Inspirational English, Issue 50

MINDSET GROWTH

Dear reader, It would appear that people who have growth mindset seem to adapt easily to a rapidly-evolving world and in many cases this can help them considerably with their career choices. Modern companies are after employees who use critical thinking skills to solve problems and are eager to learn.

Here in the UK, the tendency is to start work as an apprentice rather than find your perfect job with a university qualification. Why is that?

Because nowadays an employer wants to hire someone who: -is prepared to develop through practice and constant effort;

8

-sees life as opportunities rather than obstacles; -embraces challenges; -takes responsibility for their failures and success; -celebrates other people´s success; -knows that we learn from our mistakes in order to grow; -is willing to seek advice and listens to it -reflects on their mistakes and accomplishment Do you think your students have those skills?

12

It can be obvious that many students detest going to school (Yes, the educational system MUST be changed).

They see studying as a chore which takes them away from their hobbies and friends. So our task is to ignite their desire to learn and show them that it is alright to push themselves.

Issue 50 brings to you a collection of articles, tips and resources which will help you put the vision of growth midset into place. Certainly, embedding such culture in your school is an ongoing project but that is definitely something that your students will be truly grateful for later

ce i r P a y Marus

18

PS Issue 50 marks the end of the e-zine. You can find out why I came to this decision on page 6.

2

INSIDE 06 08 12 16 18 23 32 36

That's not the end Yours and My Personal Journey Positive Passport Spice up your English Lessons

Identify Barrier Thoughts Lesson plan

By Ashley Manuel

The Magic of Midset Teaching More than Physics-Lesson Plan I believe-Lesson Plan I believe-poem

Teaching More than PhysicsLesson plan

by Max Neil Maximchuk

37 10 Empowering Lesson Plans 38 Identify Barrier Thoughts 44 5 things I learnt from Pollyanna 45 Josie's poems 49 Easy English 56 Kids' corner 59 Fun with English

I believe Lesson plan

By Marusya Price

Frank & Russie’s Little Big Magical Adventures Chapter 3

3

Hazel Madrigal Basically go over what the class would do beforehand and anticipate possible problems, aka strange words, expressions or hard to understand terminology. I look them up and have them ready for class.

Sapna Sehgal, the Teaching Cove Semester-long lesson planning for private students! I make individualized lesson plans (obviously reusing plans where I can) for each student at the beginning of semester (a few lessons in for brand-new students) Adult students/parents of children love it, and it means every Sunday I just look at the plans, know what I need to do for the week, and relax.

Kirsty McCrudden The best time-saving technique after you have a few years of experience teaching ESL is to focus on the speed of transitions from one planned activity to the next. Are the transitions seamless or do you lose time because of smaller admin focussed tasks (like handing out worksheets and so on)? I find that planning transitions along with your main lesson saves time and valuable resources because you are actively thinking about where, when and what resources you are using and whether or not you are taking valuable time away from your learners.

Irina Beliavskaya Learn to delegate. You don't have to do everything yourself. I'm not shy to ask my son to lighten my load. He helps me with my computer work,he prints and do texting rather faster than I do it. So I save my time doing other activity.

4

Valentina Holubeva The teacher should be "ignorant" and "lazy" so as to give students a chance to explain and do things by their own.The idea behind that humorous statement is that teachers, being the most active and sympathetic personalities, often rush to help without giving students a chance to figure out how to solve the problem. When they do most of the work in class, they deprive the students of the opportunity to practice and develop skills. They save time through doing things instead of the students, while they should have patience to lead the students doing the job themselves.

In short, they should delegate more and listen to students reasoning instead of explaining. With time, the class will become self-organised and the teacher will have more time.

Iryna Iryna Before the lesson think not only of WHAT you'll teach, but also HOW you'll teach it (procedure). You might change it on the spur of the moment, but the fact that it has been thought through lets it go more smoothly (in my experience).

Sharyn Collins Be as organised as possible.The brain loves order. I am not saying I am well organised but it's something I strive towards.

Image credit: Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash

5

That’s

the end

Yes, I know the title sounds misleading so I have no choice but to spill the beans.

Issue 50 marks the end of the e-zine INSPIRATIONAL ENGLISH. Almost four years ago I had the idea to create a newsletter where I could pour out my love for the English language and British culture. During that long period my “baby” has been growing and evolving and has consequently transformed into a large online publication whose mission was to promote positive education.

I have to admit that I feel quite emotional now. It has taken me a long time to get to this decision but I am aware that the message of the e-zine will be carried on through the pages of my website www.inspirationalenglish.co.uk. It is time for me to focus on my own professional development and new projects. You will be able to find links to the most popular issues of the e-zine on my website if you want to find a collection of inspirational resources.

And now I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my regular contributors whose amazing teaching materials have made the e-zine so popular: ● Ashley Manuel(Growing With Gratitude)

● Josie Whitehead (Josie’s poems)

● Gavin McCormack (gavinmccormack.com.au)

● Max Maximchuk (maxenglishcorner.com)

● Jeanne Bourne (Bourne 4EFL)

● Peter Taylor (musician, songwriter, writer)

Of course, I would love to thank all the forty-six inspiring educators from sixteen countries who were kind enough to share their love for teaching through the e-zine, which also included the interview series “WE INSPIRE”.

INSPIRATIONAL ENGLISH would not have been the same without my wonderful students whose respect and deep appreciation have motivated me to continue to grow as a transformational teacher. They are the ones who showed me that modern education needs empowering resources. I was happy to see how my lessons transformed them and this encouraged me to publish these positive materials on the pages of the e-zine.

Last but not least, INSPIRATIONA ENGLISH would not have existed without my husband´s love and constant support. He is the one who was patient when I had to burn the midnight oil, brushed my tears when I was feeling low but most importantly BELIEVED in me and my passion for spreading light into the world of education.

Truly grateful, Marusya Price PS So make yourself a cup of hot drink and enjoy issue 50. Don´t forget that you can find more inspiration and free resources on my website www.inspirationalenglish.co.uk.

