. Chips - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Chips - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Chips - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson

Breaking News English Lesson: Chips

Visitors to a UK beach saw an unusual sight earlier this week. The shoreline was covered in French fries ("chips" in British English). Thousands of bags of chips washed up on a beach in the county of Sussex. The bags were in shipping containers that fell off cargo ships in the English Channel. Bad weather caused three of the containers to fall into the sea. Currents and tides carried one of the containers and the chips to the shore. Joel Bonnici, a local man, was the first to find the chips. He said: "From a distance, it looked like the golden sand of a Caribbean beach, but on closer inspection, we saw not just the chips, but chip bags." He added: "In some areas, the chips were 75 cm deep."

Volunteers are helping to clean up the beach. Many people came to the beach to help the clean-up. Mr Bonnici said the chips were an environmental hazard. He said: "Removing the plastic bags is a priority." He is worried about a colony of seals that live near the beach. Bonnici said: "If the seals see the bags, they will play with them or try to eat them." A local official warned people to be careful if they go to the beach. She said: "Please keep dogs on leads as some of the food items washing on to the shoreline may be harmful to them." She asked people to "report any new debris". The chip spill is the second such event in Sussex recently. Last month, thousands of bananas washed ashore.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0lxkl3gd6jo
  • https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/nothing-compares-to-this-locals-left-stunned-after-thousands-of-chips-wash-up-on-sussex-beach/ar-AA1UtVyx
  • https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/25775185.thousands-bags-chips-wash-beachy-head/

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

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News

"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."

The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)

"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and. history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."

Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)

"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels. In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."

Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.

Warm-ups

1. CHIPS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about chips. Change partners often and share your findings. 2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life? beach / unusual sight / French fries / shipping / tides / sand / Caribbean / chips / clean-up / environmental hazard / plastic bags / seals / dogs / debris / bananas Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently. 3. FRENCH FRIES: Students A strongly believe French fries are the best snack food; Students B strongly believe otherwise. Change partners again and talk about your conversations. 4. SNACK FOOD: What do you think of these snack foods? What are the good and bad things about them? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

What I Think

Good Things

Bad Things

Chips (French fries)

Crisps (potato chips)

Pizza

Popcorn

Peanuts

Cookies

MY e-BOOK See a sample
  • Ketchup
  • Salt
  • Curry sauce
  • Gravy
  • Mayonnaise
  • Vinegar
  • Cheese sauce
  • Chili
Vocabulary

Paragraph 1

1. unusual a. How far one thing is from another. 2. shoreline b. The place where the land meets the sea. 3. container c. Goods/Things that are carried by a ship, plane or truck. 4. cargo d. Something that is not common or not normal. 5. tides e. A careful look at something. 6. distance f. A very large, giant box that is used to carry things on a ship or truck. 7. inspection g. The rise and fall of the sea twice a day.

Paragraph 2

8. volunteers h. A group of animals that live together. 9. hazard i. Something that is more important and should be done first. 10. priority j. A long cord/strap used to take a dog for a walk and stop it running away. 11. colony k. People who help or do work without getting paid. 12. official (noun) l. Something that can be dangerous. 13. lead (noun) m. Broken or unwanted pieces left after something happens. 14. debris n. A person who works for the government or an organization. Before reading / listening 1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).
  1. Visitors to a beach saw people cooking millions of French fries. T / F
  2. Millions of bags of chips washed up on the beach. T / F
  3. The fries came from a shipping container from a cargo ship. T / F
  4. The chips made the beach look like the Caribbean's golden sand. T / F
  5. The fries were good news for seals, who had lots of food to eat. T / F
  6. A local official said dogs should be on loads so they do not attack seals. T / F
  7. The official asked people to report any seals they find eating chips. T / F
  8. Thousands of bananas washed ashore last month in the same county. T / F
2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.
  1. drop
  2. community
  3. places
  4. assisting
  5. waste
  6. strange
  7. dangerous
  8. danger
  9. shore
  10. discover
3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)
  1. Visitors to a UK beach saw
  2. shipping
  3. bad
  4. From a
  5. In some areas, the chips
  6. Volunteers are helping to
  7. the chips were an environmental
  8. Removing the plastic bags is a
  9. keep dogs on
  10. thousands
  1. clean up the beach
  2. weather
  3. were 75 cm deep
  4. leads
  5. containers
  6. priority
  7. an unusual sight
  8. of bananas
  9. hazard
  10. distance
Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below. find ships areas shoreline sea unusual golden washed

