Picture Differences for Prepositions of Place

Place some recognizable objects (a water bottle, cellphone, or glasses) in a particular place that is visible in the classroom (such as on a table or desk, in a bag, on a counter, etc.),. Ask the class: "Where is my phone?"
As students point to the objects, give them sentences, such as "My phone is on the desk. My waterbottle is in my bag."

Show the following image (infographic created by Google Gemini):

 

Say the sentences and point out the locations. Then repeat sentences randomly and ask students to point to the pictures. 

Provide students with paper cups or bags or boxes and a small object such as a coin, a piece of candy, etc.

Have students listen to and follow the verbal instructions you give on the handout "Prepositions of Place - Listening Practice" (modified to match the objects you use):

Put the coin in the cup.

Put the coin on the cup.

Put the coin next to the cup on the right.

Put the coin on the cup on the left.

Put the coin above the cup.

Put the coin under the cup.

Put the coin in front of the cup.

Put the coin behind the cup.

*Move the coin around the cup.

*Move the coin over around the cup.

*Move the coin far from the cup.

*Move the coin close to the cup.

Once students demonstrate comprehension, pair students and provide the handout to one person in each pair. The students take turns giving each other instructions.

Still displaying the prepositions of place infographic, place recognizable objects (like a coffee mug or a smartphone) in various places in the classroom. Ask the class: "Where is my phone?"
Student Action: Call out basic positions ("On the desk," "Under the book").

Return to the infographic and say sentences about each image: There is a ...

Then take two items in the classroom and place them in various locations in the classroom (pencils, markers, books, etc.) and say sentences such as "There are two books on the chair. There are 23 students in the classroom. There are pencils under the book."

Write on the board or display:

Singular: There is a/an + [noun] + [place]
There is a cat under the table.

Plural: There are + [nouns] + [place]
There are two apples on the desk.

Again use physical props to elicit sentences from students: There is/are (a/n) ...in, on, under, next to, between, behind, in front of the _____.

Using a pair of pictures with differences -- AI image generated previously or one found on the websites included in this lesson plan -- based on the topic/content and related vocabulary you are teaching (rooms of a house, at work, transportation, etc.), model with students talking about the pictures differences (e.g., "In picture 1, there is a... In picture 2, there isn't a... In picture 1, there aren't... In picture 2, there are...). Model the thinking and speaking process using a think-aloud: "Let me look at Picture A. There is a cat on the bed. Now look at Picture B. There is a cat under the bed. The location is different!"

Write these two sentences on the board and underline the grammar formula: There is + noun + preposition.
Repeat the process with a plural example: "In Picture A, there are keys next to the laptop. In Picture B, there are keys in front of the laptop."

Divide students into pairs. Give Student A "Picture A" and Student B "Picture B."They must not look at each other's pictures. They must only talk.

Pairs must talk to find 5 to 6 differences between their pictures using the target structures.

High-Beginning Pair: Provide a sentence frame sheet to help them construct sentences.
Student A: "In my picture, there is a _____ [on/under/next to] the _____."
Student B: "Oh! In my picture, there is a _____ [behind/in] the _____."

Intermediate Pair: Give them fewer sentence frames. Instruct them to also use negative forms ("There isn't a clock on my wall") and ask questions to find the differences.
Intermediate Student A: "Is there a dog next to the sofa in your picture?"
Intermediate Student B: "No, in my picture, the dog is under the table."

Circulate, monitoring for correct usage of is/are and accuracy of the prepositions. Offer corrections by repeating the student's sentence correctly as needed.

Bring the class back together. Call on different pairs to share one difference they found.

Expectations for High Beginning: "In Picture A, there is a ball under the chair. In Picture B, the ball is next to the chair."

Writing Assessment: Have students work in their pairs or individually to write three sentences describing the differences they discussed.

Modification for High-Beginning: They can copy and fill in a cloze paragraph based on the board's frames.
Modification for Intermediate: They can write a short, cohesive paragraph comparing the two rooms without using frames.

Assign students to take a photo (the topic will depend on the content and vocabulary you are teaching: a room in a house, etc.) and bring it to class. They will write and describe the image using there is/there are sentences and prepositions of place. Provide a frame, as needed, such as

This is my __________ (kitchen, living room, etc.). There is a ... There are ...

Another application/extension activity is for students to create or take A/B picture differences to bring to class and play "Spot the Difference" with the class using personalized images.