
Learn about Canada’s four Atlantic Provinces
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Week of Dec. 15/25
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The lesson includes interactive vocabulary activities, a short video, and reflection questions to…
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Lesson plan overview
| Task | To learn about Canada’s four Atlantic Provinces. |
| CLB level | CLB Stage I (CLB 2-4) |
| Delivery method | Online |
| Class size | 10-15 students (vary the number of activities according to your class size) |
| Estimated time | 2.5 to 3 hours (This lesson includes a lot of vocabulary. Depending on your class size and schedule, you may want to split this class into two.) |
| CLB Skills and Competencies | Speaking: Interacting with others Sharing information Listening: Interacting with others Comprehending information Reading: Comprehending information |
| Language focus | Learn the vocabulary needed to understand this topic. Use the appropriate grammar structures and vocabulary to respond personally to the reflection questions. (Encourage students to respond in full sentences.) |
| Cultural focus | Students may only have experienced one part of Canada. Here they broaden their knowledge by learning about a region that may have a very different history and geography. |
| Specific task learning objectives | Beginning ESL students learn some basic facts about Canada’s history in the Discover Canada study guide. Students learn about some of the history, geography, and economies of Canada’s Atlantic Provinces. Students compare any maritime regions in their first countries with this Canadian region. |
| ESL Directions original video (🎥) and audio (🔊) activities? | This lesson includes original video (🎥) and audio (🔊) activities. |
| Resource attribution | ESL Directions original resources are marked below with an asterisk (*). Feel free to use these, but please give credit to ESL Directions. |
Notes for ESL teachers and students:
This is a shortened and simplified version of some of the information in Canada’s citizenship study guide (intended to introduce this topic to beginner ESL students).
Students who are eligible to write the citizenship test should consult the Government of Canada’s full official guide, Discover Canada: The rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
Please check Discover Canada for any content changes made since this webpage was created.
Lesson plan
Warm-up: Introducing the topic and defining our terms
- Today, we’re going to learn about Canada’s Atlantic Provinces.
- What is a province?
- How is a region different from a province?
- One of Canada’s regions is called the Atlantic Provinces. Can you name any of the Atlantic Provinces?
- Where are the Atlantic Provinces?
Skill-building activities/Skill-using tasks
Part 1: Atlantic Provinces and Newfoundland and Labrador
- Vocabulary flashcards*
- Let’s review the vocabulary and definitions* 🔊 (Pay attention to the order, pronunciation, and spelling of each word or phrase. Think about what the definitions mean.)
- Find the match*
- Listen to and read a passage about Canada’s Atlantic Provinces*🔊 (This activity also includes comprehension questions.)
Part 2: Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick
- Vocabulary flashcards*
- Let’s review the vocabulary and definitions* 🔊 (Pay attention to the order, pronunciation, and spelling of each word or phrase. Think about what the definitions mean.)
- Find the match*
- Listen to and read a passage about Canada’s Atlantic Provinces*🔊 (This activity also includes comprehension questions.)
- Find out more: References in the reading passages*
Assessment/review tasks
FEATURED CONTENT
- Canada’s Atlantic Provinces* 🎥 (Listen to both reading passages again.)
- Group sort*
- Vocabulary quiz*
- Vocabulary fliptiles*
- Pair or no pair* (Match the words with their definitions.)
Reflection questions
- Tell us three new words you learned today.
- Name the four Atlantic Provinces.
- What can you tell us about each Atlantic province?
- Has anyone visited the Atlantic Provinces? What was your experience like?
- Do you have areas in your home countries that are next to the ocean? Are they similar in any way to the Canada’s Atlantic Provinces?
RELATED PAGES
Introducing Canadian citizenship
This page provides simplified and shortened lesson plans for beginner ESL students on topics related to Canadian citizenship. The page is…
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Keep readingCANADA YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
Click the small arrow at the top right of this video to play the videos or go to the YouTube Canada Playlist.

CANADA WORDWALL ACTIVITIES
Wordwall is a very useful interactive lesson-creation site. If you sign up for a free Wordwall account, you will be able to see our “Canada” folder, which includes ESL Directions activities that you can add to your lessons.
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ABOUT ESL DIRECTIONS
ESL teacher, movie buff, constant reader, and former editor and communications pro. Now a graduate of the Teaching English as a Second Language program at the University of Manitoba and a TESL Canada certified ESL teacher in Edmonton, Alberta, I specialize in teaching online classes of beginner ESL students.
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