Fun Natural Sciences English Lesson Plans for Primary School Students
On this page, you’ll find the English lesson plans I made for natural sciences classes for first, second, and third grade students in a bilingual primary school in Spain. Teaching English in Spain as an auxiliar de conversación, I worked with students in academic and extracurricular subject areas rather than in traditional English classes.
These lessons are meant to be taught entirely in English, although of course if the students are having trouble understanding, it may be wise to explain some things—like key English vocabulary words—in their first language. Since I taught in Spain, these lesson plans are technically meant for teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL). But I think they would be useful for teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) in general.
As I mentioned before, I created these natural sciences English lesson plans with first, second, and third grade primary school students in mind. But I think a lot of the material would be useful for primary school English language learners in the older grades, too. And some of the materials I put together to teach first grade natural sciences classes in English may also be helpful for pre-K (called infantil here in Spain) and kindergarten students.
Please feel free to use these English lesson plans for the natural sciences however will work best for you and your students. I know how long lesson preparation work can take, so I’ll be happy if these materials help you cut down on time spent preparing lessons.
I’ve listed the English natural sciences lesson plans below in three categories: Earth Sciences, Human Anatomy, and Life Sciences. Within each topic, you’ll find lesson plans listed from youngest grade level to oldest grade level. If you can’t find what you’re looking for that way, try searching the webpage for your topic, because I’ve also added keywords to make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for.
Earth Sciences
Nature and Environments (First Grade)
Here’s the complete English lesson plan I made to teach about nature, habitats, and environments to first grade primary school students. The lesson plan also includes English vocabulary, songs, and activities to help students learn to differentiate between wild and domesticated animals.
Click here to download the natural sciences English lesson plan for Nature and Environments! And click here to see all of my favorite English teaching materials on this topic!
Keywords: caring for the Earth, domesticated vs. wild animals, Earth, environments, forest vs. desert vs. sea vs. poles, habitats, natural, nature, pets, planet Earth, take care of the Earth
Natural Landscapes (First Grade)
Technically I made this English lesson plan for first grade social sciences classes. But I think it fits well here among the Earth science English lesson plans, so I didn’t want to leave it out. These natural landscapes English teaching resources include songs, games, and videos that teach the following concepts: 1) English landscape vocabulary, 2) mountains vs. plains, and 3) how to care for the Earth.
Click here to download the natural sciences English lesson plan for Natural Landscapes! And click here to see all of my favorite English teaching materials on this topic!
Keywords: caring for the Earth, Earth, environments, landscapes, moutains vs. plains, natural, nature, pets, planet Earth, take care of the Earth
Weather and Climate (Third Grade)
Here’s a natural science English lesson plan I created for third grade students studying weather and climate—air and water on Earth. Topics covered have to do with the geosphere, the atmosphere, and the hydrosphere. There’s some simple resources for talking about the weather in English, and there are some more complex materials on the layers of the Earth and the water cycle. Of course, the presentation includes English songs, games, videos, and interactive classroom activities.
Click here to download the natural sciences English lesson plan for Weather and Climate! And click here to see all of my favorite English teaching materials on this topic!
Keywords: atmosphere, climate, collection, condensation, Earth, evaporation, geosphere, how’s the weather, hydrosphere, precipitation, seasons, water cycle, weather
Human Anatomy
Parts of the Body (Second Grade)
I created this lesson plan to teach English body parts vocabulary to second grade primary school students, and I ended up using it with first graders, as well. The lesson includes diagrams to help students learn the parts of the body in English with visual aides. There are also some English songs, an English video, and a few games and activities to get students speaking the language aloud in class.
Click here to download the natural sciences English lesson plan for the Parts of the Body! And click here to see all of the best English teaching materials I’ve found on this topic!
Keywords: anatomy, body, body parts, external, external body parts, human, human anatomy, human body, parts, parts of the body
Human Anatomy (Third Grade)
Here’s a lesson plan that I made to teach English human anatomy to third grade students in a bilingual primary school natural sciences class. The resources in this lesson plan focus on human body systems (respiratory, digestive, circulatory, and excretory systems), human anatomy, and internal body parts.
