You will learn
- Choose a personal experience to share.
- Plan it with a beginning, middle and end.
- Use a picture or object to help.
- Speak clearly and answer a question.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Choose something you did.
- Plan beginning, middle and end.
- Use a picture or object.
- Speak clearly and answer questions.
Words to know
show and tell others
something that happened to you
a thing you can show
the people who listen
1. Discover: My trip to the river
Kofi stands up with a picture. “Last weekend I went to the river with my uncle. First we walked there. Next we watched the fish. Last we ate fruit. I felt happy.” He shows his picture. Ama asks, “What colour were the fish?” “Silver!” says Kofi.
Think: What did Kofi use to help his talk?
2. Understand: Presenting
Idea 1: Choose and plan
Choose something that happened to you. Plan the beginning, middle and end.
Idea 2: Show something
Use a picture or an object to help your audience see what you mean.
Idea 3: Speak and answer
Speak clearly and look at your audience. Answer questions politely.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Plan
Plan a talk about a trip.
- Beginning: where.
- Middle: what.
- End: how felt.
Answer: river, fish, happy
Example 2 (We do it together): Use a prop
What can help your talk?
- A picture.
- An object.
Answer: a picture or an object
Example 3 (You try): Question
Someone asks a question. What do you do?
Show the steps and answer
- Listen.
- Answer politely.
Answer: answer politely
Did you know?
Speaking about your own experiences is a good way to build confidence.
Why this matters
Presenting your experiences helps you speak clearly and share your life with others.
4. Explore: Show and tell
Present your experience.
- Choose an experience.
- Plan three parts.
- Choose a picture or object.
- Present to a small group.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can present your experience.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- I want to tell you about ___.
- First, ___.
- Next, ___.
- At the end, I felt ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Plan a trip talk.
river, fish, happy
Question 2. What can help your talk?
a picture or an object
Question 3. A question?
answer politely
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- An experience is something that ___ to you.
- We present to our ___.
- We use a picture or an ___.
- We speak ___.
- We answer questions ___.
Level 2: Grow
- Plan a talk about your favourite day.
- Start your talk.
- End your talk.
Level 3: Stretch
- Present a short talk about something you did.
- Why use a picture or object?
- Kofi forgets the order. What can he do?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Tell your family about a day out and show a picture.
Show a sample answer
Last weekend I went to the park.
Another one. Present an object you love and tell why.
Show a sample answer
This is my toy car because…
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Speak slowly.
Fix: Look at them.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can choose an experience.
- I can plan it in order.
- I can use a picture or object.
- I can speak clearly and answer questions.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Plan beginning, middle and end.
- Use a picture or object.
- Speak clearly.
- Answer questions politely.
11. Next lesson
You have finished Grade 1 English & Language Arts. Well done!
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is an experience? [1 mark]
- Plan a three-part talk about a trip. [3 marks]
- Name a prop you can use. [1 mark]
- How should you answer a question? [1 mark]
- Explain how to present an experience. [3 marks]
Total: 9 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- something that happened to you [1]
- beginning [1]; middle [1]; end [1]
- a picture or an object [1]
- politely [1]
- plan in order [1]; use a picture or object [1]; speak clearly and answer questions [1]
Score guide: 8 to 9 = secure. 6 to 7 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- An experience is something that ___ to you.
- We present to our ___.
- We use a picture or an ___.
- We speak ___.
- We answer questions ___.
- A plan has a beginning, middle and ___.
- True or false: we plan first.
- True or false: we mumble.
- Present a short talk.
- Write a start and an end for a talk.
Homework
Present a short experience to your family using a picture or object.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. An experience is something that ___ to you. | happened | 1 |
| 2. We present to our ___. | audience | 1 |
| 3. We use a picture or an ___. | object | 1 |
| 4. We speak ___. | clearly | 1 |
| 5. We answer questions ___. | politely | 1 |
| 6. A plan has a beginning, middle and ___. | end | 1 |
| 7. True or false: we plan first. | true | 1 |
| 8. True or false: we mumble. | false | 1 |
| 9. Present a short talk. | a short talk | 1 |
| 10. Write a start and an end for a talk. | a start and an end | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 happened; 2 audience; 3 object; 4 clearly; 5 politely. Level 2: 1 beginning, middle, end; 2 I want to tell you about…; 3 Thank you for listening.. Level 3: 1 a short talk; 2 to help the audience see; 3 plan first, next, last.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Choose a personal experience to share | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Plan it with a beginning, middle and end | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Use a picture or object to help | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Speak clearly and answer a question | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Rushing through the talk. Speak slowly.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use cue cards and a partner.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child presents something that happened to them. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Be a kind audience.
- Ask one question.
- Praise confidence.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: choose a personal experience to share; plan it with a beginning, middle and end; use a picture or object to help; speak clearly and answer a question.
Prerequisite knowledge. Making simple posters.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Model a short experience talk.
Explanation (10 min). Teach planning, props and speaking.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise show and tell.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners present to the class.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What happened? Did I speak clearly? Did I use a prop?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use cue cards. Extension. Present with questions.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Rushing through the talk. Speak slowly.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 9-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use cue cards and a partner. Enrichment. Present for two minutes with questions. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 1 » Writing; Grade 1 » Reading: Informational Text; Grade 1 » Speaking & Listening. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core SL.1.4 and SL.1.5; W.1.3; Cambridge Primary English Stage 1 (speaking and listening). These sources informed the lesson.