Politics ESL Lesson Plan

OBJECTIVE & OVERVIEW

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

• Explore the topic of politics in detail
• Learn some vocabulary related to neighborhood places
• Watch a video about whether celebrities should get involved in politics or not
• Study and use advanced phrases that express complete agreement, partial agreement, and respectful disagreement
• Engage in civil discussions about politics

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

This politics ESL lesson plan starts off by students discussing whether they think the term “politics” has a positive, negative, or neutral connotation.

Then, students discuss some questions and topics related to politics. These include general discussion questions as well as some topics for agreement or disagreement.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

In the second part of this lesson, students watch a video of a celebrity (Mayim Bialik), and her thoughts on whether or not celebrities should refrain from voicing political opinions online or in public.

In the activities, students choose whether Mayim agrees, disagrees, or does not give an opinion on a set of ideas.

Finally, there is a section for students to answer some questions about Mayim’s thoughts, opinions, and personal experiences regarding the matter of celebrities talking openly about politics.

DISCUSSION & PHRASES

After students watch the video, there are a few discussion questions for students to engage in. These questions help students explore Mayim’s arguments, and how to keep political conversations civil.

The next part of this lesson features an imaginary response to Mayim’s ideas. Students read a detailed comment from a man named Enzo. In Enzo’s comment, he uses a variety of phrases that express agreement, partial agreement, and respectful disagreement in response to Mayim. These phrases include:

• I couldn't agree more with your stance...
• My perspective strongly aligns with yours on...
• I do see where you're coming from; however...
• While you raise valid points, I think you failed to address...
• With all due respect, my views contrast yours…
• I beg to differ on...

In the third part, students categorize these phrases into a table.

POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS (OPTION 1)

In this activity, students engage in structured political debates to practice maintaining civil discourse. They choose from a list of debate topics, or create their own, and take turns sharing their opinions with classmates or the teacher. The activity emphasizes respectful interaction by providing phrases for complete agreement, partial agreement, and respectful disagreement.

Topics include whether the legal voting age should change, the necessity for political leaders to disclose campaign funding sources, and the influence of social media on politics, among others.

After debating, students reflect on which topics sparked the most conversation and any topics they felt strongly about. This exercise promotes critical thinking, respectful dialogue, and effective communication in political discussions.

POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS (OPTION 2)

In this activity, students engage in thoughtful political discussions to practice maintaining civil discourse. They select a few debate topics from a provided list and take turns sharing their opinions with classmates or the teacher. Discussion prompts include whether political reporting focuses too much on personal attacks, the extent of political polarization in their country, and the role of celebrities in expressing political opinions. Additional topics explore ambivalence about voting and the best ways to handle disrespectful political opinions.

After discussing, students reflect on which topics sparked the most debate, the challenges faced during the discussions, and any topics they felt strongly about.

BENEFITS OF USING THIS POLITICS ESL LESSON PLAN:

Exploring Politics:

Students get a deep understanding of political topics, boosting their knowledge and thinking skills.

Real-World Relevance:

Watching Mayim Bialik's video on celebrities and politics adds a real-world touch to the lesson.

Mastering Agreement and Disagreement:

Students practice phrases for agreeing, partially agreeing, and respectfully disagreeing, enhancing their conversation skills.

Encouraging Civil Discourse:

The lesson teaches students to engage in respectful political discussions.

Debate Practice:

Structured debates help students improve their argumentation skills and maintain respect in discussions.