In this next section, we look at choices, and entitlement and possessions. These are all, arguably features of society in the 21st century, for some at least. In the assignment Tanzania hunter-gaterers we have read that the Hazda don’t have the concept of possession, they share everything.
But of course, they don’t really have objects. What about you? Do you have a lot of things? Do you think the possession of objects is a feature of the 21st century? Is it a good thing? Or not?
This lesson contains 5 steps and an evaluation.
Work them through step by step.
Step
Activity
Introduction
Find out what you already know.
Step 1
Speaking and watching
Answer questions and compare with a classmate. Tick items a spoiled child of 11 years might have. Watch the video and check the answers. Think of six questions and determine the attitude of the interviewer.
Step 2
Reading
Read a text and choose headings for each paragraph. Answer questions about the text in your own words.
Step 3
Speaking
Discuss a number of questions in a small group.
Step 4
Grammar
About the future continuous. Theory and examples and an exercise.
Step 5
Task
Write an essay about 'If YOU ruled the world'. With a number of checks for your own analysis.
Read the questions and make a note of your answers.
Then compare with your partner.
What was the last object your parents gave you?
Was it for an occasion or ‘just because’?
Are you saving up for anything at the moment? What is it?
How long will it take you to save up (approximately)?
Do your parents give you everything that you want?
You’re going to watch a video about a girl who has been called the most spoilt child in Britain.
Which of the following do you think this 11 year old girl does/has?
Write down.
car
credit card
designer handbag
dolls
expensive shoes
high-lighted hair
horse
latest gadgets
nail extensions
pet
tanning
The video is a chat show. What questions do you think the interviewer will ask her?
Think of six questions you would ask her. Then watch the video.
Did either of the interviewers ask your questions?
Watch the video and check your answers.
What is the attitude of the interviewer? You can choose more than one.
disapproving
understanding
shocked
disbelieving
worried
your own ideas.
Step 2 - Reading
You are going to read an article entitled ‘If I ruled the world.’
Susan Greenfield / November 17, 2016
Published in December 2016 issue of Prospect Magazine
[1]
If I ruled the world, I would re-introduce the Classics into all schools. I get very angry when people label Greek and Latin as elitist, or dismiss them as simply dead languages. It’s my firm belief that everyone would benefit from studying them, irrespective of the path they choose in life afterwards.
[2]
Unfortunately, nowadays Classics is a minority subject taught mainly in independent schools. It has also been eclipsed, mistakenly I think, by science subjects—as though we had to choose. Personally, I came late to science: I am a neuroscientist now, but I did Classics to entry level at Oxford so I have a foot in both camps.
[3]
Neuroscientists have been able to see parallels in the kind of questions the Greeks were asking. For example, in Euripides’ The Bacchae, Pentheus tries to suppress women who worship the wine god Dionysus because they’re getting out of hand with orgies and so on. But the prophet Tiresias cautions him against it, saying, “no, you need a balance in life, there’s a wine force and a bread force, and you need both those things.” Science tells us that we have something called the prefrontal cortex, the frontal part of the brain, which, when it’s under-functioning, will lead to a sensational “living for the moment” mentality where you reject the sense of self—similar to what the Dionysus worshippers go through—as opposed to most of the time when you’re aware of a past, present and future, and of your own identity. As a neuroscientist I find it very interesting that one can see parallels like that.
[4]
Classical literature touches on large themes such as the great depth of human nature and, for want of a better term, the meaning of life. Even young children could learn a lot from reading this literature. At primary school level, one could read Homer in translation. The Iliad and The Odyssey are wonderful stories: not only are they rich in characters and adventure, but they also bring into play ideas of magic, the supernatural and of destiny, and of the choices you make in life, topics of great relevance at a formative age. Game of Thrones has nothing on Homer—so why not go for the original rather than a knock-off version? It trains your attention span and encourages a breadth of thought that is empowering.
[5]
Writing reflects how you think. Thought is very much marshalled by a robust and confident sense of grammar and structure and language. The Classics can help with this. Latin has a very rigid grammar structure where you have to learn how to decline and conjugate verbs. All that gives you a very good memory, but also gives you a confident feeling for how languages work. You have to remember all your rules all at once: you have to keep in mind how a verb will end, what tense and mood you’ll use. When you’re translating you have to be able to work it out, almost like a detective, by the ends of the words, because the order doesn’t necessarily do it for you.
Imagine a child who, rather than playing video games, has the opportunity to grapple with these kind of challenges and to access these kinds of stories and culture? It’s incalculable what that would do.
What choices have your parents made for you so far? (e.g. school to attend)
What choices have you made for yourself?
Do you think you have made good choices? Why? Why not?
Besides school, what other aspects of your life have ‘choice’?
Why is ‘choice’ such an important concept in our society?
Some people say that if you want to be successful at something, you must start young. What’s your opinion? Consider the advantages and the disadvantages.
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Toelichting
Deze les valt onder de arrangeerbare leerlijn van de Stercollectie voor Engels voor havo, leerjaar 4 en 5. Dit is thema 'Societies'. Het onderwerp van deze les is: If I ruled the world. In deze les gaat het over een verwend kind en er is aandacht voor het artikel 'If I ruled the world'. De grammaticaopdracht behandelt future continuous.
Leerniveau
HAVO 4;
HAVO 5;
Leerinhoud en doelen
Engels;
Eindgebruiker
leerling/student
Moeilijkheidsgraad
gemiddeld
Studiebelasting
4 uur en 0 minuten
Trefwoorden
'if i ruled the world', arrangeerbaar, engels, future continuous, h45, if i ruled the world, stercollectie, verwende kinderen
If I ruled the world h45
nl
VO-content
2021-03-02 09:29:56
Deze les valt onder de arrangeerbare leerlijn van de Stercollectie voor Engels voor havo, leerjaar 4 en 5. Dit is thema 'Societies'. Het onderwerp van deze les is: If I ruled the world. In deze les gaat het over een verwend kind en er is aandacht voor het artikel 'If I ruled the world'. De grammaticaopdracht behandelt future continuous.
This next lesson is about If I ruled the world.
Read the questions and make a note of your answers.
Susan Greenfield / November 17, 2016
In small groups, discuss these questions.
Let’s look at ... the future continuous.
