Lessons

Here you can find out more about this year's lessons and topics, get lesson toolkits and find out more about the trainers.

Lesson formats

You can choose between two lesson formats – Live Classes for groups or Big Live Lessons for individuals.

Watch this video guide to get an overview of the lesson formats and tips on how to choose the best one.

Live Classes

An interactive online experience for around 10 groups of students joining the lesson with their teacher. This type of lesson is recommended for face-to-face, in-class learning, allowing students to see and interact with each other in a live environment.

More about this format

Where: at school
Who joins: whole group
How many participants: up to 10 groups
Who registers: teacher
Interaction: face-to-face, breakout rooms
Recommended as: a full project experience and cultural interaction

Teacher's role:

Register the group.
Distribute student's worksheet.
Read teacher’s notes for the lesson.
Arrange the classroom, prepare equipment.
Join the lesson with the group.

Big Live Lessons

An alternative to Live Classes, Big Live Lessons are for individual students joining the lesson on their own at home. This type of lesson is recommended for distance teaching, such as schools and students during lockdown periods.

More about this format

Where: at home
Who joins: individual students
How many participants: up to 500 students
Who registers: teacher
Interaction: chatbox
Recommended as: alternative to Live Classes for distance teaching/lockdown

Teacher's role:

Register the group.
Share lesson details with individual students.
Distribute student’s worksheet.
Read teacher’s notes for the lesson.
Join the lesson with the group.

Lessons

Download the lessons program

Lesson A (ages 9-12)

Lifebabble: Food and eating right

About Lesson A

Trainer: Vanessa Hartson-Walker

Level: A1/A2

Students’ age: 9-12

Topic: Lifebabble: Food and Eating Right

Key vocabulary:
Healthy and unhealthy foods, adjectives to describe food (crunchy, sweet, nutritious etc). How to give tips and advice: should/shouldn’t

Lesson overview:
Why is food important? How can we eat well? Come and join us to explore food and healthy eating. We will have the opportunity to explore eating habits across different cultures.

In this lesson, students will:

watch a video about why food is important
compare healthy and unhealthy food
learn different ways to describe food
take part in a survey on eating habits and find out how we are similar or different
give advice to others about healthy eating

Register now

Lesson A toolkit

About the trainer

Photo of Vanessa Hartson-Walker — Vanessa Hartson-Walker is Director of Kids Can, an English language school for children and teenagers in Rome, Italy. She is Cambridge YL and DELTA qualified trainer, teaching children and teenagers since 1994. Her specialist interest areas are Young Learners and Teenagers, Mindfulness, Extensive Reading, SEN, Assessment and Teaching English Online.

Lesson B (ages 12-14)

The digital revolution

About Lesson B

Trainer: Elizabeth Beer

Level: A2/B1

Students’ age: 12-14

Topic: The digital revolution

Key vocabulary:
Nouns: The Internet, Africa, Ghana, human beings, farmers, money, electronic equipment, online, a billion, outside, The World Wide Web, crops

Verb phrases: to plug into, connection, to admire someone, to keep in touch with, to spy on someone, to become addicted to, to compete with someone, to earn, to feel alone

Lesson overview:
What inventions do you know? We’re going to watch a video about how transport will change in the future.

In this lesson, students will:

watch a video about the inventor of the Internet and why he invented it
think about the benefits and drawbacks of the Internet
suggest solutions to the problems caused by the Internet

Register now

Lesson B toolkit

About the trainer

Photo of Elizabeth Beer — Elizabeth Beer is from the UK and has been teaching for 15 years in countries such as Hong Kong, Vietnam and Spain. She loves teaching speaking and listening skills, and in particular teaching lively, loud and fun teenage classes.

Teaching Live Classes in 2019/2020, she has proved to bring a lot of positive energy and motivation into the classroom.

Lesson C (ages 14-16)

Celebrating languages

About Lesson C

Trainer: Michael Brand

Level: B1+/B2

Students’ age: 14-16

Topic: Celebrating languages

Key vocabulary:

Culture, identity, connected, traditions, proud, foreign, second, world, regional, language

Lesson overview:

English is becoming more and more important for education, communication and work. But keeping local languages alive is important if we want local communities and their traditions to survive too.

