brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/charles-schulz-snoopy/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “Do you read comics? Who is your favourite comic character?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–13′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: comic, yearbook, strip, character, beagle. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 13–20′ | Video | Play the video (3:53). Students follow the transcript. Play it a second time if needed. |
| 20–28′ | Comprehension | Worksheet C (or the online Story Challenge): check answers together. Ask “How do you know?” |
| 28–35′ | Grammar | still + verb: to say that something continued and did not stop. Show “He still drew every strip himself.”, then do worksheet E together. |
| 35–43′ | Worksheet | Students do worksheet A, B and D alone or in pairs. Check with the answer key. |
| 43–45′ | Speaking | In pairs: “The yearbook said no, but he kept drawing. What do you keep doing, even when it's hard?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- comic (noun): a story told with pictures and words. “As a boy, he loved comics.”
- yearbook (noun): a book a school makes every year, with photos of the students. “The school yearbook did not use his drawings.”
- strip (noun): (comic strip) a few pictures in a row in a newspaper that tell a short story. “In 1950, his comic strip Peanuts began in seven newspapers.”
- character (noun): a person or an animal in a story. “His most famous character was a dog.”
- beagle (noun): a small dog with long ears and short legs. “Snoopy is a beagle.”
Grammar: still + verb — to say that something continued and did not stop. “He still drew every strip himself.”
Discussion questions
- The yearbook said no, but he kept drawing. What do you keep doing, even when it's hard?
- What was the hardest moment in Charles Schulz's story? What did Charles Schulz do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “still + verb”. (From the story: “He still drew every strip himself.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- comic (noun)
- yearbook (noun)
- strip (noun)
- character (noun)
- beagle (noun)
- pencil (noun)
- cartoonist (noun)
- joke (noun)
- a person who draws comics or funny pictures
- (comic strip) a few pictures in a row in a newspaper that tell a short story
- a book a school makes every year, with photos of the students
- a small dog with long ears and short legs
- something funny that makes people laugh
- a thin wooden stick for writing and drawing
- a story told with pictures and words
- a person or an animal in a story
B Complete the sentences from the story
joke · comics · character · yearbook · pencil · strip · cartoonist · beagle
- He drew with a first.
- Every strip had a small .
- In 1950, his comic Peanuts began in seven newspapers.
- As a boy, he loved .
- He was a famous .
- His most famous was a dog.
- Snoopy is a .
- The school did not use his drawings.
C Did you understand?
- His school yearbook used all his drawings.True / False
- What was the name of his childhood dog?
- Snoopy
- Sparky
- Spike
- Peanuts
- How many newspapers printed Peanuts at the start?
- One
- Seven
- Seventy
- Seven hundred
- He drew every strip himself.True / False
D Put the words in order
- strip / drew / He / himself / still / every
E Grammar: still + verb
We use it for to say that something continued and did not stop. He still drew every strip himself. · He was famous, but he still worked every day.
Example from the story: He still drew every strip himself.
- He drew every strip himself. (still / yet / already)
- It's ten o'clock, and she is asleep. (still / yet / ago)
- He was famous, but he still every day. (worked / working / works to)
F Your turn
Retell Charles Schulz's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1g 2c 3b 4h 5d 6f 7a 8e
B. 1 pencil · 2 joke · 3 strip · 4 comics · 5 cartoonist · 6 character · 7 beagle · 8 yearbook
C. 1 False · 2 c · 3 b · 4 True
D. 1 He still drew every strip himself.
E. 1 still · 2 still · 3 worked
Transcript
His school yearbook did not use his drawings.
Years later, a dog he drew was famous all over the world.
This is the story of Charles Schulz.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Comic. A comic tells a story with pictures and words.
As a boy, he loved comics.
Yearbook. A yearbook is a school's book of the year.
The school yearbook did not use his drawings.
Strip. A comic strip is a few pictures in a newspaper.
In 1950, his comic strip "Peanuts" began in seven newspapers.
Character. A character is a person or an animal in a story.
His most famous character was a dog.
Beagle. A beagle is a small dog with long ears.
Snoopy is a beagle.
Now, one pattern: still.
It means something did not stop.
He still drew every strip himself.
Ready? Let's begin.
Charles Schulz was born in America in 1922.
As a boy, he loved comics.
He had a black-and-white dog called Spike.
At fourteen, a famous newspaper feature printed his drawing of Spike.
But the school yearbook did not use his drawings.
Would anyone want his drawings?
He kept trying.
After the war, he drew a small comic for a newspaper in his city.
Then, in 1950, his comic strip "Peanuts" began in seven newspapers.
His most famous character was a dog.
Snoopy is a beagle, and Snoopy was a bit like Spike.
Newspapers all over the world printed his strip.
He was famous, but he still drew every strip himself: almost 18,000.
He stopped in 2000.
He died on 12 February, and his last strip came out the next day.
Let's review. As a boy, he loved comics.
The school yearbook did not use his drawings.
In 1950, his comic strip "Peanuts" began in seven newspapers.
His most famous character was a dog.
Snoopy is a beagle.
And remember: he still drew every strip himself.
Charles Schulz's story teaches us: when people say no, keep drawing.
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