Post on 12-Jul-2018
EDMONTON Weekly Newscasts Lesson Plan January 11, 2016 Newscasts are current news stories read at a slower pace than you might hear on the radio. These are prepared by CBC news editor Don Bell. Objectives:
● To develop listening skills ● To increase vocabulary ● To increase awareness of grammatical structures and functional language ● To increase knowledge of current events ● To provide a user-‐friendly, self-‐study tool for learners, as well as an ESL classroom
resource for instructors Contents: Three news stories are featured in each weekly lesson plan. Each lesson contains vocabulary and listening comprehension activities. At the end of each lesson, you will find a complete transcript and an answer key. This lesson plan is aimed towards learners at an intermediate language level (i.e. Canadian Language Benchmarks 4-‐5 or equivalent).
Learning English with CBC is a joint project with CBC Calgary, CBC Edmonton, and the Government of Alberta. Lesson Plan is prepared by Kathleen Hall and Deidre Lake, Communication4Integration Inc. © CBC 2015 Permission is granted to reproduce these pages for educational purposes only. For more information on copyright, please click: http://www.cbc.ca/permissions
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NEWSCAST 1: Searching for an angel driving an SUV
Photo source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-‐man-‐searching-‐for-‐angel-‐driving-‐an-‐suv-‐who-‐rushed-‐him-‐to-‐hospital-‐1.3393345
WARM UP Have you ever met an emergency on the road, sidewalk or at home? If so what did you do? If not, what would you do? VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 1 Instructions: Look at the following words and idioms that you will hear in Newscast 1, and write definitions for the words you understand in your own words: WORD DEFINITION angel sinking lovely vehicle guided insisted amazing showcasing heroics IDIOMS In the midst of on the mend come forward
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VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 2 Instructions: Study the same words and idioms and their synonyms in the table below. Circle the synonyms that you understand. WORD SYNONYM angel treasure / dear one / Good Samaritan sinking dropping / falling / going down lovely agreeable / wonderful / delightful vehicle car /automobile / van guided escorted / accompanied / led / ushered insisted be firm / be adamant amazing startling / wonderful / surprising showcasing feature / promote / represent heroics feat / act / deed IDIOMS in the midst of in the middle of / experiencing something / doing something on the mend getting better / improving / recovering come forward present oneself / appear / step forward VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 3 Instructions: Write the words with the matching definitions below. WORD DEFINITION being displayed to advantage causing great surprise or wonder; astonishing showed the way by leading, directing, or advising relating to, or characteristic of a hero used for transporting people on land person of excellent conduct, behavior, goodness demand something, not accepting refusal of a great moral or spiritual beauty to move down to a lower position IDIOMS improving in health or condition; recovering to appear at a specific time and place in the process of doing something (See answer key)
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LISTENING ACTIVITY 1 Instructions: Listen to Newscast 1 for overall comprehension. Use the following questions to help you:
1. What “did the angel” do for Richard?
2. What was Richard carrying?
3. How did Richard Sherbaniuk suddenly feel?
4. Where did Angie drive Richard?
5. Where is Richard now?
(See answer key) Listening Activity 2: Listening for specific details. Instructions: Listen to Newscast 1 again. Put the numbers 1-‐10 in the order in which the events in the box happened. Number 10 is done for you as an example. Richard is searching for the woman that saved his life. 10
Angie drove like James Bond.
Richard started to feel weak and dizzy.
Angie got out of her vehicle and took his hands.
Richard began to faint.
Richard heard a woman's voice.
Richard is recovering at home.
Angie guided him into her vehicle.
Richard was carrying heavy bags of groceries.
Angie insisted on driving him to emergency.
(See answer key) ALBERTA EMERGENCY MEDICAL AID ACT Angie is what is often called a “Good Samaritan”. In the belief that we should always try and help those around us that are in need of it, Alberta has the Emergency Medical Aid Act, which protects people who voluntary help to those in need from legal actions if they make a mistake.
