The mathematics of love

Justa | Mar 24, 2017Feb 17, 2026

LESSON OVERVIEW

This lesson plan on love and relationships is based on the TED Talk by Hannah Fry entitled “The mathematics of love”. The speech is witty and interesting. Moreover, the speaker talks in a very clear way so students should not have problems with understanding.

WARM-UP

The lesson plan is divided into several tasks. It starts with a short exercise on phrases and collocations connected with love and relationships. Students have to match such phrases as tie the knot, drift apart or pop the question with their meanings. Additionally, this activity is followed by a short discussion which introduces the topic to students.

VIDEO AND DISCUSSION

Then, there are two tasks on vocabulary that appears in the speech. In the first one students have to match words with their definitions. Next, in the second exercise, they have to complete sentences. It is a good idea to do these tasks before watching the video as students can refer to them during watching. After that, there is a discussion about the speaker’s idea and tips about relationships. Finally, there is a sentence-making exercise which can be treated as homework.
The speech is quite long (17 minutes),  so you can ask your students to watch it at home or do it during the lesson if you have time. This lesson plan on love and relationships should take around 45 minutes and is for B2 (upper-Intermediate) students.

WORKSHEETS

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