Wall Street English

Threshold
Lesson Plan

Education

Social Club Title: Education

Level: Threshold

Lesson outline:

1. Warm-Up
1.1

5 mins

1.2

None

2. Communicative Activities
2.1

18 mins

2.2

10 mins

2.3

10 mins

3. Wrap-Up
3.1

5 mins

3.2

5 mins

Materials needed
Activity/Type

Material needed

Copies needed

2.1

Cards

2.2

Cards

6 (pairs)

3.1
3.2

Cards
Cards

6 (pairs)
6 (pairs)

1. Warm-up
1.1

(5mins)

Objective: Get the students talking about education and meeting their table partners
Context: No context is really needed at this point.
Instructions:
Ask the students to meet the people at their table and discuss the two questions about the teachers
they had in school. Give them the full 5 minutes to do this, as it will allow them to think back to school
and really consider their teachers.

Slides Presented: slide (3)

Paper Version: Board the questions;
1. Who was your favorite teacher in school?
2. Who was the worst teacher you had in school?

Extension: Have the students share their ideas with different groups.
Teaching Tips:
Encourage every student to speak to all other students.

2. Communicative Activities
2.1 (18 mins)
Objective:
To decide the importance of the subjects we studied in school.

Context Creation: Read Slide 4 to the students and explain to them that each table is a hot air
balloon. Explain to each student that they are to choose the person to be thrown out solely on their
career/subject. Each student is a teacher and will be given a subject that they teach.

Instructions:
Show Slide 4 Inform the students of the situation.
Give each student a teacher/career card.
Once everything has been explained, then click.
1st Click starts the 5 minute timer at the bottom of the balloon.
Show Slide 5 Time to decide who should go. The students will have 10 minutes as a group to decide
who will be thrown out of the balloon. Remind the students that the choice is based solely on the
persons career/subject.
1st Click starts the 10 minute timer at the bottom of the balloon.
Show Slide 6 Share the outcomes of the different balloons.
Slides Presented: slides (4-6)
Paper Version: Explain the rules of the balloon debate verbally

Teaching Tips:
For clever students, all excess equipment has already been thrown out of the hot air balloon, all that is
left are the passengers.

2.2 (10mins)
Objective:
To continue to formulate arguments with others who think differently.

Context Creation:
Now that we have argued about the importance of different subjects, lets look at some other points
about education.

Instructions:
Divide the students up into pairs. Ask the students to agree or disagree with the following points and
remind them to say why.

Slides Presented: slide (7)

Paper Version: Cue card 2.2

Teaching Tips:

2.3 (10mins)
Objective:
To decide what the perfect curriculum would be for a university student.

Context Creation:
Begin by eliciting the subjects taught in university that every student must take.

Instructions:
Write the elicited subjects under the heading using the pen function of PowerPoint. Then click once to
show the next question about creating the perfect curriculum for a university student. Explain to the
student that we want to create an education for the students that will prepare them for the real world.

Slides Presented: slide (8)

Paper Version: Board the brainstorm or have the student write as many school subjects as they can in
groups on the glass walls

Teaching Tips: This can be done in pairs or in a group and should be thought as a discussion.
Remember there is no right or wrong answer.

3. Communicative Activity
3.1 (5 mins)
Objective:
To find out who was the best at persuasion.

Context Creation:
Ask the students if everyone needs to go to school. Whose choice is it, the childs or parents?

Instructions:
Assign each student a role of parent or child, allow them to pair up with a new partner this time.
1st Click Shows the parents card
2nd Click Shows the childs card
3rd Click Shows a lightning bolt to signify debate.
Allow the students 5 minutes to debate with each other.
Finish by sharing the answers of the groups.

Slides Presented: slides (9)

Paper Version: Cue cards 3.1

Teaching Tips:
3.2 (5 mins)
Objective:
Have a discussion about education

Context Creation:
None needed.

Instructions:
Show the students the slide and allow them the remaining time to discuss the points in a group. Review
and share answers when the time is finished.

Slides Presented: slides (10)

Paper Version: Cue cards 3.2

Teaching Tips: