Ask the school nurse: healthy habits with should and shouldn't
Children read two letters to the school nurse and her replies, notice how should and shouldn't give advice, then write advice for a friend.
At a glance
- From
- Level 2, Moving Up English: Week 4, Health
- Grammar
- What's the matter? should / shouldn't
- Key language
- You should drink more water. / You shouldn't play games late at night. / sleep, exercise, fruit and vegetables, screen time, stay active, feel tired
- Children make
- Four pieces of written advice for a friend with a problem.
- Class size
- Works with 10 to 50 children; pair and group steps say how to scale.
Objective
Children read a short advice text, understand should and shouldn't, and give advice using them.
Success criteria for children
- I can find advice in a text.
- I can say what someone should and shouldn't do.
- I can write advice for a friend using the base verb after should.
Timing: 60 minutes
| Minutes | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 6 | Warm-up: healthy or unhealthy? | Children stand on one side of the room for a healthy habit, the other for unhealthy. |
| 6 to 16 | Teach should and shouldn't | Use should to give advice; shouldn't for advice not to do something. |
| 16 to 28 | Reading: the problem page | Gist, then detail, then underline the advice. |
| 28 to 40 | Practice: advice and problems | Worksheet tasks 1 and 2: gaps and matching. |
| 40 to 48 | Speaking: be the nurse | One child gives a problem, the partner gives advice. |
| 48 to 55 | Writing: advice for a friend | Task 3: four sentences for a friend's problem. |
| 55 to 60 | Exit ticket | One should and one shouldn't sentence. |
Materials
- Board pictures or word cards: sleep, water, fruit, exercise, screen
- Worksheet, pencils
- Health flashcards (free, linked from Week 4)
- Health quiz (free, linked from Week 4)
- Story: I'm too ill (free, linked from Week 4)
Step by step, with teacher talk
0 to 6 minWarm-up: healthy or unhealthy?
- Call out habits: eat an apple, sleep ten hours, drink lots of fizzy drinks, play outside, stay up very late. Children move to the correct side and give a reason in their own words.
6 to 16 minTeach should and shouldn't
- Write a problem: "I feel tired." Ask for advice and write answers as: You should go to bed early. You shouldn't play games at night.
- Underline should/shouldn't and the base verb after it. Point out: no -s (He should sleep, not "he shoulds").
- Quick drill: say a problem (I've got a headache; I've got toothache; I'm always hungry at break); children give one should and one shouldn't sentence.
"Should is for advice. It's a good idea. Shouldn't is not a good idea."
- "You should drink water." Is it a good idea or a bad idea? (Good.)
- Do we say "She should to rest"? (No: she should rest.)
16 to 28 minReading: the problem page
- Gist: "Who writes letters? Who answers them?" Read the page aloud once.
- In pairs, children answer the five questions below the text, then underline every should and shouldn't.
28 to 40 minPractice: advice and problems
- Children complete tasks 1 and 2. Check in pairs, then as a class.
40 to 48 minSpeaking: be the nurse
- Pairs take turns: "I never have breakfast." "You should..." Remind them to give at least one should and one shouldn't each turn.
48 to 55 minWriting: advice for a friend
- Children choose one problem from the box and write four pieces of advice.
55 to 60 minExit ticket
- See below.
Differentiation
Support
- Give a bank of verbs: drink, eat, sleep, play, walk, brush.
- Children write only three pieces of advice and copy the nurse's pattern.
Stretch
- Add a reason with because: "You should sleep more because your brain needs rest."
- Add "ought to" as another way to give advice.
- Design a small poster, "Five healthy habits for our class".
Reading passage
An original problem page. The advice is general and matches NHS guidance for children: regular activity, a balanced diet and enough sleep.
Dear Nurse Brook, I am always tired at school. I play video games until very late and then I can't get up. What should I do? Ben, age 10
Dear Ben, Your body needs sleep to grow and your brain needs it to learn. You should turn off your games an hour before bed, and you should go to bed at the same time every night. You shouldn't use a screen in bed. Try reading a book instead. You'll feel better in a week.
Dear Nurse Brook, I get hungry at break and I always eat sweets. Then I feel bad in class. Help! Mia, age 9
Dear Mia, You should eat some fruit or a sandwich with your breakfast, so you aren't so hungry. At break, you should take a piece of fruit or some cheese. You shouldn't stop sweets completely; just have them sometimes. And you should be active every day, for about an hour in total: running, dancing, cycling, playing football. It helps your body and your mood.
Questions
- Why is Ben tired at school?
- What should Ben do an hour before bed?
- What shouldn't Ben use in bed?
- Why does Mia feel bad in class?
- How much activity should Mia do every day?
Printable worksheet
Prints on its own A4 page. Use Print the worksheet above, or print the whole plan and the worksheet starts on a new page. One copy per child, or one per pair to save paper.
Healthy habits
1. Write should or shouldn't.
- You drink lots of water every day.
- You eat sweets for every meal.
- You go to bed at the same time each night.
- You play games all night.
- You do some exercise every day.
2. Match the problem to the best advice.
| 1. I've got a headache. | ● | ● | a. You should see the dentist. |
| 2. I'm always hungry at break. | ● | ● | b. You should drink water and rest. |
| 3. I can't sleep. | ● | ● | c. You should read a book, not use a screen. |
| 4. My teeth hurt. | ● | ● | d. You should eat a good breakfast. |
3. Give advice. Choose one problem and write four sentences with should or shouldn't. Problems: A friend feels sad and stays inside all day. A friend never drinks water. A friend is tired in the morning.
Answer key
Reading passage questions
- He plays video games until very late.
- Turn off his games.
- A screen.
- She eats sweets at break because she is hungry.
- About an hour in total.
Worksheet
- 1: should; shouldn't; should; shouldn't; should.
- 2: 1b (headache: drink water and rest); 2d (hungry at break: eat a good breakfast); 3c (can't sleep: read a book, not use a screen); 4a (teeth hurt: see the dentist).
- 3: answers will vary. Check should/shouldn't plus a base verb and sensible advice.
Exit ticket
Write one thing a child in your class should do every day to be healthy, and one thing they shouldn't do. Use should and shouldn't.
Homework
Make a "Healthy week" chart: write one should thing for each day (for example, Monday: drink six glasses of water). Show it to someone at home.
Teaching this to a whole class?
Litlings lets you plan lessons like this one, set photo and voice homework, and see who needs help. Free for up to 40 pupils.
Start free with LitlingsMore lesson plans
- Level 2, Week 4: Health (the curriculum week this plan comes from)
- Physical activity guidelines for children and young people (NHS) (NHS)
- All reading texts, dialogues, scripts, worksheets and answer keys on this page are original to Litlings and free to copy for classroom use.