Inventions British English Teacher

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
ENGLISH FOR TEENAGERS · GENERAL ISSUES · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)
INVENTIONS
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1 Warm up
Work in small groups. Match the words with the images below.
a door handle a dustbin a light switch a plate

a spoon a tap coins stairs
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8.
Which of those objects do you use every day?
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)
INVENTIONS
2 What’s in your backpack?
Part A: Study the list of objects and use some of the words to label the photos below.
body wipes earphones coloured pencils glue
a highlighter a map a pencil case a pencil sharpener
scissors sunglasses a towel a water bottle
sunscreen tissues a toothbrush a torch
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8.
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INVENTIONS
Part B: Look at the list again and guess what Oleg has in his backpack and what Zoe has in her
rucksack, then listen to check. Some objects can be in both bags.
Part C: answer the questions.
1. Does Oleg have any snacks or sandwiches?
2. Where does he eat breakfast?
3. Which meal does he eat in the school cafeteria?
4. What is in his folders?
5. What’s Zoe’s hobby?
6. What’s at the bottom of her rucksack?
Now, tell a classmate what you have in your bag.

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INVENTIONS
3 What are they for?
Part A: Guess the object(s) described.
1. It protects your skin against the sun.
2. You use it to make marks on printed text.
3. You use it to wash your body when you have no water.
4. It keeps sheets of paper together.
5. You use it then it is dark and there is no electricity.
6. You use it to listen to music when you don’t want to disturb others.
7. It is used to make windows and mirrors.
8. A car has four of them and a bicycle has two.
9. It is a metal used to build machines and tools.
10. You take photos with it.
How many of the things above existed in the year 1900?
4 An invention that saves lives
Part A: Read the definitions and underline the correct forms.
• bacteria (singular – bacterium)

Very small living things, which can only be 1. saw/seen with a microscope. They live all around
us and inside us. 2. A/Some bacteria can cause disease.
• antibiotic
A substance that 3. kill/kills bacteria.
• fungus (plural - fungi)
A plant without leaves or flowers, which 4. grow/grows on other plants and on food. There
are kinds of fungi that can be 5. eat/eaten – they are called mushrooms.
• mould
A type of fungus that 6. live/lives on food that 7. has/have been kept too long.

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INVENTIONS
Part B: Watch the video about the discovery of the first antibiotic – penicillin and put the events in
the order they happened.
He grew the dangerous bacteria in his laboratory.
5 He came back from his holidays.
In 1928, Alexander Fleming was working on the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.
He found mould and studied the fungus in it.
9 He called it penicillin.
He discovered that some of the bacteria were dead.
He went on holiday.
He left some bacteria on his desk.
Penicillin saved the lives of many people.
He grew the fungus on his own.
Part C: Complete the sentences with the verbs.
brought up examined throw away wounded
1. Alexander Fleming was on a farm.
2. He many kinds of dangerous bacteria.
3. He forgot to some cultures of bacteria.
4. Many soldiers died because of infection.
Glossary
Infection – an illness caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi (=germs)
A culture of bacteria - a population of bacteria grown in a laboratory.
A boil – a painful swelling under your ski

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INVENTIONS
5 Language focus: Past Perfect
Part A: Look at the underlined verbs in each sentence and decide which of the actions happened first.
1. Fleming discovered that some of the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria had died.
2. The scientist didn’t know what had killed the bacteria.
3. He noticed that mould had grown on the bacteria.

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INVENTIONS
Part B: Complete the missing verb forms.
Present Simple Past Simple Past Perfect
1
cut cut
2
eat had eaten
3
grow grew
4
go had gone
5
leave left
6
save had saved
Part C: Decide which of the underlined events took place first and then write the verb in Past Perfect.
Write the other verb in Past Simple.
1. She (sharpen) her coloured pencils because her little sister (use)
them to do her homework.
2. When the film started I (realise) that I (see) it before.
3. I (not call) you because I (lose) your number.
4. The night was very cold and windy. When we (wake up) in the morning, all the
leaves (fall) to the ground.
5. Marek (eat) the breakfast that his father (cook) for him.
6. The children (not fly) on a plane before, so they (be) very excited.

