First Discoveries

Lesson Plans

UNIT 5
Shopping for Clothes

© 2010 Edusoft Ltd.

 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Listening > You Look Great!

Pre-Computer
● Tell students that in this component they are going to watch a video clip in which Ana goes clothes
shopping with her boyfriend, Mike. Discuss clothes shopping with the class. Do students prefer to
go clothes shopping alone or with a friend? (This can be done in the students’ native language.)
Ask students if they agree that men generally don’t like shopping for clothes whereas women do.
● Elicit the questions that a customer might ask when clothes shopping, for example, What size is this?
Do you have this in a different color? Do you have this in green? Do I look OK? What do you think?
● Make sure students are familiar with the items of clothing mentioned in this component: dress, skirt
and shirt. The colors green, yellow and pink are also in the video, therefore make sure students know
these colors.
● You may need to explain the differences in clothing sizes in different countries. The US uses 6, 8,
10, 12, etc., whereas in other countries (Europe, for example), the clothes sizes are 36, 38, 40, etc.
(You may want to use this as an opportunity to re-enter numbers 0-100).
● Teach the language of the Prepare screen. Ana asks Mike What do you think? and Mike replies You
look great! Make sure students understand this question and answer. Elicit from students how they
think the scene continues.
● Practice pronunciation of words with the sound /r/. Examples from the component include dress, try,
great, skirt, shirt, green, really. Have students repeat the words. Elicit other words students may know
in English with the same sound.

Computer Focus
● Have students answer the following questions:
What size skirt does Ana wear? (eight)
Is Mike having a good time? (No.)
Does Ana buy a dress? (No, she doesn’t.)

Post-Computer
● Check students’ answers to the computer focus questions.
● Elicit the inferences to be drawn from the clip. (Mike is bored and doesn’t notice what Ana is wearing,
invalidating his previous positive comments.) This can be done in the students’ native language.
● Make enough copies of the handout as you have pairs of students. Divide the class into pairs
and give each pair a copy. Students read the phrases in the table and decide whether they could be
said by a customer or a sales assistant or by both. Review students’ answers and then ask each pair
to use the phrases to perform a role-play. Students should take turns being the customer and the
sales assistant.

88 TEACHER’S NOTES © 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online

 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Listening > You Look Great!

Who Says This?

1. Complete the table. Tick (✓) the correct answer.

Customer Assistant Both

1. Good morning!

2. Can I help you?

3. Do you have this in green?

4. What size?

5. What do you think?

6. Try this shirt, it’s on sale.

7. I want a new skirt.

8. You look great!

9. We have these dresses

in yellow and pink.

10. That’s a nice dress!

2. Role-play a conversation between a customer

and a sales assistant. Use the statements
and questions from the table to help you.

STUDENT HANDOUT Photocopiable Materials

© 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online 89
 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Speaking > How Much Are These

Pants?
Pre-Computer
● Tell students that they are going to watch a short video clip in which a man is asking a sales assistant
for information about some pants. Then students will take part in the conversation themselves.
● Teach the question Can I help you? Explain that it is an important question to learn because it is used
in many service-related situations – both on the phone and in face-to-face encounters. You may want
to explain that Sir is used in polite conversation when addressing a man you don’t know, and Madam
for a woman.
● Teach the question How much is/are…? and the answer $30. You can demonstrate by showing
pictures of items with price tags and asking the question and giving the answer. Explain that in
English, when talking about prices, the number is mentioned before the currency sign but that we
write the currency sign first.
● Teach the phrases on sale, in blue and in a size 34 explaining that we use the preposition in when
asking for different sizes and colors in stores.
● Teach the colors blue, green and black. You can show pictures or point to objects in the classroom
that are these colors. You may want to use this as an opportunity to teach other colors.
● Practice pronunciation of words with the sound /h/. Examples include help, how, have, here. Write the
words on the board, point to the letter h and say the word, emphasizing the /h/ sound. Have students
repeat the word. Elicit other words students may know in English with the same sound.

Computer Focus
● Have students answer the following questions:
What does the man want? (some pants)
Why do the pants cost $30? (They’re on sale.)