Visitors to a UK beach saw an (1) ______________________________________________ sight earlier this week. The (2) ______________________________________________ was covered in French fries ("chips" in British English). Thousands of bags of chips (3) ______________________________________________ up on a beach in the county of Sussex. The bags were in shipping containers that fell off cargo (4) ______________________________________________ in the English Channel. Bad weather caused three of the containers to fall into the (5) ______________________________________________. Currents and tides carried one of the containers and the chips to the shore. Joel Bonnici, a local man, was the first to (6) ______________________________________________ the chips. He said: "From a distance, it looked like the (7) ______________________________________________ sand of a Caribbean beach, but on closer inspection, we saw not just the chips, but chip bags." He added: "In some (8) ______________________________________________, the chips were 75 cm deep."

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

eat second hazard dogs thousands helping harmful colony

Volunteers are (9) ______________________________________________ to clean up the beach. Many people came to the beach to help the clean-up. Mr Bonnici said the chips were an environmental (10) ______________________________________________. He said: "Removing the plastic bags is a priority." He is worried about a (11) ______________________________________________ of seals that live near the beach. Bonnici said: "If the seals see the bags, they will play with them or try to (12) ______________________________________________ them." A local official warned people to be careful if they go to the beach. She said: "Please keep (13) ______________________________________________ on leads as some of the food items washing on to the shoreline may be (14) ______________________________________________ to them." She asked people to "report any new debris". The chip spill is the (15) ______________________________________________ such event in Sussex recently. Last month, (16) ______________________________________________ of bananas washed ashore.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) Visitors to a UK beach saw an unusual sight ______ a. earlier that week b. earlier these weeks c. earlier this week d. earlier this weeks 2) The bags were in shipping containers that fell ______ a. of cargo ships b. off cargo ship c. off cargo ships d. off car go ships 3) Bad weather caused three of the ______ a. containers to fell b. containers to fall c. containers to fail d. containers to feel 4) but on closer inspection, we saw not just the chips, ______ a. but chip bags b. put chip bags c. but chip bag d. but chipped bags 5) He added: "In some areas, the chips ______." a. were 75 cm deep b. were 75 cm depth c. were 75 cm deepen d. were 75 cm deeps

6) Mr Bonnici said the chips were ______ a. an environmental hazards b. an environmental hazard c. an environmental hazardous d. an environmentalist hazard 7) Removing the plastic bags is a priority." He is worried about a ______ a. colon knee of seals b. colony off seals c. colony of seals d. collar knee of seals 8) some of the food items washing on to the shoreline may be ______ a. harmful at them b. harmful for them c. harmful to them d. harmful on them 9) She asked people to "report ______" a. any new daybreak b. any new day bris c. any news debris d. any new debris 10) Last month, thousands of ______ a. bananas washed a shore b. bananas washed assure c. bananas washed ash or d. bananas washed ashore

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Visitors to a UK beach (1) __________________________________________________ sight earlier this week. The shoreline was covered in French fries ("chips" in British English). Thousands of bags of chips (2) __________________________________________________ a beach in the county of Sussex. The bags were in shipping containers that fell off cargo ships in the English Channel. Bad weather (3) __________________________________________________ the containers to fall into the sea. Currents and tides carried one of the containers and the chips to the shore. Joel Bonnici, (4) __________________________________________________, was the first to find the chips. He said: "(5) __________________________________________________, it looked like the golden sand of a Caribbean beach, but on closer inspection, we saw not just the chips, but chip bags." He added: "(6) __________________________________________________, the chips were 75 cm deep."

