Free Printable Lessons for English Teachers
Who is the patron saint of England? It is St. George. English people celebrate St. George’s Day every year on April 23rd.
It has to be said though that unlike the Scottish and Irish, who celebrate their patron saints in style and by drinking alcohol, the English really do not celebrate their day! In recent years efforts have been made to increase the day’s importance, but it actually lacks serious effort by the English.
Back in the 60s, when I was a boy at primary school, in class we used to play St. George and the Dragon. This was done in the form of a Mummers play, as it was known. The story is that St. George would kill the dragon then rescue the damsel in distress. It is a fairytale. By the 12th century the legendary story had become widespread.
Article quiz - Student A questions: 1) What date is St. George’s Day? 2) Who was St. George? 3) Who was Alfred the great? 4) What happened in 899? 5) What are mummers plays? - Writing/Speaking: In pairs. On the board write as many words as you can about ‘St. George’. One-two minutes. Compare with other teams. Using your words compile a short dialogue together. - Spelling: The teacher will ask the class individually to spell the following words that are in the article. Afterwards check your answers: 1) martyrdom 2) George 3) legendary 4) serious 5) gratitude 6) persecution 7) reinstated 8) crusaders 9) reformation 10) mummers. - Gap Fill: Reading and Listening.