OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES

This failed inventions ESL lesson plan offers engaging activities, PDF worksheets, and digital materials designed for advanced C1 students. In this lesson, students will:

• Share personal opinions about failure and explore its link to creativity and success.
• Learn vocabulary and idiomatic expressions connected to failure, risk, and innovation.
• Watch a video about a traveling museum dedicated to failed inventions and answer comprehension questions.
• Analyze modal verbs used to speculate about past outcomes in product design.
• Create and pitch imaginary failed products using role play and persuasive language.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

Students begin this ESL lesson on failed inventions by reading famous quotes about failure from notable figures like Henry Ford and Oprah Winfrey. They choose the quote that resonates most with them and explain why. Then, they debate thought-provoking statements about society’s view on failure, the importance of celebrating it, and its connection to innovation. Students also answer questions exploring why people fear failure, how it affects creativity, and how we can respond more positively. Next, students examine images of failed products like Google Glass and zero-calorie chips, predicting what they are and why they failed. The section ends with a discussion about any failed inventions they’ve heard of and their possible reasons for failure.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

The video features the quirky and thought-provoking Museum of Failure—a traveling exhibit filled with flopped inventions from well-known companies. Created by psychologist Samuel West, the museum sends the message that failure is essential to learning and innovation. Students first answer short-answer questions based on the video, identifying reasons why certain products failed and what Samuel West hopes to teach through his exhibit. Then, they complete a table of product flops by category: transportation, tech, food, and the truly bizarre. Finally, students discuss reasons for these failures and explore West’s insights into corporate and human fear of failure.

DISCUSSION & GRAMMAR (PAST MODALS)

Students reflect on the concept of the Museum of Failure and discuss whether they’d want to visit it. They choose their favorite invention from the video and explain why it stood out. Then, using a curator's description of the Sinclair C5 electric tricycle, students identify past modal verbs, analyze their function, and break down their grammatical structure. The section concludes with a grammar practice exercise where students complete sentences using past modals (e.g. “might have become,” “shouldn’t have chosen”) to describe failed inventions and missed opportunities.

PITCH YOUR FLOP, EARN A SPOT IN THE MUSEUM OF FAILURE

In this role play activity, students either invent a fictional product failure or research a real one. They brainstorm its features, target audience, and reasons it failed. In pairs, one student plays the inventor pitching the idea to get it into the Museum of Failure, while the other plays the museum curator who listens, gives feedback, and uses past modals to speculate on what went wrong. After switching roles, students reflect on the creative process and how failure can be reinterpreted. Alternatively, students can choose from a set of personal discussion questions that ask them to talk about risks, regrets, innovations, and life lessons tied to failure.

BENEFITS OF USING THIS FAILED INVENTIONS ESL LESSON PLAN

This failed inventions ESL lesson plan provides teachers with a creative and insightful way to encourage critical thinking and discussion. It helps students gain confidence in expressing complex ideas and opinions, while also reinforcing grammar through authentic and memorable context. Teachers get a balance of guided structure and open-ended exploration, perfect for high-level learners. The lesson also offers a strong link between real-world topics and personal experience, making it relatable and motivating. Plus, the combination of humor, video content, and role play keeps students engaged from start to finish.