Summary
This downloadable PDF lesson plan for ESL teachers explores the science of adulthood. A great class material for advanced English learners, this lesson combines a fascinating topic with targeted grammar practice on the passive voice. This advanced English lesson plan uses a video about brain science to explore the question: when do we become adults? The class material includes a pre-watching discussion, vocabulary matching, and detailed comprehension questions. Students then dive into a grammar focus on the passive voice, analyzing its use in the video and practicing transformations. The lesson culminates in a structured debate, allowing students to apply the new language and concepts in a practical, engaging way.
Activities
- Students begin with a warm-up discussion comparing legal definitions of adulthood with signs of personal maturity, activating their prior knowledge and opinions on the topic before watching the video.
- The lesson features a vocabulary matching exercise to pre-teach key scientific terms from the video, such as 'pruning' and 'susceptible,' ensuring students can understand the core concepts.
- Based on a short video about neuroscience, this activity includes both general and detailed comprehension questions, testing students' ability to follow complex arguments and identify key scientific findings.
- A final debate tasks students with arguing whether the legal driving age should be raised to 21, requiring them to use vocabulary, discussion phrases, and the passive voice from the lesson.
Vocabulary focus
This lesson introduces vocabulary related to brain science and decision-making. Key terms include 'arbitrary' (based on random choice), 'pruning' (the brain's process of removing connections), 'susceptible' (likely to be influenced), and 'rash' (done without careful thought), helping students discuss complex topics with precision.
Grammar focus
The grammar focus is the passive voice, particularly its common use in scientific and formal writing. The exercises help students identify the passive voice structure (be + past participle) in context and practice transforming active sentences into passive ones, shifting the focus from the agent to the action or result.