Come along to this lesson to learn about languages that exist alongside English in different countries...and be ready to teach a bit of your mother tongue too!

In this lesson, students will:

find out about another school’s language learning habits and explain theirs to
learn about languages spoken by fewer people and why they are important
teach some words from their own language and learn some words of another language (not English)

Register now

Lesson C toolkit

About the trainer

Michael Brand is a passionate linguist; he studied French and German at Durham University, followed by a PGCE in Modern Languages. Having taught in England and Spain, he has experience in the public, private and state-assisted sectors and has taught young learners, teens and adults. He now spends his time training teachers on all things ELT and his interests include collaborative learning and the creative use of video.

Michael has been involved in developing Pearson and BBC Live Classes, and continues to be a leading trainer in the project.

Lesson D (ages 16-19)

Social media: Creativity vs anxiety

About Lesson D

Trainer: Harry Waters

Level: B2+

Students’ age: 16-19

Topic: Social media: Creativity vs anxiety

Key vocabulary:
Mental well-being, anxiety, adverse effects, dependent on, addicted to, transfixed, beneficial to

Lesson overview:
Is social media killing creativity? What are some of the downsides to social media? Is it having a negative effect on our mental health?

Come and talk about the effects of social media, both good and bad, on our mental health and creativity. Share with students across the globe how social media has had an impact on your life and some of the strategies you use to cope without it.

In this lesson, students will:

watch a BBC video looking into social media, creativity and mental health
expand their vocabulary around Social media, creativity and mental health
think about the positive and negative aspects of social media on those two themes
discuss with other classes possible strategies to avoid negative impacts of social media

Register now

Lesson D toolkit

About the trainer

Photo of Harry Waters — Harry Waters has worked in private language academies and schools in Argentina, Brazil, China, Vietnam, Australia, Spain and the UK. His primary focus has been language development among teenagers. His classes have a focus on learning through fun and developing language with games and video. He has a keen interest in pronunciation, for which he has given talks across Spain, and recently bringing the online classroom to life.

Lesson E (ages 9-12)

Festivals around the world

About Lesson E

Trainer: Chloë Dennis

Level: A1/A2

Students’ age: 9-12

Topic: Festivals around the world

Key vocabulary:
Festivals, seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, costume, masks, smart clothes, traditional food, sweets, lanterns, float, parade, fireworks, drums, decorations, sculptures

Lesson overview:
What is your favorite festival? Let’s watch a video about a festival in Japan and talk about one in our country.

In this lesson, students will:

expand their vocabulary for talking about festivals
watch a video about a festival
discuss what they enjoy doing in a festival
describe a popular festival in your country and find out about another one around the world

Register now

Lesson E toolkit

About the trainer

Photo of Chloe Dennis — Chloë Dennis has been teaching English for over 14 years in France, Spain, Germany, Hong Kong and the UK. She has specialized in the teaching of children and young adults and has taught face-to-face and more recently online. She believes that motivation is key to learning so is always looking for ways to build confidence and for students to have fun while using new language.

Lesson F (ages 11-13)

Sports in the Lake District

About Lesson F

Trainer: Elizabeth Beer

Level: A2+

Students’ age: 11-13

Topic: Sports in the Lake District

Key vocabulary:
Sports: mountain biking, climbing, kayaking, sailing, night swimming, skydiving, horse riding, scuba diving, ice hockey, table tennis/ping pong, outdoor/indoor sport, team, extreme, water and winter sports, wetsuit

Lesson overview:
Do your students like sports? Let’s watch a video about outdoor and extreme sports in England and also talk about our favourite sports.

In this lesson your students will:

learn the names of different sports

explain what is important to do when playing sports

give an opinion about sports they like and do not like

talk to another class around the world about one of their country’s most popular sports

Register now

Lesson F toolkit

About the trainer

Lesson G (ages 11-15)

Do smartphones make you smarter?

About Lesson G

Trainer: Michael Brand

Level: A2+/B1

Students’ age: 11-15

Topic: Do smartphones make you smarter?

Key vocabulary:
Technology: screens, smartphones, memes, the internet, hyperlinks, connected, virtual, download.

