8TH GRADE. UNIT 5. BRITISH CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

UNIT OBJECTIVES

By the end of the unit Ss will

• be able to use the vocabulary of the unit
• have recycled the use of articles in set expressions and different tense forms in Active and Passive Voices
• be able to differentiate between Past Perfect and Past Simple and use them in speech
• have practised reading and listening about British customs and traditions
• have practised asking for and sharing information within the limits of the unit
• have had practice in describing British customs and traditions
• be able to write a reply to a personal letter

COMMUNICATIVE AREA

1) speaking about: how you spent Christmas holidays, April Fool's Day customs and jokes, unusual British customs, things that represent the national culture; 

2) discussing: birthdays and birthday customs and traditions; 

3) describing: customs and traditions connected with the Tower of London, royal customs and traditions, superstitions, gardening in Britain; 

4) comparing superstitions; 

5) writing a reply to a friend's letter.

VOCABULARY

a good sport, actual, avoid, be on cloud nine, by the time, community, congratulate on, crown, establish, fake, fall for, for luck, guard, highlight (n), involve, just in case, lock, monarch, overshadow, participant, play a trick on sb, practical joke, prankster, purse, raven, ridiculous, sign, steal, superstition, superstitious, take down, unlucky, watch out,  negative prefixes.

PRONUNCIATION

new vocabulary

GRAMMAR 

1) Past Perfect; 

2) Past Perfect vs Past Simple; 

3) tenses (revision); 

4) the indefinite article in set expressions.

LISTENING 

1) the ending of a story about an April Fool joke; 

2) three short stories about the Tower ravens; 

3) four people describing royal customs and traditions; 

4) Kate talking to her American cousin about superstitions; 

5) a post from a garden writer's blog; 

6) a correspondent talking about a British tradition.

READING

1) an entry from Kate's diary;

2) facts about April Fool's Day;

3) the beginning of a story about an April Fool joke; 

4) a quiz about: birthdays, superstitions; 

5) information about: birthday customs and traditions in English-speaking countries, the Royal Maundy ceremony, a set of stamps, five unusual community events, pub quizzes, a Punch and Judy show; 

6) an article written by a Yeoman Warder; 

7) short stories about the Tower ravens; 

8) people's opinions about letters; 

9) Kate's letter; 

10) statements about British everyday customs; 

11) a post from a garden writer's blog; 

12) an extract from a book written by a Yeoman Warder.

SPEAKING

1) short exchanges with Past Perfect about: Christmas holidays, birthdays;

2) retelling: short newspaper stories, information about unusual community events, information about gardening in Britain; 

3) asking and answering questions about: April Fool's Day personal experience, the Royal Maundy ceremony, superstitions; 

4) doing a birthday survey; 

5) expressing one's opinion about: a visit to the Tower, royal traditions to see; 

6) a pub quiz; 

7) proving that Punch and Judy shows are an English treasure.

WRITING 

1) a paragraph about an unusual community event; 

2) a post about the role of superstitions in one's life; 

3) a reply to a friend's letter; 

4) a fake story for April Fool's Day.