10 Short Image Lessons

10 SHORT IMAGE LESSONS
BY NIK PEACHEY
PEACHEYPUBLICATIONS.COM
INTRODUCTION
10 SHORT IMAGE
LESSONS
This book is a collection of fluency activities that encourage
students to think creatively and which help to build their ability to
empathise with others.
Each short lesson is based around a beautiful image, starts with

a vocabulary building activity and has a set of questions
designed to make students think more deeply about the story
behind the image and encourage their curiosity and imagination.
The lessons also include creative activities that can be used for
writing or speaking practice. These include role-plays,
simulations and creative writing tasks.
Each lesson also ends with some form of follow up research task
that encourages students to find out more about the images and
topics that the activities deal with.
These short lessons can be used in full to form the basis of a

fluency lesson or they can be used in part as warmers or fillers to
get students speaking and thinking in English.
Each lesson also includes a digital presentation that can either

be shared using a projector or students can access the materials
on their mobile devices using a short link or QR code.
The QR codes can be accessed through the teachers’

presentation.
i
ABOUT THE Nik Peachey is a freelance teacher trainer, writer, conference
speaker and learning technology consultant.
AUTHOR
He has been involved in education since 1990 and has lived and
worked all over the world.
He is a two time British Council Innovations Award Winner and

the Co - founder of PeacheyPublications.com.
He has worked with a wide range of educational companies,

publishers and institutions including Macmillan, CUP, OUP, British
Council, International House, Bell Educational Services,
University of Westminster, The Open University, The BBC, Google
Creative Labs, Kings College Online, EtonX and many more.
Nik is a keen blogger and content curator. You can find his blog
at: https://nikpeachey.blogspot.co.uk/ and his curation sites at:
http://www.scoop.it/t/tools-for-learners and
http://www.scoop.it/t/learning-technology
He also publishes a twice monthly free Learning Technology and

