Technology & Communication
A complete two-session B1 lesson built around the first conditional — the grammar of cause and effect — using social media and online habits as the theme. Includes a featured interactive reading, audio scripts, answer keys, and a self-grading workbook.
Can-Do Statements
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Talk about technology and online habits — how and how much they use social media.
- Use the first conditional to talk about cause and effect (If + present, will + base verb).
- Discuss the effects of social media on sleep, attention, and well-being.
- Use key vocabulary — screen time, notifications, scrolling, self-esteem, face-to-face.
- Read and understand an article about social media and answer comprehension questions.
- Write advice about healthy technology habits using conditional sentences.
Vocabulary & Phrases
This vocabulary set is shared across the lesson plan, the workbook flashcards, and the reading article.
Social Media & Online Life
- social media · screen time · a notification
- to scroll · to post · to log off / unplug
- addictive · a distraction · to focus
- self-esteem · to compare / comparison
- well-being · mental health · face-to-face
- online / offline · a device · an app
Talking About Effects
- If you…, you will… / you won't…
- It's bad / good for your…
- I spend too much time on…
- It's really addictive.
- It helps me stay in touch with…
- I'm trying to cut down on…
The Engine of the Lesson
The first conditional — for talking about real results in the future.
1. Form — If + present simple, will + base verb
We use the first conditional for a likely future result of a real condition.
| positive | If you turn off notifications, you will focus better. |
| negative | If you scroll before bed, you won't sleep well. |
| question | What will happen if you delete the app? |
2. The golden rule
Use the present simple in the if part and will in the result part — never "will" in both.
3. Order & punctuation
Both orders are correct. When the if part comes first, use a comma.
| if first | If you charge your phone in the kitchen, you will sleep better. |
| result first | You will sleep better if you charge your phone in the kitchen. |
Note: compare with the zero conditional for general truths — "If you look at a screen at night, you feel tired" (present + present). Teach the first conditional as the main target.
The Impact of Social Media on Young Minds
An interactive, self-grading article built for this unit. It carries the lesson's grammar and vocabulary, so it fits perfectly into Session 2 — or set it as homework.
What's inside
- A short, engaging article on how social media affects sleep, attention, self-esteem — and its benefits.
- Self-grading comprehension questions with instant feedback and a score.
- A "benefits vs risks" sorting task and a vocabulary flashcard deck.
- A discussion box and writing prompt to extend the topic.
How to use it: project it in class for shared reading, or assign it for homework before the discussion. Students read, then tap Show My Score on the comprehension quiz and bring the result to class.
Open the Reading →Timed Lesson Stages
Each stage lists timing, teacher instructions, and the interaction pattern.
1. Warm-Up — Screen-Time Check
Ask students to guess their daily screen time, then check their phone's real number. Reactions! Ask: "What do you use the most?"
Interaction: Individual → whole class.
2. Vocabulary — Online Life
Present the shared vocabulary (scroll, notification, addictive, self-esteem, face-to-face). Drill collocations: spend time online, turn off notifications, cut down on screen time.
Interaction: Teacher → class.
3. Grammar — First Conditional
Write "If you scroll before bed, …" and elicit results. Build the rule (if + present, will + base). Drill the golden rule (no "will" in the if-clause) and the comma rule.
- Concept check: "Is this about now or the future? Which part has 'will'?"
- Controlled practice: students do the workbook's first-conditional and word-order tasks.
Interaction: Guided discovery → individual.
4. Speaking — The Social Media Debate
The centerpiece (full instructions in the Activities section). Groups argue whether social media is good or bad for young people, using first conditionals to predict consequences.
Interaction: Small groups.
5. Wrap-Up
Each group shares one strong first-conditional prediction. Set the reading article for homework if you'll discuss it next session.
1. Review — Chain Conditionals
Start a chain: "If I check my phone, I'll see a message. If I see a message, I'll reply…" Students continue around the class. Fast, fun first-conditional fluency.
Interaction: Whole class.
2. Reading — Impact of Social Media
Use the interactive reading page (linked above). Students read the article and complete the self-grading comprehension and the benefits-vs-risks sorter.
- Pre-reading: students predict three effects of social media.
- While reading: underline one benefit and one risk.
- After: compare answers, then tap Show My Score.
Interaction: Individual → pairs.
3. Listening — Screen-Time Talk
Play Audio 2 (script below). Students complete the workbook's listening task. Play twice.
Interaction: Individual → class check.
4. Writing — Healthy Tech Advice
Students write a short "healthy technology" guide (80–100 words) using first conditionals.
Model: "Do you want to feel better? If you turn off your notifications, you won't check your phone so often. If you keep your phone out of your bedroom, you will sleep better. If you meet friends face-to-face, you will feel happier. And if you follow positive accounts, social media will be more fun. Small changes make a big difference!"
- Target: 4+ first conditionals, correct punctuation, shared vocabulary.
- Students self-check against the workbook checklist, then review the flashcards.
Interaction: Individual.
5. Share, Score & Reflect
Students read their advice to a partner. Then they tap Show My Score in the workbook and show you the result.
Speaking Activities
The centerpiece is The Social Media Debate. Rotate the games below across lessons.
The Social Media Debate
Groups of 4. Goal: argue your side with reasons and first-conditional predictions.
- Split each group into two teams: "Social media helps young people" vs "Social media harms young people."
- Give two minutes to prepare three arguments. Push for first conditionals: "If teenagers spend hours online, they won't sleep…"
- Teams take turns: one argument each, then the other side responds.
- A neutral student (or you) decides which side argued more clearly. Then students share their real opinion.
