Dystopias
Lesson plan overview
This discussion-based ESL lesson explores the concepts of utopia and dystopia through literature, film, and critical reflection. Students will analyze dystopian societies, build vocabulary related to control, equality, freedom, and governance, and apply these concepts in structured speaking tasks. The lesson includes guided video comprehension activities and collaborative discussions where students imagine and critique their own “perfect world.” Throughout, learners are encouraged to think critically about ethics, society, and the balance between freedom and security.
Speaking: The lesson starts with a couple of speaking tasks. First, students discuss conversation questions. After that, they are given a list of famous dystopian novels and films and are asked to discuss different aspects of each dystopian society.
Vocabulary: Students match opposite words (e.g., perfect-flawed, abundance-scarcity, freedom of speech-censorship), and are asked to discuss how these words are related to dystopian worlds, as well as real societies.
Speaking: Next, they are given 12 hypothetical societies and are asked to discuss the problems with each one, as well as which ones they consider to be the best/worst.
Pre-listening vocabulary: Students learn and practice words such as conditioned, genetically engineered, rule over, cautionary tale.
Video: Students watch a video called “How to recognize a dystopia” and complete 2 listening comprehension activities. After that, they engage in a post-listening discussion.
Speaking: Finally, students are asked to work in pairs or small groups and design the perfect society. After that, they are asked to critically look at the societies and try to find potential flaws.
For more speaking practice, you can use the conversation cards.
This lesson is suitable for learners who:
Enjoy debating abstract and philosophical ideas
Want to expand vocabulary related to social issues, government, and human behavior
Need structured speaking practice around complex topics
Unlock these resources with one of our subscription plans
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:
To send the pre-class activities to your students, copy the link below.
In-class activities
To download the PDF files for this lesson, you need to have an active Premium or Premium + subscription.
Browse FREE lesson plans here.
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.
Unlock these resources with one of our subscription plans
Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
Not sure yet?
Try one of our FREE lessons plans
Share this lesson plan with someone who will find it useful