Lesson Plan for Lucky Lucan - the Lord Who Committed Murder - Intermediate

2021-02-03

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This lesson plan illustrates ways in which our Intermediate level graded reader Lucky Lucan - the Lord Who Committed Murder can be used with students.

We hope that people using Read Listen Learn will find it useful.

You can read the article here and there is also a video of it on our YouTube channel.

 

Topic/teaching-learning area

Social Studies / Journalism

Class profile

The article is short and can therefore be read in class in a few minutes but students may need support with some expressions, which the teacher could share with the group beforehand.

Lesson fit

This lesson could act as a stand-alone or as a case study in an ongoing exploration of the responsibility we have for our actions.

Learning outcomes

1. Students will be able to identify exonerating factors which might explain Lucan’s character – such as separation from his family when young, being spoilt, etc.
2. They will be able to argue for / against leniency to a court trying Lucan for murder on the basis of these ‘exonerating’ circumstances.

Anticipated Challenges and possible solutions

Students in more conservative social climates may find Lucan’s alcoholism difficult to cope with (although its negative effects may have been one of the determining factors in his decision to commit murder).

Activity 1

• Student / teacher Interaction: student to student
• Materials:Photocopies or online
• Timing: 10 minutes

The teacher will group students so that they can support each other in reading the text, if some members are perplexed by difficult vocab or structures.

Activity 2

• Student / teacher Interaction: student to student
• Materials:N/A
• Timing: 10 minutes

Students will re-read the text with a view to identifying exonerating circumstances that might explain how Lucan became so irresponsible.

Activity 3

• Student / teacher Interaction: student to student
• Materials: N/A
• Timing: 15 minutes

The teacher will allocate half the groups to write arguments defending Lucan, based on his childhood separation from his parents, his addiction to gambling, his alcoholism, etc. The other half will argue that these cannot excuse his behaviour

Activity 4

• Student / teacher Interaction: student to student
• Materials: N/A
• Timing: 15 minutes

Students will debate how far personal histories should be used to excuse or justify individual actions.