⛅ Free ESL Weather Lesson Plan for Young Learners (CEFR A1)
Looking for an engaging and ready-to-use ESL lesson on the weather for young learners? This A1-level lesson plan combines interactive slides from Twinkl ESL with catchy Planet Pop songs and a Grammar Tutorial video for a 30 to 45-minute classroom experience full of fun, movement, and learning.
Perfect for primary ESL learners aged 5–12, this multi-level adaptable lesson introduces key vocabulary and grammar structures related to the weather through TPR, music, visuals, and play.
Lesson Objectives
- Introduce and practise 10 key weather words: cloudy, sunny, windy, cold, hot, dry, wet, snowing, rain, cloud, snow.
- Use target structures: What's the weather like? / It's (sunny). / It isn't (cloudy).
- Develop listening, speaking, and reading skills using music, visual aids, and games.
- Differentiate tasks for mixed-level learners through movement and group work.
🎥 Materials You'll Need
- Planet Pop Unit Videos: What's the weather like?
- Song / Music Video
- Vocabulary Rap
- Grammar Tutorial
- Karaoke Version
- Twinkl ESL Weather Slides
- Flashcards and lyrics (download from the Planet Pop unit page)
- Printed classroom posters and worksheets (downloadable below or try out our prompts)
If you don’t yet have a Twinkl account, you can explore their ESL resources with a monthly trial: offering access to 1000s of adaptable ESL teaching materials.
🌈 Stage 1: Warm-up & Vocabulary Intro (10 mins)
Play the Planet Pop “What's the weather like?” song video.
Activity: Use Total Physical Response (TPR) and the Twinkl slides to introduce each weather type.
Show the flashcards for the unit to the students. Hold up or point to each card with the different weather type and say the word and do an action (TPR), then let your students repeat.
Encourage kids to create their own gesture for each vocabulary item: e.g. shivering for "cold", twirling arms for "windy", etc.
Differentiation Tip: For more advanced learners, ask them to describe a scene: "It's cloudy and windy."
Get help from AI!
Use this prompt with AI:
Design an A4 classroom poster titled ‘What’s the Weather Like Today?’ Create a colourful, illustrated outdoor scene that can be cut into 4 separate sections, each showing one type of the following weather, one section is sunny, another is cloudy with no rain, a third shows a single could with rain, and the last one shows that it is windy (e.g. leaves blowing). Do not include any text for the types of weather. Use friendly cartoon-style visuals, on a clean, distraction-free layout (do NOT label the types of weather). Leave one small, blank white speech bubble in the bottom right hand corner, where students can write: ‘It’s ______ today.’
🎶 Stage 2: Watch, Sing & Move (10-15 mins)
Play the Planet Pop “What's the weather like?” Vocabulary Rap video.
Let the kids watch the video once, then play again and encourage them to use the movements for each weather word that they created in the warm-up. This is especially great for learners who benefit from rhythm and repetition.
Differentiation Tip: Start by playing the video and after each item of vocab, pause the video to get the student to do the action. This will get students used to the video and build their confidence.
Finish this part of the lesson by playing the Planet Pop song “What's the weather like?” or the music video. Encourage students to stand, lipsync, sing, and/or dance using their made up moves.
⚖️ Stage 3: Grammar in Action (5–10 mins)
Watch thePlanet Pop Grammar Tutorial video.
Show the sentence structures on the board:
- What's the weather like?
- It's __________.
- It isn't _________.
Model the sentences using the vocabulary, then ask students in pairs to role-play mini weather forecasts as though one of the students is watching and the other is a TV presenter.
Extension: Hold a selected classroom flashcards and ask, "Is it (rainy)?". Students should then respond in full sentences, e.g. “No. It’s (sunny).”or “Yes, it’s (raining) today.”
🌧️ Stage 4: Weather Sorting Game (10 mins)
Group, solo or pair activity: Weather Picture Sorting
Using the downloadable flashcards lor the images in the Twinkl ESL download get students to cut out, or redraw the weather images and sort the weather images into two sections: "Good Weather" / "Bad Weather" or "Hot" / "Cold" or “Wet” / “Dry”.
When they talk about which section to put the weather in, encourage them to use full sentences, e.g. "Rain is bad weather."
🌌 Stage 5: Weather Dice Game (5–10 mins)
Board Game Activity: Weather Dice Game Board
In pairs, students roll a die and land on weather types. They must say a sentence using the grammar structure: "It is (sunny)." or "It isn't (snowing)." If they are correct they get a point, then it is the next students turn.
Download our game sheet or us this AI prompt to create your own:
Create a printable A4 dice board game for CEFR A1 level ESL learners. Include colourful weather icons (cloudy, sunny, windy, cold, hot, dry, wet, snowing, raining) on each square and a start/finish line. Players roll a die and form a sentence using 'It is' or 'It isn't' with the weather shown.
🏓 More Differentiation Ideas
- Lower-Level: Use matching picture-to-word flashcards. Let them echo phrases.
- Higher-Level: Write and perform a mini weather report: "Today in London, it's rainy and cold."
- Whole-Class Challenge: Use the karaoke video to perform in teams!
⚡ Bonus Project Idea: Connect to SDG 13
While this lesson is primarily about weather vocabulary and grammar, you can extend learning by asking pupils: "Why does weather matter?" Link the topic to climate change and SDG 13. Children could create posters about protecting the planet or report how extreme weather affects their local area.