Note for teachers using this lesson plan
This lesson introduces Senior Secondary 1 students to common phrasal verbs and their meanings through interactive activities. Teachers should prepare flashcards with phrasal verbs and their definitions to facilitate the matching exercise. Ensure students can identify and use these phrasal verbs correctly in sentences by the end of the lesson.
Class: SS 1
Term: Second Term
Week: 2
Age: 15 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: English Language
Curriculum Theme: Grammatical Accuracy
Focal competence: Using phrasal verbs appropriately in sentences
Key competencies/values: Communication; ICT and Digital Competencies; Digital Competencies; Entrepreneurship; Critical Thinking; Collaboration
Skills:
- give examples of phrasal verbs
Previous Lesson: Explanation of Entrepreneurship Terminology
Topic: Phrasal Verbs: Examples Of Phrasal Verbs
Subject Matter: Examples of phrasal verbs
Specific Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:
Cognitive Domain
- Identify common phrasal verbs from a given list.
- State the meaning of specific phrasal verbs.
- Give examples of phrasal verbs.
Affective Domain
- Appreciate the importance of phrasal verbs in everyday communication.
- Show willingness to use phrasal verbs in their spoken and written English.
Psychomotor Domain
- Form simple sentences using the taught phrasal verbs.
- Participate actively in matching phrasal verbs with their meanings.
Social Domain
- Collaborate with peers during group activities involving phrasal verbs.
- Communicate effectively using phrasal verbs in discussions.
Reference Materials
The following resources were used in planning this lesson:
- 2025 New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
- Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
- O · Dictionary of idioms
- Course books
- Standard English dictionary
- Online resources
- The HeadTeacher Scheme of work For The New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
Instructional Materials
The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:
- Flashcards with phrasal verbs (e.g., call off, calm down, figure out)
- Flashcards with meanings (e.g., cancel, relax, understand)
- Whiteboard or chalkboard
- Markers or chalk
- Student notebooks
Rationale for the Lesson
Understanding phrasal verbs is essential for students to comprehend and use English naturally, as they are very common in both spoken and written communication. This lesson helps students expand their vocabulary and improve their grammatical accuracy, enabling them to express themselves more clearly and effectively. Mastering phrasal verbs also prepares students for higher-level English language proficiency.
Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Students should have a basic understanding of verbs and prepositions, and how they function in simple sentences.
Lesson Content/Board Summary
Phrasal Verbs: Examples Of Phrasal Verbs
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with an adverb or a preposition, or sometimes both, to create a new meaning that is often different from the original verb. These combinations are very common in English and are important for fluent communication.
Examples of Phrasal Verbs and Their Meanings
Here are some common phrasal verbs with their meanings and example sentences:
- Call off
- Meaning: To cancel something.
- Example: The principal decided to call off the inter-house sports competition due to heavy rain.
- Meaning: To become less angry, excited, or upset; to make someone less angry, excited, or upset.
- Example: Please try to calm down and explain what happened.
- Meaning: To understand or solve something.
- Example: I need some time to figure out this difficult maths problem.
- Meaning: To stop trying to do something; to surrender.
- Example: Don’t give up on your dreams, keep working hard.
- Meaning: To start or stop a machine or light.
- Example: Please turn on the fan, it’s hot. Remember to turn off the lights when you leave.
- Meaning: To reach the same level or standard as someone else; to get up-to-date with something.
- Example: After being absent, I had to work hard to catch up on my lessons.
- Meaning: To register at a hotel or airport.
- Example: We need to check in at the hotel before 3 PM.
- Meaning: To eat in a restaurant rather than at home.
- Example: My family likes to eat out on weekends.
- Meaning: To spend time relaxing or socializing, usually with friends.
- Example: After school, we often hang out at the community centre.
Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques
Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Card Matching Activity, Sentence Construction, Guided Practice
Instructional Procedures
Step 1: Introduction
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Elicitation/Engagement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them if they know what a “verb” is and what a “preposition” is. The teacher then writes a simple sentence on the board like “He ran away” and asks students to identify the verb and the word that changes its meaning.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions, identifying verbs and prepositions.
Learning Point: Review of verbs and prepositions
Step 2: Introduction to Phrasal Verbs
Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Definition
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what phrasal verbs are, giving a simple definition and highlighting that their meaning is often different from the individual words. The teacher introduces the first few phrasal verbs from the content scope (e.g., “call off,” “calm down”).
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively, ask questions for clarification, and note down the definition.
Learning Point: Meaning of phrasal verbs
Step 3: Card Matching Activity (Part 1)
Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Activity
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes the prepared flashcards (half with phrasal verbs like “call off,” “calm down,” “figure out,” and the other half with their meanings like “cancel,” “relax,” “understand”) randomly among the students. Students are instructed to find their partner with the matching card.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils receive cards, move around to find their matching partner, and discuss the meanings.
Learning Point: Matching phrasal verbs to meanings
Step 4: Discussing Matched Pairs and Examples
Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Discussion/Reinforcement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks each pair to present their matched phrasal verb and its meaning. The teacher then provides an example sentence for each and encourages students to suggest their own sentences.
Pupils’ Activity: Pairs present their matches. Pupils listen to examples and attempt to create their own sentences.
Learning Point: Understanding phrasal verb usage
Step 5: Introducing More Phrasal Verbs
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Expansion
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the remaining phrasal verbs from the content scope (“give up,” “turn on/off,” “catch up,” “check in,” “eat out,” “hang out”), explaining their meanings and providing clear examples.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and take brief notes on the new phrasal verbs and their meanings.
Learning Point: New phrasal verb examples
Step 6: Card Matching Activity (Part 2) and Sentence Construction
Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Application/Guided Practice
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes new cards for the remaining phrasal verbs and their meanings for another matching activity. After matching, the teacher asks individual students to use a specific phrasal verb in a sentence.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in the matching activity and construct sentences orally.
Learning Point: Applying phrasal verbs in sentences
Step 7: Evaluation/Review
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:
- What is a phrasal verb?
- Give the meaning of “call off” and use it in a sentence.
- What does “figure out” mean?
- Use “hang out” in a sentence.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.
Learning Point: Recall of phrasal verb meanings
Step 8: Note-Taking
Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Guided Writing
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes, including the definition and examples of phrasal verbs, into their notebooks.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.
Learning Point: Recording lesson content
Step 9: Conclusion
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Consolidation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly recaps the importance of phrasal verbs in English and encourages students to practice using them in their daily conversations and writing. The teacher praises their participation.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and acknowledge the importance of practicing phrasal verbs.
Learning Point: Reinforcement of phrasal verb importance
Continuous Assessment/Further Study
Type: Homework
Instruction: Complete the following tasks in your English notebook.
- Write down five phrasal verbs you learned today and their meanings.
- For each of the five phrasal verbs, write an original sentence.
- Find two other phrasal verbs not discussed in class and write their meanings.
Lesson Keywords
- Phrasal verb – A verb combined with an adverb or preposition, or both, to create a new meaning.
- Call off – To cancel.
- Calm down – To become or make someone less agitated.
- Figure out – To understand or solve.
- Give up – To stop trying.
- Turn on/off – To start/stop a device.
- Catch up – To reach the same level.
- Check in – To register at a hotel/airport.
- Eat out – To eat at a restaurant.
- Hang out – To spend time relaxing.
Differentiation
For students who grasp the concept quickly, encourage them to create short dialogues using multiple phrasal verbs. For students needing more support, provide sentence starters or multiple-choice options for matching phrasal verbs with their meanings.
Suggested Lesson Videos
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