The weight-loss drug revolution

The main goals of this ESL lesson plan are to:

• – explore opposing viewpoints on weight loss drugs through structured discussion and critical analysis of medical approaches;
• – practice essential conversational phrases, vocabulary building, gap-fill exercises, verb forms, and argument-building skills;
• – watch a video about what happens to your body when you stop taking weight-loss drugs and engage in dialogue replacement activities.

In this Intermediate ESL lesson plan, students explore opposing viewpoints on weight loss drugs through structured discussion while practicing essential conversational phrases and vocabulary.

Warm-up: 

Students familiarize themselves with different types of diets. They read various statements about restrictive, ketogenic, and plant-based diets, then match each statement to the correct diet type. 

Video:

Students watch an informative video titled “What happens to your body when you stop taking weight-loss drugs.” After viewing, they complete a matching exercise connecting sentence beginnings with appropriate endings based on the video content.

Exercises:

Language skills are reinforced through various activities. Gap-filling exercises using common phrases about weight loss help students practice everyday expressions. Putting verbs in correct forms strengthens grammar understanding. Word formation activities focusing on topic-specific vocabulary build language skills. 

Reading:

Students work with a dialogue about weight loss medications. They replace parts of the dialogue with given phrases.

Discussion:

The lesson concludes with a structured discussion about weight-loss drugs. Students express their views on the role of medication in weight loss, natural versus medical approaches, cost considerations, health implications, and social media influence. They practice using new vocabulary and phrases while developing their argument-building skills.