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INVENTIONS
6 Optional extension: a game

Read the instructions and then play the game.
iron → 400 BC glass → 5000 BC wheel → 3500 comb → 3000 scissors → 400
BC BC BC
paper → 105 eyeglasses → pencil → 1565 microscope → telescope →

1000 1600 1608
thermometer → steamboat → hot-air balloon canned food → steam train →

1714 1783 → 1783 1810 1814
bicycle → 1818 matches → 1826 photography → plastic → 1862 telephone →

1827 1876
light bulb → car → 1886 radio → 1895 flashlight/torch airplane → 1903

1879 → 1899
refrigerator → helicopter → television → coloured pencils pencil sharpener

1913 1924 1925 → 1924 → 1828
tissues → 1929 sunscreen → microwave oven computer → body wipes →

1938 → 1947 1957/1971 1958
compact video cassette → mobile phone → digital camera → CD →1981

cassette → 1962 1971 1973 1975
laptop → 1982 smartphone → DVD → 1995 GPS → 1995 hybrid car →

1992 1997

HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
TEACHER MATERIALS · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)
INVENTIONS
Transcripts
2. What’s in your backpack?
Speaker A: What do you have in your backpack, Oleg?
Oleg: I don’t have many things today. I have some tissues and a comb. I don’t have water or
snacks or sandwiches because we get free water at school. I have breakfast at home,
and then I eat lunch at the school cafeteria. I have my pencil case with a pen, a pencil,
a pencil sharpener, two highlighters – yellow and blue, scissors, and glue. I also have
coloured pencils for my art class, earphones for the computer class, a notebook, and ...
that’s all.
Speaker A: And what are these?
Oleg: They are folders with my homework.
Speaker B: What have you got in your backpack, Zoe?
Zoe: I have all the things I need – clothes, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a towel, a hairbrush, body
wipes, sunscreen, sunglasses, a compass, a torch, and a map. I also have a notebook and
some pencils because I like drawing. It’s my hobby.
Speaker B: And what’s this, at the bottom of your backpack?
Zoe: Oh, it’s my sleeping bag.
4. An invention that saves lives
Narrator: Having been brought up on a farm in Scotland, scientist Alexander Fleming wasn’t afraid
of getting his hands dirty, examining nasty bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus – which
in humans as well as horses, can cause death as well as vomiting and boils. One day, in
1928, Fleming came back from his holidays. He found some cultures of the Staphylococcus
aureus bacteria, which he had meant to throw away, had died. But, instead of throwing
them away, he stopped to think what might have caused some of his sample to die and
the rest to live. After a lot of time and effort in his lab, Fleming worked out that some
of his sample had been contaminated by a particular fungus – which he then managed to
grow himself. As an ex-soldier in World War I, he had seen hundreds of soldiers die due
to bacterial infection, and he figured that, if the fungus could kill bacteria on his bench,
it might also kill bacteria in wounded soldiers. And he was right. Having renamed his
mould juice Penicillin it was ready for public consumption in time for the next war, on D-
Day. Penicillin has saved the lives of millions of people, and horses, but - due to overuse
– some bacteria is becoming resistant and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus is
now widespread among humans – known by its more popular name: MRSA.
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INVENTIONS
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INVENTIONS
Key
1. Warm up
5-7 mins.
This task draws students’ attention to the objects around them. They should be able to list 10-20 objects by
looking around or thinking about their homes with the help of the photos. Have the students compare their lists
and then compile a joint list as a whole class on the board. Clarify the meaning and work on pronunciation.
1. stairs 2. a tap 3. a spoon 4. a light switch

5. coins 6. a plate 7. a door handle 8. a dustbin
2. What’s in your backpack?
10-12 mins.
Students revise and learn more names of everyday objects, and then they practise listening for details.
In the final task, they talk about the contents of their school bags. If they want to talk about things not mentioned
in 2a, b and c, help them with the vocabulary; prepare a list of objects they might have, bring pictures or bilingual
dictionaries, or let them use the Internet. After the students have worked in pairs, ask a few individuals to show
the contents of their bags to the class.
Part A
1. a torch 2. a highlighter 3. a pencil sharpener 4. sunscreen

5. body wipes 6. earphones 7. tissues 8. a water bottle
Part B
The boy’s backpack:
coloured pencils, a comb, earphones, glue, a highlighter, a pencil case, a pencil sharpener, scissors, tissues
The girl’s rucksack:

body wipes, a compass, a comb, earphones, a torch, a map, sunglasses, sunscreen, tissues, a toothbrush, a towel
Part C
1. No, he doesn’t. 2. He has breakfast at home. 3. He eats lunch at the cafeteria.

