C1 – How Consumerism Ruins Our Planet and Finances

Article-based ESL lesson about the pervasive nature of consumerism in modern society and its impact on individuals, finances, and the environment. The lesson emphasizes the need to reconsider and potentially change our approach to consumption for the benefit of personal well-being and the environment. It encourages a shift towards more mindful and sustainable spending habits as a means of achieving a more fulfilling life.

Teaching guide

This is a flipped lesson. Before class, students need to preview the vocabulary on pages 4-5. You can either send them a basic list of words or full pages with our suggested definitions.

1. Consumerism facts and Lead-In: Start the lesson with discussion on consumerism stats and identifying three fake ones. Then discuss as many questions as necessary. Encourage a lively discussion among students to activate their prior knowledge.
2. Vocabulary: Explore the vocabulary pages, focusing on unfamiliar words. Provide clear explanations and offer additional examples or sentences as needed to enhance comprehension.
3. Article reading: Students read the assigned article, either individually or collaboratively. Once completed, move on to the questions page to assess comprehension. Discuss some interesting takeaways or anything else that your students found thought-provoking.
4. Comprehension questions: Go through the comprehension questions, fostering deeper assimilation. Additionally, you should facilitate open discussions on any intriguing or thought-provoking aspects that captured the students’ attention. Empower them to independently raise questions to you or their peers.
5. Practice: Ask student to have another quick look at the article and divide it into five sections, or alternatively process with the second task.
6. Vocabulary practice: Complete the sentences using the vocabulary from the lesson.
7. Reading and Writing: Begin by presenting three initial sarcastic ideas about consumerism. Then, request the student to generate an additional six ideas using their own perspective.

Homework: As an optional homework task, encourage the students to watch the assigned video to further reinforce their understanding of the topic.

Optional Video (9:27 min)