ELT newsletter at: https://tinyletter.com/technogogy/
ii
THE BALLOON RIDE
This lesson is based around an image of the evening sky with three colourful hot air balloons floating
into the distance.
In the lesson students try to imagine where the balloons are going and who the people inside them
are. They also try to imagine themselves in the balloons and build a story around what they are doing.
Access the presentation at: http://bit.ly/balloon-pres
3
IMAGE 1.1 The Balloon Ride
Vocabulary Task
• Use the image to get students thinking about the vocabulary they may need for
the discussion task.
• Put the students in pairs or small groups to brainstorm words related to the
image.
• If your students have digital devices, you can use a collective brainstorming app
like https://answergarden.ch/ to collect and share the responses from the whole
class.
• You could also create or get your students to create a word cloud from the words
using: https://timdream.org/wordcloud/
• Once the students have brainstormed their words you can ask them to change
pairs or groups and peer-teach the words they collected.
• You can also ask them to make sentences about the picture using pairs of the
words. You can then check through and award points for these sentences if they
have used the words well.
4
Discussion Task
• These questions have been designed to get the students thinking and talking
about the image and trying to imagine the story behind it.
• Give the students time to look at the image. Then put the students into pairs or
small groups and show the students the questions.
• Tell the students to ask and answer the questions in their pairs.
• Emphasise that they don’t need to write anything and that there are no correct or
incorrect answers, just get them to talk.
• Once they have had time to discuss the questions, you could put them into new
pairs or groups to compare and discuss again.
• You can then have a class plenary session and get students to share their
answers.
• Be sure to monitor while they discuss and try to notice any gaps in their
competence. Make notes of any words or phrases that you can feed in at the end
or any communication issues you feel you can help them with in future lessons.
Discussion Task
• Who do you think the people are in each of the balloons?
• Why are they there?
• Where are they going?
• What’s the relationship between the people in the balloons?
• How do you get a balloon like this?
• How do you learn to fly one?
• Would you like to be in one of the balloons? Why?
• Have you ever been in a balloon? Tell us about it.
5
Creative Task
• You can use this task either as a writing or speaking activity.
• You could start by asking students to close their eyes and silently imagine they are
in the hot air balloon. Ask them to try to imagine how they are feeling, what they
can hear, what they can smell, who is with them, where they are going and why,
what they will do when they arrive.
• Once they have had a chance to silently imagine you can ask them to open their
eyes and begin the task. This could be writing about their imaginary experience or
telling each other about it.
• If you choose to do the activity as a writing activity, you should ask them to make
notes first and you should set a word limit to give students some idea of how much
they should write.
Creative Task
Imagine you are in one of the balloons.
• Explain how you got there and where you are going.
Online Research Task
• Ask students to do online research and find out about hot air balloons and hot air
balloon festivals.
• Ask students to use the facts to create a short presentation or an infographic. They
can do this using tools like: https://www.draw.io/ or https://www.genial.ly/.
• Ask them to share their work in class.
6
Your Rights
Buying this book gives you the right to use it and any of the ideas and materials
from it with your students. It does NOT give you the right to copy, share copies
with other teachers or store and redistribute it online.
Copyright Information
This lesson plan is an independent publication and has been created in my own
time and at my own expense. I depend on the proceeds from my books and
materials so that I can produce more work like this and so that I can feed my family
and send my daughters to college. When you download or share this book without
my permission you are stealing from me and my family.
If you have downloaded this book without permission or paying, please do the right
thing and go buy a copy from: https://www.peacheypublications.com/ or
https://payhip.com/peacheypublications
If you can’t afford or don’t have the means to buy it, then read on in peace and I
hope that it helps you and your students.
The images remain the property of the creator.
• Image source: Pixabay
• Artist: PIRO4D
Thanks
Nik Peachey - © PeacheyPublications 2018
7
THE BOOT
This lesson is based on an image of a boot hanging in a tree. In the lesson the students discuss how
they think the boot got into the tree and a where the other boot may be. They also create the story of
the boots and role-play a conversation between the two boots as they are reunited. The final task is
based around online research into recycling of footwear.
Access the presentation at: http://bit.ly/boot-pres
8
IMAGE 2.1 The Boot
Vocabulary Task
image.
class.
9
Discussion Task
answers.
Discussion Task
• Who put the boot in the tree? Why?
• Who was the first owner of the boots?
• Where and why did they buy them?
• How long did they own them?
• Who were the other owners of the boots?
• How did the boot get broken?
• What happened to the other boot?
• Do you have a favourite pair of boots or shoes? Describe them.
