. Social Media - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Social Media - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Social Media - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson

Breaking News English Lesson: Social Media

Australia has banned children from using social media sites. New laws say the under-16s cannot open accounts with famous sites like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Social media companies must make sure their users are 16 or above. Australia will fine them up to $33 million if children access the sites. The companies will use different methods to check the age of their users. New users must upload identification and scan their faces.

Australia's Prime Minister said social media is harming young minds. Most children aged 10-15 who used social media looked at harmful content. This included information on eating disorders and suicide. He told children to start a new sport or learn to play a musical instrument. He said they should spend quality "face-to-face" time with family and friends. Many children will be lonelier without social media. Some say their "right to free communication" has gone.

Try the same news story at these levels:

  • https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-09/remote-kids-social-ban-isolation/106114026
  • https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/australia-social-media-ban-set-take-effect-sparking-global-crackdown-2025-12-09/
  • https://fortune.com/2025/12/09/australia-will-start-banning-kids-from-social-media-this-week-and-malaysia-is-getting-ready-to-do-the-same/

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities, and more.

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News

"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."

The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)

"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and. history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."

Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)

"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels. In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."

Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.

Phrase Matching Paragraph 1
  1. the under-
  2. open accounts with famous
  3. make sure their users
  4. Australia will fine them up
  5. companies will use different
  6. check the age
  7. users must upload
  8. scan their
  1. of their users
  2. 16s
  3. to $33 million
  4. faces
  5. sites like Facebook
  6. identification
  7. methods
  8. are 16 or above
Paragraph 2
  1. social media is harming
  2. Most children
  3. looked at harmful
  4. information on eating
  5. He told children to start
  6. learn to play a musical
  7. spend quality "face-to-face"
  8. children will be lonelier
  1. a new sport
  2. content
  3. time
  4. aged 10-15
  5. without social media
  6. disorders
  7. instrument
  8. young minds
Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Australia (1) _________________________________________________ from using social media sites. New laws say (2) _________________________________________________ cannot open accounts with (3) _________________________________________________ Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Social media companies must (4) _________________________________________________ users are 16 or above. Australia will fine them up to $33 million if children access the sites. The companies will use different methods to (5) _________________________________________________ of their users. New users must upload identification and (6) _________________________________________________.

Australia's Prime Minister said social media (7) _________________________________________________ minds. Most children aged 10-15 who used social media looked (8) _________________________________________________. This included information (9) _________________________________________________ and suicide. He told children to start a new sport or learn to play (10) _________________________________________________. He said they should spend quality "face-to-(11) _________________________________________________ family and friends. Many children will be lonelier without social media. Some say their "(12) _________________________________________________ communication" has gone.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Australiahasbannedchildrenfromusingsocialmediasites.Newlawssa ytheunder-16scannotopenaccountswithfamoussiteslikeFacebook,T ikTok,andYouTube.Socialmediacompaniesmustmakesuretheiruser sare16orabove.Australiawillfinethemupto$33millionifchildrenacces sthesites.Thecompanieswillusedifferentmethodstochecktheageofth eirusers.Newusersmustuploadidentificationandscantheirfaces.Aust ralia'sPrimeMinistersaidsocialmediaisharmingyoungminds.Mostchil drenaged10-15whousedsocialmedialookedatharmfulcontent.Thisi ncludedinformationoneatingdisordersandsuicide.Hetoldchildrentos tartanewsportorlearntoplayamusicalinstrument.Hesaidtheyshoulds pendquality"face-to-face"timewithfamilyandfriends.Manychildre nwillbelonelierwithoutsocialmedia.Somesaytheir"righttofreecomm unication"hasgone.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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