If you’re looking for some of the best Black Friday games and activities, along with lesson plans, then keep on reading. We have the best ESL games and activities for Black Friday, along with lots of other useful things dedicated to this shopping holiday.
Black Friday activities for the classroom.
Black Friday Classroom Games and Activities
Let’s get into the best activities and games for this day of shopping!
#1: Just a Minute
This is a fun speaking activity that’s ideal for higher-level students. Put students into groups of four and give them a topic to talk about. Here are a few ideas:
- What do you think about shopping?
- Talk about the last big thing you bought.
- Are you planning on going shopping on Black Friday?
Each student has to talk about one of these topics for one minute without stopping. The other students in the group have to listen and then ask a follow-up question when they’re done. Continue until everyone has had a chance to do each part. Check it out:
Just a Minute ESL Speaking Activity.
#2: Black Friday Vocabulary Auction
This is a fun game that does require a bit of work to prepare but it’s totally worth it. Students love it! It’s best to pre-teach some vocabulary words and give a brief overview of Black Friday first.
Then, students have to bid on words that they think will help them make true sentences about this holiday. After the auction round, there’s a trading round for teams to trade words with each other.
Here are some example sentences that students might make:
- It’s on November 28th.
- I don’t like shopping.
- There are lots of deals on this day.
- Etc.
The winner is the team with the most grammatically correct sentences that could be true about this holiday. Check it out:
#3: Conversation Starters
Maybe you’ve had this experience too? You tell your students to talk about something with a partner for five minutes but are met with near-silence. Of course, it’s my own fault for not giving students enough direction.
A much better way is to give students some conversation starters. Find out more about using them in your classes:
#4: Word Association
Unless students are absolute beginners, it’s likely that they already know a good bit of Black Friday vocabulary. That’s where an activity like this one comes in. It can help students to activate their prior knowledge of a topic before jumping into the new stuff. Find out all the details here:
#5: Black Friday Dictogloss
This is a challenging listening activity for higher-level students. Find, or write a passage of someone talking about their experiences shopping on Black Friday.
Then, put students into pairs and read it out at a faster-than-normal pace for the level of students in the class. Students have to take notes and then work together with their partners to try to recreate what they just heard. Repeat the process and in the end, students can compare what they have with the original.
Want to find out more? Have a look here:
#6: Role-Plays
Shopping is one of the best situations for role-plays! There are just so many scenarios, including a customer/clerk, two friends talking about where to go, discussing whether or not someone looks good, etc. Find out more:
#7: Shopping Related Would You Rather
Try out this fun warmer activity, Would you Rather? Here are some shopping-related questions. Would you rather…
- shop in person or online?
- go shopping on Black Friday to get some great deals and deal with crowds or wait until it’s not busy?
- shop with friends or alone?
#8: Black Friday Charades
Have some fun with your students and play holiday-themed charades. Some things students could act out include:
- Trying on clothes
- Buying a new cell phone
- Standing in line
- Having a drink of water
- Etc.
Find out more about this fun game here:
#9: Dialogue Substitution
A common way to introduce new vocabulary is through a dialogue. However, it can often be too easy. Check out this new way to pump up the difficulty of it to challenge your students:
#10: Just One Question
This is one of my favourite holiday activities. It’s a survey-style activity that gets students out of their seats and talking to their classmates. Plus, it’s possible to adapt it to just about any topic, including this one. Check it out:
Just One Question Survey Activity.
#11: Task-Based Black Friday Activities
I love to include some task-based activities in my classes because they’re a nice change of pace from the usual communicative style activities found in most ESL textbooks. For holidays, here’s what I often do.
I put students into groups and have them choose a holiday like Black Friday. Then, they have to do some research about the holiday, make a project and then do a presentation for the class. Of course, that’s just one idea. There are lots more:
Task-Based Language Learning Ideas.
#12: Black Friday Speaking Lesson
It’s definitely possible to design your own speaking lesson about this popular holiday. Seems difficult? It’s not if you follow these simple steps:
How to Plan an ESL Speaking Lesson.
#13: Listening Lesson
It’s super easy to design a listening lesson for just about any topic, including this one. Find a listening passage on YouTube and go from there!
Seems intimidating? Not to worry. There are a number of easy steps you can follow right here:
ESL Listening Lesson Planning.
#14: ESL Clothes Activities
Black Friday is all about shopping for clothes and electronics! Have a look at these ideas for teaching English learners clothing vocabulary:
ESL Clothes Games and Activities.
#15: ESL Questionairres
Just ask my students and they’ll tell you how much I love surveys. They’re a nice way to get students to use a range of skills. Plus, it gets sleepy students out of their seats and moving around the classroom.
Black Friday and shopping are one of those topics that there are so many things to talk about! This makes it easy to design your own survey in just a few minutes. Find out how:
ESL Surveys and Questionairres.
#16: Running Dictation
This is a challenging 4-skills ESL activity that your students will love. Find, or write a conversation between two people talking about their upcoming plans for Black Friday. Or, the deals they found.
Then, students have to work together in pairs to dictate the conversation and once done, put the conversation into the correct order. The first team to finish is the winner. Try it out:
Black Friday lesson plans and activities.
#17: Telephone ESL Activity
Do you remember playing telephone when you were a kid? You have to pass a message down the line and then the last person has to say it out loud to compare it with the original.