6

A big THANK YOU to all 46 educators who have made the e-zine so inspiring ● Albena Spurling (Lightsource Charity)

● Larissa Albano (blogger, Italy)

● Alice Savage (teacher, USA)

● Leah Betesh (educator, Mexico)

● Andy Focallocal (Focallocal)

● Linda Ruas (IATEFL Globe Issues SIG)

● Anita Gregoriades (Jolly Phonics)

● Magdalena Wasilewska (educator, Poland)

● Ashley Manuel (Growing With Gratitude)

● Marcus Mohalland (Silly Nomads)

● Bea Sieradzka (World of Love Festival)

● Maria Theologidou (blogger, Greece)

● Cemal Altinok (educator, Turkey)

● Mario Sampilo (the Philippines)

● Chris Tooze (educator, UK)

● Mark Bartholomew (ReadListenLearn)

● Cristina Cabal (Blog de cristina)

● Max Maximchuk (maxenglishcorner.com)

● Daniella de Winter (English soft read)

● Natalie Clarke (educator, Australia)

● Deshka Petrova (poet, Bulgaria)

● Peter Taylor (musician, songwriter, writer)

● Erin Threlfall (educator, USA)

● Phil Hoyles (actor, UK)

● Ezzeddine Cherni (educator, Tunisia)

● Randa Haiek (educator, Israel)

● Gavin McCormack (gavinmccormack.com.au)

● Ray Brooks (actor, UK)

● Helen Green (lightworker, UK)

● Regina Szuszkiewicz (Regipio Games)

● Homaira Kabir (homairakabir.com)

● Robin Parsons (artist, UK)

● Isabel Knowland (educator, UK)

● Sapna Sehgal (The teaching Cove)

● Jeanne Bourne (Bourne 4EFL)

● Sara Schairer (Compassion it)

● Jenevieve Arcovio (Literacy pages)

● Say Do See Obama (educator, Senegal)

● Jordan Catapano ( educator, USA)

● Shamash Alidina (Museum of Happiness)

● Josie Whitehead (Josie’s poems)

● Tiffany Carr, Dr (Joy in teaching)

● Julie Pratten (publisher, UK)

● Vassiliki Manalou ( educator, Greece)

● Kaitlin Murray (travelinkait.com)

● Vladimir Lalov (Camp Golden Gate)

7

8

G

rowth happens from the moment you are born, in a minute you are a minute older and

in a year you have a birthday to mark your growth to the age of one.

The job at hand for your parents or parent is to take up the task of carefully nurturing you and so the process of attentive growth continues.

At a point along this journey you will break free of the need to continue to be nurtured, although the exact moment this happens can be an extreme variable. One possibility is when you successfully complete a university course as this can be an opportunity for you to take hold of your personal baton and set off to try and make the winning line in the race of life.

In many cultures around the world reaching the age of twenty one is recognised as the moment when you become a man or a woman. This of course is a generalisation, although having lived for 21 years you will definitely feel the weight of expectation looming large.

The heading of Mindset Growth for this, the final issue of Marusya´s e-zine Inspirational English, sits somewhere in the area of the above four paragraphs.

I left home at the age of twenty and travelled from Edinburgh to London on the overnight mail train with a mindset to discover a new life for myself.

A few signposts were brightly lit, but there were a lot more that were not just dim but indistinguishable.

I had no real idea at the time why I had asked myself such a big question, but the euphoria of the moment when I got on the train and all my friends were running along the platform waving me a smiley goodbye filled me with an energy to truly believe everything was going to be alright.

It brings a smile to my face once more as I recall the time and those magical moments.

Following on from that I reflect on the countless mindsets I have adopted along the way and how I dealt with each individual challenge.

One particular mindset I took up more than twenty years ago was to try and develop my skills as a writer and in the beginning of the journey it was a bumpy ride. But having learned from the many mind sets I had taken up before that not wavering from my purpose and continuing to believe I was on the right track, I achieved what I set out to do.

10

We all sit smack in the centre of Pandora’s Box of life with its complex mix of loving and losing and ups and downs that come our way in equal measures. When the losing and the downs come my way writing is my go to place. A blank page and a keypad is my tried and tested method of escaping into the wonderful world of words where I can go anywhere and be anything.

I would like to now bid all of you readers of Marusya´s marvellous Inspirational English publication a fond farewell from my little office here in Spain and wish each and every one of you the pleasure of experiencing great joy in your life.

Peter Taylor Columnist, song-writer and playwright

10

Peter Taylor

By Zemirah Jazwierska Founder of Kids relaxation http://kidsrelaxation.com

12

Did you know that positive thinking is you and your child’s passport to overall health and wellbeing?

This week in my work with students, I’ve created a positive passport activity so that we can begin to shift our thoughts into the vibration of positivity!

We all feel better when we have positive thoughts inside our heads. Help your child to begin to pay attention to the thoughts that are passing through and to understand that he has the power to change it if he wants.

Positive internal dialogue, also known as, positive self-talk is a key component to relaxation as well. What we rehearse inside our minds creates the atmosphere for our entire nervous system and body. In fact, eventually the feedback loop between what we are thinking and feeling becomes interconnected–that is until we decide to change it.

We all feel better when we have positive thoughts inside our heads. Help your child to begin to pay attention to the thoughts that are passing through and to understand that he has the power to change it if he wants.

Positive internal dialogue, also known as, positive self-talk is a key component to relaxation as well. What we rehearse inside our minds creates the atmosphere for our entire nervous system and body. In fact, eventually the feedback loop between what we are thinking and feeling becomes interconnected–that is until we decide to change it.Dr. Joe Dispenza, author of the book Evolve Your Brain and many other publications on neuroscience, (http://drjoedispenza.net/blog/), writes about how the more we think a certain way, the more we feel that same certain way, and vice versa. As we rehearse a pattern of thoughts, a feedback loop is created within the body in which our thoughts impact the neurotransmitters and circulation of other hormones within the body. These same thoughts also either promote a calm nervous system response or have the power to send us into the protective fight/flight/freeze stress responseThe reverse is also true: the more we feel sad, mad, depressed, etc, the more we are apt to think thoughts that correspond to those emotions.

It is important that we support our kids in learning how to think in ways that support their wellbeing and enhance feelings of security, confidence, and overall wellbeing. In the education world, “growth mindset” is a hot topic. Growth mindset refers to this pattern of thought–how we think over time and how we teach kids to rehearse the thoughts that make them feel good about taking risks, believing in and focusing on their own strengths, trying out new things, and adopting a view of “failure” that involves seeing mistakes as learning opportunities rather than a reason for shame or reflection on who they are as a person. There is an awesome YouTube Channel and website that has a wide assortment of videos that can support learning about growth mindset: https://ideas.classdojo.com/. Some examples of their video titles include Your Brain is Like a Muscle and The Magic of Mistakes.