Lesson overview:
Teenagers and technology: a match made in heaven? Let’s look at the pros and cons of being connected.

In this lesson students will:

watch a video about technology and education
talk to students around the world about how they use technology
develop their critical thinking skills

Register now

Lesson G toolkit

About the trainer

Michael Brand is a passionate linguist; he studied French and German at Durham University, followed by a PGCE in Modern Languages. Having taught in England and Spain, he has experience in the public, private and state-assisted sectors and has taught young learners, teens and adults. He now spends his time training teachers on all things ELT and his interests include collaborative learning and the creative use of video.

Michael has been involved in developing Pearson and BBC Live Classes, and continues to be a leading trainer in the project.

Lesson H (ages 12-16)

Street art

About Lesson H

Trainer: Michael Brand

Level: B1/B1+

Students’ age: 12-16

Topic: Street art

Key vocabulary:
Graffiti: Street art, a tag, canvas, stencil, mural, mess, paint over, get rid, degrades the neighborhood, piece/form of art

Lesson overview:
When does graffiti become street art? Should it be admired or removed? Let’s look at both sides of the debate and learn about the world’s most famous graffiti artist.

In this lesson students will:

watch a video about graffiti in Bristol
learn vocabulary to talk about graffiti
develop their critical thinking and collaborative skills

Register now

Lesson H toolkit

About the trainer

Michael Brand is a passionate linguist; he studied French and German at Durham University, followed by a PGCE in Modern Languages. Having taught in England and Spain, he has experience in the public, private and state-assisted sectors and has taught young learners, teens and adults. He now spends his time training teachers on all things ELT and his interests include collaborative learning and the creative use of video.

Michael has been involved in developing Pearson and BBC Live Classes, and continues to be a leading trainer in the project.

Lesson I (ages 16-19)

The high cost of a university education

About Lesson I

Trainer: Dan Shepherd

Level: B2+

Students’ age: 16-19

Topic: The high cost of a university education

Key vocabulary:
Education, finances: maintenance loan, tuition fees, to cover costs, student loans, financial assistance/support, deprived areas, to earn above a threshold

Lesson overview:
Should higher education be free for everyone? Let’s look at the high cost of university and discuss the different ways students can save money.

In this lesson your students will:

watch a video about university students in the UK
learn new words and phrases related to education and finances
talk to learners around the world about higher education in their countries
focus on life skills: creating a budget and saving money

Register now

Lesson I toolkit

About the trainer

Photo of Dan Shepherd — Dan Shepherd has worked in ELT since 2010. Before starting his own education content agency, Hubbub Labs, he worked as a teacher, teacher trainer and academic manager. He is also an examiner, team leader and conference presenter.

Speak out for Sustainability Lessons

Carbon Footprint

(ages 13-16)

About the lesson

Trainer: Harry Waters

Level: B2

Students’ age: 13-16

Topic: Sustainability: Carbon Footprint

Key vocabulary:
Consumption, fossil fuels, minimize, climate change, renewable energy, zero emissions, raise awareness, lower emissions

Lesson overview:
What is a carbon footprint? What causes it? How can we make changes to reduce it. Let’s have a look at what we can do to make a difference on a small and large scale.

In this lesson students will:

watch a video about a sustainable city
learn new words and phrases connected to Carbon Footprint
talk to learners in different countries about what they do to reduce their carbon footprint
focus on ways to change our behavior to reduce ours and other people’s carbon footprints

Register now

Lesson toolkit

About the trainer

Plastic and Litter

(ages 13-16)

About the lesson

Trainer: Harry Waters

Level: B2

Students’ age: 13-16

Topic: Sustainability: Plastic and Litter

Key vocabulary:
Single-use plastic, litter, landfill, microplastics, upcycle, litter pick, reduce plastic production, SDG 12, 13, 14, 15

Lesson overview:
The planet seems to be full of plastic. Everywhere we look there seems to be litter on the floor. What can be done to stop the plastic pandemic? Let’s talk about the good and bad things about plastic and see what we can do to stop single-use plastics (SUP).

