What Does the Future Hold?
This unit can take from 3 to 5 hours, depending on student interest and the writing assignment.
This unit is for pre-intermediate to intermediate levels.
Objectives
Students will:
Make their own predictions for the future
Learn vocabulary related to the reading
Read a passage about what Americans think will happen
in the future
Answer reading comprehension questions
related to the passage
Learn how to make prediction for the future with "will"
Practice speaking with "will," "I think" and "I don't think..."
Write a thoughtful paper about their own expectations
for the future
Materials to Print
- Vocabulary
- Reading and Activity
- Grammar Worksheet
- Speaking Exercise
Activities
Activity I: Predicting the Future: Taking a Survey (10-15 minutes)
Write the words "optimistic" and "pessimistic" on the board. Elicit definitions for about a
minute. Then write on the board "What will happen in the future?" Ask students to brainstorm
a list of 5 things that will happen in the future. Then, with the whole class, make a list on
the board. After each group offers one of their ideas, have the class vote on whether the
idea should go under the "pessimistic" or "optimistic" column.
Activity II: Vocabulary (20 minutes)
Give students the list of "Predictions for the Future." Review new vocabulary with the entire
class. In pairs have them mark which predictions are pessimistic and which are optimistic.
Then, in pairs, have them choose five that they think will happen. Feedback: Does everyone agree
which things are optimistic and which are pessimistic? Can the class as a whole agree on 5
things that will happen? How many things that they predicted in Activity 1 appear on the list?
Activity III: Reading: Americans Predict the Future (20 minutes)
Give students the reading passage with the questions. Review.
Activity IV: Grammar: Using the Future with "will" (45 minutes)
Put the sentence "We will discover aliens" on the board. Ask students how we know that
the sentence is about the future and not the present or the past. Circle "will" as they
tell you. Tell students that we use will to make predictions. Ask for form, and put on
board: subject + will + base verb. Ask students to give you the negative and question
forms of the sentence. Put on board. Teach form with "I think/I bet" and "do you think?"
Put on board. Give students worksheet. After students have finished and you have reviewed the
answers, teach contractions and have students rewrite sentences with contractions. Review answers.
Activity V:Practice Speaking (15-20 minutes)
Using "I think" and "I don't think" with will. In pairs have students use the prompts
to tell each other true sentences about themselves. Write sentences on slips of paper and
have students draw one. Model for the students: Draw a slip of paper and copy it onto
the board. "I/take a shower". Say "This is true about me." Then, model what you want
them to do. Say: "I think I'll take a shower tonight." Draw another paper. Write it on
the board. "I/eat a hamburger tonight." Say "This is NOT true about me." Then, model
"I don't think I'll eat a hamburger tonight." Walk around class and give feedback when
necessary.
Activity VI: Writing (30 minutes - 2 hours)
Write on the board: "Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future?" "Will things be better
or worse?" "Will we have any new inventions?" "Will we have more problems or more solutions?"
Have students brainstorm their ideas for 3 minutes. Then, have them read over their brainstorm
and think for 2 minutes. Give 20 minutes for a first writing. This is a piece you can come
back to a few days later, have them review and rewrite, then collect for error correction, and
then have them write a four-paragraph essay.
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