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Ontario, BC and Nova Scotia also have what are called Good Samaritan Laws. The main purpose of such laws is to prevent people from being reluctant to help a stranger who is in need of help because they are afraid of law suits. Under Quebec law you must help a stranger in an emergency unless you will also be harmed. Adapted from http://www.altalaw.ca/articles/thegoodsamaritan.htm POST QUESTIONS Did you know about the Emergency Medical Aid Act or Good Samaritan laws? Do you agree that we should always help others in need? Do you think you should legally have to help strangers in an emergency? What does it say about our society that there are such laws?
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NEWSCAST 2: CANADA’S NATIONAL PARKS ARE CELEBRATING THE COUNTRY’S 150TH BIRTHDAY
Photo source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/park-‐passes-‐free-‐canada-‐150-‐1.3389451
WARM UP Have you ever visited a National or Provincial Park in Canada? If so, which ones? Did you have to pay an entrance fee or buy a park pass? Do you think National and Provincial Parks are important? Why or why not? LISTENING ACTIVITY 1 Instructions: Before you listen to Newscast 2, study the words in the box below. While you listen to Newscast 2, put a checkmark ( ) next to the words when you hear them. WORDS WORDS access hospitality youth exceptional users particularly initiative the experience executive to experience
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LISTENING ACTIVITY 2 Instructions: Study the possible meanings for the words from Newscast 2 in the table below. With these meanings in mind, listen to Newscast 2 again, and try to decide how the words are being used in the newscast:
WORDS MEANINGS
access • admission • entrance • log on
youth • adolescence and early adulthood • young people as a group • the energy typical of young people
users • operators • consumers • addicts
initiative • plan • inventiveness • advantage
executive • decision-‐making • luxurious • manager
hospitality • welcoming and generous • the business of entertaining visitors • kindness and friendliness
exceptional • brilliant • unique • special
particularly • mainly or mostly • very • noticeably
the experience • familiarity with • event • feel
to experience • familiarity with • event • come into contact with
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VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 1 Instructions: Now that you have heard how these words are used in the news story, choose the best synonyms or definitions for these terms as they are used in the story. The first one is done as an example. ANSWER WORDS SYNONYMS/DEFINITIONS
A access A. admission B. entrance C. log on
youth A. adolescence and early adulthood B. young people as a group C. the energy typical of young people
users A. operators B. consumers C. addicts
initiative A. plan B. inventiveness C. advantage
executive A. decision-‐making B. luxurious C. manager
Hospitality A. welcoming and generous B. the business of entertaining visitors C. kindness and friendliness
exceptional A. brilliant B. unique C. special
particularly A. mainly or mostly B. very C. noticeably
the experience A. familiarity with B. event C. feel
to experience A. familiarity with B. event C. come into contact with
(See answer key)
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LISTENING ACTIVITY 3 Instructions: Listen to Newscast 2 again and fill in the blanks with the words that you hear. Canada's national parks are celebrating the country's 150th birthday a little earlier than most. Park ____________________ will be free for all ____________________ in 2017 and starting in 2018 park ____________________will continue to be free for and new Canadians. This is part of a government ____________________. Darren Reeder, the ____________________ director of the Banff Lake Louise Association, says he's excited by the move. He says the ____________________ will be an ____________________ one, particularly for many new Canadians who have yet to ____________________the national parks. (See answer key) DISCUSSION QUESTION: Will the new free admission in 2018 make you make likely to visit a National Park then or buy a park pass in 2017 knowing that it won’t expire until the end of 2018?
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NEWSCAST 3: Obama unveils changes to tighten control of firearms in the US
Photo source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/guns-‐obama-‐nra-‐neil-‐macdonald-‐1.3392309
WARM UP Look at the picture above. How does seeing people firing guns like this make you feel?
VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 1 Instructions: Look at the words in the left column below. Then read at the sentences in the right column. The word in bold is a synonym for the word in the left column. Based on the context sentences, try to understand the meaning of the words. WORDS CONTEXT SENTENCES expanded The number of questions on the test increased this year. background His personal history was checked before he was allowed to coach the
children. modest They made simple, limited changes to the plan. measures Procedures must be followed to apply at this company. drawn The fireworks brought out a crowd. condemnation There was a lot of strong disapproval of the plan rights There is discussion about the difference between privileges and
entitlements to have or get something or to act in a certain way. extreme Many people thought his feelings on the subject were too severe. frustration His annoyance at the long wait was clear because he kept complaining. obvious His annoyance at the long wait was clear because he kept complaining. slaughter massacre
The killing of 12 children in a park was the 347th mass murder this year.
wiped away She rubbed off the stain until it was removed. sweeping He made far-‐reaching changes to the country.
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VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 2 Instructions: Now complete the following sentences with vocabulary from the left column above. Do not forget to change the tense when needed, and do not use the same word more than once.
1. are taken to ensure security at the airport.
2. Before you join the police department, you must have a check.
3. He the tears from his daughter’s eyes.
4. She did not explain the recipe well because she thought the instructions were .
5. The terrible things he said met with from the crowd.
6. There was a ceremony with just six people.
7. Many people are to the beauty of the mountains.
8. According to the United Nations, Governments have a responsibility make sure
children’s are protected.
9. The factory has from one building to five buildings in two years.
10. There saw many differences throughout their hometown. There had been ____________________________changes.
11. When the work they had been doing all day was wiped out, they felt
________________________.
12. Living on Mars seems to be an _____________________solution to pollution of earth.
13. The largest in Canada was in Lachine, Quebec on
August 5, 1689. 72 people were . (See answer key)
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LISTENING ACTIVITY 1 Instructions: Listen to Newscast 3 for overall comprehension. LISTENING ACTIVITY 2 Listen to Newscast 3 again. Take notes so that you can summarize what you’ve heard. Use the table below to assist you. Obama Announced:
Felt: Acting:
Gun Rights Groups Congress (See answer key) SPEAKING ACTIVITY 1 Summarize what you’ve heard. If you are in a class, work with a partner. Take turns to summarize the newscast. If you are doing this lesson independently, record yourself summarizing the story and play it back.
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LANGUAGE FOCUS: Pronunciation Changes in Words that are Both Nouns and Verbs In the Newscast we listen to on the CBC, there are many words that can be both nouns and verbs. The context of the sentence helps us to know if the word is a noun or verb, so too does the pronunciation. If the word has two syllables (two vowel sounds), the first syllable is stressed for nouns, and the second syllable is stressed for verbs. The way to stress a syllable is to make the sound longer. Only vowel sounds can be made longer. So for example if you were asked to:
• Send me an Email. The E /i:/ would be stressed and take longer to say. • Please eMAIL me. The AI /eɪ/ sound would be stressed and take longer to say.
The table below shows some common nouns that are also verbs.
• The stress syllable is shown by capital/higher case letters: ABC • The unstressed syllable is shown by lower case letters: abc
NOUNS VERBS ACcess acCESS ANswer anSWER BARgain barGAIN BROADcast broadCAST CHALlenge chalLENGE COMfort comFORT CONtrast conTRAST DAMage damAGE DEcrease deCREASE DEmand deMAND DEsign deSIGN Email eMAIL EScape esCAPE EXcuse exCUSE FINish finISH FUNction funcTION HANdle hanDLE HIGHlight highLIGHT PERmit perMIT PROject proJECT REfund reFUND REpeat rePEAT SPOTlight spotLIGHT SUSpect susPECT
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LANGUAGE FOCUS ACTIVITY 1: Instructions: Practice pronouncing the difference between the nouns and verbs in the table above. If you are in a class, work with a partner. Take turns pronouncing the noun-‐verb pairs. If you are doing this lesson independently, record yourself pronouncing the noun-‐verb pairs and play it back. LANGUAGE FOCUS ACTIVITY 2: Instructions: Using the capital upper and lower case letters (ABCabc) to show stressed syllable, complete the following sentences by filling the blank with the correct pronunciation of the noun or verb in the parenthesis.
