IELTS Academic Lesson...

Cambridge IELTS 10 Writing Test 4 Lesson Plan © Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017

IELTS Academic

Lesson Plan: Writing

This lesson plan accompanies Cambridge IELTS 10 Academic Writing Test 4, Task 1.

This lesson is suitable for students of intermediate level and above.

Lesson Goals

1. To introduce and practice the task of describing the stages of a process in IELTS Academic

Writing Task 1.

2. To review and practise transition signals of chronological order (time markers).

Activity (see brackets for resources required) Time needed

Interaction

Warmer 10 mins

Choose a number of simple processes that will be familiar tothe students and write them on the board (for example:driving a car/riding a bike (from a stationary position),making tea/coffee/a cake/bread/simple meal, taking a photoof a group, writing a letter/story/an essay, etc.). Askstudents what they all have in common (Answer: they are allprocesses).

Put students into small groups and ask them to choose oneof the example processes (for higher level students, allowthem to choose their own). Give them time to discuss whatstages there are and to write down a simple descriptionabout what happens. NB: With lower level groups you maywish to give them an example.

Each group reads out their descriptions and the other groupstry to guess what process they are describing.

2 mins

5 mins

3 mins

T‐S then S‐T

Ss‐Ss

S‐T

Main activities – Describing a specific process (copy of Resource 1 for display, copies of Resources 2a and 2b cut up for pairs or small groups, Resource 3 and Resource 4 for individuals, Resource 4 Answers for display to class)

35 mins

Describing a specific process

Discuss what makes a good process description. Possibleanswers: clear and distinct stages, chronological (time)order, time markers such as transition words/phrases (elicitexamples e.g. first, after this, during, as soon as, etc.).

2 mins T‐S


Tell the students that one of the possible tasks in AcademicWriting Task 1 is to write a description of a process usingpictures/prompts.

Show the students a photo of a salmon (Resource 1) and askthem if they know what it is. Discuss what they know aboutit.

Now give out the cut up pictures of aquatic locations(Resource 2a) and allow students time to ask questionsabout unfamiliar vocabulary. Ask them to work in pairs todecide in which stage of life the salmon would live in each ofthe locations.

Ask students to feedback to the whole class. Explain theorder of the pictures and that it repeats in a circle.Teach/elicit the phrase ‘life cycle’ and ask for other examples(e.g. butterflies, recycled paper, etc.).

Give out the pictures of the different stages of the fish(Resource 2b) and ask students to match them to theprevious pictures of locations.

Conduct class feedback.

Now show the vocabulary bank of transition phrases(Resource 3) to the whole class (either as a hand out or onthe board). Ask students to discuss in pairs which phrasesmight go with each stage of the life cycle of the salmon.

Ask students to use some of the phrases to write one or twosentences for each of the pictures. Go around monitoring foraccuracy.

Now show students the model answer (Resource 4). Askthem to read and compare it with their own ideas. Elicitwhat is good about it (e.g. clearly organised). Ask studentswhat they think is missing in the gaps (Answer: timemarkers).

Now ask students to use the vocabulary bank (Resource 3) totry to complete the text by filling in the gaps. For higher levelclasses, students can use their own ideas.

Conduct whole class feedback. Show students the completedtext (Resource 4 Answers) and discuss other possibleanswers they may have written.

1 min

2 mins

4 mins

3 mins

2 mins

1 min 3 mins

5 mins

4 mins

5 mins

3 mins

T‐S

S‐T

S‐S

S‐T then T‐S

S‐S

S‐T S‐S

S then T‐S

S then S‐T

S

T‐S then S‐T

Extension activity 15 mins

Ask students to choose one of the processes they discussedin the warmer and write a similar short description, makingsure they use a range of time markers appropriately.

15 mins S


Resource 1


Resource 2

2a Locations in the life cycle of the salmon for ordering

2b Stages of the salmon for matching


Resource 3

Transition signals of chronological order (time markers)

Subordinating conjunctions Adverbs Other (adjectives, prepositions, verbs)

after

as, just as

as long as

as soon as

by the time

before

since

until

when

while

first, first of all

second, third, etc.

last, last of all

meanwhile

in the meantime

at this/that time

afterwards, after that

then

subsequently

previously

the first…

the second…

the third…

the next….

another…

the last…

the final…

before

during

after

begin

start

finish

end (up)


Resource 4

Model answer for completing

Complete the gaps in the text below with an appropriate word or short phrase:

Salmon __________ life as eggs on a pebbly riverbed, hidden among reeds in

the slow‐moving upper reaches of a river. ______________ five to six months

the eggs hatch into 'fry'. For approximately _____________ four years, these

baby salmon will live in the lower, faster‐flowing waters of their river.

___________ this time they measure between three and eight centimetres in

length.

_______________ the salmon reach twelve to fifteen centimetres, they are

termed 'smolt', and __________________ they migrate further downriver into

the open sea. ___________________ five years at sea the salmon will have

grown to adult size, which is between seventy and seventy‐six centimetres.

They ______________ begin swimming back to their birthplace, where they

will lay their eggs, and the cycle starts anew.

In summary, the salmon passes through three distinct physical stages as it

grows to maturity. Each of these stages takes place in a very different aquatic

location. It is noteworthy that ______________ two stages of this fish's life

occur in a freshwater environment, while _______________ stage is lived in

saltwater.


Resource 4 Answers

Completed model text (suggested answers)

Salmon begin life as eggs on a pebbly riverbed, hidden among reeds in the slow‐moving

upper reaches of a river. After five to six months the eggs hatch into 'fry'. For approximately

the next four years, these baby salmon will live in the lower, faster‐flowing waters of their

river. During this time they measure between three and eight centimetres in length.

By the time/After the salmon reach twelve to fifteen centimetres, they are termed 'smolt',

and at this time they migrate further downriver into the open sea. After five years at sea

the salmon will have grown to adult size, which is between seventy and seventy‐six

centimetres. They then begin swimming back to their birthplace, where they will lay their

eggs, and the cycle starts anew.

In summary, the salmon passes through three distinct physical stages as it grows to

maturity. Each of these stages takes place in a very different aquatic location. It is

noteworthy that the first two stages of this fish's life occur in a freshwater environment,

while the third stage is lived in saltwater.

Writing

101

WRITING

WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagrams below show the life cycle of a species of large fish called the salmon.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2015

Model and sample answers for Writing tasks

167

TEST 4, WRITING TASK 1

MODEL ANSWER

This model has been prepared by an examiner as an example of a very good answer. However, please note that this is just one example out of many possible approaches.

Salmon begin life as eggs on a pebbly riverbed, hidden among reeds in the slow-moving upper reaches of a river. After five to six months the eggs hatch into ‘fry’. For approximately the next four years, these baby salmon will live in the lower, faster-flowing waters of their river. During this time they measure between three and eight centimetres in length.

By the time salmon reach twelve to fifteen centimetres, they are termed ‘smolt’, and at this time they migrate further downriver into the open sea. After five years at sea the salmon will have grown to adult size, which is between seventy and seventy-six centimetres. They then begin swimming back to their birthplace, where they will lay their eggs, and the cycle starts anew.

In summary, the salmon passes through three distinct physical stages as it grows to maturity. Each of these stages takes place in a very different aquatic location. It is noteworthy that the first two stages of this fish’s life occur in a freshwater environment, while the third stage is lived in saltwater.

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2015

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