Is technology making us dumb?
Lesson plan overview
This intermediate ESL lesson plan is about technology and the effect it has on us and our attention. Students will learn useful vocabulary about technology and expressions with “digital”, will discuss the topic in detail and will watch an interesting video. Other lesson you might find useful are: “How to detox from social media”, “How to smash distractions”, “Idioms: attention and concentration”, “Phrasal verbs: technology”, and “Idioms: technology”.
Speaking: The lesson starts with a few questions related to different tasks (e.g. memorizing phone numbers, doing mental math). Students can do this task in pairs.
Grammar: There is a mini-grammar included in this lesson about the structure “used to”. After a brief explanation, students talk about the ways technology has changed our lives, and write a few sentences with “used to”.
Speaking: Next, students are given a few statements about technology and are asked to discuss them.
Vocabulary: there are a couple of vocabulary tasks. First, students match words they are later going to hear in the video with their definitions (e.g. dumb, distraction, gadgets, to look something up). Then, they complete 7 short phrases with the correct word (attention span, digital native, digital divide, digital tools, digital literacy, tech-free environment). To practice, students complete a gap-fill task, and then discuss 7 conversation questions.
Video: Students watch a video called “Is smart technology making us dumb?”, and complete 2 listening comprehension tasks. Finally, students engage in a post-listening discussion.
For more speaking practice, and to review the key vocabulary from this lesson, you can use the conversation cards.
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
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