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English · Year 5e · Learning Journey 6 · Theme 6 The United Kingdom (compulsory) · A2

One kingdom, many identities: the National Trust, the BBC and the four nations

Basalt columns in Northern Ireland, a radio that became an institution, four nations and several languages: I discover the United Kingdom and I give advice to visitors.

A2should · couldI think / in my opinion
Yellow card · May → June · 7 lessons

Giving advice and opinions

To give advice to a visitor: should; to suggest a possibility: could. Tap the cards.

Welcome to the Giant's Causeway! You should come early in the morning, when it is quiet. You could walk down to the sea and look at the forty thousand stone columns. You shouldn't climb on the wet rocks. In my opinion, the legend of Finn McCool is the best part of the visit!
should
Advice: should + base form.
You should come early.
shouldn't
Saying it's not a good idea: shouldn't.
You shouldn't climb on the rocks.
could
Possibility: could = it's possible for you to.
You could walk to the sea.
opinion
Giving your opinion: I think / In my opinion.
In my opinion, it's amazing.

My words → tap a card: it turns over and I hear the word

Culture → protected heritage, an institution, many identities

Hexagonal basalt columns by the sea
The Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland, a National Trust site · Barrowbob, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The round BBC building in London
Broadcasting House, home of the BBC, London · Richard Cooke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The National Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to protect landscapes and buildings “for ever”. Today it looks after hundreds of castles, gardens, coastlines and farms. In Northern Ireland, it protects the Giant's Causeway: about 40,000 basalt columns made when lava cooled about 60 million years ago. In the legend, the giant Finn McCool put them there to walk across the sea to Scotland.

The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) sent out its first radio programme in 1922. It is paid for by the licence fee and its job is to “inform, educate and entertain”. Its children's programmes, like Newsround, have existed for decades.

The United Kingdom has four nations. People speak English with very different accents (Scouse in Liverpool, Geordie in Newcastle, Cockney in London), and also Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish and Scots.

Did you know? → tap a card

I listen → a guide at the Giant's Causeway

Listen. Write down two pieces of advice (should / shouldn't) and one possibility (could). Then listen again with the script.

I watch

Video: “Secrets of the Causeway Coast” · channel National Trust NI · watch on YouTube. The video only loads when you tap (youtube-nocookie player).

My mission during the video
  1. Write down three things you can see in the landscape.
  2. Write down one word about nature or animals.
  3. Write one piece of advice for a visitor: You should…

I watch too

Video: “BBC Celebrates its 100th Birthday! History of BBC Children's TV” · channel BBC Newsround · watch on YouTube. The video only loads when you tap (youtube-nocookie player).

My mission during the video
  1. Write down two programmes or characters you hear about.
  2. Write down one date.
The lessons in this learning journey (7)
  1. Four nations, four flags, many languages (map and accents).
  2. The National Trust: protecting places for ever.
  3. The Giant's Causeway: science and legend (video).
  4. The BBC: 100 years of radio and TV (Newsround video).
  5. Grammar: you should visit… you could see…
  6. Accents of the UK: listen and compare.
  7. Final task: my visitor's guide to a National Trust place.
Sentence starters → for my final task
  • “Welcome to…”
  • “You should visit…”
  • “You could see…”
  • “Don’t miss…”
  • “It’s open from… to…”
For the teacher → goals and official curriculum
  • Theme 6 “The United Kingdom” (compulsory) → topics: British heritage and the National Trust; a United Kingdom with many identities; the BBC, an institution in family life.
  • Find your way around the four nations, their symbols, their languages and their accents.
  • Grammar: should / shouldn't (advice), could / couldn't (past ability, possibility), I think / I believe / in my opinion.
  • Task: create a visitor's guide to a National Trust place.

Texts and materials: Videos by the National Trust (Northern Ireland) and BBC Newsround (100 years of the BBC); a map of the four nations; photos of the Giant's Causeway and Broadcasting House.

Theme 6 “The United Kingdom”. Source: French national English curriculum for lower secondary school, decree of 5 May 2025, BO no. 22 of 29 May 2025 (in force in 5e from September 2026).

Worksheet to fill in (paper or ENT)

The same learning journey, to print or to put on the ENT. For a PDF, choose “Save as PDF” in the print window.