Fairy Tales - A Video Shorts Lesson

A Creative ESL Lesson Plan That Brings Stories—and Students—to Life

Looking for a lesson that sparks imagination, inspires discussion, and gets your students truly talking?

"Fairy Tales" is a ready-to-use, high-impact ESL lesson plan designed for B1+ learners that transforms your classroom into a world of magic, mystery, and meaningful conversation.

Using the captivating short film Croaked, students dive into the world of fairy tales and folk stories while developing their speaking, listening, and critical thinking skills. But this isn't just a watch-and-talk lesson—your students will retell stories, argue in a mock trial, debate the role of media, and even create their own modern fairy tale.

Why teachers love it:

• Zero prep – Just open, play, and teach
• Flexible – Works as a one-off lesson or part of a broader storytelling unit
• Engaging – Perfect for mixed-ability groups who need a break from the coursebook

Why students love it:

• It’s fun, surprising, and different
• It gives them a real reason to speak
• It connects English to their own ideas and creativity

Give your students a lesson they’ll remember—and talk about long after the bell rings.

🎬 Includes video link, lesson procedures, discussion tasks, role play ideas, and a creative project.