We can also build upon the growth mindset teachings and curriculums, expanding them to teach about positive versus negative thought patterns.

I used to work with a teacher who gave me this idea.

She had positive passports at work in her classroom.

She taught students all about positive thinking and encouraged them with the use of these positive passport booklets to catch themselves thinking positive throughout the day. They wrote positive thoughts in the booklet and then would collect a stamp at the end of the day for an “abundance of positive thoughts.” She also had them catching each other being positive for extra stamps!

The cool thing about her positive passports was that it got kids looking for the positive and helped them to actually focus on the positive which, in turn, reinforced positive interactions with each other, while creating a positive atmosphere in her classroom.

During the year when students needed a little “extra” positive thought energy in one area of the day, this teacher would have them take their passports to that part of the day. For example, when several students were struggling to stay on task and to comply with teacher directives in music, she had them take their passports to music so that teacher could reinforce positive thinking in her class.

It became a collaborative effort throughout their school day.

14

You can create your own positive passports with your child. Here’s how I did it: First, I ordered some generic kids passports from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Setof-24-Passport-Stampers/ Next, I created my own “Positive Passport” cover, printed it out, cut and pasted it onto the cover. You can design your own with your child to personalize it!

Finally, I used the passports as a group activity to talk about affirmations or positive thoughts we affirm about ourselves, positive self-talk, and how to use them as a place to record our positive actions throughout the day. We record our spots of kindness, our moments of using our self-care and calming tools, and our sharing and giving to others.

As one student stated a positive thought about her day, I would stamp her passport, acknowledging her work! It was a wonderful way to validate her thoughts, to affirm her demonstration of empathy toward her friends, and to connect during our conversation.

So what does this all have to do with relaxation? Pretty much everything .

Relaxation is directly related to the thoughts we think. Have you ever felt deeply relaxed while being in the quicksand of worry, anxiety, or other stressful thoughts?

Adding information on positive growth mindset to your relaxation instruction and practice with your kids is essential. Because of brain plasticity, the ability for the brain to continually grow and change based on our use of it over time, it’s especially important that we support kids in developing positive thinking patterns early in life. These patterns can be lifelines during those bumps in the road and during the extreme storms that pass through life, true positive passports to relaxation.

15

p u e c i p r S u o Y h s i l g En ons s s le

From party games to board games, from TV show to card games, Larissa Albano adapts any playful activity to meet learners’ needs. The talented English teacher shares her knowledge and experince with educators all over the world through the workshops that she runs. For further information or to book your workshop, contact Larissa at:

16

THE MAGIC OF MINDSET

BY JEANNE BOURNE

Maria has been learning English for a

Christos has also been learning English for

couple years and wants to pass the English

several years. He goes to class and tries to

exam she needs in order to study abroad. In

do his homework, but is discouraged when

addition to attending her English classes

he makes mistakes. Because reading is

three times a week, Maria constantly listens

difficult he answers some of the questions

to podcasts and audio books, reads online

just by guessing. He watches a lot of

newspapers and has a pen pal. She knows

American films but can’t quite understand

she needs to work on her speaking skills so

everything so he uses subtitles in his native

she is looking for an online speaking

language. Christos knows he needs to speak

partner.

English well to get a better job in the future, but he thinks he just doesn’t have the ‘language learning gene’.

W

hat’s the difference between these two students? You’re correct if you said Maria has a growth mindset. She isn’t discouraged by her mistakes and uses a variety of means to achieve her goals. Christos, on the other hand, has a fixed mindset. He believes he can’t learn English so doesn’t try very hard and actually cheats or just guesses when taking tests and doing his homework.

18

Carol Dweck, a psychology professor from Stanford University, coined the term ‘growth mindset’, which in a nutshell, is the belief that anyone can excel at anything. People with a growth mindset believe that talent and intelligence aren’t gifts you are born with but they are attainable through hard work and the right strategy. They believe that if you put in the time and effort, you can not only improve, but become proficient.

The right mindset works wonders. It’s almost like magic. If a student believes that something is possible or achievable, then it is. It’s like the old saying, ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way.’

A growth mindset gives ESL students the wings they need to soar, to develop their knowledge and skills to achieve their goals. They use their mistakes to improve and are always on the lookout for new ways to use the language, whether it is reading, listening or finding other online resources.

Of course, we teachers have no magic wands to wave over our students. Every skill needs time, practice and dedication to be perfected or improved. But what we can do is nurture growth mindset in all our students, especially the ones who are still in the fixed mindset mode.

Some might say this is positive thinking gone wrong, but consider fixed mindset behavior. In her research, Dr. Dweck found that students with a fixed mindset—those who believe that people are born intelligent or talented (or not) and there’s no changing that—start to run from difficulty, avoid challenges and admitted they would cheat on tests in order to get a good grade to avoid embarrassment.

19

HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO DO THAT IN THE ESL CLASSROOM USE PRAISE WISELY. PRAISE THE PROCESS OF LEARNING AND EFFORT RATHER THAN THE OUTCOME. USE EXPRESSIONS LIKE “WELL DONE! YOU MADE A GREAT EFFORT!” RATHER THAN

“WELL DONE—YOU’RE SO SMART!”

The power of ‘yet’ is a game changer. If a student didn’t manage to achieve something, make sure you remind them this is temporary; through perseverance they will get there.

EMPHASIZE THAT LEARNING IS BRAIN TRAINING. THE BRAIN IS A MUSCLE AND NEEDS WORKOUTS, JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE BODY.

Teach the value of challenges. If you don’t challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone, you won’t grow. Give students examples from your own life, for example, the challenges you encountered in learning a language.

CREATE A SENSE OF PURPOSE. WITH OUR ENGLISH LEARNERS, FOCUS ON COMMUNICATION THROUGH THE LANGUAGE RATHER THAN ATTAINING A CERTIFICATE. SET UP WAYS FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY USE ENGLISH IN PRACTICAL WAYS—PEN PALS, CONVERSATIONS PARTNERS, ETC.

For more information about growth mindset, check out: •These illustrated videos here and here explain growth mindset vs fixed mindset.

•Here’s Carol Dweck herself talking about her research.

20

Available on Amazon now 21

22

Written by Max Neil Maximchuk

line I’d like to tell you about Mr. Wheaton. Sometimes as kids, as teenagers and even as adults, we like to make fun of somebody. We don’t always think of the harm we are doing and if we were on the other end, the situation would probably be quite painful.

