Lesson 5:

Elementary Writing
Postcards from holiday

Aim By the end of the lesson student will have written a postcard
home from holiday. Students will have practised writing in the
present and past tense and they will have used going to for
the future. They will have learned about writing styles (formal,
informal)

Materials Post cards from the edge (adapted from Teachitworld.com)
Holiday destination pictures (taken from Internet Images)
Post card templates (A5 card)
Blank or lined paper
Holiday vocabulary/definitions worksheet 1 (created by Country
Cousins)
Holiday sentences using regular/irregular verbs (created by
Country Cousins)


Teacher tips:
Check for correct pronunciation (revise phonemes)
Low teacher talk time
Mix nationalities (dont have the same students working together all
the time!)
Move students around and keep the lesson dynamic
Simple questions
Simple clear explanations
Dont forget to pre-teach unknown vocab
Make sure you error correct

1. Ask students in groups of 3 what type of things they write or can be written.
Ask them to write down as many things as possible. Then put two columns on
the board and write formal / informal. Elicit from students what type of
language we use in the various writings and board underneath the right
column. Board the aim/topic of the day. (5mins)

2. Elicit from students how to open and close on formal and informal writing.
Make sure that you elicit and/or explain:

a. the layout in formal writing of letters and emails etc. and the informal ways
of writing. Formal Dear Sir, Yours faithfully (when readers name not known
to writer) Dear Mr/Mrs .., Yours sincerely (when readers name known).
Informal Dear Grandad, Hi, Hey, etc. Make sure that students dont write
Hi, I am George as the reader will know the writer so no need to explain
who you are.
b. also make sure letters have an introduction (who you are and why are you
writing), a further explanation, and then a conclusion.
c. make sure that you elicit and/or explain that in informal writing you dont
have to close with yours sincerely but that you can say anything really. Miss
you, See you soon, speak to you soon, bye, later, etc. (10mins).

3. Hand out postcards from the edge and get students to read them in pairs and
discuss where they are from and why they think this. Is there evidence to
support their idea. Discuss as a group (it could be the postmark, something in
the writing, etc.). Also ask students what type of openings and endings they
have read. Is it formal or informal (cards are from 1. Barbados, Caribbean, 2.
Dartmouth, Devon, England, 3. St. Mallion, Cornwall, England, 4. Deganwy, Conwy County,
Wales, 5. Combe Martin, Devon, England, 6. Sheephaven Bay, Donegal, Ireland, 7. Fowey,
Cornwall, England, 8. Guernsey, Channel Islands, 9. Rio de J aneiro, Brazil, 10. La Plagne,
France, 11. The Algarve, Portugal, 12. Oxford, England, 13. Siam Reap, Cambodia, 14.
Istanbul, Turkey, 15. Winchester, England. (10mins)

4. Ask the students what new words they found that they perhaps didnt
understand (eg. punting, fab, meadow). Ask other students first to see if
they can explain and otherwise try to elicit. You can introduce some more
vocabulary around the idea of holidays (as seen on the holiday vocab
worksheet). Put all the new words on the board for the students to see and
practise their pronunciation as a group. Students can then complete the holiday
vocabulary/definitions worksheet. (5mins)

5. Write a practice postcard on the board altogether eliciting ideas from students
(draw a large postcard with stamp and address) adding the various
components as students suggest ideas. Then ask students how you might start
writing the postcard. What would they talk about? Weather, Food, Hotel etc.
You could ask them Do I need to tell them everything I ate for dinner last
night? Ask the students how we can make the postcard more exciting? Use of
adjectives. (10mins)

6. In pairs give students a picture of a holiday destination and they have to write
a postcard together from that holiday destination using the past tense and also
telling readers what they are going to do in the near future. Check the
students progress correcting grammar and spelling where needed. Once you
are happy get students to read out their postcards to the class. (10mins)

7. Get pairs to discuss which holiday they would most like to go on and why and
why they would not chose the other destination. (good use of discussion skills).
(8mins)

8. Go through common grammatical and spelling mistakes you noticed on the
board getting students to give the correct answers (doing this as a group
ensures no student is made to feel stupid!). (7mins)

9. Students are now ready to write their own individual postcards in their
workbooks, which you can check over for spelling and grammar then once
checked give them a neat piece of card to write on. Once completed the post
cards can go up around the room for the students to go around and look at.
(10mins)

10. Students now vote for the best postcard by writing a name on a slip of paper.
All slips to go in a voting box (create something beforehand) and are then read
out by one of the students. The students with the most votes wins. (5mins)

11. The last activity is a fun filler activity for the end of the lesson. Students are
going to write a love story collectively. Explain they must fold the paper and
not look at what the previous students wrote before writing their own. After
writing what you tell them to write they fold and hand around clockwise. Make
sure students understand and maybe model the procedure.
Now hand out a sheet of paper to each student.
a. They are to write one sentence after your cue.
b. Fold the paper forward so the sentence cannot be seen, pass the
paper to their right, or so that all students receive a different piece of
paper for each cue.
c. When the story has been written each students reads out their love
story. This should be very funny. Put love stories up in class.(10mins)

