LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

• discuss the importance of memes;
• watch part of a video (to 02:46) about the history of memes;
• express opinions on memes and exchange experiences.

With this lesson, students talk about memes, watch a video about the history behind them and share their experiences and opinions. They read about some popular memes and discuss the impact and purpose of memes in communication. Students can also do an optional activity where they practise vocabulary for expressing feelings and opinions on the lesson’s topic (e.g. I’m living for…, It’s gold., got me in my feels).

This is a Speaking Class worksheet. It includes a variety of tasks that let your students practise their speaking skills. This lesson format does not focus on grammar or vocabulary. Learn more about it here.

WARM-UP AND VIDEO

Before the lesson starts, students can do an extra vocabulary activity. They match reaction phrases (e.g. hits different, is giving, I can’t with it) to their meanings in dialogues about memes. After that, students move on to a warm-up. They provide an example and a few details about their experiences with memes (a meme that made me laugh, a meme you shared with your friend and a meme that is trending now). Next, students discuss the importance of memes, what they are and what makes them popular. Following that, they watch part of a video (to 02:46) about the history of memes and listen for points that surprise them, feel relatable and are already familiar. 

DISCUSSING MEMES

In this part of the lesson, students choose two statements that best represent their opinion about memes (e.g. Memes oversimplify complex issues.) and provide arguments. They then discuss the importance of memes and answer questions about their impact and purpose in communication, considering some types of memes (e.g. memes featuring politicians, memes featuring animals, memes from films and TV shows). Finally, students read about some popular memes (e.g. ‘Hide the Pain Harold’, ‘The Distracted Boyfriend’, The ‘St. Javelin’ meme) and discuss questions about how memes influence people, society and culture.