Somewhere over the rainbow

Introduction:

These are activities for students to introduce and practise colour idioms. Students complete the sentences with the missing expressions, write their own definitions, answer questions containing the idioms and interview their classmates.

Level: B2

Time: 60 minutes

Objectives:

To introduce colour idioms.
To write the definitions of the idioms using students’ own words.
To practise the new expressions whilst asking and answering questions.

Materials (Click on the worksheet below to download the PDF file):

Somewhere over the rainbow Worksheet, one per student.

Procedure:

Put students in pairs and ask them to choose three quotes (below) that they find the most interesting and briefly discuss them in pairs: Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colour appear. Without black, no colour has any depth. Sometimes you have to see people as a crayon. They may not be your favourite colour, but you need them to complete the picture. Every person brings out a different colour in you. The greater your storm, the brighter your rainbow. If someone shows you their true colours, don’t try to repaint them. Source: Pinterest
Hand students Somewhere over the rainbow Worksheet.
Individually, students try to complete the sentences 1 to 12 with the missing idioms (Exercise 1).
When the students have finished, they compare their answers with a partner.
Check the answers as a class.
Now the students write their own definitions of the idioms (Exercise 2). Discourage the students from using the dictionaries at this stage. Ask them to check with their classmates first.
Check the answers as a class.
Now individually ask students to answer the questions 1-12 in RANDOM order and in as little detail as possible (Exercise 3).
Once the students are finished ask them to cut the paper along the dotted line and give the sheet with JUST their answers to their partner.
In pairs students now interview each other e.g. Student A: Why did you write meditate, drive and exercise in number 6? Student B: Because these are three things I do when I feel blue. Encourage the students to ask additional questions to obtain more details.
After a few minutes ask students to switch partners and repeat the exercise. Repeat a few more times to make sure students recycle the expressions and to add colour to the activity.
At the end ask students if they have spoken to anyone whose answers were identical to theirs.