brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/chiune-sugihara-visas/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “Have you ever needed a visa? What do you need to travel to another country?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–13′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: office, government, visa, pen, sign. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 13–20′ | Video | Play the video (4:00). Students follow the transcript. Play it a second time if needed. |
| 20–28′ | Comprehension | Worksheet C (or the online Story Challenge): check answers together. Ask “How do you know?” |
| 28–35′ | Grammar | until + time / clause: to say that something continues up to a time, and then stops. Show “He wrote visas until his train left.”, then do worksheet E together. |
| 35–43′ | Worksheet | Students do worksheet A, B and D alone or in pairs. Check with the answer key. |
| 43–45′ | Speaking | In pairs: “His government said no, but he helped anyway. When is it right to say yes when others say no?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- office (noun): a place where people work at desks. “Many families stood outside his office.”
- government (noun): the group of people who lead a country. “His government said no.”
- visa (noun): a document that lets you go into a country. “They needed a visa to Japan.”
- pen (noun): a thing you write with, using ink. “He wrote every visa with a pen.”
- sign (verb): to write your name on something. “He signed more than 2,000 visas.”
Grammar: until + time / clause — to say that something continues up to a time, and then stops. “He wrote visas until his train left.”
Discussion questions
- His government said no, but he helped anyway. When is it right to say yes when others say no?
- What was the hardest moment in Chiune Sugihara's story? What did Chiune Sugihara do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “until + time / clause”. (From the story: “He wrote visas until his train left.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- office (noun)
- government (noun)
- visa (noun)
- pen (noun)
- sign (verb)
- diplomat (noun)
- stamp (noun)
- handwriting (noun)
- the group of people who lead a country
- a place where people work at desks
- a thing you write with, using ink
- to write your name on something
- a document that lets you go into a country
- writing done by hand with a pen
- a person who works for their country in another country
- a small tool that prints a mark on paper
B Complete the sentences from the story
pen · signed · handwriting · government · stamp · visa · office · diplomat
- He was a Japanese in Lithuania.
- He wrote every visa with a .
- His said no.
- Each visa got a .
- They needed a to Japan.
- Many families stood outside his .
- He more than 2,000 visas.
- Every visa was in his own .
C Did you understand?
- His government told him to give visas to everyone.True / False
- Where did he work in 1940?
- In Tokyo
- In Paris
- In Kaunas, Lithuania
- In New York
- How many visas did he sign?
- About 20
- More than 2,000
- About 200
- Only one
- He wrote visas at the train station, too.True / False
D Put the words in order
- wrote / his / visas / He / left / train / until
E Grammar: until + time / clause
We use it for to say that something continues up to a time, and then stops. He wrote visas until his train left. · They waited from morning until night.
Example from the story: He wrote visas until his train left.
- He wrote visas his train left. (until / since / during)
- They waited from morning until . (night / yesterday / always)
- I stayed at school five o'clock. (until / for / during)
F Your turn
Retell Chiune Sugihara's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1b 2a 3e 4c 5d 6g 7h 8f
B. 1 diplomat · 2 pen · 3 government · 4 stamp · 5 visa · 6 office · 7 signed · 8 handwriting
C. 1 False · 2 c · 3 b · 4 True
D. 1 He wrote visas until his train left.
E. 1 until · 2 night · 3 until
Transcript
In 1940, hundreds of families stood outside a small office.
One man had a pen.
This is the story of Chiune Sugihara.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Office. An office is a place where people work at desks.
Many families stood outside his office.
Government. A government is the group of people who lead a country.
His government said no.
Visa. A visa is a document that lets you go into a country.
They needed a visa to Japan.
Pen. You write with a pen.
He wrote every visa with a pen.
Sign. When you sign something, you write your name on it.
He signed more than 2,000 visas.
Now, one pattern: until.
It means up to that time.
He wrote visas until his train left.
Ready? Let's begin.
Chiune Sugihara was from Japan.
In 1940, he worked for Japan in Kaunas, in Lithuania.
He lived there with his wife and children.
One summer morning, many families stood outside his office.
They were Jewish families running from the war.
They waited from morning until night.
They needed a visa to Japan.
He asked Tokyo.
His government said no.
What could he do?
He talked with his wife.
Then he decided to help.
He wrote every visa with a pen.
He was tired, but he did not stop.
He signed more than 2,000 visas, many for whole families.
Then the office closed.
He wrote visas at his hotel.
He wrote at the train station, too.
He wrote visas until his train left.
The families went across Russia, and then by ship to Japan.
After the war, he lost his job.
But today, many thousands of people are alive because of him.
Let's review. Many families stood outside his office.
His government said no.
They needed a visa to Japan.
He wrote every visa with a pen.
He signed more than 2,000 visas.
And remember: he wrote visas until his train left.
Chiune Sugihara's story teaches us: one person can save many lives.
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