Words In The News Teachers pack

Lesson plan and student worksheets with answers

Stem cell research 10 January 2007

BBC Learning English Words in the News Stem cell research 10 January 2007
CONTENTS

1. 2. 3. 4.

Level, topic, language, aims, materials Lesson stages Student worksheets 1, 2, 3 Answers

Level: Topic:

Intermediate and above US scientists have found that amniotic fluid contains cells which can be used in research for treating disease. Vocabulary of a news report Reading skills Language skills Writing skills Worksheet 1 Worksheet 2 Worksheet 3 News story Understanding a short news report Adjective formation Short newspaper-style report Comprehension questions Vocabulary matching task Grammar/language focus adjective formation Available online at:

Language: Aims:

Materials:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2007/01/ 070110_stemcell.shtml

Preparation: Before the lesson, make enough copies of worksheet 2 so that there is one worksheet for every 4 5 students. Cut up the vocabulary and explanation to make a matching exercise. Students also need one copy each of worksheets 1 and 3.

Words in the News Lesson Plan: Teacher's notes bbclearningenglish.com

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BBC Learning English Words in the News Stem cell research 10 January 2007
LESSON STAGES

A Stimulate student interest in text Generate interest about todays topic by asking students to copy the following grid: 2010 Medicine 2050 2200

Space

Climate

Computers

your topic

Ask students to spend 5 minutes thinking about developments in each of the areas above at different points in the future. After 5 minutes, ask students to compare their answers in small groups. For feedback, encourage one representative from each group to report on their conversation, telling the class the most interesting suggestions. Ask students how realistic they think their suggestions have been. Encourage students to give examples of why they think their predictions are realistic or unrealistic (e.g. newspaper reports, their studies). Ask students what they think would be the most significant breakthrough in medicine. B Pre-teach essential vocabulary Elicit/present key vocabulary that students need either to understand the key points in the text or to understand and/or answer any questions that you'll set them later in the lesson. The vocabulary is from Words in the News (so you can elicit the vocabulary by using the explanations provided online or below). You could either pre-teach the vocabulary at this stage of the lesson or you could use the vocabulary building activity from further down in this lesson plan. Have students working together in small groups and ask them to try to match the vocabulary with the definitions.

Words in the News Lesson Plan: Teacher's notes bbclearningenglish.com

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BBC Learning English Words in the News Stem cell research 10 January 2007
Encourage them to work with the other groups to pool their knowledge. When they have done as much as they can, if they have dictionaries, ask them to look up the words to check their answers and to find out the definitions of any words they are not sure of. If they don't have dictionaries, check their answers and give them help with any words they aren't sure of. Whichever method you use to elicit/present the vocabulary, you should then model it (say it clearly, highlighting the word stress) and get them to repeat the words after you. stem cells general cells which produce other specialised types of cells (e.g. blood cells) tissue a collection of cells with a similar structure and particular function in an animal/plant (here) hampered hindered, affected the progress of ethical concerns moral problems, or worries relating to professional conduct are derived from are produced or developed from embryos young animal (here human) in the earliest stage of development tantamount the same as something else (especially something bad), equal in meaning cannibalism eating the flesh of your own species versatility flexibility, capable of many different uses genetic match very similar or identical set of genes

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BBC Learning English Words in the News Stem cell research 10 January 2007
C Written record of vocabulary Write the words on the board, eliciting spelling as you write. Elicit and show the word stress of each item and word class, if appropriate. Give students some time to copy the boardwork into their notebooks. Boardwork: stem cells tissue hampered ethical concerns are derived from embryos tantamount cannibalism versatility genetic match D Set global questions. Tell the students they are going to read a text which is about stem cell research. Put these questions on the board: 1. What are the 'ethical concerns' that may prevent some types of stem cell research? 2. What has been the recent development in the United States? 3. Why do you think researchers are hopeful for the future? Students read text the first time. Give them a time limit (1 - 2 minutes) to read the text quickly to find the answer to the first 2 questions. They do not need to understand the details for each topic. E Check answers Elicit students' answers and tick the correct answers on the board. Invite comments in response to the third question. The answers are:

