Philosophy ESL Lesson Plan

OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES

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

• Discuss quotes from Socrates and reflect on the importance of philosophy in modern times.
• Define philosophical ideas and evaluate their relevance to personal thinking and worldviews.
• Watch a video about the practical value of philosophy, exploring the pursuit of wisdom, happiness, and understanding.
• Participate in activities that engage critical thinking, personal reflection, and debate on philosophical dilemmas.
• Activate their learning by discussing deep questions about free will, ethics, and the meaning of life.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

Students begin this philosophy ESL lesson plan by reading three famous quotes from Socrates and discussing which one they find most intriguing and why. They then engage in a conversation about what philosophy means to them and whether they’ve ever studied it, discussing their thoughts on the subject. Next, students examine how much importance philosophy should hold in modern life. To deepen their understanding, students select adjectives they think best describe philosophy and discuss their choices. Finally, they review various characteristics of philosophical thinking, identifying whether they engage with them personally.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

In this section, students watch a video that highlights how philosophy is still valuable today, despite being often perceived as irrelevant. The video explains how philosophers ask big questions, challenge common sense, explore happiness, and seek wisdom to address life's challenges. After watching, students answer questions about the meaning of "philosophy" in Ancient Greek and how the video defines wisdom. They then complete sentences using adjectives to describe how philosophers address life’s questions and the importance of self-examination. Lastly, they compare how philosophy was viewed in the past versus today by writing short answers.

DISCUSSION & PARTITIVE PHRASES

Students discuss the most insightful part of the video and whether it changed their perspective on philosophy. They share their thoughts on whether philosophy's value should be more apparent in today’s world and brainstorm ways to communicate its importance. In the next activity, students imagine a professor’s philosophy course and match partitive phrases such as “pursuit of happiness” and “nature of free will” to sections of his speech. Finally, they choose the part of the course they would find most engaging and explain why.

LET'S GET PHILOSOPHICAL: THE BIG QUESTIONS

In this final section, students engage in philosophical inquiry by selecting two or three deep questions to ask their classmates or teacher. They discuss topics like the pursuit of happiness, free will, ethics, and the meaning of life, reflecting on how these questions relate to their own lives. Afterward, students analyze philosophical dilemmas such as the Ship of Theseus and moral lifeboat decisions, discussing how these scenarios connect to the questions they posed earlier. This section encourages critical thinking and debate, bringing the lesson full circle.

BENEFITS OF THIS USING THIS PHILOSOPHY ESL LESSON PLAN:

• Students improve their critical thinking skills through deep, thought-provoking discussions.
• The lesson encourages personal reflection, helping students relate philosophical ideas to their own lives.
• It enhances students’ vocabulary with philosophical and ethical terminology.
• Video and written activities provide a comprehensive, multi-modal learning experience.
• The activation section promotes engaging debates, strengthening students' ability to argue and defend their ideas in English.