its-teachers

Activities

On this page you can access all the classroom activities from our quarterly magazine iT's for Teachers. All the activities are presented in an easy-to-use format. Step-by-step teaching notes explain how to use the material which can be downloaded in PDF format.

There are activities for all levels from elementary to upper-intermediate. Each activity has a level indicator that includes the COE level: A1 Elementary, A2 Pre-intermediate, B1 Lower- to mid-intermediate, B2 Upper-intermediate.A time symbol indicates the approximate length of the activity.

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IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 115
	45 seconds - the Oscars web extra Students edit Penelope Cruz's Oscar speech.. A2; pre-intermediate		The boat race quiz A team quiz based on the University Boat Race. A2; pre-intermediate
	The people's planet Students look at photographs taken during Earth Hour. A2; pre-intermediate		The Tweedles Students look at the process of creating a film. B1; intermediate
	Gods & monsters Students test their knowledge of Greek mythology. A2; pre-intermediate		Spring clean Students read about and organise a garage sale. . A2; pre-intermediate
	I me my media Students complete a survey about mediae. A2; pre-intermediate		SETI Students read about the SETI project. B1; intermediate
	What next? Future media Students read about how media is changing. B2; upper-intermediate		Lady Gaga & Mika Students complete facts about the two music stars. A2; pre-intermediate
	Planet of the apps Students find out about apps for mobile phones. A2; pre-intermediate

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 114
	Robbie Williams Students piece together facts about the singer’s life. A1; elementary		The quest for Moctezuma Students read about the last ruler of the Aztecs. B1; intermediate
	Dorothy in Wonderland Students perform an end-of-year show. A2; pre-intermediate		Currency exchange Students read about local currencies. B2; upper-intermediate
	Spring summer Students look at fashion designs for 2010. A2; pre-intermediate		Games Students look at the story of Lego and Rubik’s Cube. A2; pre-intermediate
	FlashForward Students use pictures to talk about the future. A2; pre-intermediate		The maggies Students discuss magazine covers. A2; pre-intermediate
	Names in the news Students talk about names from the news in 2009. A2; pre-intermediate		The wall web extra Students read about famous walls and graffiti. A2; pre-intermediate
	Vancouver 2010 web extra Students find out about Vancouver and the Olympics. A2; pre-intermediate

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 113
	09.09.09 web extra Students read about the new Beatles game and albums.. B1; Intermediate		Instant biography Students ghostwrite biographies for each other. A1; elementary
	Twilight: New Moon Students read about the current vampire craze. A2; pre-intermediate		Making the right decision Students follow the careers of three friends. B1; intermediate
	Catch it. Bin it. Kill it. Students look at a health advertising campaign. B1; intermediate		Twitter Students find out about the Twitter site. A2; pre-intermediate
	D’Oh! (GPS) Students read about GPS navigation systems. A2; pre-intermediate.		How about you? Students ask each other questions. Elementary; A1
	Revival Students read about the current ‘80s revivals. B2; upper-intermediate		A to Z of English game A team quiz to test students' vocabulary and learning skills.. Intermediate; B1
	It’s a waste Students do a quiz about the food they waste. B1; intermediate		15 September: D-Day web extra Students ask and answer questions about the new Dan Brown novel. A2; pre-intermediate

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 112
	Up Students complete tasks related to a film trailer. Pre-intermediate; A2		3D: Talking Movies Students complete a film survey and read about 3D.. Pre-intermediate; A2
	Game, set & match Students complete tasks and play a tennis vocabulary game. Pre-intermediate; A2		Three, two, one Students identify three music stars and match them with facts. Elementary; A1
	Holiday at home Students design a campaign to persuade people to spend their holidays at home. Intermediate; B1		Anniversary quiz Students do a quiz in which they match names with events from the past. Pre-intermediate; A2
	Something to say Students read about a TV competition and practise their speaking skills. Upper-intermediate; B2		Holiday crossword Students complete a pairwork crossword consisting of holiday vocabulary. Elementary; A1
	Test your eyes Students test their knowledge of glasses and choose a pair of sunglasses. Pre-intermediate; A2		The Link: a web quest Students complete tasks and learn about the discovery of a fossil.. Intermediate; B1
	The search is on Students read about the new Microsoft search engine. Pre-intermediate; A2		Michael Jackson Students complete song titles from six of Jackson's most famous albums. Pre-intermediate; A2

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 111
	Kings of Leon Students test their knowledge of the rock band. Pre-intermediate; A2		Have a green day Students read about Britain's first-ever "Green Day" for schools. Intermediate; B1
	Wild images Students look at entries in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Pre-intermediate; A2		The universe Students read about events planned for International Year of Astronomy. Intermediate; B1
	April Fool! Students read a selection of recent news stories and try to spot the fake one(s). Intermediate; B1		The word Students learn some jazz vocabulary and read about a legendary album. Upper-intermediate; B2
	An international woman? Students ask and answer questions about a mystery woman. Elementary; A1		The bus campaign Students create an advertising campaign. Pre-intermediate; A2
	Star Trek Students create a storyline for the forthcoming Star Trek movie. Pre-intermediate; A2		The red carpet challenge Students play a game in which they spot stars on the red carpet. All levels

