What's so special about the Beatles?

You are going to

• do a listening comprehension exercise on the Beatles
• look at some vocabulary connected to culture / music
• read about the Beatles

1) Discuss

It's 50 years since the Beatles released their first album Please Please Me. They recorded the whole album in only one day.

• What do you know about the Beatles?
• Why were they important or special?

The first track on the album was called I Saw Her Standing There
Listen. Do you like it?

2) Before you listen
You are going to listen to someone talking about why the Beatles are "special".
Here is some vocabulary from the clip. Match the words to their definitions.

3) Listen
Listen below to an interview by Nick Ellerby with Phil Alexander, the editor-in-chief of the music magazine Mojo.
Why were the Beatles special?

listen to ‘50 year anniversary of The Beatles' Please Please Me with MOJO magazine’ on Audioboo

Now answer the questions below.

4) Read / Webquest
Click on this link and then do the question / answer matching exercise below
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/the-beatles/9946799/The-Beatles-Please-Please-Me-50-years-on-10-facts-about-the-debut-album.html

Printable worksheets are here




More
The Beatles  Listening, Music, Past Simple, Quizzes, Reading 

The Beatles official web page http://www.thebeatles.com/






Here are the Beatles in November 1963 at the Royal Command Performance attended by the Queen Mother. At 04:45 John Lennon makes a request. "For our last number I'd like to ask your help. The people in the cheaper seats clap your hands. And the rest of you, if you'd just rattle your jewellery."

What is the most important innovation of the last 100 years?

You are going to

• discuss innovation and invention
• listen to descriptions of 3 inventions
• do some comprehension exercises based on the clips
• do a presentation on your choice for the most important innovation of the last 100 years / take part in a balloon debate

1) Discuss
What do you think are the most important innovations or inventions of the last 100 years?
Make a list and choose 3.

• Why are they important?
• Who invented them?
• What would life be like without them?

2) Listen
You are going to listen to three people talk about the innovation they think is the the most important of the last 100 years.
The choices are taken from http://www.topbritishinnovations.org/

Tim Berners-Lee

1) Brian Eno talks about the World Wide Web

Brian Eno is a musician.
Why does he think the world wide web is important?

Click play below to listen

listen to ‘Brian Eno talks the world wide web...’ on Audioboo

Now do the gap-fill exercise

Read more http://www.topbritishinnovations.org/PastInnovations/WorldWideWeb.aspx

Alexander Flemming

2) Sir Paul Nurse talks about Penicillin

Sir Paul Nurse is President of the Royal Society (the UK’s national academy of science) and also a Nobel Laureate.

Why does he think penicillin is important?

Click play below to listen

listen to ‘Sir Paul Nurse ’ on Audioboo

Now do the sentence matching exercises below.

Read more http://www.topbritishinnovations.org/PastInnovations/Penicillin.aspx




 

LEO

3) Georgina Ferry talks about LEO 
(the first business computer)

Georgina Ferry is a science writer.
Why does she think LEO is important?

Click play below to listen

listen to ‘Georgina Ferry’ on Audioboo

Now answer the questions below.

Read more http://www.topbritishinnovations.org/PastInnovations/LEOI.aspx

Printable worksheets here





3) Read
Read and vote for the top British Innovation here

Top British Innovations A - Z

 

4) Speak
Activity - Balloon debate. The most important innovation of the last 100 years.
Choose an invention that you think is the most important and present your argument to the class.
The class votes for the best one.

• Introduce yourself
• Introduce the innovation / invention
• Give some background detail - Why was the invention needed?
• Who invented it? How? When? Where?
• What  effect has it had on modern life?
• What would life be today without it?
• Why should your classmates vote for it? 

You can find some help on presentations here Presentations: How to Present Yourself








Now try these posts

Accidental Inventions and Hidden Heroes  FCE, Intermediate, Inventions, Inventors, Listening, Past Continuous, Past Simple, Science, Tenses Review, Upper Intermediate 

Looking to the Future - Activities and Achievements, Discussion Activities, Future, Future Continuous, Future Perfect, Intermediate, Predictions, Targets, Technology, Upper Intermediate

Why are jeans so popular?

You are going to

• discuss fashion and jeans
• watch a video clip and do some listening activities on the history of denim (Int)
• do a reading activity about the history of denim (Int) 
• do a listening activity about the popularity of jeans (U.Int)
• write about the influence of fashion on people

1) Discuss

• Are you wearing jeans now?
• How often do you wear jeans? 
• What are jeans made of?
• Do you like jeans? Why? / Why not?
• Why do you wear jeans?
• If you are in class now, how many people are wearing jeans?
• Why do you think they are so popular? 
• What do you know about the history of jeans?

2) Watch
What do you know about the history of jeans?
Look at the sentences in the exercise below.
A) Watch the video below and decide if they are true or false.

B) Watch again and do the gap-fill exercise

3) Read
Read the text below and put the sentences in the correct spaces

4) Listen
Listen to the clip below
You are going to listen to Anthropologist Daniel Miller talking about the popularity of  jeans on the BBC World service programme The Forum.
Why does he think jeans are so popular?

listen to ‘Why are jeans so popular?’ on Audioboo

From The Forum http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00np2s1#p00p8k7m

Now read the summary below and fill in the gaps.

Vocabulary - to plug = to promote / market / advertise

5) Write
Fashion trends are difficult to follow these days and it's widely believed that they primarily exist just to sell clothes. Some people believe that we shouldn't follow them and that we should dress in that we like and feel comfortable in.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
(IELTS)




Printable worksheets here




More
Giving Up Marilyn Manson  Fashion, Listening, Phrasal Verbs / Idioms and Slang, Writing

Read
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17101768

The history of jeans
http://www.jeans-and-accessories.com/history-of-blue-jeans.html