Lesson Plan: The Million Pound Note

Lesson Level: Senior 1 Duration: 40 Minutes

Lesson Title: The Million Pound Bank Note¹

Grammar and Vocabulary

See shopping lists (notes 2 and 3) for vocabulary items .

Lesson Objectives

To promote discussion among students.

Materials Required

Two shopping lists (with pictures if possible.) See notes.

Descriptions of three charities.

Preparation

Create a shopping list of very expensive clothes items². Pictures may be added if available.

Create a second shopping list of other very expensive items^3. Pictures may be added if available.

Prepare descriptions of three charities⁴.

Procedure

1 (5 Minutes/ 5 Minutes)

Put class into groups of four

Write “The Million Pound Note” on the board.

Explain that each student has been given one million pounds. Todays lesson will be all about deciding how to spend it.

Explain that each student should keep a list of everything they buy and how much it all costs.

2 (10/15)

Explain that first they must choose some clothes. Give a shopping list that shows variously priced clothes. Very high priced clothes must be included. If pictures are available, that will be better.

Tell them to each choose the clothes they would like and tell their group. They should explain why they chose the ones they did.

Elicit feedback.

3 (10/25)

Explain that now they must each choose a car, a home, a holiday and a boat to buy.

Give the second list.

Tell them to choose from the list and tell their group why they chose the items they did.

Elicit feedback.

4 (10/35)

Tell the groups that any money they have left they can donate to charity.

Give three descriptions of charities to the students.

Each student must choose a charity and decide how much money they will give.

They must tell their group which charity they chose and how much they gave.

Elicit feedback.

5. (5/40)

Elicit from students how much money (if any) they have left.

Ask for ideas on how to spend it. Ask individual students for their ideas.

Notes

1. This lesson can be used free-standing or in conjunction with New Senior English For China Student's Book 3 Unit 3.

2. Shopping list for clothes.

Mans suit £5,000.00

A Ladies Dress £7,000.00

Ladies Shoes £3,000.00

Men's Shoes £2,500.00

A Ladies Suit £2,500.00

A man's Suit £8,000.00

Men's Shoes £2,000.00

Men's Trainers £1,500.00

Ladies Trainers £6,000.00

A Ladies Dress £4,000.00

Ladies Shoes £3,500.00

A Man's Suit and Jacket £9,000.00

A Man's Suit £10,000.00

3 Shopping list for other items

£200,000.00 Sports Car

£10,000.00 Eco Car

£15,000.00 Family Car

£2,000.00 Old Car

£900,000.00 Villa

£350,000.00 Bungalow

£600,000.00 Cottage

£200,000.00 2 bedroom apartment

£10,000.00 World Cruise

£5,000.00 Trip to Europe

£7,000.00 Trip to Australia

£1,000.00 Trip to Beijing

£900,000.00 Yacht

£500,000.00 Fishing Boat

£2,000.00 Rowing Boat

£1,000.00 Dinghy

4.

A charity to raise money for sick and injured animals.

A charity to help children of poor families receive an education.

A charity to help raise money for local projects in your home town.

5. ALTERNATE PLAN

I have found that sometimes this lesson doesn't go as well as hoped so if I think a class might not like it, or might struggle, I have an alternate version.

I give all the things they can buy together  and let them have ten minutes to consider. As they do this I go round and ask questions. "Which car do you want?/Why?" etc. Then I do a vocabulary check with Sports Car/Eco Car/Family Car/Villa/Bungalow/Cottage/Yacht/Dinghy" which are the words they are most likely not to know. (Practise pronunciation for "yacht").

Then I ask each of the questions "Which clothes/shoes/house/car/holiday/boat" would you like?" and "Why?" once only - choosing a different student for each one.

The follow up activity is then to write on the board:

Do you think someone can be poor but happy or do you need to be rich?

Do you think that all rich people are happy?

Should rich people use their money to help poor people.

And get groups to discuss the questions. I monitor by going around and joining each group in turn, where I always take the opposite view to whatever the students think.

At the end I ask some of the students to stand up and share their answers with the class.

* Original lesson concept Carole Daley. Adapted by Bob Hale.