UPPER-INTERMEDIATE Future ESL Lesson Plan: Warm-up (Pair Work)
1) What is your favorite science fiction movie about the future?
2) When you were a child, what did you imagine the future would be like?
3) What do you think your life will be like in 2045?
4) Imagine you could live twice as long. How would you use your time?
5) If you had the ability to modify the human body, what changes would you make?
Reading: Kurzweil and the Singularity (April, 2012)
Human civilization as we know it will end in the year 2045, according to Raymond Kurzweil. This end, or
more properly, transition, is known by Kurzweil and other futurists as the Singularity. The Singularity will
mark the dawn of greater-than-human intelligence. This event will be the inevitable result of the
exponential technological growth of the present and near future. By the mid-2020s, Kurzweil predicts we
will successfully reverse engineer the human brain. By 2045, as a result of vast computing power
increases and cost reductions, artificial intelligence will surpass human intelligence. Beyond this point,
labeled the event horizon, future events cannot be predicted with our current means.
Kurzweil’s vision of this transformation is neither dystopian nor utopian. He admits that technologies are
double-edged swords, but he ultimately places faith in man. For Kurzweil, despite the increased visibility
of negative news due to modern media, historically speaking, the world is getting better and people wiser.
Having accepted the unavoidability of technological progress, including the development of artificial
intelligence (AI), one aim of the movement is to make the transition to the future as friendly as possible.
At 62, Kurzweil has personal motive to hope for the coming of the Singularity: he wants to have his life
extended by it. What’s more, he believes technology will make it possible to resurrect his father. Among
the medical advances Kurzweil envisions are tiny computerized bots operating inside the body to bolster
the immune system. Concerning entertainment, similar technology would enable us to manipulate our
senses, making virtual entertainment possible. This, for Kurzweil, is a reason why radical life extension
would not necessarily mean radical boredom.
With unmanned military drones in the sky, the world of human knowledge stored in mobile phones in our
pockets, and neural implants already in some of our bodies, Kurzweil’s future may not be so
inconceivable. The movement is growing and a Singularity University has even been established. The
pivotal issue they face concerns the feasibility of genuine AI. Do Singularitarians underestimate the task
of duplicating the human brain? To this question, Kurzweil responds, “I don't believe I'm underestimating
the challenge. I think [the critics] are underestimating the power of exponential growth." (362 words)
- www.englishcurrent.com : current event lesson plan -
[Sources: http://katalystnetwork.com/vs/singularity/, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2048299,00.html]
Future ESL Lesson Plan: Follow-up Questions
1) True or False: Kurzweil believes our world will end in 2045.
2) In your own words, how would you define the Singularity?
3) What is an event horizon?
4) True or False: Kurzweil believes mankind can more or less manage technology.
5) According to Kurzweil, what will help keep us entertained if we live longer?
6) What is the most central issue concerning the Singularity debate?
7) Your Opinion: What did you think of the ideas presented in the article?
Future ESL Lesson Plan: Match the words with their meaning as used in the article.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
dawn
inevitable
exponential
reverse engineer (verb)
dystopia
motive
resurrect (verb)
bolster (verb)
manipulate (verb)
inconceivable
pivotal
feasible
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
inescapable, certain
control sth or use sth in a skillful way
crucial; of great importance
reproduce another product by examining its construction
bring the dead back to life
a reason for doing sth
increasing at a rate which is faster and faster
strengthen; support
unimaginable
an unpleasant place which is the opposite of utopia
the beginning or first signs of sth
possible; realistic
Master the language: Connect the below ideas to make a sentence. (good for homework)
government / crush / uprising
dawn / mankind
death / inevitable
increase / exponential
reverse engineer / inconceivable
technology / dystopia
motive / father
feasible / resurrect
bolster / body
manipulate / DNA
pivotal / matter
e.g. The government plans to crush the uprising.
- www.englishcurrent.com -
Future ESL Lesson Plan: Technology Predictions (Pair Work)
Discuss which of the below items you think will exist in the future. Add more items to the list if you can.
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Time travel
Telekinesis
Cloning of extinct species
Underwater cities
A cure for cancer
Classrooms without chalkboards
Interactive clothing or invisibility
Other: ………………………
Other: ………………………
Other: ………………………
Future ESL Lesson Plan: Artificial Intelligence Debate (Pair Work)
Premise 1:
Humanity is becoming wiser.
Premise 2:
Wiser humans can develop and utilize AI responsibly.
Conclusion:
Therefore, AI should be developed.
Student A:
You support this argument. Spend 1-2 minutes thinking of reasons to back up the
conclusion. When ready, you may start.
Student B:
You oppose this argument. Spend 1-2 minutes thinking of reasons to reject the
conclusion. Your partner will start when he/she is ready.
Future ESL Lesson Plan: Twenty Questions Game
Choose a student in the class to be the robot. The robot must then think of a subject without telling the
others. The other students must then put questions to the robot to reveal the subject. The robot can only
answer in “Yes or No” form. The objective of the questioners is to discover the subject in 20 questions or
fewer. Note that carefully selected questions will greatly increase the chances of success.
Future ESL Lesson Plan: Discussion Questions
1) Resources: If people live longer, it would follow that Earth would need more resources. Kurzweil
believes that technology can extend resources. Do you share his optimism?
2) Criticism: is the Singularity a Frankenstein-like attempt by man at playing God?
3) Exponential Growth: is technological progress really increasing exponentially?
4) How would you live if the Internet went down for a month?
5) How do you think human civilization will ultimately end?
-Lesson plan copyright Matthew Barton of Englishcurrent.com
- www.englishcurrent.com -