• How did you get them?
10
Role-play Task
• Put the students into pairs.
• Ask one student to imagine they are the boot in the tree. Ask the other student to
imagine they are the other boot.
• Ask them to work together and think about how they were reunited.
• Ask them to produce a dialogue for a short skit/play in which the two boots meet
again and tell each other about what happened to them since they were apart.
• Get the students to perform their skits for the class.
Role-play Task
• Imagine the two boots meet again.
• Have a conversation about what happened while they were apart.
• How were they reunited?
Online Research Task
• Ask students to do online research and find out about shoe and boot recycling and
what can be done with unwanted boots and shoes.
• Ask students to use the information they discover to create a short presentation or
an infographic. They can do this using tools like: https://www.draw.io/ or
https://www.genial.ly/.
• Ask them to share their work in class.
11
Your Rights
• Artist: Pixel2013
Thanks
12
THE CANOE
This lesson is based around two contrasting images. Both images are of two boys in a canoe. The
students discuss the first image and try to imagine where the boys are going and what they are
doing. They also try to imagine the future lives of the boys and the opportunities they will have as they
grow up. After discussing the first image, students see the second image and do a similar task. They
then contrast the two images and think about any differences in their perceptions of the boys and
their lives.
Access the presentation at: http://bit.ly/canoe-pres
13
IMAGE 3.1 The Canoe
Vocabulary Task
image.
class.
14
Discussion Task
answers.
Discussion Task
• Where are the boys?
• Where have they been? Why?
• Where are they going? Why?
• What’s the relationship between the two boys?
• Where are their families?
• What are their families doing now?
• What are their dreams and ambitions?
• Describe the rest of their day.
• Imagine them in 20 years time. Describe their lives.
15
Discussion Task 2
• Now repeat the same task using the second image.
IMAGE 3.2 The Canoe
Discussion Task 2
• Where are the boys?
• Where have they been? Why?
• Where are they going? Why?
• What’s the relationship between the two boys?
• Where are their families?
• What are their families doing now?
• What are their dreams and ambitions?
• Describe the rest of their day.
• Imagine them in 20 years time. Describe their lives.
16
Reflection Task
Once the students have completed the second task ask them to think about the
differences in their answers.
Get them to think about how and why the their answers were different.
Reflection Task
• How were your answers different for the second image?
• Why were they different?
• What can you learn from the differences?
• Which of the boys are you most like? Why?
• Which of the canoes would you prefer to be in? Why?
Follow-up Task
• Ask the students to choose one of the images and write a short story about it.
• They should write the story in first person as though they are the boy in the back of
the boat.
• Let them choose one of these titles for their story:
• The Accident
• My Best Friend
• Going Home
• The Escape
17
Your Rights
• Image 1 source: Pixabay
• Artist: Kanenori
• Image 2 source: Pixabay
• Artist: Free-Photos
Thanks
18
THE DOOR
This lesson is based around an image of a mysterious door. In the lesson students try to imagine
what’s behind the door and who lives there. They also invent and role-play an interview with the
person who lives behind the door. There is also a final optional task that involves watching a short
video clip and researching the work of an artist called Ra Paulette who carves homes out of
sandstone in Mexico.
Access the presentation at: http://bit.ly/door-pres
19
IMAGE 4.1 The Door
Vocabulary Task
image.
class.
20
Discussion Task
answers.
Discussion Task
• Who lives in the home behind this door?
• What do they do?
• How long have they lived there?
• When did they move there?
• Where did they live before?
• Why did they paint the door that colour?
• Why are there cameras above the door?
• Who uses the cameras?
• Describe the home behind the door.
• The door opens describe the person who opens it.
21
Role-play Task
• Put the students into pairs. Ask student A to imagine they are the person inside the
house. Ask student B to imagine they are a journalist writing a feature about
unusual homes.
• Tell student B to try to get an interview with the person who lives in the house.
• Tell the student A that they must be polite, but they don’t really want to give an
interview.
• Get the students to improvise a role-play. You could also ask them to perform them
for the class
Role-play Task
Imagine you are a journalist.
• Think of questions you would like to ask the person who lives behind the door.
• Create a conversation between the person who opens the door and a
journalist.
Follow-up Tasks
• Ask students to do online research into Ra Paulette a man who dug homes in
sandstone in Mexico.
• You could show them this video silently to get them interested: Cave Digger
22
Your Rights
• Image source: Unsplash
• Artist: Josh Appel
Thanks
23
THE DUCK
This lesson is based around an image of a discarded rubber duck. In the lesson, the students try to
imagine the story behind the duck and how it came to be in such a poor condition. Students also
have the opportunity to share their own childhood memories of favourite toys. The lesson also
includes an optional creative task that involves students in creating their own children’s story. The
final task is an online research task to find interesting facts about the history of rubber ducks and to
