ESL WORKSHEET - The USA: Kansas

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

VISITING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

KANSAS

LinguaHouse

Sep. 1, 2024

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)
Type of English: General English
Tags: Travel and Leisure; American Culture; Food and Drink; Historical Events; Describing Places; Paraphrasing and Explaining; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old; 13-15 Years Old; 10-12 Years Old; Visiting Places; Vocabulary Lesson; Article Based; Video Talk
Publication date: 09/01/2024

This lesson will focus on Kansas and will look at some of the unique experiences this state has to offer. Students will listen to someone from Kansas talk about the history of the city of Wichita and then read all about the special places you can visit in the rest of the state. Within the lesson, students will learn new vocabulary and then personalize it by talking about Kansas and its similarities or differences with their own countries. The lesson also includes a homework task in which students can learn even more about the state. (by Peter Clarkin)

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio (MP3).
• CLICK HERE to download/watch the video (MP4).

AUDIO/VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Noah: Hi there everyone, my name is Noah and I work as a tour guide in Wichita, Kansas. Today, I’m here to tell you about the history behind this little city that I call home.
In 1860 Wichita started life on the Chisolm Trail as a simple trading post, the trail was mostly used to drive cattle from state to state in the post-civil war world. The number of cattle going through Wichita gradually increased and in 1870 it officially became a city and gained itself the nickname “Cowtown”.
To commemorate this period the Old Cowtown Museum was created in the center of Wichita. The open-air museum transports you back to 1865 and takes you on a journey all the way up to 1880. In that period Wichita turned from a small settlement into a significant agricultural and manufacturing area. The staff are dressed in period-era clothes and demonstrate the farming and manufacturing techniques from that special time.
For me, one of the most iconic sites in Wichita is the memorably named “The Keeper of the Plains”. The 13m sculpture created by artist Blackbear Bosin, a member of the Native American Kiowa-Comanche tribe, resembles a tribe member looking at the sky and is surrounded by pots of fire which are lit up by a keeper every evening and have been cleverly nicknamed the “ring of fire”.
Just across the road from “The Keeper of the Plains” you can find the informative and enlightening Mid-America All-Indian Center. The museum’s main aim is to preserve the culture of American Indians for the generations that follow ours.
The museum brings several eye-opening exhibits to your attention and also provides cool interactive things for you to try out. You can get the chance to experience a powwow, see traditional American Indian items and even get yourself some authentic, handmade clothing from the gift shop.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/visiting-the-united-states-of-america-kansas. Accessed on September 4, 2024. © 2008–2024 LinguaHouse.com. All rights reserved.