Can you multitask?

Inna | Mar 28, 2025Mar 26, 2025

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

• engage in talking about multitasking and its impact;
• practise vocabulary to discuss multitasking;
• watch a video on multitasking and our brains.

With this lesson, students try to multitask, watch a video on how multitasking affects the brain and discuss its challenges and effects. They also talk about inattention blindness, share their opinions and work with phrases for talking about multitasking. Students also discuss their experiences and read a text about an unexpected effect of multitasking.

WARM-UP AND DISCUSSION

This lesson starts with a warm-up. Students try doing an activity where they write ‘I’m good at multitasking’ while counting down from ten to zero at the same time. They then discuss questions about the difficulty and purpose of the activity. Afterwards, students watch a video about multitasking and our brains. Before watching, they discuss why some items (a computer, a spotlight and a zoom lens) might be mentioned in the video. Following that, students watch the first part of the video and write what is mentioned about those items. After that, they discuss whether some statements about multitasking (e.g. Doing two things at once can be dangerous.) are true. Next, students watch the second part of the video and say why the statements are true or false, according to the video.

TALKING ABOUT MULTITASKING

In this part of the lesson, students discuss questions about the impact and role of multitasking and inattention blindness. After that, they read opinions about multitasking. Students say which one they find the most relatable and add details. Next, they match phrases from the previous task (e.g. part and parcel, crank out, chip away at) with their definitions. Following that, students correct mistakes in sentence starters. They then choose four sentences (e.g. I tend to spread myself too thin when…) and complete them with their own ideas. Students also give details. Afterwards, they read a text about an unexpected effect of multitasking and discuss the link between multitasking and creativity. Finally, students get cards with daily multitasking challenges and decisions (e.g. chaotic commute, meeting madness, home hustle). They discuss the situations considering reactions and solutions to them.

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This lesson plan also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students complete sentences with their own ideas about multitasking using the target phrases from the lesson. 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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