Albert Einstein: A Life Story

B1 video lesson on biography vocabulary and the Past Simple.

Lesson Overview

Students watch a short biography video about Albert Einstein. The lesson practises B1 language for life stories, achievements and important dates, with a grammar focus on the Past Simple.

Before you watch

What do you already know about Albert Einstein?
Why do some scientists become famous around the world?
Which inventions or technologies use physics today?

Albert Einstein

Open video on YouTube

Prep

Drag the correct ending into each gap.

1. If someone is a physicist,...

2. If someone is a cultural icon,...

3. If someone was born in a place,...

4. If someone graduated from a school,...

5. If someone was turned down,...

6. If someone won a prize,...

Mixed answer options

their life started there.many people know and recognise them.they received an award.they finished their studies there.they were rejected.they study physics.

Watch the Video

Watch the full video once. Focus on Einstein’s life, dates, achievements and the past simple verbs used to tell his story.

Focus: was born, spent, moved, graduated, found, married, published, became, won, died.

Open full video

Comprehension

Click each question to reveal the answer. Each question is synced to the video time.

0:05How is Albert Einstein described at the beginning?

He is described as one of history’s most important physicists and a cultural icon.

0:31Where and when was Einstein born?

He was born in Germany on March 14th, 1879.

0:38Where did his family move after Munich?

His family moved to Milan, Italy.

0:41What problem did Einstein have after graduating?

He had a hard time finding employment.

0:59What job did he find in 1902?

He found full-time work as a patent clerk in Bern, Switzerland.

1:10Why was 1905 important for Einstein?

In 1905, he published four hugely important theories.

1:38What did Einstein finish formulating in 1915?

He finished formulating his general theory of relativity.

2:08What prize was Einstein awarded in 1921?

He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.

2:56When did Einstein die?

He died on April 18th, 1955, at the age of 76.

Vocabulary from the Video

Einstein was an important .

He became a cultural .

He was born in .

He spent most of his childhood in .

He worked as a patent .

He published important .

He won the Nobel .

He became a US .

Mixed options

GermanycitizentheoriesclerkiconPrizephysicistMunich

Vocabulary Review

Word / phrase	Meaning	Example
physicist	a scientist who studies physics	Einstein was a famous physicist.
cultural icon	a person recognised by many people in society	Einstein became a cultural icon.
invention	a new thing that someone creates	His work helped new inventions.
fundamental	basic and very important	He studied fundamental laws of physics.
graduate	finish a course at a school or university	He graduated from the Swiss Polytechnic Institute.
employment	work or a job	He had trouble finding employment.
be turned down	be rejected	He was turned down for academic positions.
patent clerk	a person who works with official invention documents	He worked as a patent clerk.
publish	make written work available to the public	He published four theories.
relativity	Einstein’s theory about space, time and gravity	He developed the theory of relativity.
obstacle	a problem that makes progress difficult	He faced obstacles in his career.
professor	a university teacher	He became a professor.
solar eclipse	when the moon passes in front of the sun	Relativity was tested during a solar eclipse.
be awarded	receive a prize officially	He was awarded the Nobel Prize.
humanitarian cause	work to help people and society	He supported humanitarian causes.

Collocations

cultural

fundamental

modern-day

academic

patent

Nobel

Mixed options

clerkpositionlawsPrizelifeicon

Phrasal Verb Questions

What inventions did Einstein’s ideas give rise ?

What theory did Einstein come ?

What did scientists figure about relativity?

Why was Einstein chased Germany?

Why did he turn the presidency of Israel?

Mixed options

outdownup withtoout of

Speaking extension: Answer the five phrasal verb questions with a partner. Use the past simple when you talk about Einstein’s life.

B1 Grammar: Past Simple for Biographies

Use the Past Simple to describe finished events in someone’s life. Biographies often use dates and time expressions.

Form	Use	Example
subject + was/were	birth, age, identity, location	Einstein was born in 1879.
subject + regular verb + -ed	finished actions	He published important theories.
subject + irregular past verb	finished actions with irregular verbs	He became world famous.
did not + base verb	negative past	He did not stay in Germany.
Did + subject + base verb?	past questions	Did he win the Nobel Prize?

Grammar Exercise 1: Complete the Past Simple verbs

Einstein in Germany in 1879.

His family to Milan.

He from the Swiss Polytechnic Institute.

He work as a patent clerk.

He four important theories.

He world famous.

He the Nobel Prize.

He in 1955.

Mixed options

publishedmovedwonwas bornfounddiedgraduatedbecame

Grammar Exercise 2: Error Correction

Click each sentence to reveal the correction.

Einstein born in Germany in 1879.

Einstein was born in Germany in 1879.

His family move to Milan.

His family moved to Milan.

He find work as a patent clerk.

He found work as a patent clerk.

He become world famous in 1919.

He became world famous in 1919.

Did he won the Nobel Prize?

Did he win the Nobel Prize?

Grammar Exercise 3: Write Past Simple Sentences

Use “was born”.
Einstein / Germany / 1879

Use “published”.
Einstein / four theories / 1905

Use “became”.
Einstein / world famous / 1919

Discussion

Why is Einstein still famous today?
Which part of his life surprised you?
Why can it be difficult for talented people to find work?
Which invention mentioned in the video is most important for modern life?
What qualities helped Einstein become successful?
Should scientists also speak about social or political issues?
Which famous person would you like to learn about next?

Useful Language

Talking about the past	Giving opinions	Explaining importance
He was born... He worked as... He became...	I think... In my opinion...	His work was important because... It changed...

Role Play: Biography Interview

Situation: One student is a journalist. The other student is an Einstein expert. Use the Past Simple to talk about Einstein’s life.

Student A: Journalist

Ask questions about Einstein’s childhood, jobs, theories, awards and later life.

Student B: Einstein Expert

Answer with past simple verbs and dates from the video.

Challenge

Use: was born, moved, graduated, found, published, became, won, died.