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Princess Diana and Public Life

A complete B1 classroom lesson with the EnglishDrills nine-colour lesson sequence.

B150–60 minutesBiography & societyPrintable

Teacher lesson: Look at the picture and title. What do you already know about this topic? Discuss with a partner and write two ideas. Work through the nine panels in order, or choose the sections that suit your class. Teacher answers and the listening script are stored separately.

Teacher Answers

1 Lesson Goals

By the end of this lesson, I will be able to:

understand the main ideas and key details in Princess Diana and Public Life.
learn and use important vocabulary from the lesson.
use the lesson language in speaking or writing.

Start here: What do you already know about this topic? Tell a partner one idea.

2 Reading

Before you read:

Look at the picture and title. What do you already know about this topic? Discuss with a partner and write two ideas.

Diana, Princess of Wales, became one of the most widely recognised public figures of the late twentieth century. She married Prince Charles in 1981 and soon attracted intense media attention. Diana supported many charitable causes and was particularly known for meeting people affected by illness, homelessness and landmines. Her public work helped draw attention to issues that were sometimes misunderstood or ignored. At the same time, her private life was closely followed by newspapers and photographers, which created continuing debate about the limits of media attention. Diana died in Paris in 1997. Decades later, people still discuss both her charitable work and the relationship between famous people, the media and privacy.

3 Vocabulary

Words: charitable · media · privacy · public figure · cause

Write a short meaning or example for each word.

charitable –

media –

privacy –

public figure –

cause –

4 Check Your Understanding

1. When did Diana marry Prince Charles?

2. What kinds of causes did she support?

3. How did her public work affect some issues?

4. What debate surrounded media attention?

5. Why is Diana still discussed today?

5 Language Focus

Put the verbs into the past simple.

1. Diana (marry) Prince Charles in 1981.

2. She (support) many charities.

3. Photographers (follow) her closely.

4. She (die) in 1997.

6 Listen & Speak

Listen

Listen to your teacher. You will hear the text twice. Answer the questions.

1. What two parts of her life made her famous?

2. Who did she meet through charity work?

3. Which campaign issue is mentioned?

4. What issue did media pressure raise?

Speak

Discuss with a partner.

• How can famous people use attention for good causes?
• Should public figures have strong privacy rights?
• Why does media interest become intense around some people?

Princess Diana and Public Life — Continued

7 Use Your English

Something New

Imagine you are editors choosing a headline about a famous person. Write two versions: one that respects privacy and one that is too intrusive. Discuss what makes the difference.

Write

Write 100–120 words about how a public figure can use fame to support a cause.

8 Puzzle or Game

Memory Challenge

Close or cover the Vocabulary panel. In 45 seconds, write as many lesson words as you can remember. Then check your spelling.

Score: ____ words remembered correctly.

Use your best word in a sentence.

9 Success Criteria ✓

Tick each statement when you can do it.

I can explain the main idea of the lesson.
I can use at least three new words correctly.
I can complete the language task.
I can share an idea in spoken or written English.

One thing I am proud of today:

10 Show What You Can Do

Final challenge: Princess Diana and Public Life

Plan: Note your strongest idea, 3 useful words or phrases, and one supporting detail from the lesson.

Respond: Write a short paragraph of 6–8 sentences, or prepare a 45-second spoken response, showing what you learned.

Reflect: Underline the part of your response that best shows your progress.