You Can’t Take It With You
This C1 lesson uses a short documentary about a small-town mortician in Minnesota to get students talking about death, meaning, and what makes a life well-lived. It covers vocabulary like embalming, eulogy, and demise, with debate activities that push students to defend complex positions. Good for adults who can handle heavy topics.
Lesson overview
- Practice vocabulary for death and grief through gap-fill and rephrasing tasks
- Discuss what it means to find purpose in work that others find uncomfortable
- Debate philosophical positions on legacy, memory, and service using target vocabulary
- Develop critical thinking by analyzing quotes from a real documentary about mortality
Student's Version (Light/Dark)
Teacher's Version (Answer Keys)
Printable Classroom Version (A4)
| Level | Vocabulary | Video Length | Lesson Time |
| C1 / Advanced | 8 words | 4:48 min | 60 min |
Vocabulary
- mortician
- gruesome
- embalming
- demise
- deceased
- grieve
- urn
- eulogy
Contents
- Lead-in
- Vocabulary Preview
- Definitions
- Video
- Comments
- Quote 1
- Quote 2
- Practice
- Discussion
- Debate
Start with the two lead-in activities before touching any vocabulary. The first one asks students which jobs they’d find difficult and why. This works well as a class discussion or quick pair chat. Don’t correct much here. You’re just warming them up and getting them comfortable with the idea that some people do jobs most of us avoid. The second lead-in shifts to their own jobs. It’s a more personal question and usually gets honest answers from adult learners. Let it run a few minutes.
The vocabulary preview on page three is worth spending real time on. Eight words, and several of them (embalming, eulogy, demise) are unlikely to come up anywhere else in daily life, so don’t rush past them. Ask students to explain the ones they know before you show the definitions. This takes pressure off the unfamiliar words and keeps it collaborative.
Play the video once through without stopping. It’s just under five minutes and the narration is clear. After watching, ask the focus question about the two halves of his job. Most students will notice he talks about the family side with more warmth than the technical side. Then go to the two quotes. These are designed for extended discussion at C1 level, so give students time to actually think. The second quote especially, about memory lasting only as long as the last person who knew you, tends to produce strong reactions. Let the conversation breathe.
The practice activities are straightforward. The gap-fill works well as individual work followed by a pair check. The rephrasing task is harder and more interesting. Students need to swap casual speech for precise vocabulary. Good for highlighting register at C1. For the debates, assign sides randomly. Students at this level often argue better when they’re defending a position they don’t personally hold. Make sure they use the required words from their side.