5

Mr. Wheaton had an interesting face and moved himself accordingly. I don’t know how it was for him growing up but as an adult teaching teens he stood out. Unfortunately, rather than focusing on his strengths many of us students converted him into a caricature, placing him into the category of Neanderthal. Of course for a man well-learned in the field of physics attempting to shine the light on a bunch of unruly and disinterested teenagers, the image is by no means congruent. It was his physique which attracted us to this conclusion.

10 His solidly blocked face and wide bushy eyebrows made him a perfect target for us to vent out some negative energy. I remember leaning over the railing at the top of the stairs, watching people come up just before the bell rang. There were a number of us there and when Mr. Wheaton began placing one foot in front of the other, somebody dropped a banana not too far ahead of him. To everyone’s delight he momentarily broke his heavy rhythm and bent over to pick it up. He muttered under his breath but just 15 loud enough for us to hear, something to the effect of “No sense in letting a perfectly good banana go to waste.” Within minutes many of the witnesses scurried excitedly off to convey the news to the rest of the school. Mr. Wheaton is not Neanderthal. He belongs to the gorilla family. Everyone joined in the comment-making sessions which followed and how was it possible that the resemblance hadn’t been better seen before?

20 Mr. Wheaton was not only a book-smart man, at least in the world of physics. He was also quite aware of the social world. He knew the teenagers’ obsessions of being cool, of being accepted, of not being a target. I’m not sure if he was as thick-skinned as his physical appearance, but he didn’t seem to concern himself too much with those light pranks and misguided fascinations. He knew very well by picking up the banana, just as he had picked up some loose change someone had tossed a few weeks earlier, that the 25 students would have their fun. Maybe he even liked provoking them. In fact, I recall seeing a smile slightly ease out of his mouth when he was in one of those circumstances. Being cool to the students or even to fellow teachers was never a priority for him.

He did have other priorities, though. He liked physics but not always how it was presented in the books or how the school system obliged him to deal with it. Occasionally a comment would escape, letting us 30 know how he felt about such things.

He was also concerned about us learning physics. He mentioned how the contents of the books were very outdated and while we had to study them for our tests, he liked us to know a few things about what the field was currently involved with. Most of us were far too immature to appreciate such things and he

maxenglishcorner.com a selected story from the Harvey Skidoo Tree Collection TEACHING MORE THAN PHYSICS by Max Neil Maximchuk ©2019

TEACHING MORE THAN PHYSICS

23

40

45

50

For those who were having difficulty learning, he was willing to spend his free leisure time with anyone with questions or wishing help on trying to get a better hold of the subject matter. I know, because I was one of them. In my early years of school I easily got the marks but in my last years of high school I was struggling. It was partly due to my bad study habits because for most of my school life I never really had to learn how to apply myself or deal with obstacles and struggling. It also had much to do with me having too many doubts and insecurities. Mr. Wheaton knew I was capable of more and he attempted to pull me out of that downward spiral, showing me how I could interpret those confusing principles. I believe he wanted me to improve not only my marks, but also my attitude. I was starting to let too many things slide and I needed some guidance on how to get back on track again.

So, to me, Mr. Wheaton was far from being a Neanderthal or a gorilla, unless you accept the idea that Neanderthals and gorillas are very capable of advanced thought and acts of kindness, and possess a rich sense of humour that few people could understand.

I didn’t do well in physics, although I did happily scrape through with a pass. In later years I was better able to appreciate those efforts he made and the style and approaches he took in his profession and his life.

I only wish now that I had had more teachers like him. His faith in me and his encouragement to work through some obstacles, even without always ‘succeeding’, helped me in a very trying period of my life.

Those influences from him have joined a select group of others in their guidance of how I perceive and act in the world around me. As an adult and a teacher myself now, I try to apply the principles and approach in my daily interactions that he so generously exemplified.

55

60

A final note from the author If you, the reader, enjoyed the story and would like to read more, keep on the lookout for Max Maximchuk’s coming book, I Dream Of Flying, which hopefully will be released before the summer of 2020.

If you are an English teacher looking for short stories and accompanying lesson plans & materials, check out the author’s website for teachers: maxenglishcorner.com. Those stories can be found in the top menu under HST NARRATIVES.

maxenglishcorner.com a selected story from the Harvey Skidoo Tree Collection TEACHING MORE THAN PHYSICS by Max Neil Maximchuk ©2019

35

appreciated that, keeping his comments to a minimum, but just enough to spark an interest in the hope somebody might want to learn more.

TEACHING MORE THAN PHYSICS Lesson Plan This guide is a set of suggestions of what you can do with your students regarding the story, Teaching More Than Physics. A summary of the steps to this lesson plan is as follows: 1)Set the scene - - A few lead-in questions to orientate the students Choose one of the questions suggested to get the students talking about some ideas that will appear in the story. It is recommended to have the students speak about the theme in pairs, then have them share the ideas with the class later.

2)Introduce the story - - Have the students read the beginning of the story (done in two separate parts) and answer the questions described below to help orientate them. Tell them that they don’t need to understand all the vocabulary in order to answer the questions or understand the story sufficiently to get something out of it.

3)Read the rest - - Let the students finish the story, then answer the four questions on the student handout.

4)Vocabulary look - - A quick look at some of the vocabulary appearing in the story which could be useful when speaking about it in the discussion. Get the students to do most of the explaining (or guessing) of the meaning.

5)Post story discussion - - Place the students in small groups (3 or 4) or in pairs and have them participate in discussing one or more of the suggested themes. All the discussion topics are also on the Student Handout.

NOTE: It is recommended that the language level of the students is at a minimum in the early stages of Advanced (they have already completed level B2 in Europe) or a very strong upper intermediate.

1. Set the scene Choose one (& write it on the board) as an opening class discussion 1-Is there a teacher you have had that really stands out in a positive way? What was it about her or him that makes her/him special?

Try to elicit as much as you can. Think of not only personality traits, but actions that that teacher has done, or how s/he has conducted her/himself in a particular situation.

2-Think of high school teenagers. What is it that makes some so cool and popular? Do you think it’s similar in the world of teachers, that they follow the same norms of ‘coolness’ and popularity?

This is quite subjective, but while different students will have different experiences, they might find a common ground for interpreting this question. It might be better to explore this question in small groups of 3 or 4 rather than just in pairs.

