What do learning to swim, passing a driving test and a tiny sandpiper have in common? More than you think! They all remind us that success rarely comes on the first attempt. Every achievement begins with a challenge, and sometimes the biggest obstacle isn’t the task itself, but rather believing that we can do it. And that is what this never give up lesson is all about!
A few weeks ago, I asked my followers which lesson plan they’d most like to see next, and Never Give Up Day received the most votes! So, as promised, here it is – free of charge!
Never Give Up Day is celebrated on 18th August. For this reason, I wanted to create a lesson that encourages students to reflect on perseverance without relying on famous inspirational quotes or success stories. Instead, I chose a short family – Pixar’s Piper. Although the film contains no dialogue, it tells a powerful story about fear, curiosity and learning through experience. It can be taught to anyone, from young B1 level children to adults, as we all have our success stories to share.
If you’re looking for a communicative Never Give Up Day lesson built around authentic video, vocabulary recycling and meaningful speaking, scroll to the end of the post to download the worksheet, teacher’s notes and presentation.
Warmer: Keep Trying or Change Your Plan?
The lesson begins with six everyday situations that many students can related to. Should you keep trying after failing your driving test three times? What if you’ve been learning English for years but still make mistakes? Students vote as a class and then discuss their opinions in pairs. As there are no clear right or wrong answers, the activity naturally encourages learners to justify their ideas and listen to different perspectives.
Video: Pixar’s Piper
Tell students that they’re going to watch the award-winning Pixar’s short film Piper. Before doing so, they read a series of events and predict the correct order of the story. Since the film contains no dialogue, they must rely entirely on visual clues, paying close attention to Piper’s actions, emotions and reactions.
Vocabulary in Context: Words of Success
Rather than presenting vocabulary through isolated word lists, students encounter it naturally through the story (from the previous task). The lesson focuses on useful vocabulary connected with perseverance, such as challenge, obstacle, give up, or determined. Then students identify words with generally positive meanings before matching them with their definitions. They then recycle the vocabulary in three different tasks – by matching the words to their meanings and then by replacing simpler expressions in summary of Piper, and finally by completing another authentic-style story about learning to swim.
Reading and Speaking: My Never Give Up Story
After completing the model story, and answering comprehension questions about the writer’s experience. These same questions then become a planning tool for their own speaking task. Students think about a time when they faced a challenge, almost gave up, and eventually succeeded. They make short notes before sharing their story with a partner, using the target vocabulary wherever possible. The task finishes with students sharing one interesting thing they learned about their partner’s experience.
Final Discussion: Is Never Give Up Good Advice?
The lesson ends by reflecting on the film, the stories students have shared and their own experiences while answering three thought-provoking questions, such as Is ‘never give up’ always good advice? By returning to the same dilemma introduced in the warmer, students often realise that perseverance doesn’t always mean doing the same thing over and over again. Sometimes success comes from changing your strategy rather than changing your goal – just like Piper does in the film.
This B1 Never Give Up Day lesson combines authentic video, vocabulary development, reading, speaking and as always, meaningful discussion through a topic that every learner can relate to. By the end of the lesson, students will have explored a memorable story, recycled useful vocabulary, reflected on their own experiences and consider the real meaning of perseverance.
What is one challenge you almost gave up on? Are you glad you didn’t?
