Breaking News English ESL Lesson Plan on Michael JacksonJune 27, 2009
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LISTEN: MP3 (2:07 - 990KB)
PLAY: ONLINE QUIZ1. MICHAEL JACKSON: Walk around the class and talk to other students about Michael Jackson. Change partners often. With your first partner(s), share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.
heart attacks / rushed to hospital / respecting privacy / tough times / pop icon / talent / tributes / being sad and confused / massive loss / genius / solo artists / albums
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. LEGEND: What do you remember about Michael Jackson? Complete this table. Talk about what you wrote to your partner. Change partners and share what you heard.
My memories
His songs
Thriller
His clothes
His dancing
His face
His private life
4. THE KING: Students A strongly believe Michael Jackson is the greatest ever singer; Students B strongly believe Michael Jackson isn’t the greatest. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
5. ICONS: Who are the world’s biggest icons? With your partner, decide on the biggest icons in each category. Change partners and share what you talked about.
- pop star (male)
- pop star (female)
- sports star
- cartoon character
- fashion model
- politician
- world leader (alive or dead)
- actor
6. BAD: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘bad’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
BEFORE READING / LISTENING
1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):
a.
Michael Jackson died after suffering a cardiac arrest.
T / F
b.
Michael Jackson’s brother asked reporters to stay away from his family.
T / F
c.
Michael Jackson’s nickname was the Prince of Pop.
T / F
d.
People will remember his forgettable songs and dances.
T / F
e.
Many people from across the globe said nice things about Jackson.
T / F
f.
Michael’s ex-wife could not say what she wanted about his death.
T / F
g.
Michael performed solo throughout his musical career.
T / F
h.
Jackson’s album Thriller is the second-biggest seller ever.
T / F
2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
1.
heart attack
a.
huge
2
trying
b.
changed
3.
tough
c.
record
4.
transformed
d.
attempting
5.
influenced
e.
brilliance
6.
tributes
f.
legends
7.
greats
g.
cardiac arrest
8.
massive
h.
praise
9.
genius
i.
difficult
10.
album
j.
affected
3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one. combination is possible):
1.
died aged 50 after having
a.
this tough time
2
He was rushed
b.
and a true ambassador
3.
respect our privacy during
c.
songs
4.
influenced generations
d.
in from all over the world
5.
his unforgettable
e.
fail me
6.
Tributes to Jackson have poured
f.
a heart attack
7.
his music will live
g.
of singers
8.
words
h.
a solo artist
9.
We have lost a genius
i.
to hospital
10.
globally famous as
j.
on forever
WHILE READING / LISTENING
GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.
Michael Jackson has died aged 50 after having a heart __________ at his Los Angeles home. He was __________ to hospital, where doctors spent over an hour trying to __________ him. His brother Germaine told reporters: "The family request that the media please respect our privacy during this __________ time." Jackson was perhaps the greatest singer and dancer the world has ever seen. He transformed the music industry forever. The pop __________ greatly influenced generations of singers with his unrivalled professionalism. Michael was __________ as the king of pop and there is perhaps no one close to challenging his legendary __________. He will be remembered forever for his __________, his unforgettable songs, and his Moonwalk dance.
save
status
attack
talent
rushed
tough
known
icon
Tributes to Michael Jackson have __________ in from all over the world. Pop star Madonna said: "The world has lost one of its __________, but his music will live on forever." Jackson’s ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley said she was “so sad and __________”. She added: "This is such a __________ loss on so many levels, words fail me." Pop star Justin Timberlake wrote online: "We have lost a __________ and a true ambassador of not only pop music, but of all music." Jackson began his __________ as a child in his family group The Jackson 5. He went on to become globally famous as a solo artist with __________ hits such as Billie Jean and Bad. His album Thriller, released in 1982, is the biggest-selling __________ of all time. It has sold 65 million copies worldwide.
confused
smash
greats
album
poured
genius
career
massive
LISTENING: Listen and fill in the gaps.
Michael Jackson ____________________ after having a heart attack at his Los Angeles home. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors spent over an hour ____________________. His brother Germaine told reporters: "The family request that the media please respect our ____________________." Jackson was perhaps the greatest singer and dancer the world has ever seen. He transformed the music industry forever. ____________________ influenced generations of singers with his unrivalled professionalism. Michael was known as the king of pop and there is perhaps no one close to challenging ____________________. He will be remembered forever for his talent, ____________________, and his Moonwalk dance.
Tributes to Michael Jackson have ____________________ over the world. Pop star Madonna said: "The world has lost one of its greats, but his music ____________________." Jackson’s ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley said she was “so sad and confused”. She added: "This is such a massive loss on so many levels, ____________________." Pop star Justin Timberlake wrote online: "We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only pop music, but of all music." Jackson began his ____________________ in his family group The Jackson 5. He went on to become globally _____________________ with smash hits such as Billie Jean and Bad. His album Thriller, released in 1982, is the biggest-selling ____________________. It has sold 65 million copies worldwide.