25

3-How do you imagine a high school physics teacher would look and act? Would s/he be well-respected among the students and the teaching staff?

Encourage the students to refer to stereotypes as well as examples from their own experiences or as depicted in books, movies or TV shows.

2. Introduce the story

Part 1

•Give the students a copy of the story.

•Have them read until the word, ‘Neanderthal’, at the beginning of line 7. Give them 1 minute to do so. If they finish early, they can read that part again.

•QUESTION FOR THE CLASS: Describe how you think Mr. Wheaton might look physically (face & body)?

Anything reasonably fitting the image of a modern day Neanderthal. (For example: very hairy, long arms, shoulders and upper back arching forward, strong jawline and big forehead) •QUESTION FOR THE CLASS: How might he move or act that would make people think he is like a Neanderthal?

Again, almost anything is fine, such as walking in a clumsy, ungraceful way. (Images don’t always have to make sense if they match a stereotype. Cartoon interpretations of Neanderthals are not usually complimentary, but it’s likely that the true Neanderthals were very graceful and aware of their environment as they passed through it.)

3. Introduce the story

Part 2

•Tell the students to read the next paragraph (until the end of line 19 – the end of the third paragraph).

•Give them the Student Handout and tell them to respond to the section,

, first individually,

then in pairs. (It’s okay if they go back and read the text from lines 1 to 19 only.)

1-Why did the students now consider him to look like a gorilla? “solidly blocked face and wide bushy eyebrows (10); “the heavy rhythm” of his walking up the stairs (14); the low mumbling sounds of his speaking (14); picking up the banana (13) 2-What was the latest bit of gossip and how quickly / enthusiastically do you think it travelled throughout the school?

Mr. Wheaton is more like a gorilla than a Neanderthal man. It spread like lightening and very enthusiastically.

3-What comments, gestures and noises do you think might begin appearing in Mr. Wheaton’s classroom?

For example: “Anybody have a spare banana?”; leave a banana on his desk or a student scratches the top of his/her head while looking around; grunts •After the students have worked out a few possible answers, ask them to share them with the class •Ask the students if they would like to be Mr. Wheaton teaching that classroom of students.

26

4. Read the rest •Tell the students to read the rest of the story. The students don’t read the questions until later.

•When they have finished reading, they can look at and answer the four questions on the handout (Read The Rest section) the best they can. (This activity isn’t for exam practice, so they can get into the story first, then have a look at the questions.) They should do it individually, then check their answers with another student when they are done. Later confirm their answers by eliciting from the class what they have (and how they came to that conclusion).

Q1: Did Mr. Wheaton get angry or feel hurt with the students taunting him in those ways?

It’s not likely because (line 14) he seemed to play along deliberately like when he picked up the banana (lines 22-25) he didn’t appear too concerned (lines 25-26) he even seemed to enjoy it

Q2: Did Mr. Wheaton know much about the subject of physics?

It looks like a fair amount. (line 20) He was book-smart, at least in the world of physics. (lines 28-29) He liked physics (lines 31-35) He was concerned about the students learning physics, not just what was in the textbooks, but what was happening in current studies and explorations

Q3: Did Mr. Wheaton care about his students or did he feel they were simply disrespectful and hopeless?

He cared. (lines 34-35): He hoped that some might feel inspired. (lines 36-37): He dedicated his free leisure time to help any students who wanted it (lines 41-44): He tried to help the author with not only physics but also his attitude

Q4: Did the author fail physics? (line 48): He didn’t fail. He happily scraped through with a pass. (He almost failed, but didn’t.)

27

5. Vocabulary look •These 5 items are in the story. Before the students begin the task, go over the pronunciation of them first.

•Have the students try to work out the meaning in pairs. If the students know what they mean, they think of how they can explain them, especially in terms of how they relate to something in the story. If they aren’t familiar with them, they look at the sentences and the context they are in and try to figure them out.

•Then go through each of the five, eliciting what they know. (Ask different individuals to communicate the meaning.) For those items that need clarification, guide the students with examples, synonyms, situations, definitions, and some details that can be pointed out so they have a clear(er) idea of what they mean.

* to make fun of somebody (line 2) * to be thick-skinned (line 22) * to let things slide

(line 43)

* to get back on track (line 44) * to scrape through something (line 48)

6. Post Story Discussion

Put the students into pairs or small groups. Encourage the students to explore the theme as much as they can and to use the recently covered vocabulary.

• Suggested themes for discussion. – choose one or more: (all are on the Student Handout) You decide which one(s) for the students to speak about, or have them decide. Better that they explore one or two topics in a deeper discussion than to superficially deal with many themes.

1-If you were a teacher in that school, would you have picked up the banana?

2-Obviously Mr. Wheaton ideally preferred other kinds of interactions with his students. Why do you think he put up with those kinds of actions and attitudes from the students, even encouraging them?

3-Imagine you were Mr. Wheaton but couldn’t accept how the students treated you. What would you do?

What if your fellow teachers also made fun of you? What would you do if they persisted despite your efforts to change the situation?

4-Do you think victims of people’s cruelty possibly evoke those actions, or reinforce them in some ways?

5-Are there any sociological benefits for people ridiculing or belittling others? Why do you think these things exist today?

6-Some say that all this ‘positivity’ is a load of crap and others say there is a lot to it. What do you think about mindset growth or the power of positive thinking?

28

Student Handout A few questions

Be prepared to justify your answers by referring to parts of the text

Q1: Why did the students now consider him to look like a gorilla?

Q2: What was the latest bit of gossip and how quickly / enthusiastically do you think it travelled throughout the school?

Q3: What comments, gestures and noises do you think might begin appearing in Mr. Wheaton’s classroom?

Read the rest

Be prepared to justify your answers by referring to parts of the text

Q1: Did Mr. Wheaton get angry or feel hurt with the students taunting him in those ways??

Q2: Did Mr. Wheaton know much about the subject of physics?

Q3: Did Mr. Wheaton care about his students or did he feel they were simply disrespectful and hopeless?

Q4: Did the author fail physics?

Vocabulary look These 5 items are in the story. If you know what they mean, think of how you can explain them, especially in terms of how they relate to something in the story. If you aren’t familiar with them, look at the sentences and the context they are in and try to figure them out.

