This text is extracted from the grade 11 English Pupils book. This post will explore ways to teach vocabulary, comprehension, reading, speaking and grammar using this interesting text. If you don't have the textbook you can download this text here.
VANDALISM
Vandalism is an offence that is caused when a person
deliberately destroys, alters or defaces someone else's property without
permission. It is mostly aimed at public property such as public transport
services, bus stops, parks, road signs and other public places. It can also
occur at individual level too such as scratching someone’s car or distorting
the information on a person’s website. Among many reasons, personal attitudes
and basic social problems are at the root of vandalism. It may occur because of
a lack of meaningful activities, disciplinary problems, and negative feelings
such as revenge, boredom, anger, and frustration. It can be the result of peer
group pressure, playfulness, curiosity and pleasure too. Although most vandals
do not have a clear motive for their acts, and may consider it as a simple act
of fun or art. However, it is a punishable crime with imprisonment, monetary
fines, or both as laws exist in a country to prevent vandalism.
Certain effects of vandalism are considered insignificant
while others are considered extremely severe. However, it is a problem that affects
everyone in some way or other. It can affect one’s family, friends, and the
community. When facilities, such as public transport services, parks and public
restrooms are vandalized, it makes using such places unpleasant and
demoralizing. As a result of vandalism, fire and emergency services are
affected by increased workloads. Citizens of a country pay their taxes in order
to build a better community for the future generation. But when public property
is vandalized, they are the ones who have to pay for the damage.
There are different approaches that can be taken to prevent
vandalism. It can be done by educating individuals, especially the young people
about its consequences and nature. Another way to prevent vandalism is to use
property designs such as ceramic tiles on walls which are easy to clean. In
addition, rough textured surfaces where scrawling with graffiti is impossible,
reduce vandalistic behavior in public places. An essential approach to
reducing vandalism is to monitor the condition of a property regularly. Studies
reveal that vandalism carried out by individuals of all ages increases when
people think they are left out from the society or community. Thus, involvement
in community activities can encourage a sense of belonging and pride which will
help them to respect and think positively about their community. Everyone
should understand the duties and responsibilities of a citizen and decide what
is right and what is wrong. Therefore, in preventing vandalism, self-discipline
plays a bigger role than laws.
Let's move to the lesson plan: You can download the worksheet If you have facilities to provide students the handout. Download here.
Lesson Overview
- Subject: English as a Second Language (ESL)
- Topic: Social Issues: Vandalism
- Target Audience: 14–15 years old (Lower-Intermediate)
- Class Size: 40 Students
- Duration: 45 Minutes
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Vocabulary: Define and use key terms such as deliberately, deface, peer pressure, and consequences.
Reading Comprehension: Identify the causes, effects, and solutions of vandalism within the text.
Critical Thinking: Discuss the role of self-discipline versus laws in their own community.
Materials Needed
The Text: Copies of the "Vandalism" text (one per student or one per pair).
Board & Markers.
Visuals (Optional): A picture of street graffiti and a picture of a broken bus stop.Lesson Procedure
1. Warm-up & Context Setting (5 Minutes)
The Hook: Draw a simple stick figure "scratching" a car on the board, or show a picture of graffiti.
Ask: "Is this art, or is this a crime?"
Brainstorm: Ask students to shout out words related to damaging public property. (Expected answers: bad, crime, police, breaking).Introduce the Topic: Write VANDALISM on the board. Explain that today they will read about why people do this and how to stop it.
2. Pre-Teaching Vocabulary (7 Minutes)
If the class is lower-intermediate, pre-teaching is crucial for comprehension.
