2012 News in Review (Advanced ESL/EFL Lesson Plan)

Download the 2012 News In Review Lesson Plan (ESL) here: 2012-News-Review-Advanced-07012013.doc

2012 News Review ESL Lesson Plan: Warm-up (Pair Work)

1) How was 2012 for you? Did you accomplish your goals?

2) Do you have a New Year's resolution for 2013?

3) How is New Year celebrated in your culture?

2012 News ESL Lesson Plan: Brainstorm (Group Work)

A) In pairs or groups, make a list of the major events of 2012. Include local, national, and international news. When finished, present your list of news items to the class and discuss them.

B) Which items in your list affected you personally?

2012 News ESL Lesson Plan: Reading

Read the 2012 news items while filling in the blanks.

23/01: The E.U. adopts an embargo against in protest of the nation's efforts to enrich uranium.

06/02: The Diamond of Queen Elizabeth II marks the 60th anniversary of her accession to the thrones of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

21/02: Eurozone finance ministers come to terms on a second, â‚¬130-billion bailout for .

13/04: A North Korean Earth observation satellite explodes shortly after launch. The U.S. and other countries had called the impending launch a violation of United Nations Security Council demands.

02/05: A pastel version of The Scream, by Norwegian painter , becomes the most expensive artwork sold at an auction, fetching US$120 million.

04/07: CERN announces the discovery of a new particle with properties consistent with the boson after experiments at the Large Hadron Collider.

27/07-12/08: The 2012 Summer Olympics are held in . Its opening ceremonies receive widespread acclaim.

06/08: Space rover named successfully lands on Mars.

11-27/09: Terrorist attacks are directed against United States diplomatic missions worldwide, initially triggering conjecture in the US that the attacks are a reaction to an anti-Muslim YouTube trailer.

14/10: Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner hurtles through the sky and breaks the sound barrier without machine assistance during a record space dive out from kilometers over Roswell, New Mexico.

24-30/10: Hurricane wreaks havoc in the Caribbean, Bahamas, U.S. and Canada, killing at least 209. Considerable storm surge damage causes major disruption to the U.S. eastern seaboard.

06/11: Barrack Obama is reelected president of the United States after defeating adversary .

25/11-09/12: Typhoon Bopha kills at least 1,067 in , with around 838 people still missing.

[source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012]

Answers

Iran, Jubilee, Greece, Edvard Munch, Higgs, London, Curiosity, 39, Sandy, Mitt Romney, the Philippines

2012 News In Review Lesson Plan (ESL): Vocabulary Matching

Match the words with their meaning as used in the news lesson.

accession
come to terms with sth
impending
fetch (verb)
acclaim (noun)
conjecture
hurtle (verb)
wreak havoc
surge (noun)
adversary

Answers

accession - the act of becoming a ruler of a country
come to terms with sth - agree upon sth
impending - that is going to happen very soon (usually sth unpleasant)
fetch - be sold for a particular price
acclaim - praise; commendation
conjecture - speculation; guesswork
hurtle - move or make sth move very fast in a particular direction
wreak havoc - cause devastation
surge - a sudden, strong forward or upward movement
adversary - opponent

2012 News In Review Lesson Plan (ESL): Homework

Vocabulary: Circle the words above that you did not know. Make sentences with them as homework.

2012 News ESL Lesson Plan: Role-Play

(note: each student reads his or her role only).

Student A: You are not looking forward to 2013. You're depressed and unsure whether life is worth living. You have three major problems: 1) the world is falling apart; 2) your English isn't improving, and 3) (think of one more problem on your own). When ready, Student B, your friend, will talk with you.

Student B: Student A is your friend. Ask him/her “How are you?” and then try to suggest solutions to his/her problems. Cheer him/her up. (Don't start until Student A is ready).

2012 News ESL Lesson Plan: Holiday Proposal (Pair Work)

Your president wants to create an additional national holiday in 2013. You and your partner, both civil servants, have been asked to submit a proposal outlining 1) what kind of holiday it should be and 2) when it should be. Work on an idea with your partner and then present it to the class.

2012 News ESL Lesson Plan: Sentences

Write sentences about your plans for 2013 using the below sentence structures.

In 2013, I may occasionally _____________________________________________________.

I won't be caught dead ______________________________________________________ in 2013.

In 2013, I will endeavor to ______________________________________________________.

I might try my hand at ____________________________________________________ in 2013.

2012 News In Review Lesson Plan (ESL): Discussion Questions

Generally speaking, is following the news depressing?
"History Repeats Itself” — do you believe this? If so, can you give examples?
Back to the Past: Given the knowledge you have of 2012, how would you live your life differently if you could travel back in time to January 1st, 2012 and re-live the year?
Time Travel: If you could travel back in time, to any period, what year would you go to and why?
My Generation: How would you compare your generation to the current generation of youngsters? Would you rather have been born now than when you were?
The Arts: What were the best films of the year? Books?
Sports:What were the major developments in the sporting world?

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2012 News In Review Lesson Plan (ESL) copyright Matthew Barton of Englishcurrent.com

ESL Lesson Plans, Tests, & Ideas

2012 News in Review (Advanced ESL Lesson Plan)