B2 ESL Lesson Plan: How to Spot Misinformation

Lesson Summary
This B2–C1 ESL lesson plan is designed around the short video Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills in Just 6 Minutes and the themes of misinformation and how to identify misleading information. Students explore how bias, evidence and unreliable claims influence what people believe and practise strategies for evaluating information more critically.

Learning Objectives
• Introduce the concepts of misinformation and misleading information
• Expand vocabulary related to misinformation, evidence, bias and critical thinking
• Develop viewing, listening and reading comprehension skills
• Improve speaking through discussion and roleplay
• Develop writing through reflection and creative tasks
• Improve visual representing skills through multimodal composition tasks

Lesson Activities
• Discuss misinformation and ways of identifying misleading information
• Predict and watch a short video
• Answer video comprehension questions
• Analyse claims, evidence, bias and sources
• Perform a roleplay based on evaluating a misleading claim
• Read Eight Questions to Ask Before You Believe a Claim
• Answer article comprehension questions
• Discuss issues raised in the article
• Practise new vocabulary through speaking and writing
• Complete multimodal homework tasks

Learner Type
Mature teens and adults

Language Focus
Vocabulary related to misinformation, evidence, bias, claims, sources and critical thinkingBenefits 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.