4. His homework. 5. She likes drawing. 6. A sleeping bag.
Optional extension:
play a game where students take one of the cards and try to explain what they have. Students play in pairs or
small groups.
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INVENTIONS
3. What are they for?
5 min.
This activity clarifies the meaning of some of the vocabulary used in the previous task, and makes the students
think about the history of everyday objects.
Part A:
1. sunscreen 2. highlighter 3. body wipes 4. folder 5. torch

6. earphones 7. glass 8. wheels 9. iron 10. camera
Part B:
camera, glass, iron, wheels
4. An invention that saves lives
15 min.
Start by eliciting examples of inventions that save lives, e.g. a parachute, transplants, and medicine. Then, tell them
that they will watch a video about the discovery of the first antibiotic. Make sure they understand the sentences
in 5b before they watch the video. While watching the video, tell them to focus on the main events. They should
be able to order the events in spite of the unfamiliar words in the video.
Part A
1. seen, 2. Some, 3. kills, 4. grows, 5. eaten, 6. lives, 7. has
Part B:
In 1928, Alexander Fleming was working on the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INVENTIONS
He grew the dangerous bacteria in his laboratory.

He left some bacteria on his desk.
He went on holiday.
He came back from his holidays.
He discovered that some of the bacteria were dead.
He found mould and studied the fungus in it.
He grew the fungus on his own.
He called it penicillin.
Penicillin saved the lives of many people.
Part C:
1. brought up 2. examined 3. throw away 4. wounded
5. Language focus: Past Perfect
7 min.
The task introduces the Past Perfect.
Part A: had died, had killed, had grown.
Part B:
1. had cut 2. ate 3. had grown 4. went 5. had left 6. saved

Part C:
1. sharpened ≀ had used 2. realised ≀ had seen

3. didn’t call ≀ had lost 4. woke up ≀ had fallen
5. ate ≀ had cooked 6. hadn’t flown ≀ were
6. Optional extension: a game
10 min.
The students can practise the tenses using the version of the task presented in the worksheet. Alternatively, use
the extension cards from activity 4. The cards are in a pile with the word/picture facing up. Student A takes two
cards and decides which object was invented first. The dates are on the back of the cards. Then, they make a
sentence using Past Simple and Past Perfect. They cannot use the verbs ‘invent’ or ‘use’. If they cannot think of a
sentence, they put the cards at the bottom of the file.
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

ENGLISH FOR TEENAGERS · GENERAL ISSUES · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet

a door handle a dustbin a light switch a plate

Which of those objects do you use every day?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/8

2 What’s in your backpack?

body wipes earphones coloured pencils glue

a highlighter a map a pencil case a pencil sharpener

scissors sunglasses a towel a water bottle

sunscreen tissues a toothbrush a torch

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 2/8

Part C: answer the questions.

1. Does Oleg have any snacks or sandwiches?

2. Where does he eat breakfast?

3. Which meal does he eat in the school cafeteria?

4. What is in his folders?

5. What’s Zoe’s hobby?

6. What’s at the bottom of her rucksack?

Now, tell a classmate what you have in your bag.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 3/8

3 What are they for?

Part A: Guess the object(s) described.

1. It protects your skin against the sun.

2. You use it to make marks on printed text.

3. You use it to wash your body when you have no water.

4. It keeps sheets of paper together.

5. You use it then it is dark and there is no electricity.

7. It is used to make windows and mirrors.

8. A car has four of them and a bicycle has two.

9. It is a metal used to build machines and tools.

10. You take photos with it.

How many of the things above existed in the year 1900?

4 An invention that saves lives

Part A: Read the deﬁnitions and underline the correct forms.

• bacteria (singular – bacterium)

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 4/8

He grew the dangerous bacteria in his laboratory.

5 He came back from his holidays.

In 1928, Alexander Fleming was working on the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

He found mould and studied the fungus in it.

He discovered that some of the bacteria were dead.

He left some bacteria on his desk.

Penicillin saved the lives of many people.

He grew the fungus on his own.

Part C: Complete the sentences with the verbs.

brought up examined throw away wounded

1. Alexander Fleming was on a farm.

2. He many kinds of dangerous bacteria.

3. He forgot to some cultures of bacteria.

4. Many soldiers died because of infection.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 5/8

5 Language focus: Past Perfect

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 6/8

Part B: Complete the missing verb forms.

Present Simple Past Simple Past Perfect

2. When the ﬁlm started I (realise) that I (see) it before.

3. I (not call) you because I (lose) your number.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 7/8

6 Optional extension: a game

paper → 105 eyeglasses → pencil → 1565 microscope → telescope →

thermometer → steamboat → hot-air balloon canned food → steam train →

bicycle → 1818 matches → 1826 photography → plastic → 1862 telephone →

light bulb → car → 1886 radio → 1895 ﬂashlight/torch airplane → 1903