EAL/D Lessons for International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is one of my favourite days to acknowledge in the classroom. It’s a meaningful opportunity to celebrate inspiring women, spark powerful discussions, and build language skills at the same time.
If you’re looking for low-prep, engaging ESL lessons that work across mixed levels, I’ve got you covered. These three biography-based lessons are perfect for A1–B1 students and integrate listening, reading, speaking, and writing in one easy package.
Let’s take a look:
1. Greta Thunberg ESL Biography Lesson
If you want a lesson that feels current, empowering, and globally relevant, Greta Thunberg is a fantastic choice.
Students are often surprised to learn how young she was when she started her climate strike movement. Her story naturally sparks discussion about:
Youth leadership
Protecting the environment
Speaking up for what you believe in
This lesson includes listening, reading, speaking, and writing tasks, making it ideal for building confidence across all four skills. It’s also completely no-prep, which we all appreciate during busy weeks.
Perfect for discussions like:
“Can young people change the world?”
2. Rosa Parks ESL Biography Lesson
Rosa Parks’ story is powerful, accessible, and deeply important. Even beginner ESL learners can connect with the simple but courageous act that helped spark the Civil Rights Movement.
This lesson works beautifully for:
Practising past tense verbs
Sequencing events
Discussing fairness and equality
Building vocabulary around rights and discrimination
Students often have thoughtful reactions to her story, which leads to meaningful speaking activities. It’s one of those lessons that feels both language-rich and socially significant.
A great discussion question to finish with:
“What would you have done in her situation?”
3. Serena Williams ESL Biography Lesson
If you’re looking for something high-energy and motivating, Serena Williams is a classroom favourite.
Her journey opens up fantastic conversations about:
Hard work and perseverance
Overcoming challenges
Gender equality in sport
Confidence and resilience
Students love learning about her achievements, and sports-themed biographies tend to engage even your more reluctant readers. The integrated listening, reading, speaking, and writing tasks make it easy to stretch both lower and higher-level learners.
Try ending with:
“What makes someone a champion?”
Why Biography Lessons Work So Well for ESL
Biography-based lessons are ideal for International Women’s Day because they:
Build reading and listening comprehension
Reinforce past tense structures
Encourage meaningful discussion
Naturally integrate writing tasks
Introduce important global topics
Most importantly, they allow students to see real examples of courage, leadership, and determination, while also developing their English skills.
International Women’s Day doesn’t need to mean extra planning or complicated projects. With the right resources, you can create thoughtful, engaging lessons that celebrate inspiring women and build language confidence at the same time.
Which biography will you be teaching this year?
