My Sandwich Store Project Based Learning Idea
Have you ever felt that you are just not meeting the needs of all of your students with the standard lesson routine? Would you like to have your ESL EFL learners motivated and excited about learning? One way to draw students into learning food and vocabulary for buying and selling is to incorporate Projects in the classroom. Do you want to learn more about PBL? Click here! Now, it’s time to check out this blog post for inspiration and ideas!
Last September, my students presented their project “My Sandwich Store.” They had to create a store name, logo, and menu with the sandwiches they would sell.
Warm-up!
To begin with, we brainstormed ideas for different sandwich fillings. I asked students questions like: What’s your favorite sandwich filling? Do you like avocado in your sandwich? How often do you eat sandwiches? Do you prefer white or brown bread? They also created “crazy” sandwiches, it was so much much fun! One of my students described his sandwich as having cheese, tomatoes, and a heart of “dulce de leche”. Dulce de leche in Argentina is a caramelized sweet food.
Entry Event
After the brainstorming, we read “A recipe for a Hippopotamus Sandwich” by Shel Silverstein and wrote our own recipes. I highly recommend Shel Silverstein’s stories and poems for children. They are fantastic and easy to understand for ESL EFL learners.
Project Development
The creative process started when students had to make up their sandwich stores. They loved the experience of thinking about a name and logo and creating a menu with the prices included.
Once the stores were ready, we practiced role-playing buying and selling at a sandwich store. I provided students with flashcards of different sandwiches and drinks so they could manipulate items while speaking.
Project Presentation
Finally, it was time to put the new knowledge into action! Students made sandwiches at home so we could sell them to other students and families. The money raised was donated to an organization that provides Food and clothes to children in need.
This hands-on, real-world Project was a fantastic way to help students incorporate language vocabulary and structures easily and naturally. We really enjoyed the experience.
If you are looking for a step-by-step guide on how to carry out this Project with your own learners, CLICK HERE!
