My Favourite Travel

Lesson Overview

• Unit: Community, Travel, Emotions
• Lesson Number: 9 of 28
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Class Size: 30 students
• Age Group: Year 1
• Curriculum Area: English – Spoken Language (National Curriculum for England)

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Describe their favourite mode of transport using complete sentences.
• Practise speaking and listening skills through paired and class discussions.
• Use adjectives and simple sentence structures to explain their choice.

Success Criteria

• I can name different ways to travel.
• I can describe my favourite way to travel in a full sentence.
• I can listen carefully to my partner and share what they said.

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction & Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Engaging Starter: "Guess the Transport!"

• Teacher plays transport sounds (e.g., train chugging, car horn, aeroplane taking off).
• Students raise hands to guess what it is.
• Follow-up question: "Have you ever travelled this way? How did it feel?"

Key Vocabulary

• Teacher introduces and writes on the board: travel, transport, journey, aeroplane, train, car, bus, bicycle, boat.
• Model sentence: "I like travelling by train because it goes fast!"

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2. Partner Discussion (15 minutes)

Think-Pair-Share Activity

• Think: Students take one minute to think about their favourite mode of transport.
• Pair: In pairs, each student tells their partner:
  • How they like to travel.
  • Why they like it.
• Share: Each partner introduces the other’s favourite transport to the class.

Example:
“My friend Sam likes travelling by bike because he enjoys the fresh air.”

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3. Group Activity (15 minutes)

Interactive Game: "Travel Corners"

• Teacher designates different corners of the classroom: Car, Train, Bicycle, Aeroplane, Boat.
• Students move to the corner that matches their favourite transport.
• In each group, students take turns forming and saying a full sentence about why they like that transport.

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4. Independent Task (15 minutes)

Drawing & Writing Activity

• Each student draws themselves using their favourite mode of transport.
• Writes a simple sentence: _"I like travelling by ______ because _____."
• Teacher supports with sentence starters on the board:
  • "I like travelling by..."
  • "I like it because..."
• Quick partner share of their drawing and sentence.

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5. Plenary (5 minutes)

Reflection Circle

• Teacher asks:
  • "Which way of travelling is the most popular in our class?"
  • "Did you hear a new way of travelling from a friend today?"
• One or two volunteers share their completed sentence with the whole class.

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Differentiation & Support

• For EAL/SEN students: Provide picture cue cards for different transport options; use sentence frames for support.
• For higher ability students: Encourage use of adjectives (e.g., "I like aeroplanes because they are big and fast.") and conjunctions (e.g., "I like boats because they are fun and relaxing.").

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observing use of complete sentences in discussions.
• Listening to students' partner-sharing presentations.
• Reviewing written work for correct sentence structure and descriptive words.

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Resources Needed

• Transport sound clips (optional: use teacher’s voice for imitation).
• Picture cards of different transport options.
• Large paper and colouring materials for drawing activity.

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Teacher Reflection

• Did students engage well in discussions?
• Did they use complete sentences and new vocabulary?
• What adjustments could be made for next time?

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This lesson provides an interactive and structured way for Year 1 students to practise speaking and listening, supporting the UK curriculum through engaging activities, discussion, and creative expression.