share their findings.
Access the presentation at: http://bit.ly/duck-pres
24
IMAGE 5.1 The Duck
Vocabulary Task
image.
class.
25
Discussion Task
answers.
Discussion Task
• Who do you think this duck belongs to?
• Who do you think first owned this duck?
• How did they lose it?
• How did it get here?
• How did it get the scratches on its face?
• Did you ever have a duck like this?
• What do you remember about it?
• Have you ever bought a duck like this? Who for?
• Tell us about a favourite toy you had.
26
Creative Task
• Ask student to imagine they are the duck.
• Ask them to work alone and make notes about the story of the duck.
• Tell them the story should be designed as a children’s story.
• Give them time to prepare, then put the students in pairs and ask them to share
their stories. They should use first person ‘I’ to tell their story.
• You could also ask them to write up their stories.
Creative Task
Create a children’s story about the duck. Tell the story from the perspective of
the duck. Include these points:
• Where it was made
• Who the first owner was
• How the duck became lost
• What happened to it
Follow-up Tasks
• Ask students to do online research to find out more about the history of rubber
ducks. Tell them to try to find 10 interesting facts about rubber ducks.
• Ask students to use the facts to create a short presentation or an infographic about
rubber ducks. They can create the infographic using tools like:
https://www.draw.io/ or https://www.genial.ly/.
27
Your Rights
• Artist: Ryan McGuire
Thanks
28
THE FOREST
This lesson is based around an image of a dying forest. In the lesson students discuss what they
think may have caused the forest to die and try to imagine the forest when it was healthy. They also
create a role-play interview with a resident of the forest. As an optional follow up task they have the
opportunity to do some research into the causes of deforestation and present and discuss their
research with the class.
Access the presentation: http://bit.ly/forest-pres
29
IMAGE 6.1 The Forest
Vocabulary Task
image.
class.
30
Discussion Task
answers.
Discussion Task
• Where do you think this is? Why?
• What has happened to the trees? Why?
• Imagine you are walking in the forest.
• What can you hear?
• What can you smell?
• What do you feel?
• Describe the forest 10 years ago.
• What can you do to prevent things like this happening where you live?
• Have you ever been involved in any efforts to protect the environment? Tell us
what you did.
31
Role-play Task
• Ask students to imagine that they are journalists and they are going to interview
someone who lives in the forest.
• Ask them to prepare questions they could ask the person.
• Once they have prepared their questions, put the students into pairs. Ask one
student to be the journalist and the other to imagine they are the person who lives
in the forest.
• Ask the journalist to interview the person from the forest and collect information for
a short article.
• Ask them to exchange roles.
• You could also ask them to write up their interviews.
Role-play Task
• Imagine that you are a journalist. You are going to interview someone who has
lived all their life in the forest.
• Think of questions you would ask them.
Follow-up Task
• Ask students to do online research and find out about deforestation. Tell them to
collect at least 10 interesting facts.
can create the infographic using tools like: https://www.draw.io/ or
32
Your Rights
• Artist: O12
Thanks
33
THE KISS
This lesson is based around a wall mural. In the lesson students have the opportunity to share their
opinions of the mural and think about how other people including the artist feel about it. This leads
into a creative task where they imagine they are one of the people in the mural. The lesson finishes
with an optional research task into the work of graffiti artist Banksy.
Access the presentation at: http://bit.ly/kiss-pres
34
IMAGE 7.1 The Kiss
Vocabulary Task
image.
class.
35
Discussion Task
answers.
Discussion Task
• Who painted this mural?
• Why did they paint it?
• Who wanted it to be painted?
• Who lives inside the building?
• What do they think about the mural?
• Who are the people in the mural?
• Where did they get the balloons?
• What colour do you think the balloons are?
• What wall murals have you seen?
• What do you think is the difference between art and graffiti?
36
Creative Task
• Ask the students to imagine they are one of the two people in the picture.
• Ask them to imagine how they met the other person.
• Give them some time to think about it, then put the students into pairs and ask
student A to interview student B about how they met their partner in the picture.
Ask them to answer all the questions using the first person ‘I’.
• When they have finished you can ask them to exchange roles.
Creative Task
• Imagine you are one of the two people in the picture.
• Tell the story of how you met.
Follow-up Task
• Ask students to do online research and find about the work of an artist called
Banksy.
• Ask students to use the information they find to create a short presentation or an
infographic about him. They can create the infographic using tools like:
https://www.draw.io/ or https://www.genial.ly/.
37
Your Rights
• Artist: Angela Yuriko Smith
Thanks
38
THE SPOONS
This lesson is based around an image of a collection of spoons, each with different substances in.
The students have the opportunity to speculate about the origin of the spoons and substances. This
leads into a creative task where they imagine they are one of the spoons and they tell their story. The
