Let’s talk about crime and punishment in English:
1.) Can you define the words crime and criminal in English?
2.) What is the worst crime, in your opinion?
3.) Have you ever been tempted to commit a petty crime?
4.) What is the punishment for petty crime in your community?
Crime and criminal justice is such a broad and rich topic. Criminology, Forensics, Sociology, Politics, History, Biology, Psychology, Psychiatry, Religion, Literature, the Arts. Crime is relevant to many fields of study. It’s an abstract idea, and it also has a very real, deeply personal impact on our daily lives, because it is related to our sense of safety and justice.
What do you think?
1.) Have you, or anyone you know been the victim of a crime?
2.) If you could create any new law that you wanted, what would it be?
3.) To what extent do people in your community follow the law?
4.) What existing law(s) would you change, if you had the power to?
Warm Ups
Beginner +
Order of Adjectives – Can you put the adjectives in the correct order to describe the weapons?
Vocabulary
Beginner +
Weapons and Crime Flashcards
Intermediate
Phrasal Verbs related to crime
Weapon idioms
Advanced
Crime Crossword Puzzle
Apology Words
Guilt, Blame, or Fault?
PRONUNCIATION
Pronounce the ED for these Past Simple verbs.
GRAMMAR
High Intermediate +
Past Simple and Past Continuous Review
Past Simple and Past Continuous Quiz
Past Simple, Past Continuous and Past Perfect – Mixed tenses review
SPEAKING AND CONVERSATION
All levels
A story Going Around – A speaking game where players take turns adding a sentence to the story. As an added challenge, use the random words in your flashcards in each sentence.
There’s a story going around that…
Beginner +
Scams Role Play– Decide if you want to be the target or the scammer, and act out the situations.
A.) Fake Charity Scam
The scammer knocks on the door, and asks for a donation for a fake charity
B.) Romance Scam
The scammer exchanges texts with the target, pretending to be a prince who is suffering a short term financial problem.
C.) Pyramid Scam
The scammer calls the target with the opportunity to get into a 100% safe, high return investment.
Intermediate/Advanced
Controversial Conversation Questions (B2+)
READING, WRITING AND LISTENING
Beginner +
Why People Like Crime – Listen and read along to the article in News in Levels
Med. Beginner +
Try to solve the crime riddles!
Read short crime stories. – The People’s Friend
Intermediate +
FBI Website – Read about common types of scams and how to protect yourself.
Intermediate/Advanced
CrimeReads – Select an essay to read.
Ted – Watch interesting videos about crime.
The Crime Museum – Visit the museum.
FBI Website – Visit the FBI’s extensive collection.
Private Prisons – An interesting article about modern day slavery. Examine the charts, and write a report on your observations.
READ ALOUD, PRONUNCIATION, AND VOCABULARY BOOSTER CLASSES
The Panopticon Lesson – Vocabulary, reading and conversation
Prisons: Rehabilitation or Retribution?
As you watch the video, make a list of new vocabulary words.
1.) What are punishments, corrections, and deterrents?
2.) What percentages are mentioned in the video, and what do they mean?
3.) Why does the video say politicians want to look tough on crime?
4.) What does the video suggest would a better policy?
