brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/chu-van-an-honest-teacher/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “Who was your favourite teacher? Why do you remember him or her?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–13′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: student, lesson, respect, honest, quit. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 13–20′ | Video | Play the video (about 4 min). 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 | ask + someone + to + verb: to say what one person wants another person to do (a request). Show “He asked the king to punish seven men.”, 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: “Chu Văn An told the king the truth, and he lost his job. Is it always right to tell the truth to someone powerful? What would you do?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- student (noun): a person who learns at a school. “Students came to his village school from far away.”
- lesson (noun): a time when a teacher teaches something. “He gave lessons to the king's son.”
- respect (verb): to think that someone is good and important (past: respected). “Everyone respected him.”
- honest (adjective): always telling the truth. “Chu Văn An was always honest.”
- quit (verb): to stop doing a job and leave it (past: quit). “He quit his job at the palace.”
Grammar: ask + someone + to + verb — to say what one person wants another person to do (a request). “He asked the king to punish seven men.”
Discussion questions
- Chu Văn An told the king the truth, and he lost his job. Is it always right to tell the truth to someone powerful? What would you do?
- What was the hardest moment in Chu Văn An's story? What did Chu Văn An do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “ask + someone + to + verb”. (From the story: “He asked the king to punish seven men.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- student (noun)
- lesson (noun)
- respect (verb)
- honest (adjective)
- quit (verb)
- Temple of Literature (noun (name))
- official (noun)
- academy (noun)
- a person who learns at a school
- to think that someone is good and important (past: respected)
- always telling the truth
- a person with an important job in the government
- a time when a teacher teaches something
- a special school, often for higher studies
- a famous old place in Hanoi; Vietnam's royal school (Quốc Tử Giám) was there
- to stop doing a job and leave it (past: quit)
B Complete the sentences from the story
officials · Academy · lessons · respected · quit · Students · honest · Temple of Literature
- He asked the king to punish seven powerful .
- He gave to the king's son.
- He his job at the palace.
- came to his village school from far away.
- He taught at the Imperial in Thăng Long.
- People remember him at the .
- Chu Văn An was always .
- Everyone him.
C Did you understand?
- Chu Văn An taught the king's son.True / False
- What did Chu Văn An ask the king to do?
- Punish seven powerful men
- Build a new school
- Give him more money
- Make him a general
- The king agreed with his letter.True / False
- Where did he go after he quit?
- To Phoenix Mountain
- To another country
- To the sea
- To a big city
- When is Vietnamese Teachers' Day?
- 20 November
- 1 January
- 8 March
- 1 June
D Put the words in order
- the / to / asked / He / seven / king / punish / men
E Grammar: ask + someone + to + verb
We use it for to say what one person wants another person to do (a request). He asked the king to punish seven men. · The king asked him to teach his son. · Another king asked him to come back.
Example from the story: He asked the king to punish seven men.
- He asked the king punish seven men. (to / for / that)
- The king asked to teach his son. (him / he / his)
- She asked her friend her with her homework. (to help / helps / helping)
F Your turn
Retell Chu Văn An's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1a 2e 3b 4c 5h 6g 7d 8f
B. 1 officials · 2 lessons · 3 quit · 4 Students · 5 Academy · 6 Temple of Literature · 7 honest · 8 respected
C. 1 True · 2 a · 3 False · 4 a · 5 a
D. 1 He asked the king to punish seven men.
E. 1 to · 2 him · 3 to help
Transcript
Long ago in Vietnam, a teacher sent a letter to the king.
It said: punish seven powerful men.
What would the king do?
This is the story of Chu Văn An.
Student.
A student is a person who learns at a school.
Students came to his village school from far away.
Lesson.
A lesson is a time when a teacher teaches something.
He gave lessons to the king's son.
Respect.
When you respect someone, you think they are good and important.
Everyone respected him.
Honest.
An honest person always tells the truth.
Chu Văn An was always honest.
Quit.
When you quit a job, you stop doing it and leave.
The past is quit.
He quit his job at the palace.
Now, one pattern: ask, plus a person, plus to, plus a verb.
We use it for requests.
"Please punish seven men," he said.
He asked the king to punish seven men.
Ready?
Let's begin.
Chu Văn An had a small school near Hanoi.
Students came to his village school from far away.
Then the king asked him to teach his son.
So he gave lessons to the king's son.
Everyone respected him.
His old students got top jobs at the palace, but they still bowed low to him.
Years later, a new king loved parties and music.
Many officials were bad, and people were hungry.
Chu Văn An was always honest.
He told the king the truth.
But the king didn't listen.
So Chu Văn An wrote a letter.
He asked the king to punish seven men, all powerful officials.
The king did not agree.
So Chu Văn An quit his job at the palace.
People say he hung his hat on a palace gate.
He went to live on Phoenix Mountain.
There, he taught students again.
Years later, another king asked him to come back.
He visited the king, then went home to his mountain.
Today, people remember him at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi.
And every year on Teachers' Day, Vietnam thanks all its teachers.
Let's review.
Students came to his village school from far away.
He gave lessons to the king's son.
Everyone respected him.
Chu Văn An was always honest.
He quit his job at the palace.
And remember: he asked the king to punish seven men.
Chu Văn An's story teaches us: a good teacher tells the truth, even to a king.