ESL Lesson Plan What Makes Us Happy?

This C1 ESL lesson explores the topic of happiness, encouraging students to examine what makes people happy, how modern life influences our wellbeing, and whether happiness is something we can consciously create.

Learners explore the relationship between happiness, gratitude, money, relationships, purpose, and expectations while developing more sophisticated language for expressing opinions, weighing up different perspectives, and supporting arguments. They watch a TED-Ed video about increasing happiness and explore the idea of “Stop. Look. Go.” as a practical approach to becoming more aware of the opportunities and experiences around us.

This lesson is ideal for C1 learners who want to develop their speaking, listening, reading, and critical thinking skills while discussing a complex topic and using language to express nuanced opinions, consider different perspectives, and support arguments.