Lesson Topics: free speech vs hate speech, hate groups, metaphors
Skill Focus: Listening, Speaking, Vocabulary, Grammar
Approximate Class Time: 1.75 hours
Lesson Plan Download: westboro-hate-speech-advanced-122025.docx
- Warning: The video contains picket signs with hate speech on them. Please preview the lesson and its video beforehand.
- The lesson begins with warm-up questions about religious groups and how upbringing shapes beliefs.
- Next, students read a short foreword providing background on the Westboro Baptist Church, a group from the U.S. widely considered a hate group. Students then watch a short 2:21-minute YouTube video about a member of the group who chose to leave due to the gentle persuasion of people on social media.
- The video is followed by comprehension questions.
- Next, the lesson has a short section on three metaphors from the video, which they match to definitions. Students then match eight more vocabulary to their definitions afterward.
- Students then categorize the vocabulary according to whether it has positive or negative connotations. They then use the vocabulary to create discussion questions to ask a partner.
- The lesson has one debate topic about whether free speech is absolute.
- The lesson has one extended roleplay, in which students try to use gentle persuasion to convince an extremist to leave their hate group. Strategies and sample questions are provided as support.
- Next, students review six statements and discuss whether they comprise hate speech or acceptable free speech.
- Continuing with the focus on metaphors, students read a list of four phrases containing metaphors and must select the correct word to complete them.
- After famous quotations on free speech, religion, and tolerance, students review collocations and vocabulary.
- Finally, the lesson ends with some final discussion questions.
ADVANCED (C1/C2) Lesson on Free Speech & The Westboro Baptist Church
Warm-up Questions
- Does your country have any unusual religious groups?
- In what ways are you beliefs similar or different from those of your parents? Do you feel your parents shaped your beliefs and values?
- Have you ever argued with someone who has a strong spiritual, political, or religious belief? Was it worthwhile?
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This lesson plan was created 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. ChatGPT was used to generate answer keys and some famous quotations. For questions, contact the author.
Comprehension questions:
- She describes growing up in the Westboro Baptist Church, participating in protests from a young age, spreading its message online, questioning her beliefs through compassionate conversations, and eventually leaving the church
- She began attending protests at around five years old
- Respectful and compassionate conversations with people on social media led her to start questioning her beliefs
- It portrays social media in a mixed but ultimately positive way, showing it as a space that can spread extremism but also enable empathy and belief change
- She particularly regrets the pain caused by protesting, especially picketing funerals
- Direct arguments reinforced an “us versus them” mindset, while respectful dialogue created trust and allowed her to question her beliefs
- People may have limited responsibility for beliefs formed in childhood, but greater responsibility as adults once they have the ability to reflect and change
Vocabulary answer key: a-picketing, b-reinforced, c-compassion, d-extremism, e-inflicted, f-doctrine, g-persuasion, h-wrath
Metaphors: 1-eat a horse, 2-open book, 3-go back to the drawing board, 4-wrap my head around
Collocations: 1-c, 2-f, 3-e, 4-d, 5-a, 6-b
Endnotes:
[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Westboro-Baptist-Church
[2] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19434472.2023.2192771
[3] https://blog.udemy.com/metaphor-list/