•to make fun of somebody (line 2) •to be thick-skinned (line 22) •to let things slide

(line 43)

•to get back on track (line 44) •to scrape through something (line 48)

maxenglishcorner.com TEACHING MORE THAN PHYSICS from the Harvey Skidoo Tree Collection © MEC 2019 Student handout

TEACHING MORE THAN PHYSICS

29

Your teacher will tell you which one(s) to talk about

1-If you were a teacher in that school, would you have picked up the banana?

2-Obviously Mr. Wheaton ideally preferred other kinds of interactions with his students. Why do you think he put up with those kinds of actions and attitudes from the students, even encouraging them?

3-Imagine you were Mr. Wheaton but couldn’t accept how the students treated you. What would you do?

What if your fellow teachers also made fun of you? What would you do if they persisted despite your efforts to change the situation?

4-Do you think victims of people’s cruelty possibly evoke those actions, or reinforce them in some ways?

5-Are there any sociological benefits for people ridiculing or belittling others? Why do you think these things exist today?

6-Some say that all this ‘positivity’ is a load of crap and others say there is a lot to it. What do you think about mindset growth or the power of positive thinking?

maxenglishcorner.com TEACHING MORE THAN PHYSICS from the Harvey Skidoo Tree Collection © MEC 2019 Student handout

Discussion

30

About Max Neil Maximchuk The author of the story and the accompanying activities which teachers can use in class comes from the small but interesting town of Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. Growing up there and later exploring beyond its boundaries has led him to numerous adventures and experiences which have shaped the many perspectives he holds and occasionally writes about. He has found his calling in teaching and deeply exploring this challenging profession has led him to even more rich and fulfilling adventures.

You can find other stories with lesson plans at http://maxenglishcorner.com/

This is edition number 50. Imagine creating and designing / directing / editing all those issues, the work and the dedication involved. And so well done – so easy and a pleasure to go through each one. Definitely an accomplishment to look back upon with pride.

I became a contributor only a few issues back, but I feel grateful to have been part of Maruysa’s project. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish her, and all of us contributors and followers, all the best in the future endeavours and adventures coming our way. Perhaps we can put the principles of mindset growth to good use.

Warm wishes and a big thank you, Marusya.

Max

31

I BELIEVE

Language level: B1 + Learner type: Teens and adults Time: 60 min Activity: Speaking, Listening and writing Topic: Mindset growth Created by

32

Teacher’s notes I. Show Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote to your students and set a plenary discussion. What did the American activist want to say?

“I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday.”

II.Students work individually. Ask them to complete the sentence:

I am...

Explain that they should keep their notes until another stage in the lesson.

III.Show the verse to your students. Tell them that they have to fill in the gaps with an appropriate word of their own choice.

Today I saw a __________ in the __________ It told me I can do anything If I __________, I___________, I _________ in me

After completing the exercise, put the students in pairs and ask them to compare their texts.

IV.Explain that the text comes from the song I BELIEVE from the film A WRINKLE IN TIME. Play the song up to 1:06 and let the students check their answers.

Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SphTGtDlhHw V. Show the lyrics from the first part of the song. Ask the students to think about their meaning: Some people stand, some people move Though times don't last, but tough people do As long as you've got hope You'll find your way There's power in the thoughts that you think There's power in the words you say Like I can, I can, I will, I will I am, I am, no fear, no fear Today I saw a rainbow in the rain It told me I can do anything If I believe, I believe, I believe in me I believe, I believe, I believe in me

33

VI. Here’s the next verse from the song. There are a few missing words again. Tell the students to work in pairs and see what words they can come up with: I've got the _________ inside of me And I've got no choice but to let it ___________ As long as there is ___________, I can make it anywhere I go If I follow my __________ I'll end up building a yellow brick road

After you discuss the pupils’ ideas, play the rest of the song to check. Then show the original verse: I've got the light inside of me And I've got no choice but to let it breathe As long as there is love, I can make it anywhere I go If I follow my dreams I'll end up building a yellow brick road.

VII. Discuss the following questions: 1. What does “a yellow brick road” symbolise?

2. What is “the light” inside of you?

VIII. Show another verse from the song: I'm living my best life I am a flower that's blooming like roses in Spring Living my best life I am wearing a crown that's only fit for a queen I'm glorious, victorious, a warrior!

Ask the following questions: 1. How does the protagonist see themselves?

2. What has helped them “live their best life”?

3. What has given them the belief in themselves?

IX. Ask the students to take a look at the “ I am “ notes they took at the beginning of the lesson. Would they want to change anything? If so, what? Why?

Homework ideas 1. Write a poem/essay with the title I BELIEVE 2. Create a video with the title I AM- They should showcase their strengths, achievements, dreams and how they see themselves in the future.

They could use either of these websites: https://www.powtoon.com or https://spark.adobe.com 34

Student’s Worksheet I. Read the quote below. What do you think the American activiist wanted to say.

“I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday.”

II. Complete the sentence: I am …

III. Complete the gaps with a suitable word: Today I saw a __________ in the __________ It told me I can do anything If I __________, I___________, I _________ in me

IV. Complete the gaps with a suitable word: I've got the _________ inside of me And I've got no choice but to let it ___________ As long as there is ___________, I can make it anywhere I go If I follow my __________ I'll end up building a yellow brick road

VII. Answer the questions: 1. What does “a yellow brick road” symbolise?

2. What is “the light” inside of you?

VIII. I'm living my best life I am a flower that's blooming like roses in Spring Living my best life I am wearing a crown that's only fit for a queen I'm glorious, victorious, a warrior!

35

I believe I AM HAPPY TO SHARE THIS BEAUTIFUL POEM WRITTEN BY ONE OF MY STUDENTS

Whenever I see a snail crawling slowly Whenever I hear the cicada singing loudly When I know even a little ant can lift a leaf I tell myself To try everything because I have the most incredible power.

If there is still a chance, still light Whatever difficulty I am faced with I'll still spare no effort to catch my dream to lighten up my life.

Photo by Ran Berkovich on Unsplash

BY SARAH WANG, 16 WENZHOU, CHINA

I really believe that my role as an educator is to touch my students’ heart and empower them. For the last six years, I have created a lot of teaching materials but what really stirs my soul is designing lesson plans which aim to empower my students. Yes, I am an English teacher but I tend to use the language to inspire my pupils to become a better version of themselves. This book comprises lessons on topics such as Mindfulness, Happiness, Authenticity, Kindness, Inspiration, Gratitude and Positivity. They are appropriate for students whose level is B1 + and are older than 14 years of age. I have used these lesson plans with all my students and have seen many positive changes in their behaviour and mindset.

