Target Language: Shapes Target Grade: All ages

To go with the normal shapes song, here’s a special Christmas version – especially for younger students!

WARNING: It will stick in your head all day!

Christmas Shapes Lesson Plan!

As with all Genki English lessons we have a very simple 123 lesson plan!

1. Warm Up & Review all the lessons we’ve done so far.

2. Input with the song:   (First learn the new words & the melody using the “Words” & “Mini lesson” part of the  Teacher’s Set, then play it with the Teacher’s Set music to get everyone super genki and singing together!     Ninja Tip: And remember to ask the kids to come up with gestures for all the shapes or try pointing to different shapes as you sing!

The words are introduced in a specific order to make it easier to teach some of the more complicated shapes really easily. The rhymes also help a lot.

 

3. Output with the classroom games!

As with all the Genki English Lesson Plans, games are how we get the kids speaking.

Ninja Tip:  If you want to speed up the learning,  you can “flip” the class where the students learn all the new vocal at home before they come to class – check out the Genki Homework!

And for the shapes theme we have 5 for you to choose from!

 

Top 5 Classroom Shapes Games

I put a shout out over on the VIP group for everyone’s favourite shapes games. Here are the top 5!

 

1. Hamsters make a circle!

1. Get the kids into two or more groups.
2. Give the groups funky names ( e.g. animals for younger kids).
3. Then you say “Cats, make a circle” “Hamsters make a circle”.
4. Each team makes a circle and join hands.
5. Then you can say other things like “Hamsters, make a triangle. Cats, make a square” and see which team does it the quickest!
6. Repeat from 5.

 

2. Rope Game

Give the kids pieces of string (or rope). Say a shape and they have to make it with the rope! (From Sonja)

 

3. What’s missing?

(Can you see which one is missing ?)

1. Show all the flashcards (see the VIP box below!)
2. The kids close their eyes.
3. You take one away.
4. The kids have to guess which one you took away.
5. Keep going till they are all gone!
(From Kristin)

 

4. Monsters & Robots

Use the Let’s make a monster song but this time add in shapes as well as colours and body parts. e.g. This monster has 7 green triangles for arms or This robot has 3 purple diamonds for eyes. (From Nena)

5. Kaboum!

Put the VIP minicards in a bag. Choose of the shapes to be the “kaboum” card. One child comes and picks a card and says the English, getting 1 point. But if it is the “Kaboum!” card everyone shouts out “Kaboum!!!” in a big voice. ( from Nathalie)

6. Bonus: What’s on the Christmas tree?

Get some pictures of Christmas trees from magazines or google images. The kids try and find out what shapes they can see. They can say things like “I can see a triangle!”, “I can see a purple star” etc. etc.

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Song Lyrics

by Richard Graham

Shapes on the Christmas tree.
What can you see?
Shapes on the Christmas tree.
What can you see?

I can see a triangle.
I can see a circle.
I can see a diamond.
I can see an oval.

Shapes on the Christmas tree.
What can you see?
Shapes on the Christmas tree.
What can you see?

I can see a rectangle.
I can see a heart.
I can see a square.
I can see a star

Shapes on the Christmas tree.
What can you see?
Shapes on the Christmas tree.
What can you see?

VIP Printables:

VIPs have a whole host of printables to choose from!   You become a Genki English VIP member when you have the amazing Teacher’s Set.

 

A4 Flashcards
(What’s this?)
(These are the same as the normal shapes cards, but just a little more festive!)

(plurals)

(black and white)

Mini Cards
(What’s this?)

Dice Game
(What’s this?)

Dominoes
(What’s this?)

Islands Game
(What’s this?)

Snakes & Ladders
(What’s this?)

Spaghetti Game
(What’s this?)

One Card Game
(What’s this?)

Cut out stickers

 

Readers’ Comments

You know, my son decided that he’d like to have an ipod for Christmas, after listening to the Gingerbread man song. I mean, he loves all the GE songs, but this one was so impressing for him~~~I told him, he wouldn’t be able to see the animated version, but he was fine with that. Listening!
I also can’t get it out of my head, I think I’ll vote it for Song number one for this year!
Anyway, this shape song is really cute and nice as well, and I’m sure my kindergarteners will love it.
Thanks. – Margit

I’m very excited about this. It’ll fit perfectly with a class where I introduced the shapes song last week and was planning to do Xmas stuff from this week. Excellent timing, Richard!

In another class I’ve just done I can see. It all fits together so well! – Julian

Thank you again for this nice and usefull Christmas song and pictures.

This week my pupils are going to decorate their Christmas Tree with your shapes. I’m only going to give them orders: cut the square out, glue it on the right side, cut the star aut, stick it on the top of the tree
What colour is the square?
Where is the circle?
What shapes are on the right? what shapes are on the left?
Amazing!
Richard, You are the best! – Lines

 

Plus do check out the other Christmas songs!

Enjoy!

Be genki,

Richard

P.S.  There is also  this lesson plan in Japanese.