Volunteers (7) __________________________________________________ clean up the beach. Many people came to the beach to help the clean-up. Mr Bonnici said the chips were (8) __________________________________________________. He said: "Removing the plastic bags is a priority." He is worried about a colony of seals that live near the beach. Bonnici said: "If the (9) __________________________________________________ bags, they will play with them or try to eat them." A local official warned people to be careful if they go to the beach. She said: "Please keep (10) __________________________________________________ as some of the food items washing on to the shoreline may (11) __________________________________________________ them." She asked people to "report any new debris". The chip spill is the second such event in Sussex recently. Last month, thousands (12) __________________________________________________ ashore.

Comprehension questions
  1. What is 'French fries' in British English?
  2. Where in the UK is the beach on which the fries washed up?
  3. What fell off of cargo ships in the English Channel?
  4. Who is Joel Bonnici?
  5. How deep were the fires and bags in some places?
  6. What did volunteers go to the beach to do?
  7. What did Joel Bonnici say was a priority?
  8. What might eat the fries?
  9. What did an official request people to do to dogs?
  10. What washed ashore at another beach last month?
Multiple choice quiz

1) What is 'French fries' in British English? a) crisps b) potato fries c) chips d) potato chips 2) Where in the UK is the beach on which the fries washed up? a) Sussex b) Essex c) Middlesex d) Wessex 3) What fell off of cargo ships in the English Channel? a) potatoes b) shipping containers c) crisps d) bags of potato starch 4) Who is Joel Bonnici? a) a chef b) a potato farmer c) a dog owner d) a local man 5) How deep were the fires and bags in some places? a) 85 cm b) 75 cm c) 65 cm d) 55 cm

6) What did volunteers go to the beach to do? a) get free fries b) clean it up c) take photos d) cook the fries 7) What did Joel Bonnici say was a priority? a) public health b) eating the chips c) keeping the seas safe d) removing plastic bags 8) What might eat the fries? a) dogs b) seals c) crabs d) dolphins 9) What did an official request people to do to dogs? a) Get them to swim in the sea. b) Keep them on a lead. c) Take them for a walk. d) Be kind to them. 10) What washed ashore at another beach last month? a) thousands of bananas b) tens of thousands of pineapples c) hundreds of thousands of papayas d) thousands of chicken nuggets

Role play

Role A – Ketchup You think ketchup is the best thing to put on chips. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): salt, mayonnaise or chili.

Role B – Salt You think salt is the best thing to put on chips. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): ketchup, mayonnaise or chili.

Role C – Mayonnaise You think mayonnaise is the best thing to put on chips. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): salt, ketchup or chili.

Role D – Chili You think chili is the best thing to put on chips. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): salt, mayonnaise or ketchup.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words.

• 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:

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion - Chips

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

  1. What did you think when you read the headline?
  2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'fries'?
  3. Do you prefer the UK English 'chips' or American English 'fries'?
  4. What do you think of beaches?
  5. What would you do if you saw a beach covered in chips?
  6. When was the last time you went to a beach?
  7. What do you think of Caribbean beaches?
  8. Have you ever seen anything strange on a beach?
  9. What is the best thing to eat with chips?
  10. What's the best thing to put on top of chips?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

  1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
  2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'chips'?
  3. What do you think about what you read?
  4. What do you think of chips or fries?
  5. What are the differences between chips and French fries?
  6. What things have you volunteered for?
  7. What kind of hazard might the chips be?
  8. What do you know about seals?
  9. Who should pay for the clean-up of the spilt chips?
  10. What questions would you like to ask a chip maker?
Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

Visitors to a UK beach saw an (1) ____ sight earlier this week. The shoreline was covered in French fries ("chips" in British English). Thousands of bags of chips washed (2) ____ on a beach in the county of Sussex. The bags were in shipping containers that fell off cargo (3) ____ in the English Channel. Bad weather caused three of the containers to fall into the sea. Currents and (4) ____ carried one of the containers and the chips to the shore. Joel Bonnici, a local man, was the first to find the chips. He said: "From a (5) ____, it looked like the golden sand of a Caribbean beach, but on closer inspection, we saw not just the chips, but chip bags." He added: "In some (6) ____, the chips were 75 cm deep."