1. Please ____________________ (answer) the question.
2. The two companies made a ____________________ (bargain).
3. They ____________________ (broadcast)t the news all over town.
4. This task is a ____________________ (challenge).
5. I ____________________ (demand) to see the manager.
6. He always had an ____________________ (excuse).
7. We are trying to ____________________ (finish) on time.
8. The teapot has a broken _____________________ (handle).
9. The economists ____________________ (projects) a bad year.
10. The ____________________ (spotlight) is on Angie. (See answer key) Useful sites
• http://www.businessenglishresources.com/31-‐2/teachers-‐section/mini-‐lessons/pronunciation-‐lessons-‐pronunciation-‐changes-‐in-‐words-‐that-‐are-‐both-‐nouns-‐and-‐verbs/
• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/nounandverb.shtml
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TRANSCRIPTS OF WEEKLY NEWSCASTS WEEKLY NEWS STORIES TIME Introduction Hi. This is Don Bell. You’re listening to Learning English with
CBC for the week of January 11th. 0:00
Newscast 1 Searching for an angel driving an SUV
Edmonton's Richard Sherbaniuk is searching for the "angel driving an SUV" that saved his life. On New Year's Eve morning, Sherbaniuk was carrying three heavy bags of groceries home when he suddenly started to feel weak and dizzy. Sherbaniuk began to faint. The 62-‐year-‐old was in the midst of a heart attack. He dropped his bags, and was sinking to his knees when he heard a woman's voice. He says "a lovely lady named Angie got out of her vehicle and took my hands and guided me into her vehicle. She insisted on driving me to the University of Alberta emergency. The drive to the hospital was amazing. She drove like James Bond." He adds "I never believed in angels before now. If it hadn't been for her I might have died." Now that he is on the mend at home, Sherbaniuk wants to thank Angie in person. Even if Angie doesn't come forward, Sherbaniuk, a published author, plans on showcasing her heroics in his next book.
0:12
Newscast 2 Canada’s National Parks are celebrating the country’s 150th birthday
Canada's national parks are celebrating the country's 150th birthday a little earlier than most. Park access will be free for all users in 2017 and starting in 2018 park access will continue to be free for youth and new Canadians. This is part of a government initiative. Darren Reeder, the executive director of the Banff Lake Louise Hospitality Association, says he's excited by the move. He says the experience will be an exceptional one, particularly for many new Canadians who have yet to experience the national parks.
1:40
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Newscast 3 Obama unveils changes to tighten control of firearms in the US
President Barack Obama announced plans for expanded background checks and other modest measures that have drawn condemnation from gun rights groups. Obama's extreme frustration was obvious as he has made little progress on gun control since the slaughter of 20 first-‐graders in Connecticut more than three years ago. Obama wiped away tears as he spoke emotionally about the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the victims of gun violence. Obama, acting alone, can only make small changes. Congress, on the other hand, can make sweeping changes.
