Should people be allowed to carry a gun wherever they go? Is gun ownership a big problem in some places?
This is a lesson plan on guns. The right to own them and the problems they may cause. Not an easy topic to discuss, but one that will create a lot of discussion and debate in any English lesson.
You can download the full and complete lesson plan by clicking the link below.
Introduction
What do you think of guns?
Are guns legal in your country?
Should all guns be banned?
Reading
Cody owns several guns.
“I have six in total,” he says. “All of them licensed to me. And I have a firearms expert certificate too.”
He lives in a country where many people own guns.
“All my family have guns of their own. My father has more guns than I do. My brother owns guns. Even my wife. But not my kids.”
He smiles. But then adopts a serious tone.
“But quite frankly, I believe it is my right to own a firearm. I believe it is my right to protect my family any way that I can.”
What does he mean by this?
“I mean, that if someone is trying to break into my house and there’s just me, my wife and our two children, then it is my civic duty as a husband and father — as a man — to take care of business.”
Take care of business?
“If someone tries to break into our house, I will shoot them.”
Cody nods his head.
“I have to tell you, where we are, we are miles from anywhere. We are quite literally in the middle of nowhere. If an intruder came in here, sure, I could call the police, but they would not be able to get here for at least half an hour.”
He glances over to the living room where his two daughters are watching cartoons on the TV.
“Anything could happen in that time. And I am not prepared to take that risk.”
But some people disagree very strongly with Cody. Some groups want to ban all guns.
“They can protest all they want,” says Cody. “That will not deter me. Most of these people live in very safe neighbourhoods in rich cities. No crime there and no danger.”
Has Cody ever used a gun before?
“Oh yes, I have used a gun many times. Me and my father and my brother go deer hunting every year. We shoot ducks too.”
Only on animals?
“Depends on what you mean by animals.” He laughs. “No, so far only on animals. But that doesn’t mean I would not shoot a person. My father had to before.”
What happened to your father?
“He heard a noise in his garage, so he went down to check it out. He opened the door and saw two car thieves trying to jack his car. So he shot one of them in the leg. The other one ran off like he was running in the Olympics.”
Did the police say anything to your father?
“The police round here all know that if people need to use a weapon to protect their home and their family, they will do exactly that.”
So no punishment for your father?
“No. But the guy he shot went to hospital. That was one tough lesson he learned that day.”
Do you think the law will ever change about guns?
“I personally do not think so. And even if it did, I would still keep a couple around. I need them.”
Reading Comprehension Questions
How many guns does Cody have?
What licenses and certificates does he have?
Who else that Cody knows owns a gun?
Why does Cody insist on owning guns?
What would he do if someone broke into his house?
Is Cody far from the police? How do you know?
Who disagrees with Cody? What does he say about them and their lifestyle?
Has he ever shot a gun before? Give details.
Who in his family has used a gun on a person before? What were the reasons for doing so?
What did the police do about it?
What happened to the man that was shot?
Essential Vocabulary
licensed | firearms |
expert | certificate |
adopts | a serious tone |
quite frankly | my right |
break into my house | civic duty |
take care of business | miles from anywhere |
quite literally | in the middle of nowhere |
intruder | glances |
living room | cartoons |
risk | ban |
protest | deter |
neighbourhoods | deer hunting |
garage | check it out |
car thieves | to jack |
Olympics | weapon |
protect | punishment |
tough lesson | the law |
Exercise
Write down all the words and phrases in your vocabulary notebook. Look in your dictionary
and find the meaning of each word. Write the definition next to each word.
Then make up your own sentences using each word or phrase.
For example:
Notebook—a small book with pages of blank paper that students use to make notes when
studying.
“I left my notebook at home so I was unable to make any notes in my English class.”
Guns vs No Guns
This is a debate exercise.
Split the class equally into two teams. Choose one student to be adjudicator — this person will ensure there is order during the debate.
Team 1 — You think all guns should be banned. There is too much gun violence and innocent people are losing their lives. There are also school shootings. Enough is enough and all guns must be banned!
Team 2 — You think that it is your right to carry and own a gun. You need to protect your family and your home. There are too many criminals on the street and the police cannot be with you and your loved ones at all times, so you have to be there for them. Owning a gun is your human right!
Discussion Questions
What do you think of Cody’s views on guns? Is he right or wrong?
Why do you think he has six guns? What use are they all to him?
What does he mean when he says ‘take care of business’?
What does he mean when he says ‘depends what you mean by animals’?
Would you like to own a gun? Why/why not?
Do you think guns are more necessary in some countries than others?
Do you think it is a man’s duty to look after his family and protect them from harm?
Do you think more guns means more violence in society? Explain your opinions on this.
Should all police be allowed to carry guns?
Have you heard of school shootings in America? What are your thoughts on this?
If we ban guns, people will just carry knives. Do you agree with this statement?
Is gun violence in America out of control? What can be done about it?
Writing
Write a poem about gun violence.
Your poem should have a strong message and have at least three verses. When you are finished read it out in front of the class.
I hope this lesson was useful for you as a teacher or a student. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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