The Israel-Hamas war – a two-year perspective
Lesson plan overview
This updated ESL lesson is about the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. This timely resource is aimed at advanced learners and provides a structured exploration of the war from October 2023 to October 2025. This worksheet facilitates a deep yet manageable discussion by providing students with essential context. The lesson begins with a video providing crucial historical context, which teachers can skip to focus solely on the current situation if preferred. A detailed timeline of key events and a reading on the humanitarian impact equip students with the factual foundation needed for informed conversation.
Please Note: This lesson covers a current and deeply polarizing conflict. Please review the materials and assess their suitability for your specific student group based on maturity, background, and classroom dynamics. Teacher discretion is strongly advised.
Key activities included:
Structured Speaking: Thought-provoking discussion questions to activate schemata and personal reflection.
Listening Comprehension: Students watch a video called “Why the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is so complicated” and complete 3 activities to build foundational understanding of terms like settlements, occupation, and the two-state solution.
Vocabulary Building: A clear chronology of the war from the 2023 attack to 2025, paired with a matching exercise and sentence completion for key vocabulary (e.g., ceasefire, siege, famine, disarmament, and flee).
Reading & Analysis: A text detailing the devastating human toll, collapsed economy, and daunting reconstruction challenges.
Critical Thinking: In-depth discussion questions on international law, political obstacles, and the path to peace.
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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
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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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