The Corporation Lesson Plan

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The Corporation Lesson Plan Use this Lesson Plan to watch a clip from the documentary The Corporation. The 30-minute clip runs from minute 47:00 to minute 1:19 of the film.

Level Lesson Time Background Objective Resources Used

Time 5 minutes

30 minutes

20 minutes

B2 to C1 (Advanced) 60 minutes Can be used for Business English classes. Also works in English classes where you have discussed psychology or consumerism. To understand the impact of corporations on modern society. The Corporation (free documentary) – Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSGF9JbtNac

Activity Details Ask students to define a “corporation”. What positive and negative impact do corporations and advertising have on our lives? Have students complete the “Before Watching” section and read through the rest of the questions. Watch the 30-minute clip. Ask students to take note of the story they found the most interesting in this clip. Having thought of the responses to the Comprehension questions themselves, students should check their answers with a partner. Think-Pair-Share: For the discussion questions, students should think of their response alone, then discuss it with their partners. Next, each person should share their partner’s view with the class Challenge: Split the class into 2 and have a debate on whether private corporations do more good or damage to society.

5 minutes

Wrap-up the class by asking the class to explain their favourite part of the film, or a part where they learned the most. Review any new vocabulary on the whiteboard.

Possible New Vocabulary for ESL students: Corporation, non-profit organization, NGO, CEO, stock market, trader, ursurp,

© 2016-2017 Sapna Sehgal www.teachingcove.com. May be photocopied for educational purposes only.

The Corporation Lesson Plan Use this Lesson Plan to watch a clip from the documentary The Corporation. The 30-minute clip runs from minute 47:00 to minute 1:19 of the film.

Questions Before Watching  

What is a corporation? What is capitalism? How much do television advertisement (or other advertisements) affect your purchase decisions?

Comprehension Questions         

What did the Michael Moore find incredible to believe about the CEO who calls himself a “predator”? What did the commodities trader say about 9/11? What was his first thought? What happened in Tudor England that changed the way the farming industry worked? How does one of the speakers define wealth? Why does she say wealth is being usurped? Why does psychologist Susan Linn say corporations manipulate children? What does the study on “nagging” find? What do the two university students in the video do to have their tuition costs paid? What is perception management? What ethical issue does the documentary bring up about Pfizer? What does Pfizer do to help the community?

Discussion Questions      

Should corporations be treated as legal persons? What can you do to help the environment? How important is this to you in making consumer decisions? Do you think your are a “mindless consumer”? Why or why not? To what extent should public regulations and the government protect consumers, industry and businesses? What is your opinion on corporations funding university tuition fees? What type of corporation would you work for when you graduate? What would play into your decision?

© 2016-2017 Sapna Sehgal www.teachingcove.com. May be photocopied for educational purposes only.