Level: B2-C1 - Upper-Intermediate / Advanced

Time: 60 minutes

With everyone talking about Spain’s recent ‘apagón’, we think it’s a great moment to bring this real-world issue into your classroom.

Students will start by sharing their own experiences with power cuts, then take part in a guided reading of a BBC news article, with pair discussions along the way. Each section raises questions about comfort, dependence on technology, and how we react when the lights go out—giving learners plenty of chances to connect the text with their own lives.

They’ll then identify some key phrasal verbs from the text (run out of, get on with, go off, etc), then put them to use in a structured speaking activity.

To finish, students reflect on what the blackout tells us about modern habits and how we might live more consciously in a tech-heavy world—making for a thoughtful end to the class.

We’ve tried and tested this lesson out on our own groups and it has really gotten our students talking.

Don’t forget to check the downloadable lesson plan for step-by-step instructions, suggested timings, and tips for making it run smoothly.