This resource is part of the Food Unit for Elementary English Language Starters.
Core Flashcard Activities (whole class)
Point & Say: Hamburger
Ingredients
The teacher holds up a hamburger
flashcard while students point to the ingredients and say the words aloud. The
ingredient board (provided in the resource) is displayed in the classroom to give
visual support and help students match each ingredient to the hamburger.
Add sentence frame:
It has bread, cheese, ketchup, meat, and egg.
This activity supports listening,
speaking, and vocabulary development and works well for whole-class instruction
with kindergarten and early elementary English language learners.
Students respond: 👍 Yes / 👎 No by using their thumbs up or down.
Burger Swap. Students work in pairs. One student looks at a hamburger
flashcard and names the ingredients without showing the card. The other student
listens carefully and ticks the matching ingredients on the worksheet. This
activity practices listening, speaking, and vocabulary recognition.
🗣️ Speaking Activities
Show & Tell: Hamburger
Ingredients. A
student stands at the front of the classroom, holds a hamburger flashcard, and
describes the ingredients using words or short sentences. This activity builds
speaking confidence, reinforces food vocabulary, and encourages students to
listen and participate.
Sort the Burgers. By ingredients. Students work together to sort the hamburger flashcards on the board by ingredient. They place each card under the correct label, practicing food vocabulary, visual discrimination, and speaking in an engaging whole-class activity.
Sort by Number of Ingredients. They count the layers, compare the cards, and place them in the correct column, practicing vocabulary, counting, and speaking at the same time.
With or Without? Sorting. Students sort the
hamburger flashcards on the board into “with” or “without” a
specific ingredient (for example, tomato). They look closely at each burger and
place it in the correct group.
Small Flashcard Activity Ideas
Burger Match Writing. Students use a small
hamburger flashcard and the ingredient checklist to review which items are in
their burger. After ticking the ingredients, they write a short paragraph
describing what their hamburger has. This activity combines vocabulary,
reading, and writing.
like / don’t like. Students pick from
the 20 different hamburgers small cards, one hamburger that the learners likes
and one that they don’t like. Then, prepares to talk about the preferences.
Tell students they must listen carefully and color the ingredients as you say:
“Color the ketchup red.”
Students color the correct part of the hamburger as they listen.
Also, allow students to say what to color.
When students finish, ask
simple questions about their hamburger, such as: What color is the ketchup? Students
answer orally or point to the ingredient while saying the color.
Draw and Color – My Hamburger
Students draw and color their own hamburger, choosing the ingredients they
like. Then they write a simple sentence to describe it (e.g., I like cheese
and lettuce). Students can share their worksheet with the class to practice
speaking, vocabulary, and confidence.
Games
Hamburger Ingredients Board
Game
Students play this fun
hamburger-themed board game in small groups. Each player has an ingredients
worksheet and a counter.
Students take turns rolling the
die and moving along the path. When they land on a square, they identify the
ingredient shown and tick it on their ingredients worksheet. If they
can name the ingredient, they simply say the word aloud and tick on the
worksheet.
As students move around the
board, they collect ingredients to build their own hamburger. The game
continues until all players reach FINISH.
At the end of the game,
students use their worksheet to write about the hamburger they managed
to gather the ingredients on the board path, for example:
“My hamburger has bread, meat, cheese, and tomato.”
🎉
The winner is the student who could collect and ticks the
most ingredients.
Hamburger Puzzle – Match and
Build
Students work in pairs to put
together hamburger puzzles by matching each picture with the correct ingredient
list. They carefully read the words, find the matching hamburger, and connect
the puzzle pieces.
Exit Ticket – Hamburger
Ingredients
Before lining up, each student receives a mini hamburger card at their desk.
The teacher names one ingredient, and students whose hamburger has that
ingredient stand up. As they leave the classroom, they hand in the card and say
the ingredient aloud, reinforcing vocabulary and listening skills.
I invite you to visit my
Pinterest board where I share hands-on ESL activities, games, worksheets,
flashcards, and thematic units designed especially for elementary English
language learners.
https://www.pinterest.com/ei98srl/esl-elementary-teachers-materials/
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