Flying Furniture

More from Joseph Fasano.

We did this poem template in class in a Mad-Lib style where I went round the students asking for the random words needed (without showing poem) and then we tinkered with it a bit at the end (showing poem)

There are days when I am Luis
and days when I am not
My heart is a smart climbing monkey in the morning
and a blue swimming whale at night
If only I could lift weights
I would be strong
If only i could let go of horses
I would be flying furniture
Fernando this poem is for you
To love you is to be flying furniture

Original Template:

The Wishing Wolf

I asked my A1 classes to choose an animal (wolf)

and tell me some things it CAN'T do (in the first person)

Some examples that they said:

I can’t fly

I can't put on shoes

I can't watch TV

I can't dance

I later asked my B2 class to use WISH and the appropriate structures that follow

it to think about what the wolf might wish due to the things it can't do.

Here are a few of the results:

THE WOLF

I can’t fly

I wish I had wings

I can’t put on shoes
I wish I had been born with feet

I can’t dance

I wish I had rhythm
I wish I could move my paws
I wish I wasn’t fat

Words into Questions

First, write an item for each thing on this list:

1, An activity you enjoy doing (example: Basketball)

2, Something you sometimes do

3, A verb in gerund (ING) form

4, A place in your town

5 Another place in your town

6, Two subjects at school

7, Two countries on our planet

8, An APP on your/a phone

9, Your favourite sport / hobby

10, An object in the house (plural)

Now put your words in the questions below and ask them to a friend, partner or yourself.

1, What is the objective of ___? (Basketball)

2, When was the last time you ___?

3, Do you agree that ___ is important?

4, What is a benefit of ___?

5, What is the worst thing about ___?

6, Which is better: ___ or ___?

7, Are there any similarities between ___ and ___

8, What potential risks are there in using ___?

9, What advice could you give someone about ___?

10, How might ___ be different in the future?

Banana

Player 1
Your verb is EAT (it's a secret)
You must make sentences for player 2 using this verb but when you want to say the verb you must say BANANA instead

Example: Did you BANANA any food last night?

Player two will try and guess the verb

Player 2
You are going to hear a sentence including the word BANANA. You must try and guess what verb BANANA is replacing.

Thoughts
It could be made more complex by using past simple or past participle forms or that a conditional form must be used (if you BANANA more vegetables you will feel better)

Here is random verb generator to help get you started
Here is a more advanced one
Hope you BANANA a good time.

Alternative Proverbs

What is a proverb?

Do you know any in your own language?

Here are parts of some English proverbs.

Complete the sentences with your own ideas.

1, All good things must... 
2, Better late than... 
3, If it isn't broken... 
4, If you can't beat them... 
5, You can't teach an old dog...
6, Knowledge is...
7, ...is the best medicine.
8, No human is a...
9, Practice makes...

10, The early bird... 
11, The grass is always... 
12, The pen is mightier than... 
13, Time is... 
14, Too many cooks... 
15, You can take a horse to water... 
16, Children should be seen and not... 
17, Where there's smoke there's... 
18, You can't always get... 

Compare yours with the originals.

Here are some from my class:

All good things must... happen
Better late than... dirty
If it isn't broken... use it
If you can't beat them... confuse them
You can't teach an old dog... maths
Knowledge is... nature
Sleep ...is the best medicine
No man is a... ghost

Practice makes... humanity

The early bird... doesn't have a life
The grass is always... growing
The pen is mightier than... the pencil
Time is... over
Too many cooks... too much food
You can take a horse to water... but you'll get wet
Children should be seen and not... eaten
You can't always get... popcorn in the cinema.