National Holidays and Traditions
Episode of the series Awesome Stuff
The episode
Fireworks, turkey, and jack-o'-lanterns — explore the real stories behind three of America's biggest yearly celebrations: July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Halloween.
Episode worksheets (2)
- Student sheet In your teacher account
- Teacher sheet In your teacher account
Teaching guide
Objective & content
One host takes the other through three of America's biggest yearly traditions: July Fourth, Thanksgiving (with Black Friday the next day) and Halloween. The script explains why July Fourth is the country's birthday, how families celebrate each day, and gives the facts behind them, such as the 1777 fireworks and the hot dogs Americans eat, the turkeys families cook and the candy corn that sells. The language focus is the present simple, with short past simple stories for the dates, and celebration vocabulary. Learners listen for dates, big numbers and customs at A1+. One line to listen for: "Trick or treat."
Materials & prerequisites
- The student sheet and the teacher sheet (PDF and HTML versions) from the episode's printables.
- Learners should already know the present simple and numbers, so that the large figures in the script are not a barrier.
Curriculum alignment
Tagged c3-child-and-wider-environment (cycle 3, 6e). The episode targets CEFR A1+.
Possible adaptations
- Lower levels: Offer segmented listening and additional visual aids.
- Advanced levels: Encourage an oral summary and a debate in English on the theme.
- Large groups: Organise group work with differentiated roles.
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