ESL: English as a Second Language

WebMD has an extensive library of information on diseases and diagnoses. It is written at a 6th to 10th grade level. An individual or group project to research a particular disease can lead to learning new medical vocabulary that will be helpful when talking to the doctor.

Use WolframAlpha to create graphical information that can be used for pre-reading activities, jigsaw speaking activities, grammar explanations and practice, and writing. Using the Example search (above) which compares three of the largest cities in America, teachers can present comparative and superlative adjectives with information about the three cities or use local cities (such as those shown in Example Document-Example Activities for Reading & Writing Using WolframAlpha, above); the information can also be used to create an information gap activity by deleting some information to create an A and B sheet which has different information missing so that students need to ask questions in pairs to fill in the missing information; or the chart and information can be used for grammar and writing practice (New York City has the largest population. Chicago has higher taxes than Los Angeles. Chicago has the highest elevation). Students will get practice reading and understanding charts and graphical information, calculating, and comparing and contrasting.

Use this online mini-lesson—which contains reading, vocabulary, listening, conversation, and more—with intermediate or advanced students when teaching about the topics of health, injuries, accidents, health care, and medical emergencies.

Using the Web site Word It Out, students will create a word cloud from a famous quote or proverb. The site will scramble the words. Then, students will share their word clouds with classmates working to unscramble the quotes or proverbs.

Using the Web site Word It Out, students will create a word cloud from newly-learned vocabulary (colors, transportation, feelings, clothing, places in a city, rooms in a house, etc.).