Volunteers are helping to clean up the beach. Many people came to the beach to (7) ____ the clean-up. Mr Bonnici said the chips were an environmental hazard. He said: "Removing the plastic bags is a (8) ____." He is worried about a colony of seals that live near the beach. Bonnici said: "If the seals see the bags, they will play with them or try to eat (9) ____." A local official warned people to be careful if they go to the beach. She said: "Please keep dogs on (10) ____ as some of the food items washing on to the shoreline may be harmful (11) ____ them." She asked people to "report any new debris". The chip spill is the second such event in Sussex recently. Last month, thousands of bananas (12) ____ ashore.

Which of these words go in the above text?

  1. (a) unusually (b) usually (c) usual (d) unusual
  2. (a) over (b) down (c) in (d) up
  3. (a) tankers (b) ships (c) canoes (d) kayaks
  4. (a) hides (b) rides (c) tides (d) bides
  5. (a) far (b) isolated (c) distance (d) measure
  6. (a) areas (b) arenas (c) auras (d) aerials
  7. (a) helper (b) help (c) helping (d) helps
  8. (a) priority (b) priory (c) property (d) properly
  9. (a) those (b) them (c) these (d) that
  10. (a) strings (b) chains (c) leads (d) ropes
  11. (a) by (b) of (c) to (d) at
  12. (a) dusted (b) wiped (c) cleaned (d) washed
Spelling Paragraph 1
  1. The renisheol was covered in French fries
  2. The bags were in shipping aitrsecnno
  3. cogar ships
  4. currents and tside
  5. on closer cneptionis
  6. in some reasa
Paragraph 2
  1. the chips were an environmental azdahr
  2. Removing the plastic bags is a iyroiptr
  3. a nolcoy of seals
  4. a local lfficoia
  5. report any new eibrsd
  6. the second such event in Sussex yleenctr
Put the text back together

( ) but chip bags." He added: "In some areas, the chips were 75 cm deep." ( ) careful if they go to the beach. She said: "Please keep dogs on leads as some of the food items washing on to the ( ) clean-up. Mr Bonnici said the chips were an environmental hazard. He said: "Removing the plastic bags is a ( ) distance, it looked like the golden sand of a Caribbean beach, but on closer inspection, we saw not just the chips, ( ) English Channel. Bad weather caused three of the containers to fall into the sea. Currents and tides carried one ( ) event in Sussex recently. Last month, thousands of bananas washed ashore. ( ) in French fries ("chips" in British English). Thousands of bags of chips washed ( ) of the containers and the chips to the shore. Joel Bonnici, a local man, was the first to find the chips. He said: "From a ( ) priority." He is worried about a colony of seals that live near the beach. Bonnici said: "If the seals ( ) see the bags, they will play with them or try to eat them." A local official warned people to be ( ) shoreline may be harmful to them." She asked people to "report any new debris". The chip spill is the second such ( ) up on a beach in the county of Sussex. The bags were in shipping containers that fell off cargo ships in the ( 1 ) Visitors to a UK beach saw an unusual sight earlier this week. The shoreline was covered ( ) Volunteers are helping to clean up the beach. Many people came to the beach to help the

