brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/johannes-gutenberg-printing-press/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “How many books do you have at home? How do you think books were made 600 years ago?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–11′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: expensive, page, metal, ink, printing press. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 11–18′ | Video | Play the video (4:30). Students follow the transcript. Play it a second time if needed. |
| 18–26′ | Comprehension | Worksheet C (or the online Story Challenge): check answers together. Ask “How do you know?” |
| 26–34′ | Grammar | is / are + past participle (present simple passive): when the action is more important than the person who does it. Show “Millions of books are printed every year.”, then do worksheet E together. |
| 34–42′ | Worksheet | Students do worksheet A, B and D alone or in pairs. Check with the answer key. |
| 42–45′ | Speaking | In pairs: “Gutenberg finished his great book, but he lost his workshop. Was his life a success? Which invention today is changing the world as much as the printing press did?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- expensive (adjective): costing a lot of money. “Books were very expensive.”
- page (noun): one side of a sheet of paper in a book. “Every page was copied by hand.”
- metal (noun): a strong, shiny material such as iron, lead or gold. “He made small letters out of metal.”
- ink (noun): the coloured liquid used for writing and printing. “He needed a new ink that stuck to metal.”
- printing press (noun): a machine that presses ink onto paper to make many copies. “His printing press changed the world.”
Grammar: is / are + past participle (present simple passive) — when the action is more important than the person who does it. “Millions of books are printed every year.”
Discussion questions
- Gutenberg finished his great book, but he lost his workshop. Was his life a success? Which invention today is changing the world as much as the printing press did?
- What was the hardest moment in Johannes Gutenberg's story? What did Johannes Gutenberg do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “is / are + past participle (present simple passive)”. (From the story: “Millions of books are printed every year.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- expensive (adjective)
- page (noun)
- metal (noun)
- ink (noun)
- printing press (noun)
- movable type (noun)
- scribe (noun)
- printer (noun)
- a strong, shiny material such as iron, lead or gold
- the coloured liquid used for writing and printing
- one side of a sheet of paper in a book
- single letters that can be moved and used again and again
- a person who copied books and documents by hand
- costing a lot of money
- a person or a machine that prints books or papers
- a machine that presses ink onto paper to make many copies
B Complete the sentences from the story
printing press · page · metal · Movable type · scribe · printer · ink · expensive
- Books were very .
- Gutenberg was the first great in Europe.
- His changed the world.
- He made small letters out of .
- A could spend years on one Bible.
- Every was copied by hand.
- made printing much faster.
- He needed a new that stuck to metal.
C Did you understand?
- Before Gutenberg, books in Europe were cheap.True / False
- What did Gutenberg make in Strasbourg?
- Wine
- Big ships
- Small metal mirrors
- Paper money
- What did a visitor say about the Bible's letters?
- They were too small
- You could read them without glasses
- They were written by monks
- They were all red
- Gutenberg won the court case against Fust.True / False
- How many of his Bibles survive today?
- About 180
- About 1,300
- Only one
- About 49
D Put the words in order
- every / are / year / of / printed / books / Millions
E Grammar: is / are + past participle (present simple passive)
We use it for when the action is more important than the person who does it. Millions of books are printed every year. · Each letter is cast from hot metal. · The page is covered with ink.
Example from the story: Millions of books are printed every year.
- Millions of books printed every year. (are / is / be)
- Each letter is from hot metal. (cast / casting / casts)
- His Bibles are in famous libraries. (kept / keep / keeping)
F Your turn
Retell Johannes Gutenberg's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1f 2c 3a 4b 5h 6d 7e 8g
B. 1 expensive · 2 printer · 3 printing press · 4 metal · 5 scribe · 6 page · 7 Movable type · 8 ink
C. 1 False · 2 c · 3 b · 4 False · 5 d
D. 1 Millions of books are printed every year.
E. 1 are · 2 cast · 3 kept
Transcript
In the Middle Ages, copying one Bible by hand could take a year or more.
Then a metalworker in Germany had an idea.
Soon, a book could be made in a fraction of the time.
This is the story of Johannes Gutenberg.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Expensive. Something expensive costs a lot of money.
Books were very expensive.
Page. A page is one side of a sheet of paper in a book.
Every page was copied by hand.
Metal. Metal is a strong, shiny material, such as iron, lead or gold.
He made small letters out of metal.
Ink. Ink is the coloured liquid we use for writing and printing.
He needed a new ink that stuck to metal.
Printing press. A printing press is a machine that presses ink onto paper.
His printing press changed the world.
Now, one pattern: the present simple passive.
We use it when the action is more important than the person who does it.
People print millions of books every year.
Millions of books are printed every year.
Ready? Let's begin.
Johannes Gutenberg was born around 1400 in Mainz, a city on the River Rhine in Germany.
He became a skilled metalworker.
At that time, books were very expensive.
Every page was copied by hand, often by monks.
In the city of Strasbourg, he made small metal mirrors for a great religious festival.
Visitors held them up to catch the holy light.
But the festival was delayed by a year, and his money was stuck.
Secretly, he was working on a bigger idea.
What if letters could be made of metal and used again and again?
He made small letters out of metal.
Here is how it works.
Each letter is cast from hot metal.
The letters are set in lines to make a page.
He needed a new ink that stuck to metal, so he made an oily one.
He built a wooden press, like the ones used to squeeze grapes.
The page is covered with ink and pressed onto paper.
And it can be printed again and again.
Back in Mainz, he borrowed a lot of money from a rich man, Johann Fust.
Then he started his biggest project: a Bible of almost 1,300 pages.
About twenty workers helped him.
Would he finish it?
Around 1454, the Bibles were ready, about 180 copies.
A visitor wrote that the letters were so clear you could read them without glasses.
Every copy was sold.
But Fust wanted his money back.
In 1455, he took Gutenberg to court.
The court decided for Fust, and much of the workshop and the Bibles probably went to him.
Years later, in 1465, the Archbishop of Mainz honoured Gutenberg with new clothes, grain and wine every year.
He died in early 1468.
By 1500, printing presses were working in more than 250 towns in Europe.
Millions of books were printed.
His printing press changed the world.
Ideas could now travel faster than ever.
Today, about 49 of his Bibles survive.
They are kept in famous libraries and museums.
And millions of books are printed every year.
Let's review. Books were very expensive.
Every page was copied by hand.
He made small letters out of metal.
He needed a new ink that stuck to metal.
His printing press changed the world.
And remember: millions of books are printed every year.
Johannes Gutenberg's story teaches us: one good idea can open the door to knowledge for everyone.
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