Lesson Topics: 2023 top news stories
Skill Focus: Speaking, Reading, Vocabulary
Approximate Class Time: 1.75 hours
Lesson Plan Download: 2023-news-review-intermediate-lesson-122023.docx
Lesson Overview:
- After warm-up questions, students make a list of the major events of 2023 in an effort to predict some of the topics of the reading passage.
- The reading passage is 251 words and is a list of some of the top stories of 2023. The topics, which include AI, Ozempic, and the Hamas-Israeli conflict, were chosen for their impact and also for their ability to generate discussion.
- After reading, students complete comprehension questions. This is followed by a vocabulary-matching exercise and an activity where students make questions using the target vocabulary.
- The first speaking activity is a debate on either the salaries of professional athletes or whether AI will have a positive or negative effect on the film industry.
- The next speaking activities are two roleplays. The first is a contract negotiation between a sports agent and a team owner and the second is about taking Ozempic for weight loss.
- The lesson has a short 43-second YouTube clip that contains images of 2023's top news items, which could elicit more discussion from students on stories not mentioned in the passage.
- As a final speaking activity, students make predictions about 2024.
- The lesson ends with a final vocabulary review, final discussion questions, and a review of collocations.
INTERMEDIATE (B1/B2) 2023 in Review Lesson Plan
Warm-up-Questions
- How was 2023 for you? What were the best and worst parts?
- What are your plans and hopes for 2024?
- How is New Year celebrated in your culture?
Brainstorm: In pairs or groups, make a list of the major events of 2023. Include local, national, and international news. When finished, present your list to the class and discuss it in a group.
Membership is required to view this post. Please support EnglishCurrent by becoming a member today. Members, please log in.
- 2023 in Review lesson plan about 2023 News by Matthew Barton of EnglishCurrent.com (copyright). Site members may photocopy and edit the file for their classes. Permission is not given to rebrand the lesson, redistribute it on another platform, or sell it as part of commercial course curriculum. For questions, contact the author.
Comprehension Question Answer Key
- …
- Hollywood actors went on strike because they were concerned about movie companies using AI to create characters and how AI uses ideas from real writers to create stories.
- The World Health Organization announced that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency in July.
- Rubiales kissed a female player without her permission.
- …
- The Barbie movie made 1.4 billion dollars.…
- …
- …
Vocabulary Answers: 1-g, 2-a, 3-c, 4-h, 5-f, 6-I, 7-d, 8-b, 9-e
Collocation Answers: 1-b, 2-e, 3-a, 4-d, 5-c
Endnotes:
- [1] https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2023-09-25/column-sag-aftra-strike-writers-victory-humans-over-ai#:~:text=Column%3A%20The%20writers'%20strike%20was%20the%20first%20workplace%20battle%20between,a%20line%20in%20the%20sand.
- [2] https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2023/10/30/fifa-ban-ex-spanish-football-chief-luis-rubiales-three-years-kiss-scandal#:~:text=FIFA%20has%20banned%20former%20Spanish,lips%20at%20the%20trophy%20ceremony.
- [3] https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231215-israel-social-security-data-reveals-true-picture-of-oct-7-deaths
- [4] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinian-death-toll-20000/
- [5] https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/14/why-shohei-ohtanis-700-million-contract-and-deferred-income-is-risky.html#:~:text=Shohei%20Ohtani%20made%20history%20this,and%20will%20defer%20%24680%20million.
- [6] https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/