Words in the News Lesson Plan: Teacher's notes bbclearningenglish.com

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BBC Learning English Words in the News Stem cell research 10 January 2007
1 That the source of stem cells is unethical because they are destroyed after the process 'tantamount to cannibalism' (paragraph 2) 2 'Amniotic fluid has been found as an alternative source for stem cells'. (paragraph 3) 3 Invite students to give and justify their opinions 'newly-made cells restore some function in brain-damaged mice' (paragraph 3), 'Although there are few, their ability to renew themselves and their versatility gives researchers great hope' (paragraph 4). It is implied that there would be fewer problems with ethical concerns. Students can infer this as amniotic fluid would otherwise be thrown away. F Set specific information questions Hand out Worksheet 1 or use the online quiz. Students complete the worksheet to help them understand the text in more detail. Give them a time limit (5 - 6 minutes) to read the text a second time in more detail and to answer the questions. G Check answers Elicit True or False answers. Direct attention to a particular paragraph if an answer is wrong to try to elicit the correct answer (see worksheet 1 and answer key). H Vocabulary consolidation/building Students do the vocabulary matching exercise (worksheet 2 that you cut up before the lesson): in small groups they match the correct word with the right definition. I Check answers Elicit answers. If an answer is wrong, ask other students to try to elicit the correct answer. J Grammar focus: adjective formation and use Write down the following three noun phrases and ask students for similarities: 1. ethical concerns 2. amniotic fluid 3. genetic match The similarity is that all three nouns (concern, fluid and match) use an adjective to modify them. Ask students for the purpose of the adjective; in all cases the adjective provides essential information relating to the noun. Adjectives are usually called 'describing' words as they provide additional information about a noun, a noun phrase or a clause. In addition to providing important information, they contribute to the style of writing and can make a description much more vivid. Ask students to brainstorm adjective endings. The following endings are all possible. An example is given in brackets: - able (understandable) - ant (fragrant) - al (maternal) - ent (intelligent) - ate (consummate) - ful (delightful) - an (American) - ible (visible)

Words in the News Lesson Plan: Teacher's notes bbclearningenglish.com

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BBC Learning English Words in the News Stem cell research 10 January 2007
ic (economic) ist (capitalist) ive (positive) less (careless) ory (inflammatory) ous (enormous) some (bothersome) y (hazy)

Remind students that many adjectives look similar to nouns or verbs, but that their endings should be learned carefully to avoid mistakes in writing. Hand out Worksheet 3 which focuses on adjective and noun endings. Tell students to fill in the table then improve the sentences. K Check answers If an answer is wrong, ask other students to try to elicit the correct answer (see worksheet 3 and answer key). L Follow-up activity: Descriptive Writing/ Reading Ask students to write a news story imagining that stem-cell research has just led to a breakthrough in the treatment of one of the diseases mentioned in the article (diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's). Tell them to follow the style of todays lesson limiting their news to no more than five paragraphs. Encourage students to use their imagination in how the stem cells have been used for the treatment, when the article is published (in late 2007 or in 2027) and if the ethical concerns mentioned here have remained. If students are stuck for ideas, you could ask them to answer the following questions in their article: Where did the research take place? When did the research take place? Which disease can be treated? How many people will be affected by the treatment? When can the public expect to be able to use this treatment? Who did the research and what did they say about it? Were there any ethical concerns? Are there any opponents? If yes, what did they say about the research?

Encourage peer correction, and monitor progress throughout. For homework, students could be encouraged to complete their article by making it into front page news of a newspaper writing a headline and choosing a picture or image to accompany the article. M Feedback Give praise for content and show your interest in the different views expressed. Give praise for correct language. Give feedback on incorrect language you saw. You could write some example phrases or sentences on the board and elicit from students which ones are correct and which ones are wrong and why.

