Summary
Discover the story behind LEGO's incredible evolution from a toy company to a multi-billion dollar content empire. This B2-level lesson delves into LEGO's innovative business strategies, including multi-platform storytelling and the use of licensed material.
Students will expand their business vocabulary, watch a video to understand key turning points, and practice distinguishing between the Past Simple and Present Perfect tenses. By the end, learners will be able to discuss brand evolution and strategic business moves with greater confidence.
Activities
Students begin by reflecting on their personal experiences with LEGO and discussing its enduring popularity, setting the stage for exploring the brand's broader impact.
Learners watch a video detailing LEGO's journey to becoming a content empire, answering comprehension questions about its business challenges and strategic shifts like the Bionicle franchise.
Vocabulary is reinforced through context guessing, matching exercises (e.g., content empire, slumping sales), and a cloze activity focused on LEGO's strategic narrative.
Grammar practice centers on the Past Simple and Present Perfect tenses, with explanations and exercises to solidify understanding of their use in describing historical events and ongoing impacts.
Students apply their learning by analyzing another iconic brand's evolution, using new vocabulary and grammatical structures in a short writing task.
Vocabulary focus
This lesson introduces key vocabulary related to brand development and business strategy. Terms include reinforce the core, slumping sales, revitalize the brand, multi-platform storytelling, smash hit, break into new markets, appeal to, content empire, licensed material, integral part, oversaturation, raise awareness, and gross (verb). Students learn these terms through context and targeted exercises.
Grammar focus
The primary grammar focus is differentiating between the Past Simple and Present Perfect tenses. Students learn to use the Past Simple for completed past actions and the Present Perfect for actions with present relevance or those continuing to the present. Exercises involve choosing the correct tense in sentences related to LEGO's history and brand evolution.
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