brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/florence-nightingale-lamp/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “Do you know a nurse? What do nurses do every day?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–13′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: nurse, hospital, soldier, clean, lamp. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 13–20′ | Video | Play the video (3:27). 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 | every day / every night: to say that something happens all the days or all the nights. Show “Every night, she walked with her lamp.”, 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: “Florence worked hard, but other people helped too. Who helps you every day?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- nurse (noun): a person who helps sick people, often in a hospital. “She wanted to be a nurse.”
- hospital (noun): a place where sick people get help. “The hospital was very dirty.”
- soldier (noun): a person in the army. “Many soldiers were sick.”
- clean (adjective): not dirty. “They made the hospital clean.”
- lamp (noun): a thing that gives light. “She had a little lamp.”
Grammar: every day / every night — to say that something happens all the days or all the nights. “Every night, she walked with her lamp.”
Discussion questions
- Florence worked hard, but other people helped too. Who helps you every day?
- What was the hardest moment in Florence Nightingale's story? What did Florence Nightingale do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “every day / every night”. (From the story: “Every night, she walked with her lamp.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- nurse (noun)
- hospital (noun)
- soldier (noun)
- clean (adjective)
- lamp (noun)
- bed (noun)
- care (verb)
- dirty (adjective)
- to look after someone (care for)
- a thing you sleep on
- a place where sick people get help
- a person in the army
- not dirty
- a thing that gives light
- a person who helps sick people, often in a hospital
- not clean
B Complete the sentences from the story
nurse · clean · lamp · dirty · hospital · care · beds · soldiers
- She wanted to be a .
- She had a little .
- The hospital was very .
- The was very dirty.
- They made the hospital .
- Nurses for sick people.
- There were long rows of .
- Many were sick.
C Did you understand?
- Her family wanted her to be a nurse.True / False
- What was her owl's name?
- Florence
- Italy
- Athena
- Lamp
- How many nurses went with her in 1854?
- 8
- 38
- 100
- 2
- She had a little lamp.True / False
D Put the words in order
- her / night / walked / she / Every / lamp / with
E Grammar: every day / every night
We use it for to say that something happens all the days or all the nights. Every night, she walked with her lamp.
Example from the story: Every night, she walked with her lamp.
- night, she walked with her lamp. (Every / Many / Lots)
- Every , I eat breakfast. (morning / mornings / the morning)
- Every night means . (all the nights / one night / no nights)
F Your turn
Retell Florence Nightingale's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1g 2c 3d 4e 5f 6b 7a 8h
B. 1 nurse · 2 lamp · 3 dirty · 4 hospital · 5 clean · 6 care · 7 beds · 8 soldiers
C. 1 False · 2 c · 3 b · 4 True
D. 1 Every night she walked with her lamp.
E. 1 Every · 2 morning · 3 all the nights
Transcript
It is night.
A woman walks in a hospital with a little lamp.
Who is she?
This is the story of Florence Nightingale.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Nurse. A nurse helps sick people.
She wanted to be a nurse.
Hospital. Sick people go to a hospital.
The hospital was very dirty.
Soldier. A soldier is in the army.
Many soldiers were sick.
Clean. Clean means not dirty.
They made the hospital clean.
Lamp. A lamp gives light.
She had a little lamp.
Now, one pattern: every day, every night.
It means all the days, or all the nights.
Every night, she walked with her lamp.
Ready? Let's begin.
Florence was born in Italy in 1820.
Her family was English and rich.
She wanted to be a nurse.
Her family said no!
She learned to be a nurse in Germany.
She had a little owl, too.
Its name was Athena!
In 1854, there was a war.
She went to a hospital with 38 nurses.
The hospital was very dirty.
Many soldiers were sick.
What could she do?
She and other people worked hard.
They made the hospital clean.
She had a little lamp.
Every night, she walked with her lamp.
People called her "the Lady with the Lamp".
Then, fewer soldiers died.
Later, she opened a school for nurses in London.
Let's review. She wanted to be a nurse.
The hospital was very dirty.
Many soldiers were sick.
They made the hospital clean.
She had a little lamp.
And remember: every night, she walked with her lamp.
Florence Nightingale's story teaches us: a small light can help many people.
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