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Here you'll find some lesson plans on some of the websites we analysed here... These lesson plans are based on Dudeney's and Hockely's guide to plan a web-based lesson: "Warmer, Web, What's next?" (2008)
Gadgets and Devices Now vs Then
Gadgets and Devices Now vs Then
These two following lessons are part of this unit of vocabulary. The first serves as an introduction to the topic, and the second as a closing lesson where students will review and show what they have learned throughout the sequence.
LESSON 1
Target Students: 13-year-old EFL students with an A2 level of English in a state-run school in Buenos Aires
Lesson objectives:
-To identify and name various devices from the past and present.
-To understand and use vocabulary related to historical and modern devices.
Allotted time: 80 minutes
Warmer
First, the teacher will write the following question on the board:
Do you know any devices or gadgets your parents used in their teenage years?
Then, the teacher will ask students that question and give some examples.
Each student will get a sticky note, write down a list of the ones they know and will stick them on the board. Finally, the teacher will read the answers and ask students if they knew about the devices or gadgets their classmates wrote and will ask students to describe them.
Web
The students will use devices provided by the school, such as laptops or tablets, or maybe they’ll need to go to the computer room.
The website used will be web 2.0 content where they will be presented with a news article about gadgets from the 80’s and 90’s.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1726827
In pairs or groups of 3, students will use the skimming technique to go over the text quickly. They will have 5 minutes to do so.
Then, the teacher will show a presentation made with Mentimeter on gadgets in the past and will encourage students to enter the code on the presentation at menti.com on their computers and write down their answers. The result will be a collaborative word cloud with all the names of the gadgets from the past.
After that, students will think about how those devices have changed in the present, how they look now, what their names are and will share it with the class.
Students will jot down the names of present devices on menti.com creating another collaborative word cloud.
Then, they will go to https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zn4bcj6/revision/1
and each group will be assigned one page of the article and will have 10 to 15 minutes to read it. Each group will have to read their part and explain what each title in the article means. For example: if the group was assigned the page “impact on the environment” they will have to explain what “efficient working” means or what “pollution” is.
Finally, students will put their devices away, or leave the computer lab if that’s the case.
What’s next?
Writing activity
Students will first list 5 devices or gadgets from the present and from the past. Then, they will write a short paragraph comparing two gadgets, one from the past and one from the present. They will have to say their names, and what they are used for, talk about their size, and give their opinion on which one they consider is better and why.
Worksheet created with Canva
LESSON 2
Lesson Objectives:
To recognize and describe the evolution of technology and gadgets from the past to the present.
To use vocabulary related to technological advancements in the past and present.
To express opinions about the benefits of modern and historical devices.
Allotted Time: 80 minutes
Warmer (10 minutes)
Objective: Activate prior knowledge and generate interest in the topic.
Materials: A printed or projected image of an old-fashioned gadget (e.g., a rotary phone) and its modern equivalent (e.g., a smartphone).
Class Discussion:
Show the class the two images side by side.
Ask:
"What is this gadget on the left? Do you know how it works?"
"How is the gadget on the right different?"
Encourage students to share ideas about gadgets they know from the past and compare them to their modern counterparts.
Pair Work:
In pairs, students brainstorm a list of gadgets they think have changed over time (e.g., televisions, cameras, music players).
Share responses as a class.
Web (30 minutes)
Objective: Learn about the impact of technological advancements on communication and daily life.
A. Activity 1: Listening to a TED Talk (15 minutes)
Material:
TED Talk: The Impact of Technology on Communication by Grant Dillard
Instructions:
Pre-listening:
Explain that students will watch part of a TED Talk about how gadgets have changed the way people communicate.
Ask them to listen for two main ideas:
How gadgets have changed communication.
What challenges come with these changes.
While listening:
Play the first 7 minutes of the TED Talk.
Students take notes on key points.
Post-listening:
Discuss the following questions in small groups:
What was surprising or interesting about the speaker’s story?
Do you agree with his views on gadgets and communication? Why or why not?
B. Activity 2: Exploring a Website (15 minutes)
Website: Museum of Obsolete Technology (https://www.obsoletemedia.org)
Explain that students will explore a website about old gadgets and compare them to modern ones.
Activity:
Divide students into pairs or small groups.
Assign each group a specific category (e.g., phones, music players, cameras).
Ask them to identify one old gadget and its modern equivalent from the website.
Reporting Back:
Groups share their findings with the class, focusing on:
What was the old gadget used for?
How is the modern version different or improved?
What's next
In this stage, students will reflect on the differences between gadgets now and then, how technology impacts communication, and express their opinions creatively and critically. They will work on a task sheet designed to check comprehension and encourage productive language use.
Made with Canva
Homework: Creative Writing
Students will choose one prompt and write a short text between 50 and 70 words.
Prompt A: Write a short diary entry as if you lived 30 years ago. What gadgets did you use, and what was your day like?
Prompt B: Imagine you are designing a gadget for the future. Describe its features and how it would help people communicate.
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