Write the following words on the left side of the board and simple definitions on the right. Ask students to match them (whole class or think-pair-share).| Word | Definition (Simplified) |
| 1. Deliberately | A. To spoil or damage the surface of something |
| 2. Deface | B. On purpose / Planned (not an accident) |
| 3. Peer Pressure | C. Making someone lose confidence or hope |
| 4. Demoralizing | D. When friends influence you to do something |
| 5. Scrawling | E. Writing or drawing in a messy way |
3. First Reading: Skimming for Gist (8 Minutes)
Instruction: Tell students they have 3 minutes to read the text quickly. They do not need to understand every word.
Task: Ask them to match the three paragraphs to these headings (Write headings on board):
How to stop vandalism
What is vandalism and why does it happen?
The bad results (effects) of vandalism
Process: Students read silently. Then, ask for a show of hands to confirm the order.
4. Second Reading: Scanning for Details (15 Minutes)
Grouping: Put students in pairs (this helps manage the 40-student size and encourages peer support).
Activity - The Information Grid: Draw a grid on the board. Ask students to copy it (or provide a handout) and fill it in by finding the information in the text.The Grid:
| Category | Find 2-3 Examples from the text |
| Targets (What gets damaged?) | (e.g., Bus stops, parks, websites...) |
| Causes (Why do they do it?) | (e.g., Boredom, revenge, peer pressure...) |
| Effects (What happens?) | (e.g., Unpleasant places, waste of tax money...) |
| Solutions (How to stop it?) | (e.g., Education, tiles/rough surfaces, community activities...) |
Monitoring: Walk around the room. Assist struggling pairs by pointing to the specific paragraph where the answer lies.
Feedback: Elicit answers from different pairs to complete the grid on the main board.5. Post-Reading Discussion & Wrap Up (10 Minutes)
Critical Thinking Question: Refer to the last line of the text: "Self-discipline plays a bigger role than laws."
Class Vote: Ask the class: "To stop vandalism in [Your City/School], what is more important?"
Option B: Better education and community activities (Self-discipline).
Discussion: Ask 2-3 students from each side to explain "Why?" using one phrase from the text if possible.
Extended Lesson: Making a Poster
This task encourages creativity while reinforcing the vocabulary and concepts learned in the lesson.
The Mission
Imagine the Town Council has asked YOU to help stop vandalism. Your job is to design a poster that will be put up in parks, bus stops, and schools to encourage people to respect public property.
Instructions
1. Choose Your Message Look back at the text we read in class. Pick one idea for your poster:
The Cost: Remind people that vandalism wastes tax money.
The Community: Remind people that we should have pride in where we live.
The Consequence: Remind people that vandalism makes places ugly and unpleasant.2. Write a Slogan (Catchy Title) Create a short, powerful sentence in English. It should be easy to read.
Example A: "Don't Deface – Keep Our Parks Safe!"
Example B: "Be Smart: Respect Public Art."
Example C: "Your Taxes Pay for This Damage."3. Draw the Visuals Draw a picture that supports your message. You can show:
A comparison (Sad broken park vs. Happy clean park).
A stop sign or warning symbol.
People working together to clean up.Student Checklist
Before you hand it in, check these boxes:
- [ ] I have a catchy Slogan in English.
- [ ] My spelling and grammar are correct.
- [ ] My poster uses color and is easy to see from far away.
- [ ] The message is clearly related to the text we read.
Marking Procedure:
Teacher's Note for Next Class
When the students bring these posters in, you can do a "Gallery Walk":
Stick the posters on the classroom walls.
Have students walk around and choose their favorite one (they cannot pick their own).
Ask 3 students to explain why they liked the one they chose.
Extended Activity 02: Developing a Role-Play
This moves the students from reading about vandalism to practicing how to speak up against it in a real-life situation.
ACTIVITY: The Bus Stop Decision
Time: 15 Minutes
Group Size: Groups of 3 (Perfect for a class of 40; you will have roughly 13 groups).
Goal: To practice resisting "Peer Pressure" and discussing "Consequences."Divide the class into groups of 3.
Assign Roles: Student A, Student B, and Student C.
Write the "Useful Language" on the board (see below) so students can use these phrases during the acting.
