Unsolved mysteries
Lesson plan overview
This ESL lesson is about unsolved mysteries. Students will discuss mysteries, conspiracy theories, supernatural and paranormal activity, and true crime. Other lessons you might like are “Fabergé eggs” and “Superstitions”, as well as lessons about Halloween, such as “Halloween”, and “Phrasal verbs: Halloween”.
Speaking: The lesson starts with a discussion on supernatural and paranormal events, conspiracy theories, urban legends, and true crime.
Vocabulary: First students create collocations related to mysteries (cold case, urban legend, unexplained events, unidentified men, paranormal activity). Next, students read 6 sentences and match 6 words to their definitions (vanish, hoax, debunk, sighting, hijacking, manhunt). To practice, students complete a gap-fill activity.
Speaking: Next, students look at a list of unsolved mysteries and are asked to share what they know about each one.
Listening: Next, they match each mystery to a group of words and watch the video “Top 10 unsolved mysteries” to check their answers. After that, they complete another listening comprehension activity and engage in a post-listening discussion.
Functional language: Students look at words and expressions related to speculations and theorizing (e.g. must have, might have, can’t have + past participle, the most plausible explanation is that, we can’t rule out the possibility that, this explanation doesn’t hold water because). Finally, students use these expressions to share their own theories about the mysteries seen in class, or other mysteries they know of.
For more speaking practice, and to review key vocabulary from this lesson about unsolved mysteries, you can use the conversion cards.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
Pre-class activities
All video-based ESL lesson plans include online pre-class activities, which are FREE and can be completed without registration. Perfect for teachers who wish to embrace the blended learning approach. By providing students with resources and engagement opportunities before the actual class session, educators can foster active participation, enhance comprehension, and optimise in-class discussions.
The pre-class activities are optional: if you choose not to assign them, or your students don’t complete them, it will not disturb the flow of the class. You can find and review the pre-class activities for this lesson plan here:
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In-class activities
Additional resources
Each video-based lesson plan includes links to additional resources (videos and articles), which are FREE can be found online (in the pre-class activities page. These links aim to extend the learning experience, enabling students to connect classroom knowledge with real-world applications.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
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