brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/katsushika-hokusai-great-wave/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “Do you like to draw or paint? What do you like to draw?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–13′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: paint, old, wave, mountain, blue. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 13–20′ | Video | Play the video (3:28). 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 | very / really + adjective: to make an adjective stronger. Show “The wave was very big.”, 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: “Hokusai made his most famous picture at about seventy. Is anyone ever too old to learn?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- paint (verb): to make a picture with colours. “He painted people, birds and flowers.”
- old (adjective): having lived many years. “He was about seventy years old.”
- wave (noun): water that moves up and down in the sea. “He made a picture of a big wave.”
- mountain (noun): a very high hill. “Mount Fuji is a big mountain.”
- blue (noun): the colour of the sky. “He used a new, bright blue.”
Grammar: very / really + adjective — to make an adjective stronger. “The wave was very big.”
Discussion questions
- Hokusai made his most famous picture at about seventy. Is anyone ever too old to learn?
- What was the hardest moment in Katsushika Hokusai's story? What did Katsushika Hokusai do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “very / really + adjective”. (From the story: “The wave was very big.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- paint (verb)
- old (adjective)
- wave (noun)
- mountain (noun)
- blue (noun)
- print (noun)
- fisherman (noun)
- wood (noun)
- a very high hill
- a picture made by pressing paper onto a block with ink
- to make a picture with colours
- having lived many years
- water that moves up and down in the sea
- a man who catches fish
- the hard material from trees
- the colour of the sky
B Complete the sentences from the story
blue · wave · painted · old · mountain · wood · fishermen · print
- The wave is a .
- There are in the boats.
- Mount Fuji is a big .
- He people, birds and flowers.
- He used a new, bright .
- He was about seventy years .
- They cut the picture into .
- He made a picture of a big .
C Did you understand?
- Hokusai stopped painting when he was old.True / False
- What is behind the wave?
- A city
- A forest
- Mount Fuji
- The moon
- How many times did he move house?
- Two
- About ninety
- Ten
- One thousand
- He wanted to live to 110.True / False
D Put the words in order
- big / was / wave / The / very
E Grammar: very / really + adjective
We use it for to make an adjective stronger. The wave was very big. · He made a picture of a really big wave.
Example from the story: The wave was very big.
- The wave was big. (very / much / lot)
- The mountain is very . (high / highly / height)
- Mount Fuji is high. (really / much / many)
F Your turn
Retell Katsushika Hokusai's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1c 2d 3e 4a 5h 6b 7f 8g
B. 1 print · 2 fishermen · 3 mountain · 4 painted · 5 blue · 6 old · 7 wood · 8 wave
C. 1 False · 2 c · 3 b · 4 True
D. 1 The wave was very big.
E. 1 very · 2 high · 3 really
Transcript
He was about seventy.
He made a picture of a really big wave.
Today, people everywhere know it.
This is the story of Hokusai.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Paint. When you paint, you make a picture with colours.
He painted people, birds and flowers.
Old. Old means you have lived many years.
He was about seventy years old.
Wave. A wave is water that moves up and down in the sea.
He made a picture of a big wave.
Mountain. A mountain is a very high hill.
Mount Fuji is a big mountain.
Blue. Blue is the colour of the sky.
He used a new, bright blue.
Now, one pattern: very, or really.
The wave was very big.
Ready? Let's begin.
Hokusai was born in Japan in 1760.
At six, he loved to draw.
He worked very hard.
He painted people, birds and flowers.
He moved house about ninety times!
Around 1831, he was about 70 years old.
Did he stop? No!
He made a picture of a big wave.
The wave was very big.
Behind the wave, there is Mount Fuji.
Mount Fuji is a big mountain.
He used a new, bright blue.
He wanted to live to 110.
He died at 88.
Today, people everywhere know his wave.
Let's review. He painted people, birds and flowers.
He was about seventy years old.
He made a picture of a big wave.
Mount Fuji is a big mountain.
He used a new, bright blue.
And remember: the wave was very big.
Hokusai's story teaches us: it's never too late.
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