Action: Give them 5 minutes to practice, then ask 2 or 3 brave groups to perform for the class.
Student Role Cards
(You can print this and cut it into strips, or project it on the screen).
The Situation:
Three friends are waiting for a bus. The bus is late. Everyone is bored. There is a marker pen on the bench.
Role A: The "Cool" Kid (The Instigator)
Goal: You are bored. You find a marker pen. You want to write your nickname on the bus stop advertisement. You try to force your friends to do it too.
Key Phrase: "Come on! It’s just for fun. No one is looking."Role B: The Hesitant Friend (The Follower)
Goal: You are nervous. You think it might be funny, but you are scared of getting caught. You don't know what to do.
Key Phrase: "I don't know... what if the police come?"Role C: The Responsible Citizen (The Voice of Reason)
Goal: You remember the lesson about vandalism. You know this is wrong (defacing property) and costs tax money. You must stop your friends.
Key Phrase: "Stop! That’s vandalism. It makes our town look ugly."USEFUL LANGUAGE BANK
(Write this on the board to help them speak)
| Persuading (Role A) | Hesitating (Role B) | Refusing/Stopping (Role C) |
| "Don't be a baby!" | "Maybe we shouldn't..." | "No way. I'm not doing that." |
| "It's art, not a crime." | "Is it really safe?" | "Think about the consequences." |
| "Just one small mark." | "I don't want trouble." | "We have to pay for this with taxes." |
| "Everybody does it." | "What if my parents find out?" | "Put the pen down." |
Wrap-Up Discussion (After the Role-Play)
Ask the whole class these questions to finish the activity:
To the "Role C" students: Was it hard to say "No" to your friends? Why?
To the "Role A" students: Did you listen to your friend? Why or why not?
Concept Check: Which "Cause" from the text did we just act out? (Answer: Peer Pressure / Boredom).
Extended Activity - Grammar - Passive Voice
Here is a concise, high-impact 10-minute Mini-Lesson on the Passive Voice using the Vandalism text.
Focus: Present Simple Passive
Goal: Students will understand that we use Passive Voice when the action is more important than who did it (or when we don't know who did it).
1. The Hook: "The Mystery Crime" (2 Minutes)
Write this sentence on the board:
- Someone broke the bus stop.
Say: "In English, if we don't know the person, or if the bus stop is more important than the person, we flip the sentence."
Write underneath:
- The bus stop is broken.
2. The Formula (3 Minutes)
Draw this structure on the board clearly. Use colors if possible.
The Rule:
- Subject (The thing receiving the action)
- + TO BE (is / are)
- + Past Participle (Verb-3)
Quick Check: Ask students to convert these verbs (write on board):
destroy --> destroyed
vandalize --> vandalized
break --> broken (Irregular!)
3. The "Grammar Hunt" (5 Minutes)
Instruction: "Look at your text on Vandalism. I want you to become Grammar Detectives. Find and underline 3 sentences that use the Passive Voice pattern (is/are + action)."
Give them 2 minutes.Ask for answers. Write the correct ones on the board to verify.
Key Sentences hidden in the text (Answer Key):
"Vandalism... is aimed at public property..." (Paragraph 1)
"Certain effects... are considered insignificant..." (Paragraph 2)
"...public restrooms are vandalized..." (Paragraph 2)
"...emergency services are affected..." (Paragraph 2)
"...public property is vandalized..." (Paragraph 2)
4. Quick Practice Drill (If time permits)
- Say: "I will say an Active sentence. You change it to Passive."
- Teacher: "People pay taxes." --> Student: "Taxes are paid."
- Teacher: "Someone destroys the park." -->Student: "The park is destroyed."
You have now covered Reading, Vocabulary, Speaking, Writing (Poster), and Grammar.
These activities are just a guideline. The teacher can adapt or make different activities depending on the level of students. Let me know your experience by commenting below.
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