At The Circus
This circus ESL lesson teaches performers, animals, actions and can for abilities. Students guess circus sounds, ask 'Who is she?' and explain what acrobats, magicians and animals can do. They invent and describe a circus character before performing a narrated mini circus show.
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Lesson format
2 × 45 minutes
Level
Elementary
Age group
Ages 8–11
Main focus
Speaking first
What students will learn
Lesson flow
Students guess circus sounds like a lion roar or drumroll, learn circus vocabulary from a video pausing on 'What does the elephant do?', and drill 'Who is she? She's an acrobat. What can she do? She can balance.' The second lesson roleplays a circus-crew interview asking 'What can you do? I can do magic tricks!', writes about an invented circus character with abilities and an animal, performs a mini circus show with a narrator describing each act, and races to match circus characters to actions.
Target language
- • 'Who is she/he?'
- • 'What can he/she do?'
- • Circus character and animal vocabulary
- • Can for abilities
Key vocabulary
Circus Performers
- • acrobat
- • clown
- • juggler
- • ringmaster
- • lion tamer
Circus Words
- • tightrope
- • trapeze
- • circus
- • show
- • magic
- • perform
Describing Performances
- • amazing
Speaking questions students answer
- • Who is this circus character?
- • What can the acrobat do?
- • Have you ever been to the circus?
- • What does the elephant do?
- • Is this a juggler or a magician?
Interactive activities in this lesson
Cross-curricular connections
- • Performing Arts
- • Drama
- • Physical Education
Support
- • Provide the sentence frame 'She's a/an ___. She can ___'
- • Keep circus-character picture cards visible throughout
- • Allow students to mime an action before naming it
Challenge
- • Describe two circus performers and compare their skills
- • Invent a circus character with two abilities and an animal partner
- • Narrate a full mini circus show for the class
Home challenge
Students invent a new circus character, draw it, and write three to four sentences describing its name, ability, and act, then present it at the start of the next lesson.
Recommended teaching contexts
Why this lesson works
The lesson follows a clear progression: Guess circus sounds in a warm-up game, ask 'Who is she?' and 'What can he do?', write about a circus character and perform a mini circus show. Teachers can open the materials and start immediately, while students move from supported vocabulary practice to purposeful spoken English.