Old enough to decide

Kinga | Mar 31, 2025Apr 04, 2025

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this ESL lesson on modal verbs are to:

• talk about age limits from various perspectives;
• practise modal verbs of permission and obligation;
• watch a video about the minimum age for voting in New Zealand.

With this lesson, students reflect on becoming adults, discuss how age laws are applied in different countries and work with modal verbs (e.g. can, be allowed to, should). They express their opinions, watch a video on the voting age in New Zealand and talk about voting age and youth political influence. Students also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of age limits and share their experiences.

WARM-UP AND MODAL VERBS

This lesson starts with a warm-up. Students complete the sentence ‘You realize you are an adult when…’ with their own ideas. Following that, they read texts about laws worldwide and identify the activity (e.g. getting a gun, drinking alcohol, driving) each text is about. Then, students share the minimum age for those activities in their country. Afterwards, they read the texts again and choose which words and phrases (e.g. must, should, have to) complete the categories of modal verbs of permission and obligation. Next, students choose the correct option in sentences about rules, permissions and obligations. After that, they complete gaps with modal verbs to talk about the rules in their country and their opinions. They then finish the sentences with their own ideas.

VIDEO AND DISCUSSION

In this part of this ESL lesson on modal verbs, students watch a video about the voting age in New Zealand and choose the correct summary. Afterwards, they watch the video again and write down arguments for or against changing the voting age that are mentioned. Following that, students discuss questions on voting age and political influence on young people. They then read about different age limits in various countries and discuss the advantages and disadvantages using modal verbs of permission and obligation (e.g. can, must, ought to). Next, students say if they think the age limits are accurate. Finally, they look at some activities (e.g. retiring from work, gambling, getting married) and say at what age people are usually allowed to do them in their country. After that, students discuss whether age limits for these activities are appropriate or should change.

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This lesson plan also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students correct mistakes in incomplete sentences about different situations. They then complete the sentences with their own ideas. The task is available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan.

WORKSHEETS

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