A selection of English ESL social justice printables

This is a Current Events lesson from our 'In the News' series.  It includes Audio which is available to download on our website.  This is a Full Access lesson plan however you can get Free Access to download and teach a selection of Lesson Plans, Handouts, and Worksheets from the Library.

https://teachly.app

K-pop's BTS has achieved its first No. 1 “Dynamite” on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, writing a new chapter in K-pop history as the first Korean band to do so.  After having topped the Billboard 200 album chart four times, they have now reached No. 1 on both charts. BTS has broken new ground in K-pop for supporting social justice movements recently saying “We stand against racial discrimination.  You, I, and we all have the right to be respected” in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

K-Pop’s BTS Conquers the US Billboard Charts

Horrible Histories Rosa Parks Equality Song from episode 1 series 5.



#RosaParks is here to sing about how she sat on a bus and kick- started a massive Civil Rights movement in #America.



This is an activity that you can do in class with students.

It's a Listening activity from which you can draw discussion by having converstations and going through the storyline in the song.





Horrible Histories - Rosa Parks - 'I Sat On A Bus' - Worksheet

This activity is geared towards C1 and C2 level students. Divide the class into two teams. Briefly go over all of the debate scenarios with them and tell them to consider both sides of the argument. Then decide on a scenario and choose which team is for and which is against by a coin toss. Give them time to prepare their arguments and then have at it! A more detailed description of a recommended debate format is on the second page. Enjoy!

Debate Scenarios Activity: Ethics and Technology

Explore Martin Luther King Jr.’s Inspirational Life with this KS2 Worksheet!

This engaging comprehension worksheet introduces KS2 students to the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., a leader who stood for equality and justice. Through a concise biography, students will learn about his fight against segregation, his peaceful protests, and his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

The worksheet includes retrieval and inference questions to test understanding and encourage critical thinking. An optional extension activity invites students to imagine themselves as Martin Luther King Jr. writing a diary entry on the day of the March on Washington, inspiring self-expression and empathy.

Perfect for classroom lessons or homework assignments, this resource is ideal for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, or topics on equality and social justice.

Martin Luther King Jr. Reading Comprehension

Intended for Advanced and Proficiency Classes. Choose which questions you think would suit your students. Many of them require some prompting or giving of specific examples to help them come to an opinion. Great as an introduction to a lesson on the future of technology. 

Technology and Ethics Discussion Questions

First, have the students complete the word formation exercises. You can also stop with each exercise to show how you can change the root words into other forms. Then you can either break them up into groups to discuss or discuss the questions as a class. 

Word Formation Discussion: Ethics and Technology

This worksheet explores the controversial topic of cancel culture through a devil’s advocate reading that argues in favor of canceling public figures who act irresponsibly. The reading presents cancel culture as a form of public accountability and social justice, while also acknowledging the risks of false accusations. A real-world sidebar about the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard case adds complexity and context. The lesson includes a short reading text (~400 words), a “True Story” box with comprehension questions, useful phrases for debate, and a set of 15 discussion questions. Designed for B1–B2 students, this activity builds critical thinking, speaking fluency, and confidence expressing opinions on complex social issues.

Cancel Culture Is Good for Society

This worksheet is designed for teenage learners at an A2-B1 language level. It features a compelling biography of Milada Horáková, a notable Czech politician and activist. The objectives are to enhance reading comprehension, expand vocabulary, and deepen understanding of historical and political contexts. Students will engage in true or false questions and comprehension questions to reinforce their learning. The skills targeted include reading, critical thinking, and language acquisition. This worksheet is ideal for inspiring interest in history and social justice while developing essential English language skills.

The Courageous Milada Horáková

This A2-level video quiz is based on the design and philosophy behind humane prisons, using Halden Prison in Norway as a key example. The quiz helps students develop their listening skills while engaging with topics like architecture, human rights, and social systems. It includes vocabulary matching, focusing on key terms such as "humane," "architecture," and "inmate," as well as comprehension questions that explore the impact of prison design on inmates and staff. This activity is ideal for learners who want to improve their English while discussing important social issues in a thought-provoking context.

Halden's Human prisons

Culture, intercultural communication, cross-cultural communication

Adjectives to describe feelings, emotions

Adjectives to describe personality and character

Adjectives: Gradable / Non-gradable adjectives

Articles: Definite or indefinite article (a, an or the)

BE + infinitive structures (e.g. he was to become famous)

Clauses of contrast (e.g.  although, while)

Clauses of purpose (e.g. in order to, so that, so as to)

Clauses of reason (e.g. because, because of, due to, as, since)

Cleft sentences (e.g. It's Joey we're looking for)

Comparison: Comparative adjectives and structures

Comparison: Superlative adjectives and structures

Conditional 2 (second conditional) - would

Conditionals: Conditional phrases (e.g. unless, provided that, as long as)

Conjunctions (aka connectives, e.g. and, but, or, so, then)

Contractions (shortened forms, e.g. don't, aren't, etc.)

Determiners (words that can come before nouns)

Formal and informal English (politeness or colloquial language)

Future perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Future perfect simple and continuous (progressive) tense

Future phrases (e.g. be about to, bound to, likely to, due to, set to + INF)

Homonyms (two words with the same pronunciation - homophones and homographs)

It as preparatory subject (e.g. it's raining, it's nice of you to)

Linking verbs (aka copulas, e.g. I am a student)

For personal or classroom use only. Uploading on other internet sharing platforms or any commercial use NOT PERMITTED. Share Alike.

Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike License

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Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike License

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License

how to accuse somebody of something in English

how to apologize, say sorry, forgive and express regret in English

how to ask for information and make inquiries in English

how to ask for something, make requests in English

how to blame somebody for something in English

how to defend yourself from criticism in English

how to deny or admit something in English

how to describe things or people in English

how to emphasize important things in English

how to encourage or discourage people in English

how to evaluate people or progress in English

how to express agreement /disagreement in English

how to express approval and disapproval  in English

how to express cause and effect in English

how to express interest in something in English

how to express likelihood, probability in English

how to express likes and dislikes in English

how to express sequence and chronology in English

how to express shock and disbelief in English

how to express sympathy and condolences in English

how to give permission, authorization in English

how to inform somebody about some news in English

how to interpret what was said in English

how to keep a conversation going in English

how to make guesses about something in English

how to make, accept and refuse offers in English

how to order or make a booking in English

how to persuade, convince people in English

how to praise people and express appreciation in English

how to reassure somebody of something in English

how to refuse and object to something in English

how to remind people of something in English

how to rephrase, paraphrase what was said in English

how to say thank you, express gratitude in English

Nouns: Collective nouns (team, class, family, committee)

Nouns: Proper nouns (names of people, cities, companies)

Oxymorons (phrases with words of contradictory meaning, e.g. living dead)

Participles: Past participle (e.g. HAVING DONE)

Participles: Present participle (e.g. DOING)

Parts of Speech (aka word classes, e.g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs)

Past perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Phonetics (pronunciation, IPA, phonetic symbols)

Plural nouns: regular plurals with S ending

Prefixes (e.g. A, UN, IM, DIS, MIS, EN, etc. )

Prepositions vs adverbs (e.g. before me, saw him before.)

Prepositions: Double prepositions (e.g. out of)

Prepositions: Participle prepositions (e.g. pending, concerning)

Prepositions: Phrase prepositions (e.g. by means of)

Present perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Present perfect simple or present continuous tense

Present simple tense: S for third person singular verbs

Present simple vs continuous (progressive) tense

Pronouns: EACH OTHER, ONE ANOTHER (reciprocal pronouns)

Pronouns: Possessive pronouns (e.g. my, mine)

Pronouns: Reflexive pronouns (e.g. myself, yourself))

Pronouns: SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, EVERYBODY, NO ONE, NOTHING, etc.

Pronouns: THIS, THAT, THESE, THOSE (demonstratives)

Pronouns: YOU and THEY to talk about people in general

Quantifiers (e.g. some, many, much, any, few, little)

Questions: WH questions (open-ended questions)

Reported speech: reported questions (indirect questions)

There is / there are / there was / there were / there will be, etc.

Verbs: Transitive or intransitive verbs (words that can or cannot stand with objects)

Working with Paragraphs: ordering, titling

Role play, miming, drama activity or improv game

Pictionary (picture dictionary) or picture matching

Writing an opinion essay (persuasive essay)

Learners who are Pre-A1 have just begun learning English and will first learn how to:<ul><li>Say the letters in the alphabet and numbers</li><li>Say hello, talk about names and age</li><li>Name the colors and dates, express likes and dislikes</li></ul>

Absolute beginners who have begun to learn the letters and numbers

Learners taking the A1 Elementary exam should be able to:<ul><li>Introduce themselves and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, things he/she has, people he/she knows.</li><li>Communicate using very basic phrases as long as the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: common adjectives & adverbs of frequency, going to, how much/how many, imperatives, I'd like, 's – possessive, common prepositions of place and time, present simple & continuous, there is/are</li></ul>

A very basic tourist level, which is enough for buying food and a bus ticket

Learners taking the A2 Pre-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand sentences and frequently used expressions (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).</li><li>Complete tasks that are routine and exchange information about familiar matters.</li><li>Describe matters of immediate need in simple terms.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: countable/uncountable nouns, adverbs of frequency, future will/going to, much/many, present perfect, past simple, past continuous, common phrasal verbs, common modals: can/should</li></ul>

A tourist who can do basic conversations about the past, present and future

Learners taking the B1 Intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand points regarding family, work, school or leisure-related topics.</li><li>Deal with most travel situations in areas where the language is spoken.</li><li>Create simple texts on topics of personal interest.</li><li>Describe experiences, events, dreams, and ambitions, as well as opinions or plans in brief.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: question tags, intensifiers: too/enough, future tenses, past tenses, modals, conditionals, wh-questions in the past</li></ul>

Learners who can deal with both familiar and routine situations, in friendly and work contexts

Learners taking the B2 Upper-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization.</li><li>Interact with fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without difficulty for either party.</li><li>Produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain an opinion on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: perfect tenses, mixed conditionals, modals in the present, phrasal verbs, reported speech, wish, relative clauses</li></ul>

The level where you can be a tour guide for your foreign friends and talk about a lot of topics, even abstract ones, with ease and fluency

Learners taking the C1 Advanced exam should be able to: Express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts. Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, using linking phrases (=words that connect ideas between sentences). Main grammar points to know: inversion, mixed conditionals, modals in the past, all passive forms, phrasal verbs (all patterns), wish/if only for regrets

Learners who can smoothly communicate in every walk of life, read long texts and write well

Learners taking the C2 Proficient exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand almost everything read or heard with ease.</li><li>Summarize information from a variety of sources into a coherent presentation.</li><li>Express themselves using precise meaning in complex scenarios.</li><li>Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations</li></ul>

Get here and you are ready to study in English at university

9 Social justice English ESL worksheets pdf & doc