Put the words in the right order
  1. to Visitors beach a an saw sight unusual .
  2. The was shoreline in covered fries French .
  3. Bags chips of up washed a on beach .
  4. weather Bad three caused to containers fall .
  5. looked It the like of sand beach a .
  6. Volunteers helping are clean to the up beach .
  7. said He chips the an were hazard environmental .
  8. He worried is a about of colony seals .
  9. local A warned official to people careful be .
  10. Last thousands, month bananas of ashore washed .
Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

Visitors to a UK beach saw an usual / unusual sight earlier this week. The shoreline was covered in / on French fries ("chips" in British English). Thousands of bags of chips washed up / down on a beach in the county of Sussex. The bags were in shipping contains / containers that fell off cargo ships in the English Channel. Bad / Badly weather caused three of the containers to fall into the sea. Currents and tides / tidal carried one of the containers and the chips to the sure / shore. Joel Bonnici, a locally / local man, was the first to find the chips. He said: "From a distance, it looked like the golden sand of a Caribbean beach, but / so on closer inspection, we saw not just the chips, but chip bags." He added: "In some arenas / areas, the chips were 75 cm deep."

Volunteers are helping to clean down / up the beach. Many people came to the beach to helping / help the clean-up. Mr Bonnici said the chips were an environmental hazard / hazardous. He said: "Removing the plastic bags is a priority." He is worried about a colony of seals what / that live near the beach. Bonnici said: "If the seals see the bags, they will play with them or try to eat these / them." A local official warned / warning people to be careful if they go to the beach. She said: "Please keep dogs on reads / leads as some of the food items washing on to the shoreline may be harmful at / to them." She asked people to "report any news / new debris". The chip spill is the second such event in Sussex recently. Last month, thousands of bananas washed shore / ashore.

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct. Look up the definition of new words.

Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

V_s_t_rs t_ _ _K b__ch s_w _n _n_s__l s_ght __rl__r th_s w__k. Th_ sh_r_l_n_ w_s c_v_r_d _n Fr_nch fr__s ("ch_ps" _n Br_t_sh _ngl_sh). Th__s_nds _f b_gs _f ch_ps w_sh_d _p _n _ b__ch _n th_ c__nty _f S_ss_x. Th_ b_gs w_r_ _n sh_pp_ng c_nt__n_rs th_t f_ll _ff c_rg_ sh_ps _n th_ _ngl_sh Ch_nn_l. B_d w__th_r c__s_d thr__ _f th_ c_nt__n_rs t_ f_ll _nt_ th_ s__. C_rr_nts _nd t_d_s c_rr__d _n_ _f th_ c_nt__n_rs _nd th_ ch_ps t_ th_ sh_r_. J__l B_nn_c_, _ l_c_l m_n, w_s th_ f_rst t_ f_nd th_ ch_ps. H_ s__d: "Fr_m _ d_st_nc_, _t l__k_d l_k_ th_ g_ld_n s_nd _f _ C_r_bb__n b__ch, b_t _n cl_s_r _nsp_ct__n, w_ s_w n_t j_st th_ ch_ps, b_t ch_p b_gs." H_ _dd_d: "_n s_m_ _r__s, th_ ch_ps w_r_ 75 cm d__p."

V_l_nt__rs _r_ h_lp_ng t_ cl__n _p th_ b__ch. M_ny p__pl_ c_m_ t_ th_ b__ch t_ h_lp th_ cl__n-_p. Mr B_nn_c_ s__d th_ ch_ps w_r_ _n _nv_r_nm_nt_l h_z_rd. H_ s__d: "R_m_v_ng th_ pl_st_c b_gs _s _ pr__r_ty." H_ _s w_rr__d _b__t _ c_l_ny _f s__ls th_t l_v_ n__r th_ b__ch. B_nn_c_ s__d: "_f th_ s__ls s__ th_ b_gs, th_y w_ll pl_y w_th th_m _r try t_ __t th_m." _ l_c_l _ff_c__l w_rn_d p__pl_ t_ b_ c_r_f_l _f th_y g_ t_ th_ b__ch. Sh_ s__d: "Pl__s_ k__p d_gs _n l__ds _s s_m_ _f th_ f__d _t_ms w_sh_ng _n t_ th_ sh_r_l_n_ m_y b_ h_rmf_l t_ th_m." Sh_ _sk_d p__pl_ t_ "r_p_rt _ny n_w d_br_s". Th_ ch_p sp_ll _s th_ s_c_nd s_ch _v_nt _n S_ss_x r_c_ntly. L_st m_nth, th__s_nds _f b_n_n_s w_sh_d _sh_r_.

