Teacher Tip: Lesson Plan Template with a Video Prompt

Lesson Plan Template Introduction

In my English composition class, there is evidence of brainwashing. Here in Korea, test results greatly decide a person’s life direction. Sometimes a comparatively minor difference in test score rankings can trigger a cascading series of life-altering events.

In that environment, students are taught from an early age that they only get one chance to nail the test. Life’s hard you know.

Here’s the rub. Writing doesn’t work like that. Writing, like tai chi, demands, repetition, practice, patience, and reflection. So I’ve learned to start new the semester with a couple of writing rules.

The first draft:

• is always filled with mistakes
• is never the last draft

We all make mistakes in the first draft, but it’s important for intermediate+ level students to minimize unnecessary errors so that there is more time to focus on bigger issues like ideas, flow and organisation.

Minimizing verb tense mistakes is one example. It’s also the focus of this lesson plan template.

This classroom resource has one additional benefit for teachers: student output does not need to be read or checked (a welcome time-saver for overworked writing instructors).

Lesson Plan Template Flow

Part 1 Explain Purpose of Task to Students (5)

In the first draft, it is easy and normal to make basic grammar mistakes. For example, changing the verb tense.

Verb tense error is a problem because these mistakes make it hard for the reader to understand the flow of the story  – is it now or in the past?

Later in life when you are working, the same mistakes can make your business writing hard to understand. In business, you want to write letters, reports and email messages that are clear – not confusing.

This writing exercise will help you fix verb tense mistakes. The lesson has two parts. First, you will work alone and then you will work with a partner.

Part 2 Watch Video (15)

Watch the video. It shows the past and present at the same time. There are many lifestyle differences.

Make some notes about what you see. Don’t write the full sentences yet. This is a good chance to practice your note-taking.

We’ll watch the video 2-3 times.

Second, write 2 sentences for 10-12 lifestyle differences. One sentence describes what people did and one sentence describes what people do. I suggest using simple past tense and simple present tense.

Remember, this is a writing drill, so we are not writing a story or essay.

Here is an example:

• In the past, people brought their lunch to work.
• Today, people buy lunch.