ESL WORKSHEET - Visiting Morocco

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

VISITING MOROCCO

LinguaHouse

May 14, 2024

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)
Type of English: General English
Tags: 13-15 Years Old; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old; Paraphrasing and Explaining; Vocabulary Lesson; Article Based; Visiting Places; Travel and Leisure; Food and Drink
Publication date (updated): 05/14/2024

This lesson will focus on Morocco and the things that make the country such a great place to travel around. Learners will be given the opportunity to learn all Morocco, firstly by listening to someone talk about the historic city of Fès. The article that follows looks at Marrakesh and the places that you can visit near there. Within the lesson, students will learn new vocabulary and then personalize it by talking about Morocco and its similarities or differences with their own countries. (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/watch the video (MP4).

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Narrator: Back in the day, Fès was one of the most influential cities in all of Africa. Philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers, and lawyers would all set up a home in the historic city. It is the oldest of Morocco’s four imperial cities and many visitors still travel there today to get a feel for the spiritual and cultural side of the country.
The city began its story way back in 789 when it was founded by Idrŕıs I near the banks of the River Fès. Over the years the city has been home to groups from many different areas and as a result, the city contains many sites which today’s tourists can be enchanted by.
“Fès el Bali” the traditional medina in the city can be found in the old town and has a number of impressive monuments for you to admire. The location has been described as the largest car-free urban area in the world which makes a visit here, literally a breath of fresh air.
One of the first sites you will see before you enter the medina is Bab Bou Jeloud a beautiful gate built in 1913 by the French colonialists as an entrance to the old town. It is decorated with beautiful blue mosaics and uses traditional Moorish architectural forms to great effect.
Once you go inside make sure you set aside some time to visit Chouara Tannery which is one of the oldest tanneries in the world and still works in the same way it did centuries ago. The tannery is full of countless stone vats that hold different colors of dye and are used to soften the coats of different animals. Once the leather products are completed they are shipped to different locations all over the world.
Fès is also the location of the oldest university in the world. Founded in 859 the University of al-Qarawiyyin has been officially recognized by Guinness and UNESCO as the oldest of all time. The site of the university also houses the simply designed Al-Karaouine Mosque which is one of the largest mosques in Africa and can hold over 20,000 worshippers.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/visiting-morocco. Accessed on September 12, 2024. © 2008–2024 LinguaHouse.com. All rights reserved.