A love story
CUES:
a. Write a sentence to describe a man. Give him a name. What does
he look like? What is his character like?
b. Fold the paper, pass it to your right.
c. Now write met and write a sentence to describe a woman. Give
her a name. What does she look like? Etc
d. Fold the paper, pass it to your right.
e. Now write where they met. Describe this place. Remember to use
good adjectives.
f. Fold the paper, pass it to your right.
g. What did the man say? Write it down.
h. Fold the paper, pass it to your right.
i. What did the woman say? Write it down.
j. Fold the paper, pass it to your right.
k. What happened in the end?
l. Fold the paper, pass it to your right.
m. Now open the paper and read the love story.
The students will be motivated to read what has been written and that can be
the end of it. (10mins)
12. If there is time at the end of the lesson you can hand out the holiday
definitions worksheet and the gap fill exercise on regular/irregular verbs.
Ans: 1) g 2) m 3) i 4) a 5) b 6) l 7) h 8) o 9) n 10) k 11) d 12) f 13) c 14) e 15) j
Irregular verbs: went, flew, caught, came, ate, visited, learnt, shone, spent

Worksheet 1

Match these words to their definitions:


1. Picturesque

a. warm and snug
2. Souvenir

b. a scene or vista

3. Tourist

c. apartment or place on the roof of a building

4. Cosy

d. of unusually high quality, excellent
5. View

e. smart and fashionable
6. Unsettled f. having a large capacity or area

7. Carnival g. visually pleasing

8. Half board

h. a festive season happening immediately before Lent
9. Full board

i. a person travelling to and staying in places outside their
usual environment for a short period.

10. Bliss

j. all services are in the price.
11. Superb k. extreme happiness

12. Spacious l. lacking stability, worried and uneasy

13. Penthouse

m. a keepsake or token of remembrance
14. Posh

n. you get three meals in your hotel
15. All inclusive o. you get Breakfast and Lunch or Dinner in your hotel












Generated by Hannah Murdoch and Clie van Helsdingen Country Cousins















Dear ...
We really wish you were here its beautifully
warm, peaceful & relaxing. ... has been
practising making pia coladas which we
have to sample just before supper every
evening. Weve played golf, swum in the
pool, met some new people & old friends &
today were off to find a beach & dip our
toes in the sea for the first time. Take care.
Lots of love ...


















Dear Mum and Dad
Weathers blowing hot and cold wet & dry
but were enjoying ourselves despite it. Had
a lovely day in Dartmouth. Went there by
steam train, then had cruise up the river
superb love ...



















Dear ...
We stayed at the hotel at Portwrinkle and
played golf on the cliffs above it was lovely!
Now were at St. Mallion, which is quite near
staying at a friends timeshare, which is
more spacious than our house! Hope you &
... enjoy St Lucia Im sure that you will. See
you soon. Lots of love ...



















Hi!
Here we are in sunny Deganwy. Thats
actually a view of our posh hotel on the front
there. Weve got an upgrade to the
PENTHOUSE! Woo! Its very lovely and were
really relaxing after all the exam work. Lots of
love ...























Sunday
Having a nice rest. We are at a village
called Combe Martin. It has been raining.
Today we are rock walking & going to
Ilfracombe. Back next Saturday. Love ...

















Dear ...
Took a lot of travelling to get here, but it was
well worth the effort. The cottage is virtually
brand new & very nice. The views from the
conservatory across Sheephaven Bay are
very restful & spectacular. There is a pier (tiny
one) which locals fish from, & fishing boats tie
up alongside. Today there are 8 yachts
moored just out from the beach lots of
white houses a few bevvies bliss! See you
soon. Love ...

















Dear ...
Having a lovely time. Weather is hot. Today I
am at Fowey Harbour. It is a very pretty
place. I am sitting by the Harbour eating a
home-made rock cake delicious. See you
when I get back. Love ...


















Greetings from Guernsey. Having a great
time. Wonderful sailing. Plenty to eat. Too
much to drink. Love n kisses.




















Hi
We are having great fun at Rio carnival.
Beaches, all night parties and parades at the
Sambadrome. Wish you were here!























Hi
So far good weather. Skiing is good. See you
soon. All the best.





















Dear ...
Hope you had a nice Christmas and New
Year. We are on holiday in Portugal. Our
villa is very nice with lovely views. Weather
has been nice but a little unsettled at the
moment. It would be nice to hear from you.
We return on the 27 J an. Love from ...




















Oxford is beautiful especially when its not
raining (which it is most of the time). Honey-
coloured colleges, two picturesque rivers,
delightful gardens, and lots of places for tea
and cake! Oh and thousands of language
students from France and Italy! Had fun
punting on the river with lunch at a cosy old
pub on the meadow.


















Dear ... long flight but well worth it. Sunrise
over Angkor Wat, partial eclipses, and
cycling over bamboo bridges! Its nice and
hot and the food is fab. Also been to
landmine museum & local schools to deliver
books and pens. The kids here love to learn
beats working, I guess. See you soon. Love
...



















Dear ...
First I sat by the fountain and had a drink and
then I put on my robes and went into the
mosque. This one is a museum now and
opposite is the famous blue mosque where
we saw a fab light-sound story. Love from ...
























Hello there, I am having a wonderful time
here in Winchester, despite the awful
weather! See you soon, love ...



Postcard from the Edge originals can be found on Teachitworld.com reference number
13034.
Complete the following sentences about a past
holiday:




1. We(go) swimming everyday.

2. My father..(fly) out to meet us.

3. My brother went fishing and...(catch) some fish.

4. Our friends.(come) on holiday with us.

5. We.(eat) in some lovely restaurants.

6. We.(visit) some historic monuments.

7. While we were away I .(learn) how to speak Spanish.

8. The sun ..(shine) everyday.

9. We .(spend) all day on the beach.


Now write 5 things you did on your last holiday! Write full sentences.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.






Created by Country Cousins