If I could change the world…

Pre-viewing Activities

‘Word Swap’

Put key words from the clip on separate slips of paper (see ‘key lexis’ below).In class, give one slip to each student and put the remaining slips where students can easily reach them. Students mingle, find a partner and help them to guess the word on the slip. They are allowed to reveal the first letter. If they can both guess each other’s words, they exchange words and find new partners. They can turn to you if they need help with words. When a word comes back to them for a 2nd time, they take a new slip.

‘Word-pass-around’

Put vocabulary from the clip on slips of paper (see ‘key lexis’ below). In class, give each student a slip. On a given signal, they start passing the words around (e.g. to the right if sitting in a circle, down the rows etc.). They keep the ones they are not sure about. Once all the vocabulary has been passed around, students who have slips in their hands can ask for help with meaning.

‘Prediction’

Set the scene by telling your students that they will now watch a short clip produced by Canadian college students. It is the outcome of a class project for a course called Global Issues. They should predict 10 things that will be mentioned in the clip.

‘Key lexis’

Check understanding of key vocabulary, language chunks: destruction / ice-caps melting/ heat waves / flood / drought / tsunamis / rising gas prices / skin cancer / animal extinction / exploitation of resources / poverty / racial inequality / Aids pandemic / health care / government / corporation / scientist / journalist / computer geeks / volunteers / people with vision / donate / carbon footprint / increase awareness / a ripple becomes a wave

Post-viewing Activities

‘Key lexis’

Check understanding of key vocabulary, language chunks: destruction / ice-caps melting/ heat waves / flood / drought / tsunamis / rising gas prices / skin cancer / animal extinction / exploitation of resources / poverty / racial inequality / Aids pandemic / health care / government / corporation / scientist / journalist / computer geeks / volunteers / people with vision / donate / carbon footprint / increase awareness / a ripple becomes a wave

‘Follow-up discussion’

‘A ripple becomes a wave’. What does this mean? Can they find evidence from their own experiences, or think of historical examples?

‘Follow-up debate’

Motion: ‘Finding out what’s happening in the world is pointless and depressing.’ Divide the class into two teams: Optimists (against motion) and Pessimists (for motion). Give each team 5 minutes preparation time: they need to come up with reasons to back up their views. Then hold the debate.

‘Create your own’

Students as a whole class or in smaller groups create their own clips. You can suggest topics, or they can come up with their own theme.