Standard
Ultra
Free sample
ESL lesson
Whose Story Is It?
Students explore how media stories shape perceptions, then learn how active and passive choices change the focus of a sentence.
- Level
- B2 / Upper Intermediate
- Time
- 90–105 min
- Format
- Video Lesson
Lesson materials
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Lesson overview
This B2 Ultra lesson uses a BBC REEL video about media representation to explore how repeated stories can influence perceptions and how storytellers choose what to place in focus.
Students develop useful media vocabulary, follow the video's central argument and examples, then examine the passive voice as a meaningful choice rather than a simple sentence transformation. They practise deciding when the actor matters, when an agent can be omitted, and how active and passive structures foreground different information.
The Ultra extension, Media Moguls, turns the language focus into a competitive board game in which teams complete varied editorial and grammar challenges to claim territory.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students can:
Understand the main argument and key examples in an authentic media explainer.
Use vocabulary connected with representation, stereotypes, narratives and bias.
Form active and passive structures accurately.
Understand how active and passive choice changes information focus.
Decide when a by + agent phrase adds useful information.
Reframe factual events for different communicative purposes.
Apply the grammar in a competitive Ultra media challenge.
Teaching at a glance
The essentials for planning this lesson.
- Level
- B2 / Upper Intermediate
- Teaching time
- 90–105 min
- Language
- Grammar · Vocabulary · Advanced Lexis · Stance
- Skills
- Listening · Speaking · Critical Thinking
- Topic
- Media
- Format
- Video Lesson
Lesson structure
A practical sequence from warm-up to final task.
-
01 - Stories Shape What We See
Students explore media representation and follow the main argument of the BBC video.
-
02 - Change the Focus
Students notice how the passive voice works and practise changing what a sentence foregrounds.
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03 - Media Moguls
Students apply the language through visual story reporting and an Ultra board game built around varied media challenges.
Lesson materials
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