Post-Computer
● Check students’ answers to the computer focus questions.
● As a class activity, practice asking and answering How much is/are…? Bring in pictures of objects,
either with price tags or write the prices of the objects on the board. Start by asking students the
question and have individual students answer. Then have students ask each other and answer.
● Make enough copies of the Handout for all your students. Divide the class into pairs and have
students use the handout to help them role-play a dialogue between a customer and an assistant in
a clothing store.

90 TEACHER’S NOTES © 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online

 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Speaking > How Much Are These

Pants?
Clothes Shopping Role-Play
1. Role-play the following dialogue in pairs:
Student A
You are shopping for clothes. Student B is
a sales assistant. Ask Student B for help.
Use the following phrases to help you:
How much are these pants/is this shirt?
Do you have them in a size… /different color?
What do you think?

Student B
You work in a clothing store. Student A is a customer.
Answer Student A’s questions.
Use the following phrases to help you:
Can I help you?
They’re on sale.
Here you are!
You look great!

2. Now role-play the dialogue again with Student B as the customer and Student A
as the assistant.

STUDENT HANDOUT Photocopiable Materials

© 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online 91
 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Reading > Sale at Crazy Clothes!

Pre-Computer
● Tell students that in this component they are going to read an ad for a sale at a clothes store. Initiate
a discussion about clothing sales. Do students like to buy things when they are on sale? What time of
year do they have the best clothing sales? Where do they like to buy their clothes? Write the names
of some of their favorite clothing stores on the board.
● Teach the vocabulary of the component. Students need to understand that August is one of the
months of the year. You may take this opportunity to teach all the months. Sale is a key word in this
component. Make sure students understand this word. If necessary, translate it into the students’
native language. Clothing vocabulary in this component is pants, dresses. You may take this
opportunity to review items of clothing.
● The numbers 30, 10, 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 appear in the ad. Make sure students know these numbers.
You may wish to re-enter numbers. Students also need to understand the times 10:00 and 5:30 which
appear in the ad. You may wish to review telling the time. Monday and Saturday also appear in the
ad. You may wish to review the days of the week.
● Make sure that students understand the question asked in the Prepare screen. What kind of store is
it? The store is a clothing store.

Computer Focus
● Have students answer the following questions:
What is the name of the store? (Crazy Clothes)
How much are men’s pants? (half-price)
What day is the store not open? (Sunday)

Post-Computer
● Check students’ answers to the computer focus questions.
● Bring in ads in English from the newspaper or magazines for various kinds of stores. Have students
identify the name, address, telephone number, opening hours of these stores and also any special
offers/sales.
● Make enough copies of the handout as you have pairs of students. Divide the class into pairs
and ask students to compare the two ads on the handout and see how many differences they can
find. Discuss the differences with the class. Then ask students to design their own ad for a sale at a
clothing store. Encourage students to present their work to the class.
Key There are six differences:
1. June / July Sale 4. Men’s / Women’s Shoes
2. Dresses and Skirts / Dresses and Shirts 5. Opening hours: 10:30-6:00 / 9:30-5:30
3. 10% / 15% Off 6. Holyoak / Hightown Shopping Center

92 TEACHER’S NOTES © 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online

 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Reading > Sale at Crazy Clothes!

Spot the Differences

1. How many differences can you find in the two ads?

A
ne e
u
J al
S at Tip Top!
All Dresses and Skirts Half-Price!

10% Off All Men’s Shoes!

Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 10:30-6:00

Holyoak Shopping Center, Telephone: (465) 945 8978

B
ly
Ju ale
S at Tip Top!
All Dresses and Shirts Half-Price!

15% Off All Women’s Shoes!

Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 9:30-5:30

Hightown Shopping Center, Telephone: (465) 945 8978

2. Work in pairs. Design your own ad for a sale at a clothing store.

Include the following information:
• the name of the store
• the opening hours of the store
• what is on sale
• the address and telephone number of the store

STUDENT HANDOUT Photocopiable Materials

© 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online 93
 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Writing > Ana’s Letter

Pre-Computer
● Tell students that in this component they are going to read a letter from Ana to her mother in which
she thanks her for a new dress.
● Discuss the conventions used in writing personal letters, such as what details are needed: date,
greeting, opening, closing, sign-off (this can be done in the students’ native language). Write these
details as headings on the board in the form of the layout of a personal letter, explaining the layout
to students.
● Teach the vocabulary necessary for students to understand the letter.
● In the Prepare screen, students are asked why Ana writes a thank you letter to her mother. Make
sure students are aware of the question. (Answer: Her mother sent her a new dress.)

