The life and legacy of Pope Francis
Lesson plan overview
This ESL worksheet is designed to guide learners through a reflective and informative lesson focused on the life, leadership, and legacy of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21st, 2025. Through this lesson, students will:
Learn key vocabulary related to religion, Catholicism, and the role of the pope
Watch and analyze a video about Pope Francis’ life, values, and leadership style
Read and understand the process of electing a new pope following the death or resignation of a pontiff
The lesson serves not only as a language-learning opportunity but also as a timely reflection on the influence of a global spiritual figure.
Speaking: The lesson starts with a few lead-in conversation questions.
Pre-listening vocabulary: Students are introduced to thematic vocabulary essential to the lesson. Terms include pontiff, pontificate, mercy, interfaith dialogue, and slums. Each word is matched with a definition to build comprehension ahead of the listening and reading tasks.
Listening: Students watch a three-part video titled “Pope Francis Dies: His Unique Approach to Leading the Catholic Church.” Students complete notes on Pope Francis’ life, summarize how Pope Francis differed from his predecessor, what values he supported, and who he spoke out for, and answer a series of comprehension questions. After that, they engage in a post-listening discussion.
Reading: A structured reading outlines the step-by-step process of choosing a new pope. This segment supports understanding of Vatican procedures and prepares students to discuss succession in religious institutions.
Vocabulary: Students revisit bolded words from the reading, matching them with definitions to reinforce religious and procedural terminology, such as mourning, oath, ballot, and secrecy.
Speaking: The lesson ends with a series of open-ended questions to encourage discussion of students’ views on the conclave, the voting age limit, desirable qualities in a pope, and whether the next pope should continue the work of Pope Francis. This fosters thoughtful discussion and critical thinking.
For more speaking practice, and to review key vocabulary from this lesson, you can use the conversation 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
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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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