A letter from Australia

Objective & content

This writing sheet teaches pupils to write to a penpal about their holidays in the past simple (we went, we had, we saw, we didn't catch...), to put events in order (First, Then, After that), to say how they felt and to ask questions in the past (What did you do? Did you go away?). Pupils read Mia's letter from Australia, see how it is built, take its phrases and write their own reply. By the end, they can write a letter of 80 to 100 words about a holiday or a special day.

Pedagogical guide

Page 1 has Mia's letter, with a photo of Christmas on an Australian beach and one of kangaroos. In Australia the summer holidays are in December and January: at Christmas, Mia's family went to her uncle's house near the beach, had lunch outside because it was 35 degrees, ate prawns and salad and went swimming. In January they went camping for a week: they drove for six hours, put up their tent by a river, went fishing and caught nothing, and one night a kangaroo came near the tent, looked at them and hopped away. Pupils answer six questions with three options each. Page 2 shows how the letter is built: pupils match each part (say when, the first event, events in order, a surprise, how you felt, ask questions, end) to its words. The useful phrases follow in a box, and pupils write Tom's verbs in the past simple. Page 3 is the writing: a plan in notes, the letter (with Dear Mia, already written and a row of phrases to use) and a checklist. The answer key gives a model reply.

Suggested procedure

1. (5 min) Show the beach photo: "This is Christmas. Where is it? Why?"
2. (10 min) Read Mia's letter aloud; pupils answer the questions.
3. (10 min) Page 2: pupils match the parts of the letter, then read the useful phrases.
4. (5 min) Pupils write Tom's verbs in the past simple.
5. (20 min) Page 3: pupils plan in notes, write their letter to Mia and tick the checklist.
6. (5 min) Pupils tell a partner one thing they did, with First, Then, After that.

Adaptations

[S] Pupils write about one day only, with First, Then and After that.

[A] Pupils add a sentence comparing Christmas in their country with Mia's.

Materials & prerequisites

One copy of pages 1 to 3 per pupil. Page 4 is the answer key, the model reply and the teacher notes: keep it. Pupils need the past simple of regular and common irregular verbs (went, had, saw, ate, drove, swam), its negative and its questions, and the words for holidays. To take it further, pupils bring a holiday photo and tell a partner about it.