Computer Focus
● Have students answer the following questions:
What does Ana get from her mom? (a dress)
What is Ana’s favorite color? (blue)
What size pants does Mike want? (medium)

Post-Computer
● Check students’ answers to the computer focus questions.
● Review the layout for an informal letter. Write Ana’s letter on the board and have students come up to
the board and label the different parts of the letter: date, greeting, opening, closing, sign-off.
● Make enough copies of the handout as you have pairs of students. Divide the class into pairs and
give each pair a copy. Students cut out the sentences on the handout and combine them to make a
thank you letter. Check students’ answers and write the assembled letter on the board. Students then
write a thank you letter using the handout as a model. Students read out their letters to the class.

Key
October 14
Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank you for the new pants. They look great!
I love the color. Red is my favorite color.
Please can you buy Alison a new hat? She
wants a white or blue one, size small.
Thanks again.
Love,
Marina

94 TEACHER’S NOTES © 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online

 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Writing > Ana’s Letter

1. Cut out the sentences and arrange them to make a thank you letter.

Thank you for the new pants.

Love,
Marina

I love the color. Red

is my favorite color.

October 14
Dear Mom and Dad,

Please can you buy Ali

son a new hat?

Thanks again. They look great!

She wants a white or

blue one, size small.

2. Alison’s parents buy her a new hat. Write her thank you letter.
Use Marina’s letter to help you.

STUDENT HANDOUT Photocopiable Materials

© 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online 95
 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Vocabulary > Clothes

Pre-Computer
● Tell students that in this component they are going to learn and practice words for clothes. Elicit from
students items of clothing in English that they may already know. In this component students are
going to learn a hat, a skirt, a shirt, a T-shirt, a jacket, a coat, shoes, a dress, pants, a sweater.
● Make sure you have an example of each of the items of clothing taught in the component or bring in
pictures (from clothing catalogs). Say the words while indicating the item or picture and have students
repeat the words after you. Write them on the board. Say the word and point to it at the same time.
Have students repeat after you. Then, point to words and ask students to say them.
● In the Prepare screen, the vocabulary is given in context. Explain to students that the exchange takes
place in a store. The sales assistant says This sweater is on sale. and the customer asks Can I try it
on? Explain the meaning of the phrase on sale. You can write a price on the board, cross it through
and write a cheaper price underneath to illustrate the phrase.

Computer Focus
● Have students answer the following questions about the Prepare screen:
Who is talking? (a sales assistant and a customer)
Where are they? (in a clothing store)
What is on sale? (a sweater)

Post-Computer
● Check students’ answers to the computer focus questions.
● Give students further practice of clothes vocabulary by playing spelling games such as “Hangman”
with them.
● Encourage students to bring in articles of clothing and set up “clothing stores”. Divide the class into
sales assistants and customers and have them role-play shopping for clothes.
● Make enough copies of the handout as you have pairs of students. Divide the class into pairs.
Students play a memory game. Students cut out the cards and place them face down on their desks.
Each player turns over two cards at a time. Players aim to match the words to the correct clothes.
Each time a player finds a pair they keep the cards and take a second turn. If he/she doesn’t find a
pair, they return the cards and the next player takes a turn. The player with the most cards wins.

96 TEACHER’S NOTES © 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online

 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Vocabulary > Clothes

Memory Game
Cut out the cards and match the words to the correct pictures.

hat dress

shirt shoes

pants skirt

jacket coat

T-shirt sweater

STUDENT HANDOUT Photocopiable Materials

© 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online 97
 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Vocabulary > Colors

Pre-Computer
● Tell students that in this component they are going to learn and practice colors. Elicit from students
colors that they may already know in English. Ask students What is your favorite color? and write
their answers on the board.
● In this component students are going to learn the colors black, white, green, blue, red, yellow,
pink and brown. You may want to bring in colored pens or pencils or papers to help illustrate this
vocabulary. Write the words on the board and brainstorm with students different words that they may
associate with these colors, for example, yellow – bananas, green – grass, white – paper.
● In the Prepare screen, the vocabulary is given in context. Explain to students that the exchange takes
place in a store. A customer asks Do you have this in blue? and the sales assistant replies No, but
we have it in green. Explain to students that when talking about a color, we use the preposition in.
Explain to students that in English the adjective comes before the noun it qualifies, unlike in many
other languages.