AFTER READING / LISTENING
1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘pop’ and ‘icon’.
pop
icon
- Share your findings with your partners.
- Make questions using the words you found.
- Ask your partner / group your questions.
2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.
- Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
- Ask your partner / group your questions.
3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?
4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.
5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:
- heart
- rushed
- media
- icon
- king
- status
- poured
- greats
- fail
- genius
- solo
- album
STUDENT MICHAEL JACKSON SURVEY
Write five GOOD questions about Michael Jackson in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.
When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.
STUDENT 1
_____________
STUDENT 2
_____________
STUDENT 3
_____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.
- Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
- Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.
MICHAEL JACKSON DISCUSSION
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
a)
What did you think when you read the headline?
b)
What springs to mind when you hear the name ‘Michael Jackson’?
c)
Where were you when you heard about Michael’s death?
d)
What do you think caused Michael Jackson’s heart attack?
e)
How do you think Michael Jackson changed music?
f)
What do you think of the media coverage of Michael Jackson’s death?
g)
What do you think of Michael Jackson’s music and dancing?
h)
Where do you think Michael Jackson is in the list of musical greats?
i)
What is Michael Jackson’s most unforgettable song?
j)
How did Michael Jackson change American society?
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STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
a)
Did you like reading this article?
b)
What tribute would you pay to Michael Jackson?
c)
The rapper P Diddy said: “Michael Jackson showed me that you can actually see the beat.” What do you think of this?
d)
Was Michael Jackson a part of your life?
e)
Why do you think Michael Jackson was such a music icon?
f)
The music producer Quincy Jones said: "To this day [his] music is played in every corner of the world, and the reason is because he had it all.” What do you think of this tribute?
g)
How should the world remember Michael Jackson?
h)
What do you think about Michael Jackson’s private life?
i)
What three adjectives would you use to describe Michael? Why?
j)
What questions would you like to have asked Michael Jackson?
LANGUAGE
Michael Jackson has died aged 50 after (1) ____ a heart attack at his Los Angeles home. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors (2) ____ over an hour trying to save him. His brother Germaine told reporters: "The family request that the media please respect our (3) ____ during this tough time." Jackson was perhaps the greatest singer and dancer the world has ever seen. He transformed the music industry forever. The pop icon (4) ____ influenced generations of singers with his unrivalled professionalism. Michael was (5) ____ as the king of pop and there is perhaps no one close to challenging his legendary (6) ____. He will be remembered forever for his talent, his unforgettable songs, and his Moonwalk dance.
Tributes to Michael Jackson have (7) ____ in from all over the world. Pop star Madonna said: "The world has lost one of its greats, but his music will live on forever." Jackson’s ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley said she was “so sad and confused”. She added: "This is such a massive (8) ____ on so many levels, words (9) ____ me." Pop star Justin Timberlake wrote online: "We have lost a (10) ____ and a true ambassador of not only pop music, but of all music." Jackson began his career as a child in his family group The Jackson 5. He went on to become globally famous as a solo artist with (11) ____ hits such as Billie Jean and Bad. His album Thriller, released in 1982, is the biggest-selling album of (12) ____ time. It has sold 65 million copies worldwide.
Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.
1.
(a)
have
(b)
has
(c)
had
(d)
having
2.
(a)
spend
(b)
spends
(c)
spent
(d)
spending
3.
(a)
private
(b)
privacy
(c)
privately
(d)
privatise
4.
(a)
greatly
(b)
greatest
(c)
greats
(d)
great
5.
(a)
knew
(b)
knowing
(c)
known
(d)
knows
6.
(a)
statistics
(b)
statues
(c)
stats
(d)
status
7.
(a)
pouring
(b)
poured
(c)
pours
(d)
pour
8.
(a)
loss
(b)
lost
(c)
loser
(d)
losses
9.
(a)
failure
(b)
fail
(c)
failing
(d)
fails
10.
(a)
genie
(b)
geneticist
(c)
genius
(d)
general
11.
(a)
smash
(b)
punch
(c)
smack
(d)
break
12.
(a)
whole
(b)
ever
(c)
every
(d)
all
WRITING 1:
Write about Michael Jackson for 10 minutes. Correct your partner’s paper.
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WRITING 2:
Singer P Diddy said: “Michael Jackson showed me that you can actually see the beat. He made the music come to life!!” Write about this. Read your partner’s paper.
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HOMEWORK
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about Michael Jackson. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. GENIUS: Make a poster about three different areas of Michael Jackson’s genius. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
4. MICHAEL JACKSON: Write a magazine article about Michael Jackson. Include imaginary interviews with two huge fans.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
5. LETTER: Write a letter to Michael Jackson. Ask him three questions about his life. Give him three reasons why you would pay tribute to him. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.