lesson ends with a research task that enables students to discover the origins of welsh ‘Lovespoons’.
Access the presentation at: http://bit.ly/spoon-pres
39
IMAGE 8.1 The Spoons
Vocabulary Tasks
• Use the images to get students thinking about the vocabulary they may need for
image.
class.
40
Discussion Task
answers.
Discussion Task
• Who do you think the spoons belong to?
• What do you think the contents of the spoons will be used to make?
• Where do you think the spoons came from?
• Why are the spoons there?
• Which spoon would you most like to be? Why?
• If you had to eat the contents of one spoon which would you choose? Why?
• Try to explain why some of the spoons are tied together.
41
Creative Task
• Ask your students to choose one of the spoons and imagine they are that spoon.
• Ask them to close their eyes and try to imagine when they were new and part of a
cutlery set.
• Ask them to imagine themselves in a shop window with the other cutlery waiting to
be bought.
• Ask them to try to visualise their first owner and the first table they were put on.
• Now ask them to try to imagine what happened to them between leaving that table
and becoming one of the spoons in the set.
Creative Task
• Imagine you are one of the spoons. Tell your life story.
Follow-up Task
• Ask students to do online research and find ten facts about welsh Lovespoons.
They can do this on mobile devices in class or for homework.
Lovespoons. They can create the infographic using tools like: https://www.draw.io/
or https://www.genial.ly/.
42
Your Rights
• Artist: Daria Yakovleva
Thanks
43
THE TATTOO
This lesson is based around an image of two hands, each with a tattoo. In the lesson students try to
imagine the story behind the tattoos and share their opinions of tattoos. There is also a creative task
in which students imagine they wake up with a tattoo and they have to think about how this impacts
on their life. The final optional task is research into the origins of tattoos.
Access the presentation at: http://bit.ly/tattoo-pres
44
IMAGE 9.1 The Tattoo
Vocabulary Task
image.
class.
45
Discussion Task
answers.
Discussion Task
• What do you think of the tattoos?
• What do you think they mean to the people?
• What do you think the relationship between the people is? Why?
• When and why do you think they got the tattoos?
• What tattoo would you like to have?
• Where would you have it?
• How would your friends and family feel if you got a tattoo?
• How would you convince someone not to have a tattoo?
46
Creative Task
• Ask the students to close their eyes and imagine they are in bed.
• With their eyes still closed, ask them to imagine they wake up and go to the
bathroom.
• Ask them to imagine looking in the mirror.
• Tell them as they look in the mirror they see a small rose tattooed on their right
check.
• Ask them to think about what they will do and how they will explain this to people.
• Ask them to try to imagine how it will impact on their life.
• Ask them to open their eyes and either talk about what will happen or write a short
story about what will happen.
Creative Task
• Imagine you wake up one morning and there is a small tattoo on your cheek.
Follow-up Tasks
• Ask students to do online research and find ten new facts about the history and
origins of tattoos.
tattoos. They can create the infographic using tools like: https://www.draw.io/ or
47
Your Rights
• Artist: TheDigitalWay
Thanks
48
THE TWO BEARS
This lesson is based around an image of two bears watching TV. The students start by discussing the
image and the relationship between the bears watching TV and those around the room. They then
have the opportunity to develop their negotiating skills in a role-play negotiation related to popcorn.
They also have an optional task that involves researching the history of the ‘Teddy Bear’.
Access the presentation at: http://bit.ly/bears-pres
49
IMAGE 10.1 The Two Bears
Vocabulary Task
image.
class.
50
Discussion Task
answers.
Discussion Task
• Why are the bears watching TV?
• Are they enjoying the show they are watching?
• Who made the popcorn?
• What was in the suitcase?
• Where are the contents of the suitcase now?
• Who are the bears in the pictures on the wall? What’s their relationship to the
bears in the room?
• What is in the jar? Who is it for?
• Did you ever have a teddy bear? What was it like? What do you remember
about it?
51
Creative Task
• Ask the students to close their eyes and imagine they are the small bear in the
picture.
• Tell them that they are feeling bored and hungry. The popcorn belongs to the big
bear and he doesn’t want to share. They also want to watch something different,
but the big bear is enjoying the show.
• Ask them to try to imagine what they can do to persuade the bear to change
channels and share the popcorn.
• Ask the students to open their eyes.
• Put the students into pairs and tell one student to be the big bear and one to be
the small bear.
• Ask them to role-play the situation.
Creative Task
Students A: Imagine you are the small bear.
• You are bored and you want to change to a different show.
• You are also hungry and you would like to watch something different.
Student B: Imagine you are the big bear
• You are really enjoying watching an old film.
• You have made some popcorn for the second time. The first time the small
bear ate all of it without sharing.
Follow-up Task
• Ask students to do online research and find ten new facts about Teddy Bears.
They can do this on mobile devices or for homework and share their facts in small
groups in class.
can create the infographic using tools like: https://www.draw.io/ or
52
Your Rights
• Artist: Papafox
Thanks
53

