This and That Lesson Plan

This ESL lesson plan is designed to teach the demonstrative pronouns this and that to kids and beginner English language learners. It includes all the printable materials you need, and ready-to-use activities that my students always enjoy when I teach this and that.

Introduce This and That

Demonstrative pronouns are usually very easy for kids to understand because students can clearly see the difference between objects that are close and objects that are far away. I find using real classroom objects works best when introducing this and that because students can immediately connect the language to things they can see around them.

Start by pointing to some classroom objects and eliciting the names of the objects from students. Next, introduce the difference between this and that by standing close to one classroom object, such as a chair, and saying “this” while pointing to it. Have students repeat after you. Then move away from the object, point to it again, and say “that”. Repeat this a few times with different classroom objects until students begin to understand the difference.

Once students understand that we use this for things that are close and that for things that are far away, use these classroom object flashcards to introduce and practice key vocabulary. As you show each flashcard, model sentences such as “This is a book.” or “That is a pencil.” and have students repeat after you.

Play the “What’s This?” Guessing Game

Now that students understand the difference between this and that, play this fun guessing game to practice asking and answering “What’s this?” and “What’s that?”. In this activity, students will see classroom objects hidden behind colored shapes. As the shapes slowly disappear, students should try to guess the object before the picture is fully revealed. Pause the video and ask “What’s this?” or “What’s that?”. Encourage students to answer in full sentences such as “It’s a pencil.” or “It’s a book.”

Play the “This and That” Board Game

Now that students have had plenty of practice asking and answering “What’s this?” and “What’s that?” as a class, this next activity gives students a chance to practice using the target language with a partner. Print out this classroom objects board game and give one to each pair of students.

Students should place their eraser at the bottom of the page and take turns flicking it with their finger. If the eraser lands on a classroom object, students should make a short dialogue with their partner using this and that. For example, one student might ask “What’s that?” and their partner can answer “It’s a desk.” After making the dialogue, the student writes their name in that area. The student with the most areas at the end of the game is the winner.

While students are playing this board game, I usually walk around the classroom and listen to see if there are any common mistakes that need to be reviewed together, or any students that may need extra support.

Play the “This and That” Telepathy Game

Now that students have practiced asking and answering “What’s this?” and “What’s that?” with their partner, use this fun telepathy game to give students some writing practice using this and that. In this game, students will see two possible answers and should choose one answer and write it down. If they guess correctly, they get a point. There are 10 rounds in total, and the game takes around 10 minutes to play.

If you’re teaching very young learners, they may not be ready to write full sentences yet. In that case, turn this activity into an energetic classroom game by asking students to move to one side of the room or the other to show their answers.

TIP: Kids really enjoy this game because they love pretending they can read minds. To make the activity more fun, tell students they can try to “read your mind” to guess the correct answer. Pretend you are sending them the answer through telepathy and students will get really excited when they guess correctly.

Review “This and That” – Door Check

Before finishing the lesson, I like to quickly check students’ understanding by having them line up at the door before leaving the classroom. As students are lining up, point to different classroom objects and ask questions such as “What’s this?” and “What’s that?”. Encourage students to answer in full sentences using the target language. This is also a great opportunity to quickly identify any students who may still be struggling with the difference between this and that before ending the lesson.

More Resources to Teach Demonstrative Pronouns