Keanu Reeves is famous for The Matrix and John Wick, but the internet loves him for something else: he is known as one of the kindest, most normal people in Hollywood. This lesson tells his story and gets students talking about fame, kindness and role models. This A2 version uses his life story to practise the past simple and vocabulary for describing people.
Level: A2 · Time: 45 to 90 minutes. Pick the activities that suit your class. They work in almost any order.
Lesson Activities
- Warmer: Who Is This? – Reveal the photo tile by tile. How old is the person? What is their job? Who is it?
- Prediction: True or False? – Before reading, students guess which 10 statements about Keanu Reeves are true. They check their answers after reading.
- Vocabulary: Pre-teach the Key Words – Match 10 words from the text to their meanings before reading (grow up, famous, kind, seat, present, role model…).
- Reading: Keanu Reeves – A short graded biography with 10 gaps and a word bank.
- Discussion: Famous People and Kindness – 10 conversation questions about actors, fame, growing up and kindness.
- Speaking: Ranking – What makes a good role model? Students rank nine qualities, from kindness and honesty to talent and success, then compare with a partner.
Teacher Tips
- For a shorter lesson, use the warmer, the reading and the discussion cards.
- Grammar focus: the reading uses the past simple for his life story (was born, moved, became, lost) and the present simple for his life today. Students can use the same pattern to talk about a famous person they like.
- The text mentions sad times in his life without details. Keep this light if it might be sensitive for your class.
- Follow-up: students write a short profile of a famous person they admire, using the reading as a model.
Teaching a stronger group? Try the B2 version of this lesson.