(This post is copied from my EFL website (EFLsuccess.com), which is full of resources for English teachers and learners.)

In the US, “Fathers’ Day” is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. (America’s “Mothers’ Day” is celebrated the second Sunday in May.) Most of us enjoy remembering the special people who helped us to grow up, so here’s an idea for Fathers’ Day, that will get your students or classmates talking — no matter which day you choose to use this exercise.

The idea is simple: think of key memories from your life that involve your father (or a father-figure/mentor), and then draw pictures to represent those memories. You don’t have to be a professional artist; use “sick figures” or simple line-drawings. In the previous class, ask students to think of one to ten key memories for homework (don’t tell them they will need to illustrate!). In class, I suggest that you limit the “drawing” time (maybe 15 minutes?). Then pair students and ask them to explain the drawings to a partner. Next, combine two pairs, and ask students to tell the other pair about one or two of their partner’s drawings (the partner can give details or make corrections, if he/she wishes). If you still have time, ask students to tell the class a favorite memory from anyone in their foursome other than themselves (that is, no one can talk about his/her own drawings, except to his original partner).

For “homework,” students can clean up their drawing and actually send it to a parent.

For years, my Dad proudly displayed the following version of my own memories outside his basement office.

What I think of when I think of Dad

In case you are curios (or perhaps to give you ideas of the kinds of memories to include), my pictures represent my parents’ anniversary, our home, holiday celebrations, times Dad drove to my university to have dinner with me, his favorite snacks, various roles/jobs he had, trips we took as a family, events we witnessed together, and the process of Dad teaching me to drive (among others).

Have fun as you and your students celebrate “Dad.” And if you like the exercise, do it again on Mothers’ Day!

Here are a few favorite photos of my Dad. My students used to enjoy looking at our “family photos”; I made them ask questions to practice their English while they learned about us.

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