Unusual summer camp (Worksheet for Intermediate+ level)

In this lesson students will learn about unusual summer camps. They will practice reading, listening and writing.  

Age: adults and teenagers
Level: Intermediate+
Time: 50+ mins
Lesson type: reading, listening and writing
Number of students: 1-8
Materials: worksheet, teacher’s notes

Table of contents:

• Activity 1. Warm up
• Activity 2. Unusual summer camps
• Activity 3. Text
• Activity 4. Choosing the best camp
• Activity 5. Camp No Counselor
• Activity 6. Camp Brochure
• Activity 7. Letters from camp
• Sum up

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Activity 1. Warm up

5 min

Discuss with your partner:

1. Have you ever been to a summer camp?
   If not, would you like to go?
   If yes, what was the most memorable experience?
2. What do children typically do at a summer camp?
3. Why do parents send their children to a summer camp?
4. What makes a perfect camp?
5. What types of summer camps do you know?

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Activity 2. Unusual summer camps

15 min

Here are some unusual summer camps in the USA. With your partner write down 3 activities that campers might do at each one:

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Activity 3. Text

10 min

Make sure to pre-teach the following vocabulary:

Match the paragraphs and the headings:

A. Lord of the Rings Camp
B. Future Stars Circus Arts Summer Camp
C. Camp Broadway
D. Sea Turtle Camp
E. Harry Potter Camp
F. Star Wars Camp
G. Robotics Camp
H. Astronomy Camp
I. Zoo Camp
J. Spy Camp

1. ____________________
   At the Willowell Foundation in Bristol, Vermont, kids attending this weeklong camp can spend their days learning to write in Elvish, hone their sword-fighting skills, practice foam archery, and more, culminating in a “battle” between humans, dwarves, elves, and wizards at the end of the session.

2. ____________________
   If modern-day magic is more up your kid’s alley, this camp in Oregonia, Ohio, might just be the place for you. For a week each summer, kids can learn to create potions, cast spells, and play Quidditch just like a Hogwarts student. And that Quidditch training might come in use some day: These days, more than 100 colleges around the nation have actual Quidditch teams.
3. ____________________
   Kids with energy to burn will love participating in this camp located just outside the town of Hancock, New York. Students can study juggling, unicycle-riding, aerial performance, clowning, trapeze arts, and more, eventually performing for their fellow campers at the end of the session.
4. ____________________
   From martial arts to surveillance to ropes courses to code breaking, kids can channel their inner Bond in this unique program. At the end of the session, older campers can show off their skills with a reconnaissance and rescue mission.
5. ____________________
   For anyone who wishes the Force was with them, this camp in Wolcottsville, Indiana is the perfect place to hone those Jedi skills. This weeklong camp trains campers in the Jedi arts, as well as offering other, more traditional camp fun.
6. ____________________
   The engineers of tomorrow would be well-advised to snag a spot at the awesome camp based in Honolulu, Hawaii. From learning programming skills to building bots that compete with one another, this one-week camp offers an undeniably educational and fun experience for kids with an interest in STEM fields.
7. ____________________
   If looking up at the stars fills you with a sense of wonder, you’ll wish you had spent summers at this camp at The University of Arizona as a kid. This Tucson-based program gives kids the opportunity to study the sky using the telescopes at the Mount Lemmon Observatory and Kitt Peak National Observatory, all while under the tutelage of world-class scientists. Kids also learn scientific methods of data collection.
8. ____________________
   Animal-loving kids will flip for weeklong program that allows children to go behind the scenes, experience animal encounters, engage in science projects, and play animal-themed games in this unique and exciting setting.
9. ____________________
   The mysteries of the deep are investigated by a new group of intrepid explorers every summer Held in Topsail Beach, North Carolina, this camp teaches marine biology and conservation skills to children, giving them hands-on experience with marine life along the way. In addition to exploring the local beaches on foot, campers can surf, swim, and paddle board to their local marine life habitats.
10. ____________________
    For the kid who was born to be on stage, this camp is a perfect fit. This program, which offers sessions in New York and Atlanta, teaches kids skills in acting, singing, dancing, and choreography. And for the lucky New York campers, attending a performance on Broadway is in the cards.

Adapted from “20 Crazy Summer Camps That Actually Exist”

Activity 4. Choosing the best camp

10 min

Which camp/camps:

• lets you practice the arts of battle? _____
• is based around a fictional school? _____
• is for very energetic kids? _____
• has a performance at the end of the session? _____
• teaches professional skills? _____
• is taught by scientists? _____
• includes swimming? _____

Activity 5. Camp No Counselor

15 min

“Camp No Counselors” is an American summer camp for adults. Watch the video and discuss the question with your partner:

1. How is this summer camp for adults different from a typical summer camp for children?
2. What activities do the campers do?
3. What rule do the adults have to follow?
4. How was the camp started?
5. What kind of people would go to this camp?
6. Would you like to go to Camp no Counselors?

Activity 6. Camp Brochure

10+ min

Together with your partner design an advertisement brochure for “Camp no Counselors”. Make sure to include information:

• Food and Accommodation
• Activities and Typical Day

Activity 7. Letters from camp

10+ min

Here are some extracts from real summer camp letters. Use these ideas to write your own funny summer camp letter:

Sum up

3-5 mins

Summarise the lesson and tell students what results they have achieved (Now you can … After our reading and speaking lesson you will be able to….). Ask them if they have any questions. Conduct delayed error correction if needed.

Have a great lesson!