target grammar:

  • “There are some shops opposite the park.”
  • “There aren’t any bus stops.”

• Share 2–3 sentences aloud with class.

• Class reflection circle: “What new word did you learn today?” / “Was there anything difficult?”

Optional Exit Slip:
_“There is/are ______ near _____.”

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Assessment for Learning

Formative Observation:

• Teacher notes correct sentence patterns and preposition use during carousel and mapping activities.
• Listening for engagement, peer expression, and clarity.

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Teacher Notes: Links to NZ Curriculum Competencies

• Thinking: Students make personal decisions about neighbourhood layouts and consider real-world applications.
• Using Language, Symbols, and Texts: They apply functional phrases to map features, ask and answer questions, and write about their surroundings.
• Relating to Others: Collaborative games and paired dialogue build confidence and conversation skills.
• Managing Self: Students take ownership of written and spoken contributions.
• Participating and Contributing: Use of familiar, everyday contexts (NZ communities) to ensure relevance and accessibility.

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Possible Adaptations

• Extension: Students create written directions from home to the park using prepositions.
• Support: Use sentence frames throughout or provide a word bank with visuals.
• Cultural Link: Integrate Māori place names and cultural features of local areas in future lessons.

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Te Reo Māori Integration (Optional Homework Idea)

Encourage students to explore local place names in te reo Māori. Ask them to find out what the name means and create a sentence:

“There is a kura (school) called Te Kura o Manurewa near my aunt’s house.”

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Teacher Reflection Prompt (for post-lesson review):

• Which students used “some/any” confidently?
• What scaffolds supported students best during independent work?
• Were sentence structures retained into the carousel activity?

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This lesson blends rich, communicative interaction with scaffolded language development, empowering Year 7 ESOL learners to explore their worlds in English.