SAMPLE LESSON PLAN
SAMPLE LESSON PLAN
Topic 1: Psychology & Behaviour
Human Behaviour is a field of study that is truly intriguing - why do people act the way they do? What makes someone save a stranger's life, lie or cheat, become motivated after a devastating loss, or lose all hope? How much of how we feel is controllable, and how much is due factors beyond our control?
Genetics. Personality. Action. As a teacher I'm always curious - and, of course, I'm also always curious how my students think. TED Talks are such a fascinating way to explore these questions, both in classrooms and one-to-one tutoring sessions.
On the following page is a short introduction to the five TED Talks in the Psychology and Behaviour section. The corresponding lesson plans follow. They include 3 pages each - a Lesson Plan including follow-up activities, a Pre- TED talk and Comprehension questions sheet, and an After Watching and Discussions sheet.
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5 Psychology TED Talks Talk 1: How To Spot A Liar - Pamela Meyer Why do people lie? How can you tell if someone is lying? Pamela Meyer answers this question in a scientific way. As an expert on lying, she helps FBI agents and police find the answers they are looking for, in a TED Talk that will intrigue your students. I’ve also suggested two highly engaging follow-up activities. Talk 2: Why You Should Talk To Strangers - Kio Stark When is the last time you struck up a conversation with a stranger? .Kio Stark, who has always done so, explores the benefits and dangers of her unique idea in this short TED TALK. In a world where we warn our children of “stranger danger”, Stark, using her four-year-old daughter as an example, begs us to think differently. Wouldn’t the world be a more open and welcoming place if we talked to strangers? Talk 3 Lesson From The World’s Longest Study on Happiness - Robert Waldinger Do better relationships make us happier? Robert Waldinger provides staggering proof of exactly that, in the world’s longest study on happiness. He is the fourth director of a huge project at Harvard University that is tracking the lives of many American individuals from different socioeconomic backgrounds, throughout their lives. The original participants are now over 90 years old. While this talk has broad appeal, I find that teenagers respond to it best. Some millennials gear their dreams and aspirations towards careers and financial wealth. Perhaps this TED Talk can help them think about their ambitions! Talk 4: What It’s Like To Be A Parent in A War Zone - Aala El-Khani How can parents in a war zone help their children cope? While parenting advice is rampant, Aala El-Khani, whose family is originally from Syria, found that there was little to no advice readily available to parents in Syria who suddenly found themselves in a traumatic situation. Using a unique system to deliver parenting advice and questionnaires, El-Khani conducts her doctoral research. Great talk for ESL or education students. Talk 5: How Loss Helped One Artist Find Beauty in Art - Alyssa Monks How can a deep loss affect our lives? When artist Alyssa Monks loses her mother to cancer, she finds a unique transition in her artwork. As she heals, her painting turns from a theme of water - to one of people discovering nature. In a powerful talk, Monks reminds us that even after deep loss, we can find a way to go on. In fact, this TED talk is a great way to spark discussion about grief, loss and coping in your classroom.
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TED TALK Lesson Plan: On Lying & Why We Do It
Level
Upper intermediate
Lesson Time
45 minutes
Objective
To increase student’s awareness of lying and dishonesty, and the reasons for this behaviour.
Resources Used
Pamela Meyer’s TED TALK “How To Spot A Liar”
Time
5 minutes
Ac vity Details
Write the words “LIE” and “LIAR” on the whiteboard before class begins. As the class begins, ask students to write down the most complete definition they can think of for each term. Have a few students read their definitions aloud. Discuss “lies of omission”. Are these really lies? Have students read through the comprehension questions briefly.
18 minutes Watch the TED TALK, and have students complete as many comprehension questions as possible. For ESL students of intermediate level or less, use subtitles. 20 minutes
Have students complete the Comprehension Questions with a partner and check their answers. Then, in groups of 2-4, discuss the Discussion questions
2 minutes
Ask students if their definition of a “liar” has changed.
