The Perfect Present Hunt 

Authors: Nataliya & Nihan

The PPT for the class: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tZ9-O4eGDnCviHCcTev0n6x2KSeG6ZGTIj3bf3TKYCA/edit?usp=sharing  

For Teachers 

Short Description

A dynamic and interactive lesson where students explore a virtual shopping center to practice English vocabulary, descriptions, and decision-making skills. This session will take place in a virtual reality environment (Shopping Centre) using the Immerse application. To prepare, each student will receive instructions on operating a VR headset in advance.

Click HERE for slides 

Preparation for Teachers

Create an Account in Immerse: Sign up at Immerse or use an access code.

Complete Tutorials: Familiarize yourself with the shopping center VR space by completing tutorials in the "Help" menu.

Lesson Setup: Misplace some items for the groups so that they can put them in the correct places during the sort-it-out activity. Prepare a digital board with item categories for sorting tasks and a range of prompt cards for the shopping activity.

Target Structures

Vocabulary Items

Stores in the Mall: Toy store, clothing store, jewelry store, tools shop, travel goods store, home goods store, music store

Items by Category:

Jewelry & Clothing: tiara, necklace, baseball hat, crown, sunglasses

Tools: screwdriver, rope, scissors, wrench, 

Musical Instruments & Toys: trumpet, guitar, hula hoop, soccer ball, rocket

Travel & Home: purse, coffee pot, headphones, globe, hair dryer, remote control

Descriptive adjectives: adjectives of size, shape, color, material, opinion

Grammatical Structures

Connectors:

"It is [adjective] and [adjective]."

"It is perfect because [reason]."

Contextualization 

Target Age: 10-12 years old

Target Language Level (based on CEFR): A2

Location: Virtual Shopping Center in Immerse

How this fits into a larger lesson or unit 

This lesson can be part of a unit focused on "Shopping", which explores the topic of vocabulary and communication skills related to everyday activities. It can serve as a mid-unit activity to reinforce vocabulary for common items, and simple descriptions and prepare students to use English for real-life shopping situations, including describing items and expressing preferences.

Main Lesson Aims & Learning Objectives

CEFR Competencies

Reception

Listening: Can understand simple descriptions and instructions.

Reading: Can identify and understand familiar items from written prompts.

Production

Speaking: Can give simple descriptions of objects and justify decisions, using basic connectors like "and," "but," or "because."

Interaction

Can collaborate with peers to solve tasks and exchange information. 

Learning Objectives (SWBATs)

Identify and categorize items found in a shopping center by vocabulary type.

Describe a chosen item using present simple sentences and adjectives of opinion/size/shape/material.

Explain why it would make a good gift using simple linkers “because” and “and.”

Materials Needed

• Immerse app

• Digital categorization board

• Prompt cards for shopping task

• VR headsets, laptops, or tablets

Activities

 Pre-Task (10 min):

Greetings & Introduction: 

The teacher greets students with phrases like, “Welcome to the shopping center! Are you ready for some fun shopping adventures?”

Students interact using gestures like waving, thumbs up, or high-fives.

Mall Tour: 

The teacher guides the students on a quick tour of the shopping center, pointing out the different stores (e.g., clothing store, toy shop, jewelry store). Students repeat after the teacher: “This is the toy store!” “This is the clothing store!”

Main Tasks (25 min):

Activity 1. Sort it out! (10 min)

The teacher explains the task: Imagine you are store managers who have to put back items after a crazy sale. Work as a team to put items into categories on the virtual board. Each item belongs to a specific group, such as Clothing, Tools, or Toys. 

Students are divided into small teams (2–4 students per team). Each team works on their section of the virtual board, where items are placed randomly.

Instructions for Students: Look at each item and decide where it belongs. Drag and drop each item (e.g., a hammer) into the appropriate group (e.g., Tools). For each item, say: “This is a ___ We use it for ___, so it goes in the Tools.”

Peer Assessment: Look at each other’s sections. Are items placed correctly?

Extension: The teacher asks students to go into the store, find a few misplaced items, and bring them to the correct section. 

Activity 2. The Perfect Present Hunt (15 min)

Instructions for Students:

1. Work in pairs.

2. Each pair receives a prompt card with a short description of a person (e.g., "Your best friend loves music and needs a new hobby").

3. Navigate through the VR shopping center to find 2 possible gifts for this person. Scan the objects to see their names.

4. Negotiate your choices, using “I think/ I agree/I disagree.”

5. Describe your items and explain why they make a perfect gift. E.g.: "We found a guitar. It is big and made of wood. It is perfect for my friend because she loves playing music and singing."

6. Take a photo of the items and prepare to explain your choice in a brief presentation.

Link HERE for the language support table 

Post-task (7 minutes): Sharing and Reflection

Students present their chosen gifts to the class and explain why they suit the recipient. The other students vote for the best gift for each pair of students, using a poll feature in the Immerse. 

Additional scaffolding instructions 

At the beginning, it may be a good idea to use the AR tools to gather students together, silence them or even freeze them as needed. Seeing as these are 6th graders, they may need this type of assistance. 

For Students 

The PowerPoint: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12U0dC5eotVslw_R7hQkRwWZsokOWZ-bhPtQmdHhTsVY/edit?usp=sharing