ANSWERS
TRUE / FALSE:
a.
T
b.
T
c.
F
d.
F
e.
T
f.
T
g.
F
h.
F
SYNONYM MATCH:
1.
heart attack
a.
cardiac arrest
2
trying
b.
attempting
3.
tough
c.
difficult
4.
transformed
d.
changed
5.
influenced
e.
affected
6.
tributes
f.
praise
7.
greats
g.
legends
8.
massive
h.
huge
9.
genius
i.
brilliance
10.
album
j.
record
PHRASE MATCH:
1.
died aged 50 after having
a.
a heart attack
2
He was rushed
b.
to hospital
3.
respect our privacy during
c.
this tough time
4.
influenced generations
d.
of singers
5.
his unforgettable
e.
songs
6.
Tributes to Jackson have poured
f.
in from all over the world
7.
his music will live
g.
on forever
8.
words
h.
fail me
9.
We have lost a genius
i.
and a true ambassador
10.
globally famous as
j.
a solo artist
GAP FILL:
Michael Jackson dies aged 50
Michael Jackson has died aged 50 after having a heart attack at his Los Angeles home. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors spent over an hour trying to save him. His brother Germaine told reporters: "The family request that the media please respect our privacy during this tough time." Jackson was perhaps the greatest singer and dancer the world has ever seen. He transformed the music industry forever. The pop icon greatly influenced generations of singers with his unrivalled professionalism. Michael was known as the king of pop and there is perhaps no one close to challenging his legendary status. He will be remembered forever for his talent, his unforgettable songs, and his Moonwalk dance.
Tributes to Michael Jackson have poured in from all over the world. Pop star Madonna said: "The world has lost one of its greats, but his music will live on forever." Jackson’s ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley said she was “so sad and confused”. She added: "This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me." Pop star Justin Timberlake wrote online: "We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only pop music, but of all music." Jackson began his career as a child in his family group The Jackson 5. He went on to become globally famous as a solo artist with smash hits such as Billie Jean and Bad. His album Thriller, released in 1982, is the biggest-selling album of all time. It has sold 65 million copies worldwide.
LANGUAGE WORK
1 - d
2 - c
3 - b
4 - a
5 - c
6 - d
7 - b
8 - a
9 - b
10 -c
11 - a
12 - d
After years of drinking at what he thought were 'normal levels', Andy Ball was diagnosed with the liver disease cirrhosis. He shares his story:
"I don’t have a history of alcoholism in my family and I had a normal relationship with alcohol – it was never taboo. As I got older, though, it became apparent I could drink more than other people.
"At teenage parties, I'd turn up with four cans of beer and after three cans other kids would be getting merry, but I'd be thinking, 'I just feel the same as before'. So I started having a few cans before I went to parties, and then stronger stuff as I got older.
"I started drinking heavily-ish around 17, the last year of my A-levels. I would drink every day, but again, I didn’t think it was a problem. I had four close mates, and I was aware that we drank more than other people. I wasn’t a nasty drunk, I rarely lost my temper and I never got into trouble over alcohol.
"I got four A-levels and started university, and no one commented on my drinking. I was doing weight training and exercise so I didn’t really look like I had a problem. I could drink half a bottle of vodka and nobody would know.
"But by the time I left university I was beginning to feel unwell. I gave up playing rugby and I went to the doctor because I was getting pains in my gut. I had what’s called a fatty liver – which can progress to hepatitis and cirrhosis – but because my health was OK for the next few years, I continued drinking.
'I turned yellow'
'I haven’t had a drink since I went into hospital. It was easy to give up drinking, because I wasn’t an alcoholic – I was just drinking a huge amount'
Andy Ball
"In 2001 I became very sick. I literally turned yellow and my hair started falling out. My nails went translucent, and I looked just like a hollow lemon.
"I was admitted to hospital, and told that I had cirrhosis. I’ve also got a condition known as portal hypertension (very high blood pressure in the large veins that take blood to my liver) because my rigid liver can’t process my blood fast enough.
"The most dangerous thing is that I have swellings, ‘varicose veins’, in my throat (called varices), which are caused by the high pressure in the vein that transports blood from the gut to the liver. If one of them bursts I could die.
"I haven’t had a drink since I went into hospital. It was annoyingly easy to give up drinking, because I wasn’t really much of an alcoholic – I was just drinking a huge amount.
"My liver is quite delicate. I have to eat healthily and take care of myself. I also have to take beta blockers and go to the hospital fairly regularly to check that my varices are OK.
"People do live in denial about the amount they drink. A lot of us are alcohol-dependent to some extent because few of us would choose to socialise without a drink in our hand. But if you continue drinking at a high level, you could end up where I am.”
Watch the video
Consultant hepatologist Mark Wright talks about how to reduce your risk of developing liver disease.
