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 Jubilee of marks the 60th anniversary of her reign as head of the Commonwealth.
21/02: Eurozone finance ministers reach agreement on a second, €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 launch a violation of United Nations Security Council demands.
02/05: A pastel version of The Scream, by Norwegian painter ________, sells for US$120 million, becoming the most expensive artwork sold at an auction.
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 .
06/08: A space rover named successfully lands on Mars.
11-27/09: Terrorist attacks are directed against United States diplomatic missions worldwide. In the US, some believe the attacks are a reaction to a YouTube trailer for the film Innocence of Muslims.
14/10: Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner breaks the sound barrier without machine assistance during a record space dive out from kilometers over Roswell, New Mexico.
24-30/10: Hurricane kills at least 209 people in the Caribbean, Bahamas, United States and Canada, and causes major disruption to the eastern seaboard of the United States.
06/11: Barrack Obama is reelected president of the United States after defeating rival .
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, Queen Elizabeth II, 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.
embargo
reign
bailout
launch (noun)
violation
auction
trailer
daredevil
disruption
rival
Answers
embargo - an official order to stop trade with another country
reign - rule
bailout - financial assistance given to a failing company or economy
launch - takeoff, the act of sending something into space
auction - a sale in which goods are sold to the person who offers the most money
trailer - a short part of a film used as advertisement; a film preview
daredevil - a person who enjoys doing dangerous things
disruption - the unplanned stoppage of an activity, event, or process due to a problem
rival - opponent; enemy
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).
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 ______________________________________________________ anymore in 2013.
In 2013, I will strive to ______________________________________________________.
I might try ____________________________________________________ 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
