THE BIRD AND THE WHALE

The Bird and the Whale — a touching story-based lesson that helps students practise English through a beautiful animated short film about friendship, love, and differences. The lesson combines listening, speaking, grammar, and creative writing in an emotional and engaging format. 
Students follow the story of a bird and a whale who care deeply for each other but live in very different worlds. Through the video and activities, learners discuss emotions, relationships, nature, and being yourself while practising the Past Simple in context.
What students practise

• Past Simple in storytelling
• vocabulary related to nature, emotions, and actions
• listening for gist and details
• asking and answering comprehension questions
• expressing opinions and emotions
• creative writing and discussion skills

Inside the lesson
Warm-up and prediction activities based on the title and pictures
Vocabulary brainstorming connected to the story
Video comprehension tasks with True/False statements
Gap-fill listening activities with key story vocabulary
Grammar practice with Past Simple verbs in context
Sentence-building activities using visual prompts
Discussion questions about love, friendship, and differences
Creative writing task: inventing a new ending for the story
Students will learn to

• understand the main idea of a short animated story
• use the Past Simple naturally in speech and writing
• talk about feelings and relationships
• express opinions using simple discussion phrases
• retell story events confidently
• write short creative texts in English

This lesson works especially well with teens and young adults who enjoy emotional stories, visual materials, and reflective discussions. The topic naturally encourages communication and helps students connect English with real emotions and personal opinions.

Тема: Speaking, Video