More Activities (rotate these)
Conditional Chain
One student starts ("If I lose my phone, I'll panic"). The next uses the result as a new condition ("If you panic, you'll…"). Keep the chain alive as long as possible. Fast fluency with the target grammar.
Detox Challenge Plan
Groups design a one-week "digital detox" plan with five rules, each justified with a first conditional ("If you don't use your phone at meals, you will talk more"). They present and vote on the best plan.
App Pitch
Pairs invent a new app and pitch it in 60 seconds: what it does, who it's for, and why it's useful. Recycles technology vocabulary and persuasive language.
Tech Taboo
Describe a tech word (notification, influencer, screen time, offline) without saying it or three taboo words. Teammates guess. Fast vocabulary recall through paraphrasing.
Audio & Transcripts
Tap a transcript to open it. Add your recording in the player, and use the same file in the student workbook's Listening task.
Audio 1Online Habits (model)+
Speaker: I love social media, but I know I use it too much. If I'm bored, I open an app without even thinking. The notifications are the worst — every time my phone buzzes, I check it. So now I'm trying some rules. If I turn off notifications during homework, I focus much better. And if I leave my phone downstairs at night, I sleep more. It's not easy, but it really helps.
How to use: Play once as a model before the speaking activity. Ask students to catch the first conditionals ("If I turn off notifications…", "if I leave my phone downstairs…") and copy the pattern.
Audio 2Screen-Time Talk (listening task)+
Mia: You look tired. Are you okay?
Leo: Yeah, I just didn't sleep well. I was on my phone until two in the morning.
Mia: Again? You should turn it off earlier.
Leo: I know. I start watching one video, and then I scroll for hours. It's so addictive.
Mia: Same here. If I keep my phone in my room, I never sleep on time. Now I charge it in the kitchen.
Leo: Does it really help?
Mia: Definitely. If I don't see notifications, I relax more. And we talk more face-to-face at dinner now.
Leo: Maybe I'll try that. I really want to feel less tired.
How to use: This is the source audio for the workbook's Listening task. Two voices work best. Play for gist first ("What's Leo's problem?"), then for detail. Notice the first conditionals about phones and sleep.
Audio 3Pronunciation — "will" & "won't" (optional)+
Listen-and-repeat. In natural speech "will" is often contracted to 'll, and "won't" is /woʊnt/.
If you try it, you'll see. — If you wait, you'll miss it. — If you don't sleep, you won't focus.
How to use: B1 students often over-pronounce "will". Drill the contracted 'll and the difference between "won't" and "want" so their conditionals sound natural.
Workbook & Reading Answers
These match the self-grading workbook and reading page. Both grade automatically; keys are here for board correction.
Workbook Reading — Teaser
- Likes and notifications give a small feeling of… — pleasure (dopamine)
- Using social media too much can become… — addictive
- Who uses social media every day? — most teenagers / young people
Listening — Fill in the Blank (Audio 2)
- Leo was on his phone until two in the morning.
- Mia now charges her phone in the kitchen.
- They now talk more face-to-face at dinner.
Listening — Multiple Choice (Audio 2)
- Why can't Leo sleep? — b) he scrolls on his phone for hours
- What does Mia suggest? — c) charge your phone in another room
Grammar — First Conditional
- If you turn off notifications, you will focus better.
- If you scroll before bed, you won't sleep well.
- If we spend less time online, we will feel happier.
- You will miss the bus if you don't stop scrolling.
- If she posts that photo, many people will see it.
Word Order
- If you log off, you will relax.
- We will feel better if we sleep more.
Reading Page — Comprehension
- What chemical do likes and notifications release? — dopamine
- What does blue light reduce at night? — melatonin (the sleep hormone)
- What can comparing your life to "perfect" posts lower? — self-esteem
- Name one benefit of social media. — staying in touch / learning / creativity / finding communities
- In the 2024 study, how long until teens felt less sad? — three weeks
- What is the real problem, according to the article? — how much and how we use it (not social media itself)
Reading Page — Benefits vs Risks (sorter)
- Benefits: staying in touch, learning new skills, expressing creativity
- Risks: poor sleep, lower self-esteem, losing focus
Common Student Errors
Watch for these at B1 and correct gently in the moment.
| Typical Error | Correct Form | Why & How to Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "If you will scroll, you won't sleep." | "If you scroll, you won't sleep." | No "will" in the if-clause. Use the present simple. |
| "If you scrolled, you won't sleep." | "If you scroll, you won't sleep." | First conditional uses present simple, not past, in the if-clause. |
| "If you turn off notifications you will focus." (no comma) | "If you turn off notifications, you will focus." | Use a comma when the if-clause comes first. |
| "You will to sleep better." | "You will sleep better." | No "to" after will — use the base verb. |
| "If you won't sleep, you will be tired." | "If you don't sleep, you will be tired." | Negative if-clause uses don't/doesn't, not won't. |
| "It's addicted." (about an app) | "It's addictive." | People are addicted; things are addictive. |
Extension & Homework
In-Class Options
- Design a poster: "5 rules for healthy phone use" with first conditionals.
- Write five predictions about technology in 2050.
- Use the workbook flashcards to quiz a partner on the vocabulary.
At-Home Practice
- Read the interactive article and complete the comprehension quiz; bring your score.
- Track your screen time for two days and write what you'll change, using conditionals.
- Finish any workbook tasks and review the flashcards.
How to Measure Success
Ready to run the lesson?
Open the student workbook (self-grading, with flashcards) and the interactive reading article. No login.
Open the Student Workbook Open the Reading