Scientists & Inventors
Curie, Einstein, Lovelace, Tesla, Turing and Newton: the people who changed how we understand the world. Levels A2 to C1.
Who it's for
Marked for all levels: the topic carries the lesson, and you set the difficulty by what you ask of the answer.
Life stories of scientists, leaders, artists, founders and athletes. More Famous People lesson plans
Skills it practises
- Speaking: discussion questionsevery lesson
- Vocabulary: a target word listevery lesson
- Reading: a text or news storyevery lesson
Lessons
- Isaac Newton and the AppleA famous story about an apple, a garden and a big question. Simple past tense and everyday words for A2 students.48 minA2Free
- Marie Curie: Two Nobel Prizes and a Glowing NotebookA cold shed, tonnes of rock and two Nobel Prizes. A story about patience and a discovery that was also dangerous, for B1 students.48 minB1Outline
- Ada Lovelace: The First ProgrammerA hundred years before computers existed, she wrote instructions for one. Imagination and maths for B1 students.48 minB1Outline
- Tesla and Edison: The War of the CurrentsTwo inventors, two systems and a very public argument about how to light a country. Cause, effect and balanced argument for B2 students.48 minB2Outline
- Einstein: The Clerk Who Rewrote TimeIn 1905 a patent office clerk published four papers that changed physics. Ideas, outsiders and consequences for B2 students.48 minB2Outline
- Alan Turing: Genius, Codebreaker, and a Country's ApologyThe man who imagined the computer, helped shorten a war, and was prosecuted by the country he served. Nuance, evaluation and moral argument for C1 students.48 minC1Outline
How to use it in a lesson
- Lessons run 48 minutes, with a timing on every stage, so you can see before you start what fits your slot.
- Start with "Isaac Newton and the Apple": its whole plan is on this site, stage by stage, with the target vocabulary, free to read and to teach from on any video call.
- For a shorter slot, skip a practice stage or cut the discussion short: the stages are a guide, not a script.
Teach Scientists & Inventors with your student
Lesson 1 of this course is free. A free account opens it in the interactive player, and the rest of the course is included with Starter. Teaching it live with your student in the Tuton classroom starts with a 7-day free trial.
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