In the Town: Places & Directions | Location Words, Asking the Way, Giving Routes & Opening Hours | ESL / EAL Unit A1–A2 | Grades 3–6

In the Town: Places & Directions is a complete ESL / EAL unit on town vocabulary, location words, asking the way, giving routes and reading opening hours for grades 3–6 at level A1–A2: a 31-page student book and a 14-page teacher guide.

Everything happens on one small model map: Library, Park and School in the top row, Bakery, Square and Bus stop below, viewed from the bottom. Students match places to activities and write sentences like "In the library I can read." They answer "What is to the right of the park?", complete a dialogue that starts with "Excuse me, where is the library?" and practice clarification questions such as "Please say that again slowly." On a 3 × 3 grid they describe a route with first, then and after that, and they read an invented library sign to decide whether they can go in on Tuesday at 4 p.m. The project brings it together: a model town with six places, a short introduction, directions, a dialogue and an opening-hours sign, all tested with a partner.

What's Included

• 31-page student book with a "Your learning journey" page for prior knowledge and orientation
• Six four-page modules: learning text with the town map, Tasks 1 and 2 with a help box, Task 3 plus an open "think further" task with sketch space, and extra practice with reflection
• Two-page project: plan and decide, then create, test and revise using partner feedback
• Two-page "Learning check without the text" with one prompt per module
• Glossary and reflection page for one key term per module
• 14-page teacher guide with objectives, a six-step lesson sequence, differentiation and assessment notes
• Answer pages for every module, preparation notes (map, place cards, dialogue roles), project support, expected learning-check responses and four 0–4 point criteria
• Print-ready A4 PDF that prints on US Letter with fit-to-page

Six Modules

1. Naming Places — school, library, bakery, park and bus stop, with an activity, "the" or "a", and singular and plural
2. Where Is It? — left, right, next to and opposite, with a shared viewpoint on the map
3. Asking Politely for Directions — "Excuse me, where is…?", clarification questions and thanking
4. Explaining a Route — first, then, after that, straight ahead, left and right on a 3 × 3 grid
5. Opening Hours and Appointments — reading a sign, weekdays with times, and planning a visit that works
6. Introducing Our Town — a short description of places and a route, tested and improved with a partner

Students Will Learn To

• Name town places with the right article and say what you can do there
• Describe where a place is using left, right, next to and opposite from a shared viewpoint
• Ask for and give directions in order, and check what they did not understand
• Read simple opening hours and plan a visit at a time that works

Perfect For

• ESL / ELL classes and newcomer groups in grades 3–6 at A1–A2
• EAL support in UK primary schools (roughly Years 4–7) and Australian classrooms
• Pull-out sessions and small groups, since each module can be used on its own
• Homeschool English practice and sub plans built around the map tasks

Why Teachers Choose This Unit

• Answer pages for Tasks 1–3, extra practice and further thinking in every module
• Three paths written out: support, core path and extension
• Four assessment criteria scored 0–4: key concept, example and reasoning, application/product, revision
• Around 8–12 lessons, and each module can be used separately
• Map positions and times come from labeled models; the AI illustrations are marked as discussion prompts only

Also part of the Language & EAL Bundle: three complete units for $39.90, or all ten units in the Complete Learning Books Bundle for $99.90.

Created with AI assistance: ChatGPT (OpenAI) and Claude (Anthropic). Illustrations were generated with OpenAI ImageGen as discussion prompts; they are not photographs or scale diagrams. Edited for classroom use before publication.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which grades and levels does this unit fit?

It is written for grades 3–6 at CEFR level A1–A2. The content sits closest to ESL / ELL speaking, listening and vocabulary work, and roughly maps to EAL support in Years 4–7 in England and in Australian schools. No official endorsement is claimed.

How long does the unit take?

Plan around 8–12 lessons for the six modules, the project and the learning check. The model town project can take longer. Each module can also be taught on its own.

Can beginners with very little English use it?

Yes, with the support path. The teacher guide suggests reading the text together, highlighting key words and discussing Task 1 orally, then letting students write or draw. Students can point to the map when words are missing, and the guide recommends practicing left and right from a shared viewpoint first.

How is it delivered?

It is an instant digital download in PDF format. Nothing is shipped.