Are sports always fair? In this B1–B2 ESL lesson, we dive into the controversial world of cheating in sports. Your students will explore famous real-life scandals, from Lance Armstrong’s doping case to Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal. The lesson offers a mix of grammar practice, reading, vocabulary, and speaking, all based on exciting true events.

If you’re looking for an engaging way to teach past tenses (past simple, past continuous, and past perfect) while boosting your students’ critical thinking and conversation skills, this is the lesson for you!

What’s Inside the Lesson?

This ready-to-use PDF lesson plan includes:

• Warm-up questions to activate background knowledge about sports and cheating
• Vocabulary practice, including a matching activity and an odd-one-out task
• Six short reading texts based on real scandals:
  • Lance Armstrong
  • Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God”
  • The 2000 Spanish Paralympic basketball team
  • Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan
  • Marion Jones
  • Clem Haskins and academic fraud!
• Grammar practice after each reading — gap-fill exercises to review past tenses
• Discussion questions & moral dilemmas to develop speaking fluency and express opinions

Why Teach Cheating in Sports?

This lesson encourages students to think critically about fairness, success, and morality. Whether your learners are sports fans or not, the true stories and controversial decisions spark great discussions. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to practice storytelling and timelines using past tenses in real contexts.

Who Is This ESL Lesson For?

• Intermediate learners (B1–B2)
• Teenagers and adults
• Suitable for 1-to-1 or group classes
• Works both online and in-person

Happy teaching & learning!

Tip: Use this lesson to spark a debate or lead into a writing task where students write their own news story or opinion article about cheating.

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