B1 ESL Lesson Plan: How to Spot an AI Scam

Lesson Summary:
This B1–B2 ESL lesson plan is designed around a short video titled Can You Spot an AI Scam? and the topic of AI scams, fake content and online safety. Students explore how artificial intelligence can be used to create deepfakes, suspicious messages and convincing online scams.

The lesson includes discussion questions, prediction activities, video viewing, comprehension questions, vocabulary work, a roleplay, an article on staying safe in a world of AI scams and follow-up speaking, writing and multimodal tasks.

Learning Objectives:
• To introduce students to the concept of AI scams, fake content and online safety.
• To expand students’ vocabulary related to artificial intelligence, scams, deepfakes and online safety.
• To develop students’ viewing, listening and reading comprehension skills.
• To improve students’ speaking skills through discussion, roleplay and use of new vocabulary.
• To develop students’ writing skills through creative tasks and use of new vocabulary.
• To improve students’ visual representing skills through multimodal composition homework tasks.

Lesson Activities:
• Students talk about AI scams, fake content and digital trust.
• Students predict the content of a short video.
• Students watch and analyse a video about AI scams.
• Students answer comprehension questions and practise new vocabulary.
• Students perform a roleplay about identifying a possible scam.
• Students read an article and complete critical thinking tasks.

Learner Type:
Mature teens and adults

Language Focus:
Vocabulary related to artificial intelligence, scams, deepfakes and online safety

Benefits for Teachers:

• Save hours of preparation with a fully developed, flexible lesson plan
• Engage students through compelling stories and real-world themes such as emotional intelligence, character, values, empathy, personal development, identity, relationships, global issues and social issues
• Build classroom routines that integrate multimodal literacy naturally and progressively
• Foster more inclusive and differentiated learning by using varied modes of input
• Promote social-emotional learning (SEL)
• Rely on a trusted methodology backed by educational research and grounded in the theories of Vygotsky, Kress, Mayer and Krashen

Benefits for Learners:

• Develop communicative competence and confidence through integrated skill-building
• Expand vocabulary and improve listening and reading comprehension through repeated, meaningful exposure
• Think critically and creatively while exploring powerful social and emotional themes
• Strengthen emotional intelligence and intercultural awareness through affective engagement with multimodal texts

Watch the short video.

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We hope you enjoy this ESL video lesson plan.

Thanks for being part of the Film English community, and happy teaching!
— The Film English Team

Transform Your English Classroom with the Multimodal Approach
This ESL video lesson plan is built around a thought-provoking short video and designed using the innovative Multimodal Approach, integrating listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, and representing. Engage learners with real-world themes, develop communicative competence, build vocabulary and foster critical thinking through dynamic, research-informed activities. Find out more about the Multimodal Approach and join thousands of teachers transforming their classrooms with Film English.