The History of Toilets
This C1 lesson explores toilet history and public sanitation through video, listening, and vocabulary activities. Students learn advanced terms like latrine, cesspit, and aqueduct while examining how sanitation shaped civilization. The lesson combines historical content with humor, making complex sanitation vocabulary accessible and engaging.
Lesson overview
- Learn advanced vocabulary related to sanitation systems and public health history
- Practice listening comprehension with educational video about toilet evolution through millennia
- Develop speaking skills through debates on sanitation’s role in civilization
- Build confidence using formal and informal toilet-related vocabulary in appropriate contexts
Student's Version (Light/Dark)
Teacher's Version (Answer Keys)
Printable Classroom Version (A4)
| Level | Vocabulary | Video Length | Lesson Time |
| C1 / Advanced | 12 words | 5:21 min | 60-80 min |
Vocabulary
- latrine / pit latrine
- water conduits
- cesspit
- sewage system
- breeding ground
- millennium / millennia
- noxious odor
- aqueduct
- fertilizer
- public sanitation
- chamber pot
Contents
- Lead-in
- Agree / Disagree
- Synonyms
- Vocabulary preview
- Vocabulary
- Video
- Questions
- Listening
- Pair work
- Speaking
- Joke
Start with the lead-in questions about public restrooms and the Thomas Lynch quote about flush toilets civilizing humanity. This quote gets reactions. Every time. Some students agree immediately while others think it’s absurd to credit toilets over law and religion. Let the debate run for a bit before moving on. The synonym activity for WC, lavatory, restroom, throne, and crapper teaches register awareness, which C1 students desperately need for natural-sounding English.
Pre-teach the vocabulary before the video. Words like latrine, cesspit, and aqueduct are technical but manageable for C1 learners. The video crams 2,500 years of toilet history into five minutes, so students need these terms solid beforehand or they’ll be lost. Play the video once for general comprehension, then tackle the six comprehension questions. Pause and replay sections if needed. The listening activity with fill-in-the-blanks reinforces vocabulary in context.
The pair work activity has students recall how specific words were used in the video, then create new sentences. This checks whether they actually understand the terms or just recognized them during listening. C1 students overestimate their vocabulary knowledge constantly, so this activity exposes the gaps fast.
Wrap up with the creative speaking task about poop-themed businesses. Yes, it’s silly. That’s exactly the point. After 45 minutes of cesspits and sewage systems, students need something ridiculous. The poop joke at the end always gets groans, which tells you it landed. I’ve taught this lesson probably 15 times and the combination of serious historical content with bathroom humor works better than it should.