Computer Focus
● Have students answer the following questions about the Prepare screen:
Where are the people? (in a store)
What color bowl does the customer want? (blue)
What color does the store have? (green)

Post-Computer
● Check students’ answers to the computer focus questions.
● Write the following questions on the board and ask students to call out the answers (you may need to
adapt the questions to make them suitable for your class):
Who has blue eyes? Who has a pink bag?
Who has brown hair? Who has a black sweater?
1
Who has brown shoes? B

● Describe a student in the class and encourage students L

to guess who you are talking about, for example, 2
W A
This person has brown eyes and black hair. H C
They have a green bag. 3
P I N K
● Make enough copies of the handout as you have Key ▼
T
pairs of students. Divide the class into pairs and have 4 5
students complete the crossword puzzle by answering G B L U E
the clues. Encourage students to write their own color
6
R E D R
clues to challenge each other or the class. E O
7
Y E L L O W
N N

98 TEACHER’S NOTES © 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online

 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Vocabulary > Colors

Crossword Puzzle
1. Do the crossword puzzle.

4 5

ACROSS DOWN
3. red + white 1. the sky at night
5. the color of the sky 2. the opposite of black
6. tomatoes are this color 4. a ____ apple
7. the color of bananas 5. Chocolate is this color.

2. Think of some more color clues and test your partner.

STUDENT HANDOUT Photocopiable Materials

© 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online 99
 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Vocabulary > Months

Pre-Computer
● Tell students that in this component, they are going to learn and practice the months of the year. Elicit
the names of the months that students already know in English (in some languages, the words might
be similar).
● Bring in a calendar and show students the months of the year on the calendar. Say the months of the
year and have students repeat them. Write the months on the board. Say them, indicating them on
the board, and have students repeat. (It is advisable to teach the months in chronological order to
help students remember them more easily.)
● Tell students when your birthday is. Say My birthday is in… . Ask individual students When is your
birthday? Encourage students to answer My birthday is in… . Report to the class, for example, Juan’s
birthday is in June. If you have more than one student with a birthday in the same month, you may
want to use the opportunity to teach plural pronouns, for example, Their birthdays are in May. Our
birthdays are in May.
● In the Prepare screen, the vocabulary is given in context. A man asks When’s your birthday? and the
woman replies My birthday’s in August. Point out that we use the preposition in when talking about
months.
● Make sure students are familiar with the language of the Explore section: start work, go on vacation,
sale, party, etc.

Computer Focus
● Have students answer the following questions about the Prepare screen:
Who is talking? (a man and a woman)
What does the man ask? (When’s your birthday?)
When is the woman’s birthday? (August)

Post-Computer
● Check students’ answers to the computer focus questions.
● Ask students questions based on the language of the component, for example, When do you go on
vacation? When do you finish school?, etc.
● Make enough copies of the handout for all your students. Divide the class into pairs and give each
student a copy. Students are going to ask and answer questions and record each other’s answers.
Students should try to find three facts in common with their partner and then report their findings to
the class, for example, Maria and I both have a birthday in March.

100 TEACHER’S NOTES © 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online

 First Discoveries

UNIT 5 Shopping for Clothes

Vocabulary > Months

What’s Your Routine?

1. Answer the questions about your routine in the “Me” column.
2. Ask your partner the questions and tick (✓) his/her answers in the “My Partner”
column.

Me My Partner
Questions
Yes, I do. No, I don’t. Yes, I do. No, I don’t.

1. Do you have a birthday in March?

2. Do you have work in August?

3. Do you start classes in September?

4. Do you finish classes in June?

5. Do you go on vacation in July?

6. Do you go to parties in December?

7. Do you have a birthday in May?

8. Do you go to sales in January?

3. Find three things in common with your partner.

Tell the class about your partner.

STUDENT HANDOUT Photocopiable Materials

© 2010 Edusoft Ltd. English Discoveries Online 101