4th of July ESL Speaking Lesson Plan

Looking to bring a bit of red, white, and blue into your classroom? Off2Class has created a special 4th of July ESL lesson plan designed to engage your students in conversation about American Independence Day.

This lesson provides an opportunity for English learners to explore the history and traditions of the holiday, while practicing speaking and listening skills in a culturally relevant context.

When should you teach this 4th of July ESL speaking lesson?

4th of July (WIDA: Expanding+; CEFR: B2) is an ESL lesson plan download aimed at students with upper intermediate proficiency levels.

You can use this lesson in the days leading up to July 4th or as part of a broader unit on U.S. culture and history. It works well in both virtual and in-person settings, and no prep is required. You can just open the lesson and start teaching.

What’s included in this 4th of July ESL speaking lesson?

Many ESL students, especially those living in or moving to the United States, benefit from learning about American holidays and customs. This lesson helps students build cultural awareness while expanding their vocabulary and fluency!

This Off2Class lesson plan includes:

• A brief history of Independence Day
• Vocabulary related to the holiday
• Discussion questions about celebrations and traditions
• Opportunities to share personal experiences with national holidays

All the vocabulary introduced in this lesson is related to independence day and how we celebrate it: dissatisfied, impose, protest, watch fireworks, go to parades… When introducing these phrases, remember to refer to the related images to provide context clues.

You can also take this opportunity to encourage discussions about independence days celebrated all over the world, or in your students’ home countries. Some examples are: Bastille Day, Canada Day, Madaraka Day.

This lesson includes plenty of reading texts and opportunities for discussion and practice. Remember to encourage students to give longer answers with examples and reasons!

You can download the lesson plan here:

If you are looking for even more information on how to teach this lesson plan, be sure to sign up for a free Off2Class account. You will gain access to teacher notes that will guide and prepare you. 

Don’t forget about our free lessons!

If you enjoyed these ESL lesson plan downloads, there are 150+ more available here. The lesson plans are designed to save you time.

We know teaching Newcomers can be tricky. Therefore, we also offer a wide selection of other resources, training, and content to help you succeed. You can sign up for a free account to access these resources!