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BBC Learning English Words in the News Stem cell research 10 January 2007
STUDENT WORKSHEET 1 COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS Are the following sentences true or false? 1. Stem cells are useful because they kill diseases. T/F

2.

Scientists think that the best stem cells are produced especially for research and are then destroyed.

T/F

3.

People who disagree with stem cell research think that using embryos is almost like eating humans.

T/F

4.

Scientists in the United Kingdom think they have found another source of stem cells.

T/F

5.

The new source of cells is in the liquid which surrounds a baby before it is born.

T/F

6.

Scientists think that they only need one thousand cells for almost the whole population.

T/F

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BBC Learning English Words in the News Stem cell research 10 January 2007
STUDENT WORKSHEET 2 VOCABULARY Match these words and phrases to their definitions.

1. stem cells 2. tissue 3. hampered 4. ethical concerns

A.

very similar or identical set of genes

B.

are produced from a source or origin

C.

flexibility, capable of many different uses

D.

hindered, affected the progress of

5. are derived from

E.

young animal (here human) in the earliest stage of development

6. embryos

F.

general cells which produce other specialised types of cells (e.g. blood cells)

7. tantamount

G.

moral problems, or worries relating to professional conduct

8. cannibalism 9. versatility

H.

eating the flesh of your own species

I.

a collection of cells with a similar structure and particular function in an animal/plant (here)

10. genetic match

J.

the same as something else (especially something bad), equal in meaning

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BBC Learning English Words in the News Stem cell research 10 January 2007
STUDENT WORKSHEET 3

GRAMMAR FOCUS Adjective formation Exercise 1: Fill in the following table, adding the adjective or noun. All the roots to the words are in the text: Noun reality 2. 3. embryo 5. function ability versatility 9. 6. 7. 8. genetic 1. hopeful typical 4. ethical Adjective

Exercise 2: Add more information to each of the following sentences by using adjectives and noun phrases. Try to add at least three adjectives: I went to see a film. I went to see a terrible, badly-directed, romantic film last week. 1. In this performance of Shakespeares play Romeo and Juliet, Kate Winslet took the role of Juliet. 2. The politician made a speech 3. The celebrity was wearing a dress. 4. The cook prepared a meal. 5. In the garden, the bird was singing. 6. During the lesson, the student was day-dreaming. 7. The shop sold fruit and vegetables.
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BBC Learning English Words in the News Stem cell research 10 January 2007
ANSWER KEY

STUDENT WORKSHEET 1 1. False Paragraph 1 of the written text says, 'stem cells offer real hope of treating illnesses like diabetes[they] can grow into types of tissue that are destroyed by the progression of these diseases'. 2. True - Paragraph 2 says 'Scientists say the most useful types are derived from specially grown human embryos'. 3. True Paragraph 2 says, 'opponents saythis is tantamount to cannibalism'. 4. False Paragraph 3 says 'scientists in the United States' not the United Kingdom. 5. True Paragraph 3 says, 'The scientistshave found a ready source of useful stem cells in amniotic fluid, the liquid that surrounds a growing baby'. 6. False Paragraph 4 says 'they say that a bank of 100,000 of these stem cells could supply a genetic match for 99 percent of the US population' ; 100,000 not 1000. STUDENT WORKSHEET 2 1. F 6. E 2. I 7. J 3. D 8. H 4. G 9. C 5. B 10. A

STUDENT WORKSHEET 3 Exercise 1 1 real 2 hope 3 type

4 embryonic 5 ethics (always plural) 6 functional

7 able 8 versatile 9 gene

Exercise 2 Accept any answers which use adjectives accurately and appropriately. possible positions for additional adjectives or noun-phrases. 1. In this performance of Shakespeares play Romeo and Juliet, Winslet took the role of Juliet. 2. The politician made a speech. 3. The celebrity was wearing a dress. 4. The cook prepared a meal. 5. In the garden, the bird was singing . 6. During the lesson, the student was day-dreaming . 7. The shop sold fruit and vegetables.

signifies

Kate

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