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The Uncanny: Why Do Almost-Human Things Feel So Strange?

High Int · CLB 7–8

Adv–Prof · CLB 9–12

Exercises 12

Reading

90 min

Why does a realistic doll, a wax figure or an AI-generated face make us uneasy? This lesson explores “the uncanny”: the strange discomfort we feel when something looks familiar but feels wrong. Students start with their own experiences and a set of unsettling pictures, then read a full-length article on why our brains react this way, from sensitivity to faces and body language to the uncertainty of not knowing whether something is human, and on what happens when technology gets almost, but not quite, human. They choose the best summary, answer six comprehension questions with evidence from the text and debate statements such as “If something looks human and behaves like a human, we should treat it as human.” The vocabulary work is built around the topic: 8 key words (uncanny, eerie, unsettling, disconcerting, inexplicable, lifelike, ambiguous, cognitive dissonance) are worked out from context, matched and tested in situations. 5 expressions (give someone the creeps, send a shiver down someone’s spine, defy explanation, put your finger on something, trigger a sense of unease) are introduced through short dialogues. Discussion questions on robots, films and photographs and a closing reflection paragraph finish the lesson. Easily taught in two sessions. Answer key included.

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