"Alice in Wonderland: A Mad Tea Party"

Lesson Plan: "Alice in Wonderland: A Mad Tea Party" (A1/A2, 8–10 years old)

Level: A1/A2
Age: 8–10 years old
Duration: 45 minutes
Topic: A Mad Tea Party – Describing characters and expressing opinions
Aims:

• To introduce and practice vocabulary related to the Mad Tea Party scene (tea, cup, raven, time, dance, etc.).
• To develop listening and watching skills by understanding a short movie clip.
• To practice speaking about characters and preferences using simple sentences ("I like…", "I think…").
• To encourage creative thinking and interaction through discussion and role-play.
  Materials:
• Intro music: "Alice in Wonderland - Tea Party Music" – YouTube link.
• Pre-watching vocabulary (Quizlet) – link.
• Movie clip: "Alice in Wonderland (2010) – Tea Party Scene" – YouTube link.
• Controlled practice (LearningApps) – link.
• Freer practice speaking (Quizizz questions) – link.
• Pictures of characters (Alice, Mad Hatter, White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat, Red Queen).
• Whiteboard/projector, markers, small props (e.g., a teacup, hat for the Mad Hatter).

Materials

Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPjlCza7JHI&ab_channel=DannyElfman-Topic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9hbG9-feQE&ab_channel=PrincessMeg

Movie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1mAb2wXsRM&ab_channel=OnlyMovies200

https://rezka.ag/films/fantasy/1424-alisa-v-strane-chudes-2010.html

Vocabulary Activities

https://quizlet.com/nl/880986471/alice-in-wonderland-tea-party-flash-cards/?new

https://quizlet.com/nl/876687914/alice-in-wonderland-tea-party-flash-cards/?new

https://learningapps.org/display?v=p137yu3aj24

https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/65ba1d582f800c4f7f1e75a7/edit?at=65c08f89bfce0aa8749a1601

Lesson Structure

1. Warm-Up & Introducing the Topic (5 minutes)

Aim: To engage students, introduce the topic of "Alice in Wonderland," and activate prior knowledge.

• Activity:
  • Greet the children warmly: "Hello, my little wonderlanders! Do you like magic and funny stories? Today we’re going to a very special tea party!"
  • Play the "Tea Party Music" from Alice in Wonderland link. Ask: "Can you recognize this music? What movie is it from? Do you know Alice in Wonderland?"
    • If they don’t know, give a hint: "It’s a magical story with a girl named Alice, a funny Mad Hatter, and a talking rabbit!"
  • Show pictures of Alice, the Mad Hatter, and the White Rabbit. Ask: "Who are they? Do you like tea parties?"
• Interaction: T-S (Teacher-Students), encourage whole-class responses.
• Feedback: "Great guesses, my magic friends! This music is from Alice in Wonderland. Let’s go to a crazy tea party!"

2. Pre-Watching: Vocabulary Introduction (7 minutes)

Aim: To introduce key vocabulary and prepare students for watching the movie clip.

• Activity: Use Quizlet flashcards link to teach vocabulary: tea, cup, raven, time, dance, late, naughty, Frabjous, Futterwacken, Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, Red Queen.
  • Show each flashcard and say the word: "This is a cup! What is it?"
  • Use actions and props: for "tea," pretend to sip from a teacup; for "dance," do a little wiggle and say, "This is the Futterwacken dance!"
  • Play a quick game: "Find the word!" — show a flashcard, and kids shout out the word or mime it (e.g., pretend to drink tea for "tea").
• Interaction: T-S, S-S (pair work for miming).
• Feedback: "Well done, my tea party experts! You know so many words! Now let’s watch the Mad Hatter’s tea party!"

3. Watching & Listening: Controlled Practice (10 minutes)

Aim: To develop listening and watching skills and check comprehension of the movie clip.

• Activity:
  • First watching (gist): Play the movie clip (Tea Party Scene, 0:00–2:30) link. Before playing, set a simple task: "Is the Mad Hatter happy to see Alice? Yes or No?"
    • Answer: Yes (he says, "It’s absolutely Alice! I’d know you anywhere!").
  • Second watching (details): Use the LearningApps activity link. Students fill in the gaps in the audioscript while watching/listening again.
    • Example: "You’re terribly late, you know. ___." (Answer: naughty).
    • Key words: naughty, investigating, raven, commence, slaying, therefore, whichever, convenient, puts me off, godless, juggling, vigorously.
  • Support: Pause the video after key lines to give time to think. For weaker students, provide a word bank on the board (e.g., naughty, raven, dance).
• Interaction: Individual work, then whole-class checking.
• Feedback: "Fantastic listening, my wonderland detectives! The Mad Hatter was so happy to see Alice, but he called her naughty! Let’s talk about the tea party now!"

4. Speaking: Freer Practice (15 minutes)

Aim: To encourage creative speaking and use the target language in a natural context.

• Activity: Use the Quizizz speaking questions link for discussion and role-play. Split the time into two parts:
  • Part 1: Discussion (8 minutes): Students answer questions in pairs/small groups.
    • Example questions:
      • "What do you know about Alice in Wonderland? Who is your favorite character?"
      • "Do you like tea? Do you have tea parties in your family?"
      • "What is the Futterwacken dance? Can you make your own dance?"
    • Model first: "I like the Mad Hatter because he is funny! Who do you like?"
  • Part 2: Role-Play (7 minutes): Students imagine they are at the Mad Hatter’s tea party. Assign roles (Alice, Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, White Rabbit).
    • Scenario: "You’re at the tea party! Say something funny or magical. For example, ‘It’s always tea time!’ or ‘Why is a raven like a writing desk?’"
    • Add creativity: "What would you say to the Mad Hatter? Do you want to dance the Futterwacken?"
• Interaction: S-S (pair work/small groups), then a few pairs perform for the class.
• Feedback: "Wow, you were amazing at the tea party! I loved how you said ‘It’s always tea time!’ You’re just like the Mad Hatter!"

5. Wrap-Up (3 minutes)

Aim: To consolidate learning and end on a positive note.

• Activity:
  • Quick review: "Who did we meet at the tea party? What did the Mad Hatter say? Do you remember the Futterwacken dance?"
  • Fun question: "Would you like to go to the Mad Hatter’s tea party? Why?"
  • Praise and goodbye: "You were magical today, my wonderland friends! See you next time for more adventures!