B1 ESL Video Lesson Plan: Intellectual Humility

Lesson Summary:
This Intermediate (B1) to Upper Intermediate (B2) ESL lesson plan is built around the short video Why Intellectual Humility Matters and explores the themes of humility, intellectual humility, and habits of thought. Students learn vocabulary related to humility, belief, and scientific reasoning while discussing the value of open-mindedness and self-awareness. Through viewing, discussion, reading, roleplay, and writing activities, learners practise language skills, critical thinking, and creative expression. The lesson includes a follow-up article, Bit by Bit: A Practical Guide to Refining Your Beliefs, to deepen reflection and encourage students to refine their understanding of humility.

Learning Objectives:
• To introduce students to the themes of humility and intellectual humility
• To expand vocabulary related to humility, belief and scientific reasoning
• To develop students’ viewing, listening, and reading comprehension skills
• To improve students’ writing through creative and reflective tasks using new vocabulary
• To improve students’ speaking through roleplay and discussion using new vocabulary
• To develop visual representing skills through multimodal composition homework tasks
• To practise critical thinking through discussion and reflection

Lesson Activities:
• Warm-up and discussion on humility
• Pre-viewing questions and vocabulary exercises
• Viewing and comprehension of the video Why Intellectual Humility Matters
• Roleplay on resolving disagreement through humility
• Reading and analysis of Bit by Bit: A Practical Guide to Refining Your Beliefs
• Post-reading reflection and creative writing tasks

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

Language Focus:
• Vocabulary related to humility and belief
• Expressions for openness and admitting uncertainty
• Phrases for reflection and critical thinking

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.