YOU CAN FIND MORE INFO ABOUT THE BOOK HERE

https://www.inspirationalenglish.co.uk

37

This lesson plan has been kindly provided by Ashley Manuel Chief Gratitude Officer At Growing With Gratitude For more resources, visit their website www.growingwithgratitude.com.au/

38

39

40

41

By Kenneth Wang, 13 Shanghai, China I have read a book named “Pollyanna”. The book is about a very optimistic girl who is very kind and helpful. She had an accident and she couldn’t walk anymore. Then a lot of people, who she helped, came to thank her and found her a professional doctor.

Your task is to read the book and find out if she gets cured. I learned a lot from reading “Pollyanna”. The book helps us to be a better person. I learned to be optimistic, generous, kind, praise others, and persuade people to learn from her good characteristics in the book.

First of all, I learned that we should all be optimistic. In the story, Pollyanna plays the glad game and is very positive. The book has a an uplifting ending. Being optimistic could help us be happy and healthy.

Secondly, Pollyanna is generous and confident. She likes to talk to people and she introduces the game to everyone and makes everyone positive. At last, everyone came to her to thank her and try to help her. Being generous and confident benefits you by making others want to help you in return for things that you did for them.

Furthermore, be kind to everything and everyone. Pollyanna always takes care of everything she finds. She took a dog and a cat to her home and persuaded Mr. John Pendleton to adopt her friend Jimmy. She took care of Mrs. Snow and changed Mrs. Snow’s ideas about herself from pessimistic to optimistic. If you are kind to everyone, everyone will be kind to you.

Moreover, praise others. Pollyanna always says that Ms. Polly is pretty and compliments her. At least they would not be sad or angry if you praise people. Pollyanna got a lot of praise and thanks in return for the kindness she gives to everyone. Praise others and other will praise you.

Reading empowering stories with our students is a great way to help them grow their mindset.

One of my favourite books is "Pollyanna" written by the American author Eleanor H. Porter. Last year I wrote an article inspired by the lovely girl in which I list what I have learned from her:

Life should not be wasted Let’s play THE GLAD GAME We should help the underprivileged Be compassionate What comes around goes around

You can find the whole article "5 THINGS THAT MY STUDENTS AND I HAVE LEARNT FROM POLLYANNA" on the website of EFL magazine.

In this issue, I would like to share one of my students' articles in which he shares what Pollyanna has taught him.

Last but not the least, persuade others to learn from your good characteristics. Pollyanna persuades everyone to play the glad game, which is an excellent characteristic. If you give advice to others, then you will get a lot of advice from others, too.

All in all, Pollyanna is a great book and teaches us a lot about how to be a better person.

44

Welcome to

Mindset Growth

45

Let magic happen Children, listen carefully, There’s something you must do – And it’s not just something you should do, But I should do this too.

Move from that pleasant comfort zone Into a brand new place: Look round for something different Or notice that new face.

Don’t dig yourself into a rut And not try something new: There could be talents you may have That are waiting to break through.

There could be people you have met Who’ve never seen your smile.

There could be clothes you’d never wear ‘Because they’re not my style!’

There could be sports you’ve never tried Or books you’ve never read, ‘But I don’t think I’d like that sport!’

Is that the thing you’ve said?

Magic comes not from a wand But by the things you do.

Get out of that soft ‘comfort zone’ And try out something new.

The opportunities will come: You’ll grab them if you’re smart.

And every day's a 'magic day' And a darned good day to start!

By Josie Whitehead 46

On doing your best We cannot all be winners But we all can do our best.

We can’t all be a favourite, Or the one most smartly dressed.

We can’t all shine upon a stage Or be a superstar, But we can all do the best we can And find out who we are.

Discovering our own true worth Can be a life-time’s quest And sometimes lead us to the fact That we truly ARE the best For each and every one of us Has a talent of our own And by developing this special gift Our inner lights are shown.

The good friends whom you’ll meet in life Won’t put you to the test, But they’ll appreciate that you are one Who’s always done your best.

By Josie Whitehead 47

Chapter 3 When I open my eyes, I find myself lying on the bare ground. To my surprise, the sky above me looks grey. I rub my eyes. Am I dreaming? Then I notice Russie coming towards me from the distance.

“Hey, you´ve finally woken up. Did you put on the ring again?” she asks me. “The last time I remember we were painting Easter eggs with Mary and the boys, and here we are now in this deserted area.”

She doesn´t seem very pleased that I’ve used the ring. It´s obviously taken us somewhere else, which for the moment remains a mystery.

While wondering how to reply to my angry teacher, my attention is drawn to something moving in the distance.

“Look out” I shout. There´s an animal behind that bush. Russie steps forwards trying to protect us but then we see it´s a very slow-moving sloth. It looks very thin and … SAD. “Hold on, Frank, I think I know where we are. While you were sleeping, I wandered around. I know it sounds weird but we seem to have been transported into the Amazon rainforest. Strangely enough, it looks different from the pictures I have seen. Look around, there are hardly any trees left.”

“Really?” I shrug my shoulders, “What makes you believe we´re in the Amazon rainforest?”

“I saw a small macaw and another sloth earlier on. They live only in this part of the world, don´t they?”

“They do, you´re right, teacher.” I confirm.

“I remember we read about them in my biology lessons. But where have the trees gone?” so many questions rush into my head. “Shall we have a walk around and see if we´ll meet any indigenous people?”

“I spotted a few huts down the river on my early walk so let´s go and see if we can talk to someone” Russie suggests.

49

Continued from previous page

Frank and Russie’s Little Big Magical Adventures

“But we have to stay alert. As far as I can

and touches my rucksack. He seems to be

remember there are a lot of poisonous

curious so I take it off and check if there´s

frogs and snakes here. The last thing that I

something inside which I can give him.

want to see is an anaconda, the longest snake in the world.”

