Author: Doris Wanchia (Cameroon) | Published on 11 December 2025

 

Read what Doris says about this activity:

The aim of the lesson is to enhance comprehension, foster critical thinking and speaking skills, encourage collaboration, develop effective discussion techniques and build confidence.

Stage 1: warm up 

To introduce the topic of an adventure in the wild, ask the class:

Who do you think would be the best person in the class to help you survive on a mountain for a week and why?

Stage 2: pre-listening pair work.

Tell students to close their eyes and imagine they are in a jungle. They should tell their partner what they can see.

Write up some of the vocabulary the students produce on the board. Elicit the meanings.

Stage 3: listening

Put the following questions on the board:

  1. What caused Amina and the narrator to get lost?
  2. What did Amina suggest they find for water?
  3. How did they plan to stay dry?
  4. What items did they think they needed for survival?

Read the story (see the end of the lesson plan) to the class.

Stage 4: feedback

Elicit the answer to the comprehension questions.

Ask the students:

  • What did you like about the story?
  • What would you have done if you were in their situation?

Stage 5: post-reading task

Divide students into small groups (3-4 students each).

Instruct each group to decide on five essential items they would need to survive in the jungle. They should be able to say why each item would be important or useful.

Write some useful structures on the board for any students who are not sure how to phrase their ideas.

A ________ would be useful because _________

I could use a ________ to __________

Group Collaboration 

Have each group come together with another group to bring together their five essential items, making a total of ten items. They should then negotiate and narrow down the items to five only, justifying their choices.

Finally, ask the groups to share their ideas and discuss the task as a class.

Notes: This activity is confidence-building because by the time the students speak in front of the class, they have already explained similar ideas to a small group and then a larger group.

Last week, our class went on a field trip to the jungle. It was exciting, full of bright flowers and the sounds of colorful birds. However, when Amina and I chased a butterfly, we wandered too far and realized we were lost!

The trees were very tall, casting long shadows as night came. A sudden noise from the bushes scared us. “What was that?” I whispered, my heart beating fast. Amina held my arm tightly.

We knew we needed water but had no supplies. “What should we do?” I asked, feeling scared. Amina remembered her grandmother’s stories about the jungle. “We must find a stream!”

After what felt like a long time, we found a stream. As we drank, a friendly monkey came closer, watching us with big eyes.

As night fell, strange sounds made us nervous. “We need shelter!” Amina said, pointing to a rocky place. We quickly gathered leaves to stay dry as a storm started, reminding us that teamwork is very important.

As we huddled together, we realized we also needed fire to keep warm and to scare away animals. “Let’s find some dry branches,” I suggested. We used a flint we found on the ground to start a fire, which made us feel safer.

We also talked about how to find food. “We can look for fruits or safe plants,” Amina said. “But we should be careful not to eat anything poisonous.”

Finally, we discussed the importance of navigation. “If we can find a way to mark our path, we might be able to find our way back,” I suggested, thinking of ways to use sticks and stones.

With our plan ready, we felt more prepared to face the challenges ahead, reminding ourselves that staying calm and working together was important for survival.

Share this