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 110
	A good read Students look at what British teenagers love and hate reading. Pre-intermediate; A2		Readers competition Students compete to win a class library of English readers. All levels
	Make an mp3 audio guide Students create their own audio tour. Pre-intermediate; A2		Ring! Ring! Students read about different mobile phone ring tones.. Intermediate; B1
	Charles Darwin Students use pictures to tell the story of Charles Darwin's. Pre-intermediate; A2		Christmas special Students create an end-of-year Christmas show. All levels
	Fast food Students compare their food diets with Olympic champions. Intermediate; B1		Quantum of what? Students look at some famous and unusual film titles. Upper-intermediate; B2
	End of year quiz Students do a quiz related to names from the news in 2008. Pre-intermediate; A2

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 109
	Barack for beginners Students find out about Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Elementary; A1		Multiplex madness Activities related to this summer's big films. Elementary; A1
	Fantasy worlds A look into the fantasy worlds of two young authors. Intermediate; B1		Mamma Mia! Students create a short story using titles of Abba songs. Intermediate; B1
	Save our streets Students carry out a street audit. Pre-intermediate; A2		Picture book Students describe photographs from Prince Charles' childhood. Pre-intermediate; A2
	My bedroom walls Students meet a fan of the Jonas Brothers. Pre-intermediate; A2		Music video games A reading about music video games. Intermediate; B1
	Write to me Students find someone to write to in English. Pre-intermediate; A2		It happened this summer A picture activity about important and personal summer events. All levels
	Trick or treat? A classroom quiz for Halloween. Pre-intermediate; A2

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 108
	Summer quiz Students do a fun team quiz for the last days of the course. Elementary; A1		Controversial An information gap activity about Madonna. Pre-intermediate; A2
	Music festival Students create their own summer music festival. Pre-intermediate; A2		Plastic bags 10 things your students should know about plastic bags. Intermediate; B1
	Fact or fiction? Which are fictional characters and which are real people? Pre-intermediate; A2		Water world Students read about Expo Zaragoza and test their knowledge of water. Pre-intermediate; A2
	Chinese Puzzle Students solve a puzzle and create a Tangram. Pre-intermediate; A2		What's the story? Can students work out the news story from these pictures? Intermediate; B1
	World Photograph of the Year A look at some of the competition entries. Pre-intermediate; A2

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 107
	Pencil webquest Students do a webquest about pencils and their history. Intermediate; B1		High School Musical Students write the dialogue for their own High School Musical. Pre-intermediate; A2
	Formula One game Students play a board game that tests their English. Pre-intermediate; A2		Cycling: Pedal power Cycling is becoming a popular form of transport in today's cities. Intermediate; B1
	10 things you can do with a potato A reading activity for International Year of the Potato. Intermediate; B1		The Fourth Plinth Students decide what to do with the London's Fourth Plinth. Pre-intermediate; A2
	Indiana Jones quiz A quiz about the action hero Indiana Jones. Pre-intermediate; A2		Porthemmet: Paradise not found Students read about a hoax Internet site dedicated to an imaginary beach Pre-intermediate; A2
	Presidential cards Students match the messages with a series of humorous birthday cards. Pre-intermediate; A2

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 106
	911: iT's an Emergency Students decide on the best action to take in emergency situations. Intermediate; B1		Ten Years On A survey about heroes, spending habits, and hopes for the future. Pre-intermediate; A2
	Human Rights Hangman Questions about various human rights issues. Intermediate; B1		Googlegangers Students find out if they have a Googleganger. Intermediate; B1
	King Tut and the Terracotta Army Activities related to two current London exhibitions. Intermediate; B1		Names A series of activities connected to names and naming things. Pre-intermediate; A2
	Best and worst sights A survey to name the best and worst tourist sights in the world. Pre-intermediate; A2		A new slogan for NASA Students create new slogans for NASA and major companies. Intermediate; B1
	Year of a Million Dreams Celebrities pose as their favourite Disney characters. Pre-intermediate; A2		End of Year Quiz Our traditional end-of-year team quiz about news events. Pre-intermediate; A2
	The Golden Compass An activity based on this year's big film for the festive season. Pre-intermediate; A2

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 105
	This summer Students talk about their summer holidays. Pre-intermediate; A2		Skate or die Students test their knowledge of skateboarding. Pre-intermediate; A2
	Encyclopaedias The story of encyclopaedias. Intermediate; B1		Women in power Students identify women leaders. Intermediate; B1
	In the news Students complete names in the news. Pre-intermediate; A2		Summer films Students talks about some recent films . A1; elementary
	Arctic Monkeys Students read about the indie rock group. Pre-intermediate; A2		Harry Potter Three activities about Harry Potter. A1, A2, B1
	What kind of teacher... What kind of teacher would your students be? Intermediate; B1		Emoticons Students learn the names of punctuation marks. Pre-intermediate; A2

