In regions where access to the internet is very common, or if your school has a library with computers, you can consider taking some activities online.

Navigating English language websites can be a huge challenge for students, but once they master the basics, this skill unlocks almost endless possibilities for them. Here are some ideas for activities which you could adapt for your class:

Virtual Tours and Scavenger Hunts

Virtual tours can be fascinating for students, and can be used in several ways.

Many of the world’s best museums can be viewed room-by-room online, and there are also many ready-made virtual tour websites that walk people through historical material, the world’s architecture, or even what it’s like to walk on the bottom of the ocean. You can provide students with links to such sites, and give them an activity sheet which they must complete. This can include finding certain objects, or facts from a list. Another variation could include asking your students to find something they found to be interesting, and having them explain how to navigate to find it.

Try this example here: Smithsonian Museum of Natural History 

News Search

News sites can also be great resources for a range of online activities.

You could provide students with a list of safe news sites, and set them tasks such as finding an article based on a certain topic. Another activity could involve having students find the answers to several questions, or to find an article which they find interesting and to write a report on it.

Before planning any internet-based activities, you should be sure to first consider your class context. Ask yourself – are the students able to access the internet at home? If not, can they access it at the school? Are they old enough and responsible enough to tackle this challenge? If the answers are all positive, then internet-based activities can be a great way to spice up your class.

If not, don’t worry – there’s still plenty of other ways to bring fun to your lessons!