Subject Area: Language Arts, ESL

Software Program: Kid Pix, Kid Pix Studio or PowerPoint
(Can be done with any painting and slide show program.)

 

Equipment Needed:

  • Computer(s)
  • List of idioms:
  • Keep it under your hat.
  • Walking on air.
  • Burns the candle at both ends.
  • On cloud 9.
  • Put your foot in your mouth.
  • Born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
  • Between a rock and a hard place.
  • Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
  • By the skin of your teeth.
  • Break a leg.
  • You're pulling my leg.
  • You're in the dog house.
  • Barking up the wrong tree.
  • Let the at out of the bag.
  • Can it.
  • Jump the gun.
  • Drive me up a wall.
  • My hands are tied.
  • Stick your neck out.
  • Play it by ear.
  • Out on a limb.
  • On your high horse.
  • Paint the town red.
  • Without turning a hair.
  • Shed some light on it.
  • Up in the air.
  • Roll with the punches.
  • Have a heart.
  • Lion's share.
  • Elbow grease.
  • Butter her up.
  • Pulled strings.
  • Turned a deaf ear.
  • Still wet behind the ears.
  • Hold down the fort.
  • Over the hill.
  • Walking a tightrope.
  • Up a creek without a paddle.
  • Skating on thin ice.
  • In over your head.
  • Bury the hatchet.
  • Get off my back.
  • Beat around the bush.
  • Kick the bucket.
  • Raining cats and dogs.
  • Butterflies in your stomach.
  • Eyes are bigger than your stomach.
  • Spitting image.
  • Give a cold shoulder.
  • Keep a stiff upper lip.
  • Don't lose your head.
  • Foot the bill.
  • Break the ice.
  • Put your nose to the grindstone.
  • Off the hook.
  • Left high and dry.
  • Out of the woods.
  • Pass the buck.
  • Swallow your pride.
  • On the right track.
  • Wild goose chase.
  • Talk a mile a minute.
  • Eats like a bird.
  • Keep your shoulder to the wheel.
  • Clear sailing.
  • Blow your top.
  • Six feet under.
  • Running on empty.
  • Too many irons in the fire.
  • Hit the ceiling

 

Time Required: One 40 minute session.

Instructions:

  • Open a new Kid Pix document or PowerPoint
  • Choose an idiom from the list your teacher gave you.
  • Use the tools and stamps to portray your idiom.

Teacher options:

  • Put the student's creations into a slide show.
  • The instructor can also create a PowerPoint with idioms to use with students especially ESl/ESOL

 

Create slides with "answers" and then put the slide show together in a "guess and check" method. (Show the idiom slide and then follow it with the "answer" slide.

Idiom = "Barking up the wrong tree."

.