Do you know how this device works?

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Vocabulary - verbs

talking about how devices work

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • engage in talking about how devices work and how they are used in different contexts;
  • practise device-related verbs;
  • discuss and watch a video on 3D food printing.

Students discuss everyday devices, learn and practise verbs related to devices (e.g., convert, deposit, direct) and explain how appliances work. They read a short text about 3D printing and discuss its current and future uses. Students watch a video about 3D food printing and talk about its design and purpose. They also imagine new devices to solve everyday problems and present how they would work using the target verbs from the lesson.

B2 / Upper Intermediate
C1 / Advanced
60 minStandard LessonPremium Plan

WARM-UP AND VOCABULARY

This lesson focuses on talking about how devices work and starts with a warm-up. Students look at some devices (e.g. printer, coffee machine, tablet) and discuss questions about their use. Afterwards, students match the halves of sentences about how devices work (e.g. This mechanism releases a measured amount of detergent into the drum). Following that, they guess which devices and appliances the sentences from the previous task describe. Next, students choose five devices (e.g. smoke detector, Wi-Fi router, laser pointer) and briefly explain how they work using device action verbs from the previous exercise (e.g. convert, deposit, direct). After that, they read a short text about 3D printing and correct misplaced verbs. They then discuss its uses today and in the future. 

VIDEO AND DISCUSSION

In this part of the lesson, students continue talking about how devices work. They watch the first part of a video about 3D food printing. Students note down details that are specific to 3D food printing as opposed to regular 3D printing. After that, they watch the rest of the video and answer questions about the purpose and design of a 3D food printer. Moving on, students talk about the future of 3D printed meals. Next, they look at a list of common problems (e.g. a person often loses their keys) and pick three of them. Students come up with devices that could help solve them. They use action verbs (e.g. emit, release, transmit). 

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This lesson also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students complete gaps with action verbs. They then finish the sentences. 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

Comments

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Leave a Reply

  1. Dedene Nelson-Court

    Great lesson. Really useful vocabulary, thanks!

    1. Kinga

      Thank you for your comment! We’re glad you found it useful! 🙂

  2. Irina Kramarovskaya

    Great lesson, thank you!
    Please, check the lines on slide 6, as not all of them point to the correct place)

    1. Justa

      Hi! Happy to hear that you like the lesson 🙂 We’ve just checked the slide and it seems that the lines point to the correct places. Can you send us a screenshot of the slide at [email protected]?

  3. AGM

    This class is very difficult if you are not a genius, my student is a highly qualified engineer and really struggled, exercise 5 is way too cryptic and the explanation could be clearer, or an example could be illustrated. Some parts are fun, but I would use it with caution.

    1. Kinga

      Thanks so much for your feedback! Before exercise 5, students go through three tasks that introduce and practise the key vocabulary, so by that point it should be manageable. Still, we’ll definitely take another look at the instructions and consider introducing some changes.

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