What is the weight of the human race?

You are going to

• talk about obesity, eating and health
• read a text and do a gap-fill (with differentiated options for FCE and IELTS students)
• listen to a radio discussion on obesity and do a true / false exercise
• look at / listen to some comments by Jamie Oliver on solutions to the obesity problem and do a gap-fill exercise
• write an IELTS style question on the subject of obesity, food and health
• do a crossword to practise the vocabulary used in this post

1) Discuss

• Do you have a healthy diet?
• What is a healthy / unhealthy diet?
• Do some nations have better diets than others?

2) Watch

In 2009 www.globalpost.com compiled a list of the Top 10 Fattest Countries in the world based on national health surveys WHO compiled between 2000 and 2008.

• What countries do you think were on the list?

Watch the video and find out.

3) Discuss

• Is your country on the list?
• What do you think causes people to become overweight?
• Why are we all getting fatter?

4) Read

The Obesity Epidemic
Why are we getting fatter?
Read the text below and do the gap-fill to find out

Exam options

• Click here if you want to do the same text adapted for FCE practice
• Click here if you want to do the same text adapted for IELTS practice

5) Listen

• What do you think is the combined weight of the human race? If you added all our weights together what would it come to?

Listen and find out

listen to ‘What is the weight of the human race?’ on Audioboo

Listen again and do the true / false exercise

 6) Read

• What solutions can you think of to prevent world obesity?

A) Read these quotes from a speech Jamie Oliver made at TED (or watch the clip below)
What solutions does he give?



B) Now fill in the gaps with the correct word from the list.

C) Look at the sentences again.

1. Which sentences describe the problem?
2. Which sentences offer solutions?
3. What language does Jamie use to emphasize the urgency for solutions? 

Answers - highlight below

1. 1 - 6  describe the problem
2. 8 - 14  offer solutions
3. Urgency - have (got) to, need to, it's (profoundly) important that... , it's time for..., most importantly

If you have time watch the clip.

http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html

7) Write (IELTS)

Plan and write the following essay
Obesity is becoming a serious problem in many countries. 
Explain the main causes and effects of this problem, and suggest some possible solutions. (250 words)

8) Crossword

Practise some of the vocabulary used in this post.

Printable worksheets are here
Crossword here

9) More

More reading and learning activities
Learning Activities

• Obesity http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0602/060203-obesity.html
• Problems with Food http://www.eslhandouts.com/worksheets/problems-with-food-vocabulary-lesson/
• BBC Learning English - Fit or Fat? http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/britain/fit.shtml
• Supersize Me http://efllecturer.blogspot.com.es/2012/05/supersize-me.html

Reading

• 10 fattest countries
• USA is no longer the fattest country
• Body Mass Index 
• Physical activity guidelines for adults
• www.jamieoliver.com/

Obesity Calculator “Obese” is someone with a BMI of 30 or higher. Use this calculator by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to see how you score http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/efl-esl-resources.php?c=6

 

Air New Zealand All Blacks Flight Safety Video

You are going to

1) Discuss flying and air safety procedures
2) Watch a flight safety video and do some comprehension activities
3) Look at and practise the following grammar points;
   a) the zero conditional with an imperative
   b) "should" and "were to" in conditionals to express improbability eg "If something should / were to happen..."
   c) language for advice, instructions and obligation
4) Write an instruction / advice leaflet
5) Adapt your leaflet into a powerpoint presentation or film

Teacher's notes; 

1. Answers are in the powerpoint presentation at the bottom of the post

2. The All Blacks are the New Zealand rugby team.

1) Discuss

• How often do you fly?
• Do you pay attention to the flight safety demonstrations?
• Do you know what to do in an emergency?
• Make a note of any vocabulary you need to explain what to do. For example; take off, land, exit, signs, seats, fasten, seat-belt, life-jacket, oxygen mask, overhead compartments, evacuate

2) Video 
a) Do you know..?
You are going to watch a flight safety video. How many of these questions do you know the answers to?

1. Where should you store your baggage?
2. What should you do if the seat-belt sign is switched on?
3. If an oxygen mask should drop down in front of you, what would you do?
4. What should you make sure of before you help anyone?
5. If an emergency were to happen during take-off or landing, what should you do?
6. How do you put on the life-jacket?
7. Where can you smoke?
8. How will you find the exit if there is no light?
9. What should you count?
10. What should you do with your mobile phone?

2b) Watch the video to check your answers

Air New Zealand - 'Crazy About Rugby' Safety Video from CDow on Vimeo.

2c) After you watch. How much can you remember? 

Finish the sentences.

1. Even if you fly with us often, please keep your eyes on the briefing.
2. Make sure all your baggage is stored away…
3. Whether you’re in the front row or the back…
4. We recommend you keep your seat-belt fastened throughout the flight, but…
5. If the seat-belt sign is switched on…
6. If an oxygen mask should drop down in front of you…
7. If there are young ones around you…
8. If an emergency were to happen during take-off or landing…
9. If you find yourself needing to smoke on this flight…
10. If you need to find your way out even if it’s All Black…
11. Should we need to evacuate…
12. Mobile phones can interfere with aircraft systems and mustn’t be used in flight unless...

Can't remember them all?

Try the matching exercise below

3) Discuss Grammar

1. What do these sentences have in common?
2. What's the difference between them?

   A) If an oxygen mask drops down in front of you, use it to breathe.

   B) If an oxygen mask were to drop down in front of you, use it to breathe.

   C) If an oxygen mask should drop down in front of you, use it to breathe.

   D) Should an oxygen mask drop down in front of you, use it to breathe.

3. Which 3 are the most unlikely? 

Practise
If + "were to... "  http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/wereto.html
http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditional11.htm

Conditionals - Alternative forms http://esl.about.com/cs/advanced/a/gr_cond_alt_2.htm

4) Writing

Use the information from the video to write a flight safety advice leaflet.
or
Write a leaflet advising people what to do in an emergency
For example - A fire
Does your school or college have fire drills?
Do you know what to do and where to go if there was a fire?

Use some of the language from the video

• If the alarm were to ring...
• If the alarm should ring...
• Should the alarm ring...
• Make sure you...
• All students must...
• We recommend (that) you + verb

5) Speaking

Turn your leaflet from part 4 into a presentation or film.
Make a powerpoint presentation
or
direct and act in an instructional film telling people what to do in an emergency

6) Sporting vocabulary

This Air New Zealand video features the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby team. There are many sporting expressions in the video. Read the transcript here http://lybio.net/air-new-zealand-crazy-about-rugby-safety-video/travel-events/  or watch the video again. How many can you find?

Make a note of any other vocabulary in the film that you find useful


 
More air safety videos http://www.carhire.org/blog/funny-flight-safety-videos


Powerpoint presentation (containing answers)
Click to start

Air safety from David Mainwood

More

• 3 Things I learned while my plane crashed by Ric Elias, Conditionals 1 and 2, Discussion Activities, IELTS, Listening, Reading, Upper Intermediate, Writing
• The very honest Austrian bus driver 2nd Conditional, Conditionals, Intermediate,
  Upper Intermediate
• What would happen if..? (2nd Conditional) Conditionals, Intermediate, Reading, Upper Intermediate, Webquest 
• What would have happened if..? 10 Inventors Killed by their own inventions (3rd Conditional).3rd Conditional, Advanced, Upper Intermediate Conditionals, Inventions, Inventors, Technology