B1 ESL Video Lesson Plan: Blame

Lesson Summary:
This Intermediate (B1) – Upper Intermediate (B2) ESL lesson plan is built around a thought-provoking short video titled Brené Brown on Blame and the theme of blame and its role in human behaviour. It helps learners develop essential language skills through viewing, discussion, reading and creative activities while exploring how blame affects relationships and how empathy can replace it.

Learning Objectives:
• To introduce students to the theme of blame and its role in human behaviour
• To explore why people blame others and how it affects relationships
• To expand vocabulary related to emotions, accountability and empathy
• To develop students’ viewing, listening and reading comprehension skills
• To improve speaking skills through discussion and roleplay using new vocabulary
• To enhance writing skills through creative tasks and use of new vocabulary
• To improve students’ visual representing skills through multimodal composition homework tasks

Lesson Activities:
• Explore the theme of blame and predict the video’s content
• Watch Brené Brown’s short talk and answer comprehension questions
• Analyse the video’s message and discuss its implications
• Practise new vocabulary on emotions, accountability and empathy
• Perform a roleplay on understanding versus blame
• Read the article “How to Stop Blaming and Start Understanding”
• Complete comprehension and reflection exercises
• Share written work and receive feedback from peers

Learner Type:
Intermediate (B1) – Upper Intermediate (B2); teens and adults

Language Focus:
• Vocabulary related to emotions, accountability and empathy

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
• 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.