In this lesson students will:

watch a video about Plastic in the Mediterranean
learn new words and phrases connected to Plastic and Litter
talk to learners in different countries about what they do to reduce reliance on SUP
focus on ways to change our behavior to reduce ours and other people’s over consumption of SUP

Register now

Lesson toolkit

About the trainer

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

(ages 13-16)

About the lesson

Trainer: Harry Waters

Level: B2

Students’ age: 13-16

Topic: Sustainability: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Key vocabulary:
Refuse, repair, rethink, borrow shop (swap shop), visible repair, replant, research, redo, SDG 12, 13, 14, 15, modify our behaviour

Lesson overview:
The R sustainability R’s are often seen as the answer to the Climate Crisis. But is that really the case. What steps can we take to make sure these aren’t the only 3 R’s we think about when it comes to helping the planet?

In this lesson your students will:

watch a video about a borrow shop in Berlin
learn new words 5 more R’s of sustainability.
talk to learners in different countries about how they can and do act on those R’s
focus on ways to change our behavior to reduce impact on the planet using these R’s

Register now

Lesson toolkit

About the trainer

Water Waste

(ages 13-16)

About the lesson

Trainer: Harry Waters

Level: B2

Students’ age: 13-16

Topic: Sustainability: Water Waste

Key vocabulary:
Flood, drought, leak, sea levels, sewage, wastage, SDG 1, 6, think outside the box

Lesson overview:
71% of the planet is water but only 1% of that is fit to drink. What can we do to make sure every precious drop is drunk and not wasted to excess watering of cotton or the over production of animal products? Let’s look at some of the ways we waste water and some of the ways we can reduce that.

In this lesson students will:

watch a video about Water use in the fashion industry
learn words related to water waste
talk to leaners in different countries about their own water usage
focus on ways they can reduce their water consumption and that of people on the whole

Register now

Lesson toolkit

About the trainer

Deforestation

(ages 13-16)

About the lesson

Trainer: Harry Waters

Level: B2

Students’ age: 13-16

Topic: Sustainability: Deforestation

Key vocabulary:
Agriculture, Logging, Palm Oil, expansion, habitat, indigenous, mining, demand action

Lesson overview:

In this lesson students will:

watch a video about Palm Oil related deforestation
learn words related to water waste
talk to leaners in different countries about their own habits that lead to deforestation
focus on ways they can reduce deforestation on a local and global scale

Register now

Lesson toolkit

About the trainer

Special lessons

Christmas lesson 1

(ages 9-12)

About the lesson

Trainer: Chloë Dennis

Level: A1/A2

Students’ age: 9-12

Topic: Christmas food and symbols around the world

Key vocabulary:
Christmas tree, party hat, Christmas stocking, bauble, fairy lights, present, tinsel, turkey, mince pies, Christmas pudding, carol, carol singers, give a hug, visit family, send Christmas cards, biscuits

Lesson overview:
The school term is coming to an end and holidays are approaching. Are you feeling Chritsmassy? You will after this lesson!

In this lesson students will:

talk about Christmas symbols
watch a Christmas TV advert
learn a Christmas song
talk to another school about the Holiday you celebrate

Register now

Lesson toolkit

About the trainer

Christmas lesson 2

(ages 13-16)

About the lesson

Trainer: Michael Brand

Level: B1/B2

Students’ age: 13-16

Topic: Christmas food and symbols around the world

Key vocabulary:
Mince pies, Christmas pudding, egg nogg, cracker, holly, give and receive presents

Lesson overview:
The school term is coming to an end and holidays are approaching. Are you feeling Chritsmassy? You will after this lesson!

In this lesson students will:

look at the differences between Christmas in Britain and the USA
get a taste of Christmas literature
watch a Christmas TV advert
talk to other schools about Christmas presents
take part in the Big Christmas Quiz

Register now

Lesson toolkit

About the trainer

Michael Brand is a passionate linguist; he studied French and German at Durham University, followed by a PGCE in Modern Languages. Having taught in England and Spain, he has experience in the public, private and state-assisted sectors and has taught young learners, teens and adults. He now spends his time training teachers on all things ELT and his interests include collaborative learning and the creative use of video.

Michael has been involved in developing Pearson and BBC Live Classes, and continues to be a leading trainer in the project.