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 104
	Mr Bean's Holiday Students write captions for holiday photos. Elementary; A1/A2		The London Game A board game in which students visit London. Pre-intermediate; A2
	Impossible is Nothing Students read about the Adidas marketing campaign. Intermediate; B1		The Simpsons Movie Students test their Simpsons knowledge. Pre-intermediate; A2
	ID Theft Students find out how safe their identity is. Upper-intermediate; B2		Famous Threes Students test their knowledge. Elementary; A2
	Homework Students discuss attitudes towards homework. Pre-intermediate; A2		The V&A Students match pictures and descriptions. Intermediate; B1

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 103
	Red carpet film challenge Students complete quotes from recent films. Pre-intermediate; A2		Best & worst A look at the best and worst things in the world. Pre-intermediate; A2
	New Seven Wonders The finalists in the New Seven Wonders project. Pre-intermediate; A2		Go Globish! A simplified English for business and tourist situations. Upper-intermediate; B2
	Yours Truly, Angry Mob Famous pop groups with two-word names. A1; elementary		Last Stands Students test their historical knowledge. Intermediate; B1
	Win a set of readers Win 60 readers for your school or class library. Pre-intermediate; A2		The IM generation The different ways people communicate. Pre-intermediate; A2
	The unofficial version Some of the most famous conspiracy theories. Lower- to mid-intermediate; B1

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 102
	When they were young Identify famous people from old photos. Elementary to upper-intermediate; A1- B2		My name is Sam Stern Students read about teenage chef Sam Stern. Pre-intermediate; A2
	Climate changed A feature about the consequences of climate change Lower- to mid-intermediate; B1		The Secretary General The problems facing the United Nations. Intermediate; B1
	Christmas Must-Haves The must-have Christmas presents for 2006. Pre-intermediate; A2		A bright future A look at brand colours, names and logos. Pre-intermediate; A2
	Casino Royale Students find film titles on a roulette wheel. Pre-intermediate; A2		The past from above Students talk about aerial view photographs. Intermediate; B1
	Radio 100 A celebration of 100 years of radio. Intermediate; B1		End of the year quiz A team quiz based on the news in 2006. Pre-intermediate; A2

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 101
	European languages Activities related to students' learning experiences. A1- B2; elementary to upper-intermediate		Time zones The history of time zones and a questionnaire. B1; lower- to mid-intermediate
	The perfect age What do your students consider to be the perfect age? B1; lower- to mid-intermediate		Rider ... Alex Rider Can your students discover a secret message? A2; pre-intermediate
	Based on true events Students read about two new films. B1; lower- to mid-intermediate		Back to school quiz A team quiz to start the academic year. A1; elementary
	Fans! Students complete a Ronaldinho fact file. A1- B1; elementary to mid-intermediate		Superfoods Students find out about 12 'superfoods'. B2; upper-intermediate
	I know what you... Students invent something they didn't do this summer. A2; pre-intermediate

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 100
	The soundtrack to your life Students create an MP3 playlist A1; elementary, B1; pre-intermediate		World Cup 2006 Activities about this summer’s football World Cup A2; pre-intermediate
	Superman The story of how Superman was created A2; pre-intermediate		Summer blockbusters Picture activity based on this summer’s films A2; pre-intermediate
	How much do kids cost? Students calculate how much they cost B1; intermediate		20Q competition Reading about a game and a competition A2; pre-intermediate
	World Jump Day Is it serious or is it a hoax? A2; pre-intermediate		Cheat Magazine Students create their own celebrity magazine A2; pre-intermediate
	Revolutionary and Icon Students talk about photographs A1; elementary

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 99
	When the Cirque comes to town The story of Cirque du Soleil A2; pre-intermediate		The Lost lesson Activities related to the hit TV series Lost B1; intermediate
	Mozart: Parallel lives Students compare their lives with Mozart’s A2; pre-intermediate		The next big thing? Rafael Nadal and new rising sports stars A2; pre-intermediate
	Mad about ballroom Ballroom dancing is back in fashion B1; intermediate		Mind reader A vocabulary game A1; elementary
	It’s breakfast time! Top 10 breakfasts in the U.K. A1; elementary		Make an English collage Follow Picasso’s example and create a collage A2; pre-intermediate
	Readers competition Win a collection of English readers A2; pre-intermediate

IT'S FOR TEACHERS Nº 98
	In the Beginning... The beginnings of films, books and song B1; intermediate		Christmas Films Match the information about 3 films A2; pre-intermediate
	Christmas Show Prepare and perform a Christmas show A2; pre-intermediate		Coldplay & Franz Ferdinand Pairwork activity about 2 British bands B1; intermediate
	eBay The story of the auction website A2; pre-intermediate		End of Year Quiz A news quiz about 2005 A2; pre-intermediate
	Sudoku The story of the popular puzzle A2; pre-intermediate		Look at me! A look at self-portraits by 5 artists B1; intermediate
	Best & Worst of the Year A survey about the best and worst of the year A1+; all levels		Name that Hurricane How hurricanes get their names A2; pre-intermediate