brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/steve-irwin-wild-animals/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “What is your favourite animal? Have you been to a zoo?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–13′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: snake, excited, zoo, crocodile, wild. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 13–20′ | Video | Play the video (3:26). 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 | his / her / their + noun: to say who something belongs to: his = a boy or a man, her = a girl or a woman, their = two or more people. Show “His parents had a small zoo.”, 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: “Steve shared his love of animals with the world. What do you love? How can you share it?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- snake (noun): a long animal with no legs. “For his sixth birthday, he got a big snake.”
- excited (adjective): very happy about something that is happening. “He was very excited.”
- zoo (noun): a place with many animals that people can visit. “He grew up at the zoo.”
- crocodile (noun): a big animal with many teeth that lives in rivers. “He helped his father catch a small crocodile.”
- wild (adjective): living free in nature, not with people. “He loved wild animals.”
Grammar: his / her / their + noun — to say who something belongs to: his = a boy or a man, her = a girl or a woman, their = two or more people. “His parents had a small zoo.”
Discussion questions
- Steve shared his love of animals with the world. What do you love? How can you share it?
- What was the hardest moment in Steve Irwin's story? What did Steve Irwin do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “his / her / their + noun”. (From the story: “His parents had a small zoo.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- snake (noun)
- excited (adjective)
- zoo (noun)
- crocodile (noun)
- wild (adjective)
- wildlife (noun)
- khaki (adjective)
- reptile (noun)
- a light brown-green colour
- very happy about something that is happening
- a big animal with many teeth that lives in rivers
- wild animals and plants
- a long animal with no legs
- living free in nature, not with people
- a place with many animals that people can visit
- an animal like a snake, a lizard or a crocodile
B Complete the sentences from the story
reptiles · wild · khaki · crocodile · zoo · excited · snake · wildlife
- His parents' first park had many .
- He always wore clothes.
- He grew up at the .
- He wanted to protect .
- For his sixth birthday, he got a big .
- He helped his father catch a small .
- He was very .
- He loved animals.
C Did you understand?
- For his sixth birthday, Steve got a dog.True / False
- How old was he when he helped his father catch a crocodile?
- Six
- Twenty
- Nine
- Two
- What did he often say?
- Hello!
- Crikey!
- Help!
- Goodbye!
- Today, his family still looks after the zoo.True / False
D Put the words in order
- small / His / had / a / zoo / parents
E Grammar: his / her / their + noun
We use it for to say who something belongs to: his = a boy or a man, her = a girl or a woman, their = two or more people. His parents had a small zoo. · Her home was in America. · Their film became a TV show.
Example from the story: His parents had a small zoo.
- Steve loved animals. parents had a small zoo. (His / Her / Their)
- Terri was from America. home was in America. (Her / His / Their)
- Steve and Terri made a film. film became a TV show. (Their / His / Her)
F Your turn
Retell Steve Irwin's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1e 2b 3g 4c 5f 6d 7a 8h
B. 1 reptiles · 2 khaki · 3 zoo · 4 wildlife · 5 snake · 6 crocodile · 7 excited · 8 wild
C. 1 False · 2 c · 3 b · 4 True
D. 1 His parents had a small zoo.
E. 1 His · 2 Her · 3 Their
Transcript
For his sixth birthday, a boy got a big snake.
This is the story of Steve Irwin.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Snake. A snake is a long animal with no legs.
For his sixth birthday, he got a big snake.
Excited. Excited means very happy about something.
He was very excited.
Zoo. A zoo is a place with many animals.
He grew up at the zoo.
Crocodile. A crocodile is a big animal with many teeth.
He helped his father catch a small crocodile.
Wild. Wild animals live free in nature.
He loved wild animals.
Now, one pattern: his, her, their.
His parents had a small zoo.
Ready? Let's begin.
Steve Irwin was born in Australia in 1962.
For his sixth birthday, he got a big snake.
He was very excited.
In 1970, the family moved.
His parents had a small zoo.
He grew up at the zoo.
What did he want next?
A crocodile!
At nine, he helped his father catch a small crocodile.
He married Terri.
Her home was in America.
They filmed crocodiles.
Their film became a TV show.
People in many countries watched him.
He often said, "Crikey!"
He loved wild animals.
He died in an accident at sea in 2006.
Today, his family still looks after the zoo.
Let's review. For his sixth birthday, he got a big snake.
He was very excited.
He grew up at the zoo.
He helped his father catch a small crocodile.
He loved wild animals.
And remember: his parents had a small zoo.
Steve Irwin's story teaches us: share what you love.
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