Capturing Holiday Memories

Lesson Context and Objectives

This lesson is designed for Year 7 English under the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). The aim is to enhance writing, critical thinking, and presentation skills while aligning with Criterion B (Organising) and Criterion C (Producing Text) of the IB Language and Literature framework. It will focus on crafting a travel blog about a favourite holiday destination and presenting it in a PowerPoint format. The lesson encourages creativity, descriptive writing, and structured organisation of ideas.

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Develop an engaging travel blog entry about their favourite holiday destination.
2. Practise formatting and presenting content in a PowerPoint presentation.
3. Apply descriptive language and organisational skills to communicate effectively.

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Learning Outcomes

• Key Concept: Communication
• Related Concepts: Style, Organisation, Purpose
• Global Context: Personal and Cultural Expression (Exploring lifestyles and identities through travel experiences)
• ATL Skills Focus (Approaches to Learning): Communication and Creative Thinking

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Materials and Preparation

Materials:

• Interactive whiteboard or projector for teacher-led demonstration.
• Student laptops or tablets with access to PowerPoint or similar software.
• Paper and pens for brainstorming.
• Printed vocabulary enrichment sheets (descriptive adjectives, sensory words, travel-related phrases).

Preparation:

• Create an example PowerPoint presentation on a mock travel blog (e.g., a holiday to the Lake District or Edinburgh).
• Prepare guiding questions to structure the blog content.
• Set up a visual timer to break down activities into manageable chunks.

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Lesson Structure (40 Minutes)

1. Starter Activity – The Warm-Up (5 Minutes)

Objective: Engage students and activate prior knowledge.

1. Display an image of a famous UK holiday spot (e.g., Cornwall beaches, Snowdonia, or a London attraction) on the board.
2. Ask students to respond to the question:
   • What makes a holiday destination memorable?
3. Record their answers on the whiteboard in categories (e.g., Features, Activities, Food, Weather).

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2. Modelling Task – Building a Travel Blog (10 Minutes)

Objective: Demonstrate how to structure a travel blog and integrate it into a PowerPoint.

1. Show the example PowerPoint presentation with the following slides:
   a) Title Slide – The Lake District: A Breathtaking Escape
   b) Descriptive Slide – What I Loved the Most! (e.g., picturesque views, misty mountains, kayaking adventures).
   c) Conclusion Slide – Why You Should Visit! (personal recommendation and tips).
2. Deconstruct the content for students by focusing on:
   • Organisational Structure: Title, introduction, main points, conclusion.
   • Descriptive Writing: Using sensory details (e.g., 'the crisp, fresh scent of pine trees').
3. Display a language bank (adjectives and sensory phrases) for students to use.

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3. Independent Task – Creating the Blog and Slides (20 Minutes)

Objective: Students write and structure their own travel blog and adapt it to PowerPoint slides.

1. Students choose their favourite holiday destination (personal or imaginary).
2. Guide them with the following prompts:
   • Describe the destination in detail: What did you see, hear, taste, or feel?
   • What activities did you do there?
   • Why would you recommend this destination?
3. Students divide their blogs into three short sections (Title, Description, Recommendation).
4. Provide a simple slide structure for PowerPoint:
   • Slide 1: Catchy title and one image (hand-drawn or sourced).
   • Slide 2: Key highlights with 2-3 bullet points.
   • Slide 3: Persuasive conclusion (e.g., "Three reasons you must visit!").

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4. Final Activity – Sharing and Reflection (5 Minutes)

Objective: Foster confidence and peer learning through presentation and feedback.

1. Select 3 students (time permitting) to quickly share their PowerPoint blogs with the class.
2. Encourage classmates to provide one positive comment and one improvement suggestion.
   • e.g., I loved your description of the food, but maybe next time you could include more sensory details about the beaches!
3. Highlight effective use of visuals and descriptive writing from student examples.

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Extension Task (Optional Homework)

Ask students to complete their travel blog as a polished PowerPoint, adding more creative features (e.g., transitions, embedded images, maps). They can email it to the teacher for showcase purposes or print it for a classroom display.

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Differentiation

For Support:

• Provide a template with pre-filled headings (e.g., Title, Activities, Recommendation).
• Allow them to work in pairs for brainstorming ideas.
• Give examples or sentence starters to scaffold creativity.

For Challenge:

• Encourage advanced students to add persuasive language and rhetorical questions (e.g., Have you ever dreamed of walking on golden sands in the Canary Islands?).
• Ask them to create four slides instead of three, adding a "Fun Facts!" slide.

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Assessment and Evaluation

• Formative Assessment: Monitor student engagement during the independent writing task and observe their use of descriptive language and structure.
• Feedback: Verbal feedback during presentations focusing on one area of strength and one for improvement.
• Self-Assessment: Ask students to rate their work on a scale of 1 to 5 for creativity, clarity, and organisation.

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Reflection for the Teacher

• Did the students effectively use descriptive language in their blogs?
• Were they able to translate their ideas into a structured PowerPoint format?
• Were the activities engaging and age-appropriate?

End the lesson by celebrating creativity—remind students that travel blogging is about storytelling and passion for places, which is an enriching way to improve their writing skills!