Click here to download the natural sciences English lesson plan for the Human Anatomy! And click here to see all of the best English teaching materials I’ve found on this topic!
Keywords: anatomy, body, body parts, body systems, circulatory system, digestive system, excretory system, human, human anatomy, human body, internal, internal body parts, parts, parts of the body, respiratory system, systems
The Five Senses (Third Grade)
Here’s an English lesson plan to teach about the five senses and the anatomy of eyes, ears, noses, and tongues. This presentation is mostly informational but includes some quiz-style games to test your students’ knowledge, as well as some English speaking activities and an English song.
Click here to download the natural sciences English lesson plan for the Five Senses! And click here to see all of the best English teaching materials I’ve found on this topic!
Keywords: anatomy, ear, eye, five senses, hearing, mouth, nose, senses, sight, skin, smell, taste, touch
Life Sciences: Plants and Animals
Living Things: Plants and Animals (First Grade)
This English lesson plan is geared towards first grade English language learners in bilingual natural sciences classes. The presentation uses songs, games, pictures, and videos to teach the differences between vertebrates and invertebrates; viviparous and oviparous animals; and carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. Then, it uses a diagram and a fun English song (with hand movements) to teach the parts of a plant!
Click here to download the natural sciences English lesson plan for the Animal Kingdom! And click here to see all of the best English teaching materials I’ve found on this topic!
Keywords: animals, animal classification, animal kingdom, carnivore vs. herbivore vs. omnivore, parts of a plant, plants, plant kingdom, reproduction, vertebrate vs. invertebrate, viviparous vs. oviparous
Living Things: Animal Classification (Second Grade)
Here’s an English lesson plan for a second grade natural sciences class focusing on animal classification. The presentation includes English songs, English videos, and English games can be used as speaking activities. This natural sciences English lesson focuses on vertebrates vs. invertebrates, fish vs. amphibians vs. reptiles vs. birds vs. mammals, and herbivores vs. omnivores vs. carnivores.
Click here to download the natural sciences English lesson plan for the Animal Kingdom! And click here to see all of the best English teaching materials I’ve found on this topic!
Keywords: animals, animal classification, animal kingdom, carnivore vs. herbivore vs. omnivore, parts of a plant, plants, plant kingdom, reproduction, vertebrate vs. invertebrate
The Animal Kingdom (Third Grade)
I created this English lesson plan for third grade natural sciences classes at a bilingual primary school in Spain. The presentation teaches students about animal classification in English. Specifically, it teaches students the basic differences between vertebrates and invertebrates; fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals; oviparous and viviparous animals; and herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. This English lesson plan includes songs, games, and educational videos, as well as lots of pictures of animals!
Click here to download the natural sciences English lesson plan for the Animal Kingdom! And click here to see all of the best English teaching materials I’ve found on this topic!
Keywords: animals, animal classification, animal kingdom, carnivore vs. herbivore vs. omnivore, reproduction, types of vertebrates, vertebrate vs. invertebrate, viviparous vs. oviparous
Plants: Types, Parts, Reproduction, and Nutrition (Third Grade)
Here’s an English lesson plan to teach about the plant kingdom in third grade natural sciences classes. This presentation covers types of plants, parts of plants, plant reproduction, plant nutrition, and the importance of plants—all in English of course. In addition to English vocabulary lessons with visual elements, this lesson plan includes English songs, videos, and even a dance!
Click here to download the natural sciences English lesson plan for the Plant Kingdom! And click here to see all of the best English teaching materials I’ve found on this topic!
Keywords: flowers, parts of a plant, parts of a flower, photosynthesis, plant kingdom, plants, nutrition, reproduction, tree vs. bush vs. grass
Physical Sciences
Matter, Materials, and Energy
This lesson plan aims to teach students basic English natural sciences concepts related to matter, materials, and energy. The presentation and English teaching resources within it are intended for third grade primary school students.
Click here to download the natural sciences English lesson plan for the Plant Kingdom! And click here to see all of the best English teaching materials I’ve found on this topic!
Keywords: chemical energy, energy, electrical energy, forms, kinds, light energy, man-made materials, materials, matter, mechanical energy, mixtures, natural materials, pure substances, sound energy, substances, states, thermal energy, types
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