brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/cher-ami-last-pigeon/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “Have you ever seen a pigeon in your town? How do you think people sent messages in a war before radios and phones?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–11′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: battalion, surrounded, pigeon, desperate, message. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 11–18′ | Video | Play the video (about 4 min). Students follow the transcript. Play it a second time if needed. |
| 18–26′ | Comprehension | Worksheet C (or the online Story Challenge): check answers together. Ask “How do you know?” |
| 26–34′ | Grammar | If + present simple, will + verb (first conditional): a real chance in the future, and its result. Show “If the bird doesn't get through, we'll die.”, then do worksheet E together. |
| 34–42′ | Worksheet | Students do worksheet A, B and D alone or in pairs. Check with the answer key. |
| 42–45′ | Speaking | In pairs: “Cher Ami kept flying even when he was badly hurt. When did you keep going even when something was hard?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- battalion (noun): a large group of soldiers in an army, often several hundred. “A battalion of about 550 men went deep into the forest.”
- surrounded (adjective): with enemies or things all around you, so you can't get out. “Soon, the battalion was surrounded.”
- pigeon (noun): a grey bird often seen in towns; some pigeons can carry messages. “Their only hope was a basket of pigeons.”
- desperate (adjective): having almost no hope, so you will try anything. “Tired, hungry and thirsty, the men were desperate.”
- message (noun): some words that you send to someone. “Major Whittlesey wrote a short message.”
Grammar: If + present simple, will + verb (first conditional) — a real chance in the future, and its result. “If the bird doesn't get through, we'll die.”
Discussion questions
- Cher Ami kept flying even when he was badly hurt. When did you keep going even when something was hard?
- What was the hardest moment in Cher Ami's story? What did Cher Ami do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “If + present simple, will + verb (first conditional)”. (From the story: “If the bird doesn't get through, we'll die.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- battalion (noun)
- surrounded (adjective)
- pigeon (noun)
- desperate (adjective)
- message (noun)
- artillery (noun)
- loft (noun)
- barrage (noun)
- having almost no hope, so you will try anything
- a small house where people keep pigeons
- some words that you send to someone
- very big guns that fire over a long distance
- with enemies or things all around you, so you can't get out
- a grey bird often seen in towns; some pigeons can carry messages
- a large group of soldiers in an army, often several hundred
- a lot of shooting from big guns at the same time
B Complete the sentences from the story
barrage · battalion · loft · desperate · pigeons · surrounded · message · artillery
- Major Whittlesey wrote a short .
- Their army's fired at the forest by mistake.
- A fell on the men in the forest.
- Soon, the battalion was .
- Cher Ami flew back to his .
- A of about 550 men went deep into the forest.
- Tired, hungry and thirsty, the men were .
- Their only hope was a basket of .
C Did you understand?
- American guns fired at the battalion by mistake.True / False
- What does 'Cher Ami' mean in French?
- Dear friend
- Brave bird
- Last hope
- Little soldier
- Cher Ami came from France.True / False
- In the army's story, how far did Cher Ami fly?
- About 40 kilometres
- About 4 kilometres
- About 400 kilometres
- About 194 kilometres
- How many men walked out of the forest?
- About 194
- About 550
- About 40
- All of them
- A DNA test in 2021 showed that Cher Ami was female.True / False
D Put the words in order
- the / If / die / doesn't / we'll / bird / get / through
E Grammar: If + present simple, will + verb (first conditional)
We use it for a real chance in the future, and its result. If it rains, we'll stay at home. · If you don't hurry, you'll be late. · If she studies, she will pass.
Example from the story: If the bird doesn't get through, we'll die.
- If the guns firing, the men will die. (don't stop / won't stop / didn't stop)
- If a soldier runs for help, the Germans him. (will catch / caught / catching)
- If it tomorrow, we will stay at home. (rains / will rain / rained)
F Your turn
Retell Cher Ami's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1g 2e 3f 4a 5c 6d 7b 8h
B. 1 message · 2 artillery · 3 barrage · 4 surrounded · 5 loft · 6 battalion · 7 desperate · 8 pigeons
C. 1 True · 2 a · 3 False · 4 a · 5 a · 6 False
D. 1 If the bird doesn't get through we'll die.
E. 1 don't stop · 2 will catch · 3 rains
Transcript
October 1918.
Hundreds of American soldiers were surrounded in a forest.
Then their army's guns began firing at them by mistake.
They had one pigeon left.
This is the story of Cher Ami.
Battalion.
A battalion is a large group of soldiers in an army, often several hundred.
A battalion of about 550 men went deep into the forest.
Surrounded.
If you are surrounded, there are enemies or things all around you, and you can't get out.
Soon, the battalion was surrounded.
Pigeon.
A pigeon is a grey bird that you often see in towns.
Some pigeons can carry messages.
Their only hope was a basket of pigeons.
Desperate.
When you are desperate, you have almost no hope, so you will try anything.
Tired, hungry and thirsty, the men were desperate.
Message.
A message is some words that you send to someone.
Major Whittlesey wrote a short message.
Now, one pattern: the first conditional.
If plus the present, then will.
We use it for a real chance in the future and its result.
The bird doesn't get through.
We'll die.
If the bird doesn't get through, we'll die.
Ready?
Let's begin.
In October 1918, American soldiers were fighting in the Argonne Forest in France.
A battalion of about 550 men went deep into the forest.
But the soldiers beside them could not keep up.
Soon, the battalion was surrounded.
The men had little food.
To get water, they had to crawl to a small stream.
Their only hope was a basket of pigeons.
If you let a homing pigeon go, it will fly straight back to its home.
On 4 October, American guns began firing at the forest by mistake.
Their army didn't know they were there.
The men knew: if a soldier runs for help, the Germans will catch him.
Tired, hungry and thirsty, the men were desperate.
Major Charles Whittlesey, the battalion's leader, wrote a short message.
It said: "Our artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heaven's sake, stop it."
A soldier took out a pigeon, but it got away and flew off without the message.
Now they had one pigeon left.
The army's story says it was Cher Ami, French for "dear friend".
He came from England.
A soldier tied the message to the bird's leg.
Every man knew: if the bird doesn't get through, we'll die.
Cher Ami flew up over the trees.
German soldiers saw him and fired.
He was shot, and he fell.
Then, slowly, he flew up again.
He flew about 40 kilometres in about half an hour.
At his loft, soldiers found him badly hurt in the chest.
The message was hanging from a hurt leg.
The message got through!
The army said it helped to stop the guns.
A few days later, other American soldiers reached the battalion.
Of about 550 men, only about 194 walked out.
Whittlesey got the Medal of Honor, America's most important medal for bravery.
Army doctors kept Cher Ami alive, but they couldn't keep his leg.
People say an army animal doctor made him a small wooden leg.
And France gave him a medal called the Croix de Guerre.
In 1919, Cher Ami sailed to America, but he died a few months later.
Today, he is in the Smithsonian museum in Washington.
In 2021, a DNA test showed he was male.
Historians still ask questions about parts of his story.
Let's review.
A battalion of about 550 men went deep into the forest.
Soon, the battalion was surrounded.
Their only hope was a basket of pigeons.
Tired, hungry and thirsty, the men were desperate.
Major Whittlesey wrote a short message.
And remember: if the bird doesn't get through, we'll die.
Cher Ami's story teaches us: even when you're hurt, you can keep going, and your courage can bring others home.