4
Before Watching 1. When was the last time you lied? 2. Write down three sentences that are true about yourself and your life, and 2 that are false. Have your partner guess which are true and which are false. Then, switch roles.
Comprehension Questions 1. What is a liespotter? 2. What does Meyer mean when she says “liars agree to get lied to”? 3. What is the percentage of time that married couples lie to each other? Unmarried couples? 4. How did Kiko the gorilla lie to his owner/the zookeeper? What did he lie about? 5. List two tell-tale signs that Bill Clinton lied about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky 6. Famous psychologist Sigmund Freud said “No mortal can keep a secret”. What did he mean? 7. What kind of punishment is an honest person more likely to recommend - strict or lenient? Why? 8. What is “duping delight”? 9. What indicators does Meyer mention often point to lying behaviour? 10. Meyer says “Oversharing is not honesty”. What does she mean? Do you agree or disagree?
Discussion Questions 1. How good of a liar do you think you are? How good of a lie spotter are you? Why? 2. How accurate do you think the indicators for lying are? 3. Was the example of the two mothers (one faking grief, and the other in a real state of grief) convincing? Why or why not? 4. Are some lies justified? To what extent is it okay to lie? Discuss concrete examples with your partner.
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Possible New Vocabulary for ESL Students White lie Lies of omission Con artist (con man) To bridge a gap Breadwinner To forge To dupe
Follow-Up Activities 1. Kang Lee’s TED Talk on why kids lie, “Can You Really Tell if A Kid Is Lying?” is a great follow-up activity to use in the same class, or to assign for homework. Want a free worksheet for this TED TALK? Head over to The Teaching Cove’s free printables library and download your copy.
2. The documentary (Dishonesty: The Truth About Lies) delves further into this topic. At the time of writing of this e-book, this documentary is available on the international version of Netflix. For advanced classes, this can make a great end of unit project. Students should watch the documentary and present their opinion on the speakers’ views, using PowerPoint or other visual tools. For further analysis, students can look up psychology research articles to support their views, or even read Meyer’s book, Liespotting.
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Topic 1: Psychology & Behaviour
Human Behaviour is a field of study that is truly intriguing - why do people act the way they do? What makes someone save a stranger's life, lie or cheat, become motivated after a devastating loss, or lose all hope? How much of how we feel is controllable, and how much is due factors beyond our control?
Genetics. Personality. Action. As a teacher I'm always curious - and, of course, I'm also always curious how my students think. TED Talks are such a fascinating way to explore these questions, both in classrooms and one-to-one tutoring sessions.
On the following page is a short introduction to the five TED Talks in the Psychology and Behaviour section. The corresponding lesson plans follow. They include 3 pages each - a Lesson Plan including follow-up activities, a Pre- TED talk and Comprehension questions sheet, and an After Watching and Discussions sheet.
2
5 Psychology TED Talks Talk 1: How To Spot A Liar - Pamela Meyer Why do people lie? How can you tell if someone is lying? Pamela Meyer answers this question in a scientific way. As an expert on lying, she helps FBI agents and police find the answers they are looking for, in a TED Talk that will intrigue your students. I’ve also suggested two highly engaging follow-up activities. Talk 2: Why You Should Talk To Strangers - Kio Stark When is the last time you struck up a conversation with a stranger? .Kio Stark, who has always done so, explores the benefits and dangers of her unique idea in this short TED TALK. In a world where we warn our children of “stranger danger”, Stark, using her four-year-old daughter as an example, begs us to think differently. Wouldn’t the world be a more open and welcoming place if we talked to strangers? Talk 3 Lesson From The World’s Longest Study on Happiness - Robert Waldinger Do better relationships make us happier? Robert Waldinger provides staggering proof of exactly that, in the world’s longest study on happiness. He is the fourth director of a huge project at Harvard University that is tracking the lives of many American individuals from different socioeconomic backgrounds, throughout their lives. The original participants are now over 90 years old. While this talk has broad appeal, I find that teenagers respond to it best. Some millennials gear their dreams and aspirations towards careers and financial wealth. Perhaps this TED Talk can help them think about their ambitions! Talk 4: What It’s Like To Be A Parent in A War Zone - Aala El-Khani How can parents in a war zone help their children cope? While parenting advice is rampant, Aala El-Khani, whose family is originally from Syria, found that there was little to no advice readily available to parents in Syria who suddenly found themselves in a traumatic situation. Using a unique system to deliver parenting advice and questionnaires, El-Khani conducts her doctoral research. Great talk for ESL or education students. Talk 5: How Loss Helped One Artist Find Beauty in Art - Alyssa Monks How can a deep loss affect our lives? When artist Alyssa Monks loses her mother to cancer, she finds a unique transition in her artwork. As she heals, her painting turns from a theme of water - to one of people discovering nature. In a powerful talk, Monks reminds us that even after deep loss, we can find a way to go on. In fact, this TED talk is a great way to spark discussion about grief, loss and coping in your classroom.
