Tag Archives: Philosophy

A lesson on Stanley Milgram’s study on obedience and authority. It includes speaking and vocabulary activities for intermediate ESL classes.

A lesson on Stanley Milgram’s study on obedience and authority. It includes speaking and vocabulary activities for advanced ESL class.

A lesson on Stanley Milgram’s study on obedience and authority. It includes speaking and vocabulary activities for advanced ESL class.

ESL/EFL Level: Upper-Intermediate (B2/C1) Lesson Topics: Diversions, Escapism Skill Focus: Reading, Speaking, Vocabulary Approximate Class Time: 1.5 hours Lesson Plan Download: signs-escaping-reality-upper-intermediate-032024.docx Lesson Overview: After warm-up questions, students read a 241-word passage (based on this C2-level YouTube video) that describes six signs that people are avoiding reality. These signs describe ways that people dive into diversions […]

A lesson based on a YouTube Video “Signs You Are Escaping Reality to Avoid Life.” The lesson includes speaking activities for C1/C2 ESL.

An upper-intermediate lesson on a TED-Ed video about Nozick’s Experience Machine. The speaking-focused lesson discusses hedonism and reality.

An advanced lesson on a TED-Ed video about Nozick’s Experience Machine. This speaking-focused lesson discusses hedonism and reality.

An upper-intermediate lesson on Sam Harris’s view on free will. Includes speaking roleplays, debates, & vocabulary activities for ESL class.

An advanced lesson on Sam Harris’s view on free will. Contains speaking roleplays, debates, and vocabulary activities for ESL/EFL class.

This intermediate lesson focuses on life’s paradoxes. It includes a role-play, the prisoner’s dilemma, and other speaking activities.

This B2-level lesson focuses on paradoxes. It includes a discussion of the prisoner’s dilemma, a role-play, and other speaking activities.

A lesson on life’s paradoxes. Includes the prisoner’s dilemma, role-plays, and discussion questions for advanced (C1) ESL conversation class.

ESL/EFL Level: Upper-intermediate & Advanced Lesson Topic: Creation, the meaning of life, empathy Skill Focus: Listening, Vocabulary, Speaking Approximate Class Time: 1.25 hours Lesson Plan Download: the-egg-short-story-upper-intermediate-advanced.docx Lesson Overview: This lesson is based on a short (7:55m) but powerful animated short story by Andy Weir. The themes include creation, the meaning of life, family, reincarnation, and […]

Advanced lesson on Russell’s essay on how to grow old well. Includes reading, vocabulary & speaking activities for EFL conversation class.

ESL/EFL Level: Upper-intermediate Lesson Topics:  Kurt Vonnegut, creativity, the soul, banning books Skill Focus: Speaking, Reading, Vocabulary Lesson Plan Download: vonnegut-letter-upper-intermediate-01062022.docx Approximate Class Time: 2 hours UPPER-INTERMEDIATE Lesson on Vonnegut’s Letter to High Schoolers: Warm-up (Pair Work) What are your favorite books? Who are your favorite authors? Have you ever written an e-mail to a well-known […]

Upper-intermediate lesson on Daoism & the Chinese farmer parable. Includes speaking, reading, & other activities for conversation class.

Free advanced lesson on the “Imagine you were born in 1900” meme (topics: Generational differences, perspective). Includes warm-up questions, reading, vocabulary, and group work for EFL conversation class.

A short reading lesson for ESL students interested in business topics. Students can answer comprehension, vocabulary, & discussion questions.

A philosophical lesson plan about making time in life. The lesson includes reading comprehension, discussion, & vocabulary questions for ESL students on the ‘Disease of Being Busy’ by Omid Safi. Upper-Intermediate. Free download.

Free advanced ESL lesson plan on Biomedical ethics. Topics: euthanasia, animal rights, cloning, etc.

Free upper-intermediate ESL lesson plan on cloning a Neanderthal and biomedical ethics.