Death and taxes

The main goals of this ESL lesson plan are to:

• – learn how to use “say” and “tell” correctly through real-life examples and practice activities like role-playing and fill-in-the-blanks, while building vocabulary about personal values and what matters in life;
• – improve comprehension and discussion skills by watching a thought-provoking video clip, reading about values, and talking through the main themes while connecting them to personal experiences;
• – develop speaking and critical thinking through analyzing video content, sharing opinions about important life values, and participating in discussions about meaningful quotes and word cloud activities.

This lesson plan, intended for Intermediate ESL students, focuses on mastering the usage of “say” and “tell”, along with expanding vocabulary related to values.

Warm-Up Activity 

We’ll begin with an activity that groups actions related to values.

Video

The class will watch the video “Meet Joe Black – Death and Taxes,” followed by a set of questions that encourage students to analyze the video’s themes and relate them to their own opinions and life experiences, enhancing their comprehension and conversational skills.

Grammar

In this section, we’ll dive into the differences between “say” and “tell” using real-life examples and clear explanations.

Exercises

Students will engage in role-playing and fill-in-the-blank activities centered on “say” and “tell”. These exercises, designed to be both fun and educational, will allow students to apply what they’ve learned in an interactive setting, reinforcing their understanding through practice. An additional exercise focuses on expanding vocabulary related to values.

Reading

After reading a short text about values, the students will engage in a discussion to explore the key points and themes of the text. This session will focus on developing reading comprehension and encouraging students to express their thoughts and opinions.

Discussion

We’ll conclude with a discussion on a notable quote about values. This will lead to a creative word cloud activity, where students contribute ideas that resonate with them.