Why we worry

The main goals of this ESL lesson plan are to:

• – inspire vocabulary development around worry and anxiety through creative description activities using “The Scream” painting, word-matching exercises linking adjectives to problem-solving methods, and engaging with worry-themed word clouds;
• – advance reading comprehension and discussion abilities by watching educational videos about coping with excessive worry, analyzing articles about anxiety patterns, and participating in conversations that connect content to personal experiences;
• – promote creative expression and critical thinking through story creation activities using thematic word sets, sharing personal insights about worry management strategies, and participating in reflective discussions that encourage students to reevaluate their perspectives on anxiety.

This C2 ESL lesson aims to inspire students to reevaluate their perspectives on the habit of worrying excessively.

Warm-Up 

We’ll kick off with a lively task where students use chosen words to describe the renowned painting “The Scream.”

Video 

Next up, we’ll watch a video titled “Why We Worry All the Time and How to Cope.” Post-viewing, we’ll dive into a discussion focused on the video’s key points, exploring their relevance to personal experiences and boosting conversation skills.

Exercises 

Students will do a word-matching activity, namely linking adjectives to different problem-solving methods. Additionally, they will create stories centered around specific themes using a set of words.

Reading 

We’ll move on to reading a brief article about the nature of worrying, followed by a discussion on its main ideas and themes to enhance reading comprehension and invite personal insights.

Discussion 

The lesson concludes with a creative word cloud activity, where students will share thoughts and key learnings from the lesson.