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10 SHORT IMAGE LESSONS

Each short lesson is based around a beautiful image, starts with

These short lessons can be used in full to form the basis of a

Each lesson also includes a digital presentation that can either

The QR codes can be accessed through the teachers’

He is a two time British Council Innovations Award Winner and

He has worked with a wide range of educational companies,

He also publishes a twice monthly free Learning Technology and

Access the presentation at: http://bit.ly/balloon-pres

• Who do you think the people are in each of the balloons?

• Why are they there?

• Where are they going?

• What’s the relationship between the people in the balloons?

• How do you get a balloon like this?

• How do you learn to fly one?

• Would you like to be in one of the balloons? Why?

• Have you ever been in a balloon? Tell us about it.

• You can use this task either as a writing or speaking activity.

Imagine you are in one of the balloons.

Online Research Task

• Ask them to share their work in class.

The images remain the property of the creator.

• Image source: Pixabay

Nik Peachey - © PeacheyPublications 2018

Access the presentation at: http://bit.ly/boot-pres

• Who put the boot in the tree? Why?

• Who was the first owner of the boots?

• Where and why did they buy them?

• How long did they own them?

• Who were the other owners of the boots?

• How did the boot get broken?

• What happened to the other boot?

• Do you have a favourite pair of boots or shoes? Describe them.

• How did you get them?

• Put the students into pairs.

• Get the students to perform their skits for the class.

• Imagine the two boots meet again.

• Have a conversation about what happened while they were apart.

• How were they reunited?

Online Research Task

• Ask them to share their work in class.

The images remain the property of the creator.

• Image source: Pixabay

Nik Peachey - © PeacheyPublications 2018

Access the presentation at: http://bit.ly/canoe-pres

• Where are the boys?

• Where have they been? Why?

• Where are they going? Why?

• What’s the relationship between the two boys?

• Where are their families?

• What are their families doing now?

• What are their dreams and ambitions?

• Describe the rest of their day.

• Imagine them in 20 years time. Describe their lives.

• Now repeat the same task using the second image.

IMAGE 3.2 The Canoe

• Where are the boys?

• Where have they been? Why?

• Where are they going? Why?

• What’s the relationship between the two boys?