It’s certainly possible to use this activity in TEFL classes too. Just make sure the sentence is related to the topic of the day. Have a look:
#18: Picture Prompt
One of my favourite warmer activities for a Black Friday lesson is to show a picture of shopping chaos! Then, I elicit from students some words and ideas about what they see.
What I do with the picture definitely depends on the level of the students. See all the options here:
#19: Black Friday Facts
#20: Cosmo Quiz
I love to do quizzes about various topics in my classes. There are some great ones related to shopping in Cosmo. Have a look at this activity here:
#21: TEFL Clothing Quiz
When people think of Black Friday, they often think of shopping for clothes. Check out this fun, interactive quiz for beginners:
#22: Black Friday Shopping Simulation
Create a role-play activity where students take on the roles of shoppers and store employees. They can practice conversational phrases related to shopping, bargaining, and describing products.
#23: Black Friday Vocabulary Bingo
Create bingo cards with Black Friday-related vocabulary words. Call out definitions or descriptions, and students mark the corresponding words on their cards.
#24: Deal or No Deal
Create a game similar to the popular TV show “Deal or No Deal.” Prepare envelopes with different “Black Friday deals.” Students take turns choosing an envelope and deciding whether to accept the deal inside or pass it up for a chance at a better one.
#25: Price Tag Match
Prepare cards with product images and their corresponding prices. Scatter them around the room. Students must match the correct price to each product.
#26: Black Friday Advertisements
Provide students with real or fictional Black Friday advertisements. Have them analyze the deals, discounts, and product descriptions. They can also create their own ads for imaginary sales.
#27: Shopping List Challenge
Give each student a shopping list with various items and their prices. Students work in pairs to choose items while staying within a budget. The pair that gets the most items wins.
#28: Shopkeeper’s Story
Have students imagine they are shopkeepers preparing for Black Friday. They create stories about the rush, customers’ reactions, and unexpected challenges.
#29: DIY Discount Coupons
Have students design and create their own Black Friday discount coupons for various products or services. They can also write persuasive descriptions for their deals.
#30: Black Friday Story Starters
Provide students with sentence starters like “On Black Friday, I woke up to find…” and have them continue the story creatively.
Black Friday Lesson Plans
If you’re a teacher, then you already know how much time it can save you to have lesson plans at your fingertips. Why do the hard work if other teachers have already done it? Here are some of the top picks for lesson plans for Black Friday:
ESL Worksheets for Black Friday
Check out these Black Friday worksheets to consider using with your students:
Black Friday Vocabulary
Here are some of the key vocabulary words for this popular holiday:
- BOGO (buy one, get one)
- Cyber Monday
- discount
- doorbuster
- early bird special
- limited quantity
- ____ percent off
- price match
- rain check
- sale
- sold out
- steal
Did you like these Games and Activities?
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Bolen, Jackie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 148 Pages - 03/09/2016 (Publication Date)
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The best part is that the book is well-organized into sections so you can find exactly what you’re looking for in just a minute or two. Get ready to level up your English teaching!
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Black Friday Lessons FAQs
There are a number of common questions that people have about Black Friday classroom activities and lessons. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.
What do you do on Black Friday?
In the USA, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. What do people do? They usually shop ’till they drop! There are lots of sales and deals, online and in stores. It’s generally considered to be the biggest shopping day of the year in the United States.
What can I do instead of Black Friday shopping?
Some people choose to celebrate “Buy Nothing Day” instead of Black Friday shopping. You can spend time outside, go to a museum, hang out with family or friends or do a fall clean-up before the rest of the holiday season.
Why is it called Black Friday?
The name Black Friday comes from Philadelphia in the 1960s when police officers used it to describe the large numbers of people who would come into the city for shopping on the day after American Thanksgiving.
What are some Black Friday classroom activities?
Some Black Friday classroom activities are lessons on shopping, consumerism, role-plays, picture prompt, surveys, presentations, and more.
Do people wait in long lines on Black Friday?
Yes, it’s common for people to wait in long lines outside stores before they open on Black Friday to get the best deals.
Are online sales also popular on Black Friday?
Yes, online sales have become increasingly popular on Black Friday, and many people prefer to shop online to avoid the crowds.
Is Black Friday only in the United States?
While Black Friday originated in the United States, it has spread to other countries as well, and many countries now have their own version of Black Friday sales.
Are Black Friday discounts only for one day?
No, Black Friday discounts often extend throughout the weekend and sometimes even into the following week, leading up to Cyber Monday.
Are there any special traditions or activities associated with Black Friday?
Some people have traditions of going shopping early in the morning on Black Friday with friends or family members. Others enjoy planning their shopping strategy and looking for the best deals in store flyers.
What should shoppers be aware of on Black Friday?
Shoppers should be aware of the potential for crowds, limited availability of sale items, and the need to budget carefully to avoid overspending. It’s also important to compare prices to make sure you’re getting a good deal.
Black Friday classroom activities and lesson plan ideas
Black Friday ESL Activities and Games: Join the Conversation
What’s your top pick for a Black Friday lesson plan idea? Is it one of the options from this list or do you have your eye on another one? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.
Also, be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’ll help other busy English teachers, like yourself find this useful resource.
Last update on 2023-09-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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