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Washington, D.C.

Episode of the series Awesome Stuff

CEFR: A1
In this episode
  • Illustrated slideshow (20 images)
  • Glossary (15 words)
  • Comprehension quiz (13 questions)
  • 8 cultural notes
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Extract · 30 s
0:00 / 0:30
Extract: the first 30 seconds of the episode. The full episode lasts 3 min 43 s.

The episode

Why is the American capital not in a state? Two friends find out about the White House, seventeen free museums, a giant Lincoln in a stone chair, and a pink forest from Japan.

Episode worksheets (2)

  • Student sheet In your teacher account
  • Teacher sheet In your teacher account

Teaching guide

Objective & content

Jeff, the guide this time, walks a visitor through Washington, D.C., a district that is not a state. The script covers the city plan by Pierre L'Enfant, the White House, the National Mall, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol with the Statue of Freedom, and the cherry trees given by Japan. The language focus is present simple and superlatives (the tallest obelisk), with past simple for historical facts such as who planned the city and when the statue went up. The vocabulary covers government, historical dates and famous people. Learners practise listening for measurements and dates; one line sums up the tone: "A president with a map. I respect that."

Materials & prerequisites

  • Student sheet and teacher sheet (PDF and HTML versions, in `printables/`).
  • Prerequisites: present simple, large numbers, regular and irregular past simple forms, and the idea of a superlative.

Curriculum alignment

Tagged to the cycle 3 axis "the child and the wider environment" (6e). The episode targets CEFR level 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.