Below is an outline of the lessons. The topics will typically be covered in three lessons, highlighting different areas for discussion and practising the language in different ways to ensure as much interaction as possible. The lessons will not be restricted to the topic alone, but will also incorporate current affairs and articles from the students’ English magazines. Therefore, rather than specific lesson plans, I have included the aim of each topic and the objectives for each lesson.

Lesson 1-3: Art

Aim: to encourage the students to think about art and what makes good or bad art.

1 - Types of art (painting, sculpture, installation, etc.)

Objectives: students will see examples of different types of art; students will discuss their preferences of style; students will complete activities to focus on vocabulary; students will be encouraged to bring examples of their favourite artwork.

2 - Movements of art (realism, surrealism, impressionism, Dada, etc.)

Objectives: students will share images of artworks and decide on the most popular; students will attempt to classify works of art by movement.

3 - Modern art vs. Classical art

Objectives: students will discover some modern artworks and compare them to older pieces; students will debate about modern art - Is it good? Is it worth the money? Why is classical / modern art better?; students will choose the artworks to adorn their gallery.

Lesson 4-6: The Law and rules

Aim: to allow students to discuss laws and why we have them.

4 - Rules and laws

Objectives: students will discuss school rules and express agreement or disagreement; students will discuss some laws in society and how people can disagree legally (protest); students will devise a protest with slogans, etc.

5 - Law enforcement

Objectives: students will discuss the role of police, CCTV and the capturing of criminals; students will decide on appropriate / inappropriate punishments and sentences; students will consider which crimes can be ‘victimless’.

6 - Crime mystery

Objectives: students will take part in a crime mystery; students will discuss various clues to discover the culprit; students will conduct a ‘fair’ trial for the suspect.

Lesson 7-9: Sport and society

Aim: to help students consider the role of sport in society and internationally.

7 - Popular sport

Objectives: students will discuss their favourite sports and rank their popularity; students will watch some recent sporting moments and discuss their significance.

8 - Sport in history

Objectives: students will watch some key sporting events from history and try to date them; students will discuss the significance of the events; students will create an advertisement for a big sporting event.

9 - Sport in society

Objectives: students will discuss the role of sport at school and internationally; students will debate the positive and negative impact of sport on society.

Lesson 10-12: Animal rights

Aim: to allow the students consider the status of animals in the modern world and the role of the animal rights movement.

10 - Animals in society

Objectives: students will consider the role of animals in society (farming / pets / working animals / science experiments); students will discuss the ideal pet / animals for farming in the future.

11 - Human intervention - pests & health hazards

Objectives: students will list the most annoying or hazardous animals (e.g. rats, mosquitoes); students will discuss various statistics about pests and vermin; students will discuss which animal they would like to eradicate.

12 - Animal testing

Objectives: students will debate the role of animal testing in medicine and cosmetics; students will prepare a campaign to protest for or against animal testing.

Lesson 13-15: Development

Aim: to help students consider the impact of modern development on people and the environment

13 - Cities and growth

Objectives: students will consider the role of modern cities; students will study old maps and compare them to new ones; students will discuss what changes have occurred and why.

14 - Nail houses and environmentalism

Objectives: teacher will elicit the story of nail houses by using photographs; students will consider the reasons why there are nail houses; students will discuss state intervention, corporate interest and land seizures when developing land (or sea!); students will express their opinions on the environmental impact of development.

15 - Future development

Objectives: students will rank some potential future development projects (e.g. a bridge to China / international rail network); students will discuss the most important aspects of city planning; students will design a modern city.

Lesson 16 - 18: Free Time and Leisure

Aim: to let students think more about the importance of leisure and the future of free time.

16 - Leisure activities

Objectives: students will list their favourite leisure activities and rank them; students will discuss active hobbies and creative hobbies; students will decide which is the best way to spend free time.

17 - Schedules and free time

Objectives: students will look at different schedules and decide which are healthy / boring / productive, etc.; students will discuss some statistics related to the benefits of a good work—life balance; students will plan their week according to the statistics.

18 - Technology and free time

Objectives: students will consider the impact of modern technology on free time; students will compare cell phones and computer games to other leisure activities; students will discuss the future of leisure - especially virtual reality.