Test scores around the world have been falling since 2012 – and Gen Z is at the centre of the debate. But are they really less intelligent, or is something else going on?
This 90-minute lesson is inspired by the BBC News video Is Gen Z getting less intelligent? and takes students on a deep dive into one of the most talked-about questions in education today. Students will explore the real data behind the PISA test, examine the possible causes of the decline – from COVID and school closures to screens, social media, and the rise of short-form video – and discover why the answer is far more complicated than a simple headline.
Students will:
- Develop listening comprehension skills by watching an authentic news-style video broken into two manageable parts
- Expand their vocabulary with academic words such as disruption, decouple, decline, deteriorate, displace, deliberate, attention span, and avidly
- Learn informal expressions and idioms from the video such as the elephant in the room, go viral, a blanket ban, get in the way of, play out, and get on with it
- Practise using new vocabulary in context through controlled gap-fill exercises with changing word forms
- Build speaking and critical thinking skills through structured discussion questions at every stage – from lead-in to personal response
This lesson gives students the tools to discuss one of the most debated questions in education today – and to do it in English with confidence.
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Teach English through Gen Z, falling test scores, and the debate over smartphones, social media, and intelligence.