2:30
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ANSWER KEY FOR NEWSCAST 1: SEARCHING FOR AN ANGEL DRIVING AN SUV VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 3 WORD DEFINITION showcasing being displayed to advantage amazing causing great surprise or wonder; astonishing guided showed the way by leading, directing, or advising heroics relating to, or characteristic of a hero vehicle used for transporting people on land angel person of excellent conduct, behavior, goodness insisted demand something, not accepting refusal lovely of a great moral or spiritual beauty sinking to move down to a lower position IDIOMS on the mend improving in health or condition; recovering come forward to appear at a specific time and place in the midst of in the process of doing something LISTENING ACTIVITY 1
1. What “did the angel driving the SUV” do for Richard Sherbaniuk ? Saved his life 2. What was Richard Sherbaniuk carrying? Heavy bags of groceries 3. How did Richard Sherbaniuk suddenly feel? Weak and dizzy 4. Where did Angie drive Richard Sherbaniuk? Emergency (University of Alberta) 5. Where is Richard Sherbaniuk now? At home
LISTENING ACTIVITY 2: LISTENING FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS Richard is searching for the woman that saved his life 10
Angie drove like James Bond. 8
Richard started to feel weak and dizzy. 2
Angie got out of her vehicle and took his hands. 6
Richard began to faint. 3
Richard heard a woman's voice. 4
Richard is recovering at home. 9
Angie guided him into her vehicle. 5
Richard was carrying heavy bags of groceries. 1
Angie insisted on driving him to emergency. 7
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ANSWER KEY FOR NEWSCAST 2: CANADA’S NATIONAL PARKS ARE CELEBRATING THE COUNTRY’S 150th BIRTHDAY VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 1 ANSWER WORDS SYNONYMS/DEFINITIONS
A access A. admission B. entrance C. log on
B youth A. adolescence and early adulthood B. young people as a group C. the energy typical of young people
B users A. operators B. consumers C. addicts
A initiative A. plan B. inventiveness C. advantage
C executive A. decision-‐making B. luxurious C. manager
B Hospitality A. welcoming and generous B. the business of entertaining visitors C. kindness and friendliness
C exceptional A. brilliant B. unique C. special
A particularly A. mainly or mostly B. very C. noticeably
B the experience A. familiarity with B. event C. feel
C to experience A. familiarity with B. event C. come into contact with
LISTENING ACTIVITY 3 Canada's national parks are celebrating the country's 150th birthday a little earlier than most. Park access will be free for all users in 2017 and starting in 2018 park access will continue to be free for youth and new Canadians. This is part of a government initiative. Darren Reeder, the executive director of the Banff Lake Louise Hospitality Association, says he's excited by the move. He says the experience will be an exceptional one, particularly for many new Canadians who have yet to experience the national parks.
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ANSWER KEY FOR NEWSCAST 3: OBAMA UNVEILS CHANGES TO TIGHTEN CONTROL OF FIREARMS IN THE US VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 2
1. Measures are taken to ensure security at the airport.
2. Before you join the police department, you must have a background check.
3. He wiped away the tears from his daughter’s eyes.
4. She did not explain the recipe well because she thought the instructions were obvious.
5. The terrible things he said met with condemnation from the crowd.
6. There was a modest ceremony with just six people.
7. Many people are drawn to the beauty of the mountains.
8. According to the United Nations, Governments have a responsibility make sure
children’s rights are protected.
9. The factory has expanded from one building to five buildings in two years.
10. There saw many differences throughout their hometown. There had been sweeping changes.
11. When the work they had been doing all day was wiped out, they felt frustration.
12. Living on Mars seems to be an extreme solution to pollution of earth. 13. The largest massacre in Canada was in Lachine, Quebec on August 5, 1689. 72
people were slaughtered. LISTENING ACTIVITY 2 Obama Announced: plans for expanded background checks and other
modest measures Felt: Frustration Emotional Acting: alone, can only make small changes
Gun Rights Groups condemned his plans Congress can make sweeping changes
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ANSWER KEY FOR LANGUAGE FOCUS: LANGUAGE FOCUS ACTIVITY 2:
1. Please anSWER the question. 2. The two companies made a BARgain. 3. They broadCAST the news all over town. 4. This task is a CHALlenge. 5. I deMAND to see the manager. 6. He always had an EXcuse. 7. We are trying to fiNISH on time. 8. The teapot has a broken HANdle. 9. The economists proJECTS a bad year. 10. The SPOTlight is on Angie.
If you have any questions, comments or feedback regarding this lesson plan, please do not hesitate to contact Communication4Integration by email at info@communucation4integration.ca