Two young travellers in an airport

Introduction

In the context of the ELT week that British Council Argentina organised in March 2023, we invited teachers to submit lesson ideas for the remote and online classroom that address 21st century skills. 

This lesson plan was contributed by teacher Camila Mascaro as a response to this call. It is designed to be used with students aged 12+ and it aims to help them develop the necessary skills to design an attractive travel itinerary. 

For the production of graphic itineraries, while the lesson plan suggests using Canva, you can decide to use other graphic design tools or platforms. This is an opportunity to develop students’ ability to critically analyse information presentation and to make informed decisions when communicating through visuals  e.g. deciding what information to highlight and how to do this, selecting attractive photos to illustrate it, deciding what to show and what to explain, etc.

Lesson plan: Travel itineraries - Summary
Author: Camila Mascaro

Topic: Travelling, designing a travel itinerary, presenting information to capture audience attention

Aims:

Development of the following 21st century skills:

  • Collaboration & Communication
  • Critical thinking
  • Creativity

Language aims:

  • For students to be able to give instructions and advice using “must” / “I recommend” and do/don’t
  • For students to expand their vocabulary about travel

Age/level: CEFR A2+-B1, 12+ year olds

Time: 60 minutes 

Materials:

  1. Online example itineraries found at https://www.earthtrekkers.com/5-days-in-new-york-city-itinerary/ and https://www.earthtrekkers.com/3-days-in-cappadocia-turkey/ 
  2. Online Student worksheet (attached at the bottom)
  3. Access to canva or other graphic design tool

Procedure summary:

In this lesson plan, students will first access authentic itineraries available online to analyse the layout, how information is presented and the language that is typically used in this kind of text. As it’s intended for A2-B1 level students, asking strategic concept checking questions, providing scaffolding and grading the task will be necessary. If you find it too challenging for your learners, you can use alternative graded content (such as Travel guide | LearnEnglish Teens or A travel guide | LearnEnglish) and follow the same steps.

They will later produce their own itineraries about places of their choice, making informed decisions about how best to present the information both in terms of content and visuals. Finally, they will share their work with their classmates.

Lesson Plan: Travel itineraries - Detailed procedure

1. Lead-in

  • The teacher explains today the class will focus on travel itineraries and asks students about their travel preferences, the best destination they’ve been to, destinations they dream of visiting. 
  • The teacher opens the two websites with itineraries and exploits the first picture in each (‘Do you recognise it?’ ‘Has anyone in the class been there?’ ‘Would you like to?’)

2. Reading comprehension and analysis

  • The teacher invites students to read the texts linked below and answer the following general understanding questions in small groups for both texts: How many days are needed for this itinerary? What places are visited each day? What activities can be done there? Are there any food recommendations?  
    Note: depending on your learners’ previous knowledge of the subject, you may need to pre teach some key vocabulary 
  • 5 days in New York https://www.earthtrekkers.com/5-days-in-new-york-city-itinerary/
  • 3 days in Cappadocia https://www.earthtrekkers.com/3-days-in-cappadocia-turkey/ 
  • The teacher invites students to read the texts again and discuss, in the same groups, the characteristics they have in common.

Note: Whilst students are discussing, the teacher can observe and make notes, only getting involved if anybody needs help. 

  • Students will share their findings and answer these questions: ‘How would you define the text type?’ ‘What information can you get from the text?’

Student Expected Responses: ‘It’s an informative text’ ‘It describes places’ ‘It’s divided by days’ ‘There are a lot of pictures’ ‘There are tips/advice’ ‘There are prices’ ‘It looks like a leaflet’ ‘we can learn where to eat or where to stay’.

3. Language Focus

  • The teacher selects some sentences expressing instructions and/or suggestions from the itineraries and asks students what the intention of those is, eliciting ‘suggesting’ or ‘giving instructions’.

Example sentences:

  1. I also recommend checking GetYourGuide because you might get a cheaper price.
  2. Come see one of the best collections of ancient art from all around the world.
  3. Spend the morning in the one that sounds the most interesting to you.
  4. If it’s your first time in New York, the Statue of Liberty is a must see.
  5. You can also join one of these highly rated tours.
  6. Make sure you bring a flashlight and a jacket; it is considerably colder in the underground tunnels.

Student expected responses: ‘they are giving advice’ ‘They are telling you what to do’ ‘They are telling you not to forget…’ ‘They are telling you what you can do’.

  • Ask students to support their answers by highlighting verbs which helped them decide.

4. Controlled practice

  • Students do worksheet activity 1 in which students complete the travelling recommendations with the correct verbs (worksheet is attached at the bottom of the page).

5. Freer practice

  • Students are asked to plan an itinerary for a place they like. They are encouraged to use the chart in the worksheet (activity 2) to help them structure it. They are asked to choose the words they will highlight and the types of pictures they will include.

Note: explain their itinerary is a summary of the most important information so it will be considerably shorter than analysed examples

While students work, the teacher monitors and provides feedback and support.

6. Graphic design

  • Students are asked to create their itinerary collaboratively using CANVA. Students get into their CANVA accounts and share a file with their team-mates to create the poster. They must include pictures and write the text in an attractive way to later persuade their classmates to go on their itinerary.

7. Self-assessment

  • Students will analyse their work using the worksheet self-assessment questionnaire (activity 7). They are encouraged to make adjustments if the answer to any of these questions is ‘no’.

8. Closure

  • Students present their itineraries to the rest of the class and they vote which tour they would like to take and why.

 

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