Punctuate the text and add capitals

visitors to a uk beach saw an unusual sight earlier this week the shoreline was covered in french fries chips in british english thousands of bags of chips washed up on a beach in the county of sussex the bags were in shipping containers that fell off cargo ships in the english channel bad weather caused three of the containers to fall into the sea currents and tides carried one of the containers and the chips to the shore joel bonnici a local man was the first to find the chips he said from a distance it looked like the golden sand of a caribbean beach but on closer inspection we saw not just the chips but chip bags he added in some areas the chips were 75 cm deep

volunteers are helping to clean up the beach many people came to the beach to help the cleanup mr bonnici said the chips were an environmental hazard he said removing the plastic bags is a priority he is worried about a colony of seals that live near the beach bonnici said if the seals see the bags they will play with them or try to eat them a local official warned people to be careful if they go to the beach she said please keep dogs on leads as some of the food items washing on to the shoreline may be harmful to them she asked people to report any new debris the chip spill is the second such event in sussex recently last month thousands of bananas washed ashore

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

VisitorstoaUKbeachsawanunusualsightearlierthisweek.Theshorelin ewascoveredinFrenchfries("chips"inBritishEnglish).Thousandsofba gsofchipswasheduponabeachinthecountyofSussex.Thebagswereins hippingcontainersthatfelloffcargoshipsintheEnglishChannel.Badwe athercausedthreeofthecontainerstofallintothesea.Currentsandtides carriedoneofthecontainersandthechipstotheshore.JoelBonnici,aloc alman,wasthefirsttofindthechips.Hesaid:"Fromadistance,itlookedli kethegoldensandofaCaribbeanbeach,butoncloserinspection,wesaw notjustthechips,butchipbags."Headded:"Insomeareas,thechipswer e75cmdeep."Volunteersarehelpingtocleanupthebeach.Manypeople cametothebeachtohelptheclean-up.MrBonnicisaidthechipswereane nvironmentalhazard.Hesaid:"Removingtheplasticbagsisapriority." Heisworriedaboutacolonyofsealsthatlivenearthebeach.Bonnicisaid: "Ifthesealsseethebags,theywillplaywiththemortrytoeatthem."Aloca lofficialwarnedpeopletobecarefuliftheygotothebeach.Shesaid:"Plea sekeepdogsonleadsassomeofthefooditemswashingontotheshorelin emaybeharmfultothem."Sheaskedpeopleto"reportanynewdebris".T hechipspillisthesecondsucheventinSussexrecently.Lastmonth,thou sandsofbananaswashedashore.

Free writing

Write about bags of chips for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

Academic writing

The UK word "chip" is better than the American English word "French fry". Discuss.

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 this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson. 3. CHIPS: Make a poster about chips. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things? 4. CLEAN-UPS: Write a magazine article about all of us getting involved in community clean-ups. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this. 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. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles. 6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on chips. Ask him/her three questions about them. Give him/her three of your opinions on chips. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Also.

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

  • News
  • Warm ups
  • Pre-reading / Post-reading
  • Using headlines
  • Working with words
  • While-reading / While-listening
  • Moving from text to speech
  • Post-reading / Post-listening
  • Discussions
  • Using opinions
  • Plans
  • Language
  • Using lists
  • Using quotes
  • Task-based activities
  • Role plays
  • Using the central characters in the article
  • Using themes from the news
  • Homework

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Answers

(Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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