brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/vincent-van-gogh-sunflowers/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “What is your favourite colour? Do you like painting or drawing?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–13′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: artist, brother, brush, yellow, sunflower. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 13–20′ | Video | Play the video (4:05). 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 | more and more: to say that something grows again and again. Show “He painted more and more.”, 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: “Vincent sold very few paintings, but he did not stop. Today the whole world loves them. Why do you think he kept painting?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- artist (noun): a person who makes pictures. “Vincent wanted to be an artist.”
- brother (noun): a boy or man with the same mother and father as you. “His brother Theo helped him.”
- brush (noun): you paint with it. “He took his brush and painted.”
- yellow (adjective): the colour of the sun. “He painted a yellow house.”
- sunflower (noun): a big yellow flower. “He painted sunflowers.”
Grammar: more and more — to say that something grows again and again. “He painted more and more.”
Discussion questions
- Vincent sold very few paintings, but he did not stop. Today the whole world loves them. Why do you think he kept painting?
- What was the hardest moment in Vincent van Gogh's story? What did Vincent van Gogh do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “more and more”. (From the story: “He painted more and more.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- artist (noun)
- brother (noun)
- brush (noun)
- yellow (adjective)
- sunflower (noun)
- starry (adjective)
- canvas (noun)
- sell (verb (past: sold))
- strong cloth that artists paint on
- a big yellow flower
- to give something for money
- you paint with it
- a person who makes pictures
- the colour of the sun
- full of stars
- a boy or man with the same mother and father as you
B Complete the sentences from the story
yellow · canvas · sunflowers · sold · starry · brush · artist · brother
- His Theo helped him.
- Vincent wanted to be an .
- He very few paintings.
- He painted a night.
- He painted .
- He painted a house.
- He took his and painted.
- He painted on .
C Did you understand?
- Vincent sold a lot of paintings in his life.True / False
- Who helped Vincent?
- His teacher
- His brother Theo
- A rich king
- His friend Jo
- Where did he paint the yellow house?
- In London
- In the Netherlands
- In America
- In the south of France
- His first pictures were dark and brown.True / False
- Who showed his paintings to the world after he died?
- Vincent's mother
- A museum in America
- Theo's wife, Jo
- His teacher
D Put the words in order
- more / painted / more / He / and
E Grammar: more and more
We use it for to say that something grows again and again. He painted more and more. · He used more and more colours. · More and more people loved them.
Example from the story: He painted more and more.
- He painted more and . (more / most / many)
- and more people loved his paintings. (More / Much / Very)
- He used more and more . (colours / colour / coloured)
F Your turn
Retell Vincent van Gogh's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1e 2h 3d 4f 5b 6g 7a 8c
B. 1 brother · 2 artist · 3 sold · 4 starry · 5 sunflowers · 6 yellow · 7 brush · 8 canvas
C. 1 False · 2 b · 3 d · 4 True · 5 c
D. 1 He painted more and more.
E. 1 more · 2 More · 3 colours
Transcript
He painted for only ten years.
He sold very few paintings.
Today, people wait in long lines to see them.
This is the story of Vincent van Gogh.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Artist. An artist makes pictures.
Vincent wanted to be an artist.
Brother. Your brother has the same mother and father as you.
His brother Theo helped him.
Brush. You paint with a brush.
He took his brush and painted.
Yellow. Yellow is the colour of the sun.
He painted a yellow house.
Sunflower. A sunflower is a big yellow flower.
He painted sunflowers.
Now, one pattern: more and more.
We use it when something grows again and again.
He painted a lot. Then more. Then more.
He painted more and more.
Ready? Let's begin.
Vincent van Gogh was born in the Netherlands in 1853.
He had a big family.
His little brother Theo was his best friend.
He worked in a shop, then in a school.
At twenty-seven, Vincent wanted to be an artist.
His brother Theo helped him.
His first pictures were dark and brown.
Then he went to Paris.
He saw new colours.
He used more and more colours.
But did people buy his paintings?
In 1888, he went to the south of France.
The sun was hot.
He painted a yellow house.
He painted sunflowers.
He took his brush and painted more and more!
But people did not buy his paintings.
He sold very few.
He was often ill and sad.
He died in 1890.
He was only thirty-seven.
Theo's wife, Jo, showed his paintings to the world.
More and more people loved them.
Today, his paintings cost millions!
Let's review. Vincent wanted to be an artist.
His brother Theo helped him.
He took his brush and painted.
He painted a yellow house.
He painted sunflowers.
And remember: he painted more and more.
Vincent van Gogh's story teaches us: keep doing what you love.
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