This is a fun Goldilocks and the Three Bears EFL ESL lesson plan based on the story that everyone knows. It will last about one hour and it’s suitable for preschool children (3-6 years old) although you could adapt it for older kids. The lesson teaches family vocabulary, sizes and also opposites. There are lots of songs and a great craft activity using paper plates to make bear masks. You can use these to act out the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears in class.
For this Goldilocks and the Three Bears EFL ESL lesson plan, you will need:
- paper plates – one for each child
- elastic
- scissors, glue, sticky tape and coloring markers
- Opposites flashcards – you could make your own or use these ones – just use the ones you need to tell the story
Three Bears songs and videos:
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Oxbridge Baby
- The Opposites Action and Dance Song by Dream English Kids
- Open Shut Them by Super Simple Songs
Introduction: Meet Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Start with your normal Hello routine and then tell the children that today we are going to meet a very special family. Use teddy bears or draw the Three Bears on the board and introduce them to Daddy Bear, Mummy Bear and Baby Bear. You could adapt the Finger Family Song to the Bear family and sing this together using toy bears. Show the kids that Daddy Bear is big, Mummy Bear is medium and Baby Bear is small. Now find other things in class that are big, medium and small. Then it’s time to introduce Goldilocks. Is she big, medium or small?
It’s time to learn opposites
Using your flashcards or objects you have in class, teach the opposites that are in the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Use plenty of TPR to show the children exactly what they mean. You will need: big and small, hot and cold, hard and soft, asleep and awake. Give out the cards to the kids and make them find their opposite. To do this, they need to mingle and say “I am big, are you small?” or their card and its opposite to the child they meet until they find their partner. Then swap cards around and play a few times until the children all know the different opposites.
Sing a song
Now, teach the opposite songs linked in the videos list and sing them together with the actions and the dance. Adapt the songs to the vocabulary you’re teaching in this lesson and do lots of actions. You’ll need these later when you’re telling the story.
Tell the story: Goldilocks and the Three Bears
You can tell the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears by reading it aloud from a book, acting it out with toys or puppets or watching the video linked above. If you’re using other videos, make sure they’re not too scary for little kids.
While you’re telling the story, make sure to emphasize the vocabulary you’ve been teaching. So ask the children who the bears are and their sizes. All the class can help tell the story. “It’s too hot! It’s too cold! And it’s just right!” Use all the opposites you’ve learned and don’t forget your TPR while you’re telling the story.
Practical Activity: Make masks of the Three Bears
To make your masks of the Three Bears, first cut each paper plate in half and cut out eye holes in one half. Use the other half and cut out ears and a nose and glue these onto the half with the eye holes. Next, get the children to color or decorate their masks however they want. They could be brown bears, polar bears, or any kind of bear they choose. They can also decide whether they want to be Daddy Bear, Mummy Bear or Baby Bear. Once the masks are ready and the glue has dried, attach an elastic to each one so the kids can wear them.
Act out the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears with the kids wearing the bear masks and taking turns to be the different characters. The other children can tell the story and do the actions. Don’t forget to use the vocabulary they’ve learned during the lesson and, if you have time, sing the Opposite songs again.
I really enjoyed teaching this Goldilocks and the Three Bears EFL ESL lesson plan so I hope you do too. Let me know if you adapted it for your class and what went particularly well. If you’ve enjoyed it and you’d like to see other leaason plans, you can find them here. To stay up to date with new posts and lesson plans, you can sign up for email updates below or follow the GoogooEnglish Facebook page.