3
TED TALK Lesson Plan: On Lying & Why We Do It
Level
Upper intermediate
Lesson Time
45 minutes
Objective
To increase student’s awareness of lying and dishonesty, and the reasons for this behaviour.
Resources Used
Pamela Meyer’s TED TALK “How To Spot A Liar”
Time
5 minutes
Ac vity Details
Write the words “LIE” and “LIAR” on the whiteboard before class begins. As the class begins, ask students to write down the most complete definition they can think of for each term. Have a few students read their definitions aloud. Discuss “lies of omission”. Are these really lies? Have students read through the comprehension questions briefly.
18 minutes Watch the TED TALK, and have students complete as many comprehension questions as possible. For ESL students of intermediate level or less, use subtitles. 20 minutes
Have students complete the Comprehension Questions with a partner and check their answers. Then, in groups of 2-4, discuss the Discussion questions
2 minutes
Ask students if their definition of a “liar” has changed.
4
Before Watching 1. When was the last time you lied? 2. Write down three sentences that are true about yourself and your life, and 2 that are false. Have your partner guess which are true and which are false. Then, switch roles.
Comprehension Questions 1. What is a liespotter? 2. What does Meyer mean when she says “liars agree to get lied to”? 3. What is the percentage of time that married couples lie to each other? Unmarried couples? 4. How did Kiko the gorilla lie to his owner/the zookeeper? What did he lie about? 5. List two tell-tale signs that Bill Clinton lied about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky 6. Famous psychologist Sigmund Freud said “No mortal can keep a secret”. What did he mean? 7. What kind of punishment is an honest person more likely to recommend - strict or lenient? Why? 8. What is “duping delight”? 9. What indicators does Meyer mention often point to lying behaviour? 10. Meyer says “Oversharing is not honesty”. What does she mean? Do you agree or disagree?
Discussion Questions 1. How good of a liar do you think you are? How good of a lie spotter are you? Why? 2. How accurate do you think the indicators for lying are? 3. Was the example of the two mothers (one faking grief, and the other in a real state of grief) convincing? Why or why not? 4. Are some lies justified? To what extent is it okay to lie? Discuss concrete examples with your partner.
5
Possible New Vocabulary for ESL Students White lie Lies of omission Con artist (con man) To bridge a gap Breadwinner To forge To dupe
Follow-Up Activities 1. Kang Lee’s TED Talk on why kids lie, “Can You Really Tell if A Kid Is Lying?” is a great follow-up activity to use in the same class, or to assign for homework. Want a free worksheet for this TED TALK? Head over to The Teaching Cove’s free printables library and download your copy.
2. The documentary (Dishonesty: The Truth About Lies) delves further into this topic. At the time of writing of this e-book, this documentary is available on the international version of Netflix. For advanced classes, this can make a great end of unit project. Students should watch the documentary and present their opinion on the speakers’ views, using PowerPoint or other visual tools. For further analysis, students can look up psychology research articles to support their views, or even read Meyer’s book, Liespotting.
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