At the bottom I find an old Chinese

“Don´t worry, Frank, the huts are not too

newspaper which I bought about a month

far away from here. Follow me.”

ago. It is the latest edition of my favourite

We start walking towards a small wooded

science newspaper which I haven´t had the

area. I keep looking round to check if

chance to finish reading. He grabs it and

there´s a dangerous animal. I regret

while going through the pages his face

putting on the ring. I really miss the

lights. He runs to the older boy and shows

beautiful English countryside.

him the front page where there´s a big

It doesn´t take us long before we see a few

picture of the rocket Space X and the title:

huts with straw roofs in front of us. They

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and

have a bare resemblance of the thatched

his friends are preparing for their trip to

cottages in England. When we approach

the moon

them, a woman comes out and soon she´s

The boys burst out laughing. They start

followed by two boys who hide behind her.

speaking in their language. Then the older

They are wearing hardly any clothes and

boy comes to us and says: “Your

their faces are painted in bright colours. A

newspaper must be very old. This mission

couple of other women join them and start

took place seven years ago.”

speaking in their native language.

Russie and I look at each other. Have we

Russie and I look at each other in dismay.

travelled to the future?

She boldly steps forward and asks “Do you speak English?” but receives no reply. Then she repeats her question and one of the women answers: “Yeah. Who are you?”

“We are travellers but we got lost in the forest. Can you help us, please?” my teacher says.

The woman, who has spoken with us, turns to the others and says something in their mother tongue. They talk for a few minutes.

I am glad to see they all seem quite agreeable. The younger boy walks to me

50

Continued from previous page

Frank and Russie’s Little Big Magical Adventures

“Oh, my friend likes reading about space

“I´m brewing some dried guayusa leaves

so he always carries some old newspapers

to make tea!” Juliana interrupts our

with him,” Russie says. “Anyway, I am

conversation.

Russie and this is Frank from China. We

“Oh, I´ve never heard of this plant before.

have been exploring the world for a few

Does it have any healing properties?” my

months. Nice to meet you.”

teacher asks.

Then the older boy introduces himself as

“Yes, it has twice as much antioxidants as

Carlos and his brother Pedro.

green tea and less caffeine so we believe it

“This is our mum, Juliana,” when he points

gives us a lot of energy. It will be ready in a

at her, the woman gives us a warm smile.

minute,” the woman says nicely and goes

Then she invites us into the hut.

back to the furnace. This gives me the

“I don´t have much but I can make

chance to look around. I see a calendar

delicious herbal tea for you.”

hanging on the wall. I can´t believe it. The

When we enter the hut, I see that the walls

calendar shows it is year 2030. I show it to

have been decorated with lots of trophies-

Russie who exclaims: “Oh, no, how will we

the head of a snake, the skin of a jaguar

go back?”

and parts of other animals that I do not

I don´t have time to answer because the

recognise. The furniture is quite bare-

boys come into the hut. They´ve brought

there is a small wooden table and four

some bowls made from coconuts and hand

chairs close to the door. I also spot two

them to their mum who pours some tea for

beds by the window. I can´t see a stove or

everyone. I take a sip. At first it tastes

any other electrical appliances. In the far

bitter but then, there’s a pleasant sweet

end there is a primitive furnace where the

aftertaste. I´ve definitely never drunk

boys´ mum goes to make some tea.

anything similar before.

While she´s away, I whisper:

“It´s very delicious, Juliana, thank you very

“I think we´ve jumped into the future,

much,” Russie says. I nod my head in

Russie. I´m sure that the mission to the

agreement.

moon has been scheduled for 2023.”

“We are happy to share our favourite

“I know, Frank,” my teacher replies

afternoon tea with you, “Carlos tells us.

quietly.” I wasn´t aware of the fact that the “By the way, while walking around, we ring could take us into the future, too.”

noticed that lots of trees have been cut down. What´s happened with the Amazon rainforest?” Russie enquires.

51

Continued from previous page

Frank and Russie’s Little Big Magical Adventures

“That´s been our pain for over two

who have been planting trees in various

decades, Mrs,” Carlos tries to explain. His

regions,” Pedro joins us. “But the

eyes fill with tears. “I´m too young to

companies are still cutting down too many

remember but there are so many reasons,

trees.”

such as logging, mining and oil extraction.” “The big problem comes from the fact that “Why is the government doing it?” I ask.

many companies are still using a lot of

“It is not the government, Frank. The truth

palm oil,” the boy´s mother adds. “You

is that the main trouble-makers are the big can´t believe it but apart from cooking, corporations which care only about making palm oil is also used in cosmetics, more money,” Carlos explains.

pharmacy and production of biofuel.”

“Unfortunately, they don´t consider all the

Suddenly I hear a phone ringing. Is it my

damage they´ve been causing for the last

phone? No, it can´t be. My battery has

twenty years.”

been dead for ages. I look around and see

“I remember reading that every year about that the ringing comes from the shelf to 18m hectares of forest, which is an area

my left. Our hostess gets up, picks up the

the size of England and Wales – is cleared”

phone and goes out to answer the call. Do

my teacher adds. “I wonder why the

they really have mobiles in the rainforest?

government is doing nothing to stop the

Russie and I look at each other.

big companies.”

“You look surprised, guys. The government

“We are happy to see that there have been

provided a phone for each family about

some positive changes,” Juliana decides to

three years ago,” Pedro tells us. “But we

take part in our conversation, “two of our

think they wanted to keep our mouths

ministers have been given a 10-year prison

shut!”

sentence for corruption,” she smiles.

“Really? Why?” Russie wants to suffice her

“We hope it isn´t too late, though,” Carlos

curiosity.

interrupts his mum. “You probably wonder

At that time Juliana comes back and

where our dad is. Last week a big group of

answers: “Then most of us were protesting

volunteers arrived from Europe and he has against the deforestation.” The politicians taken them to the south in order to plant

got scared they could be thrown out so

trees.”

each family was given a mobile device and

“That´s wonderful news,” I say.

10, 000 reals to improve our living

“Yeah, for the last five years we have had a conditions.” lot of volunteers from different countries

Suddenly a beautiful macaw flies around.

52

Continued from previous page

Frank and Russie’s Little Big Magical Adventures

Its bright colours look amazing.

I like the idea; my tummy is giving me signs

“Look, look, mum, a macaw!” Pedro gets

that it needs some food.

very excited.

Half an hour later Juliana tells us that

“It must have escaped from Paolo´s farm,” dinner is ready. Russie goes and helps our Juliana says.” You know, lots of animals

hostess to serve our dinner. They bring out

became extinct in the area because of this

some fish and a big plate with something

ecological catastrophe. However, there

which resembles rice. I am not too sure if I

have been some good people who care

want to taste it, although my stomach feels

about the ecosystems and they have

differently.

started breeding various species on their

“What´s this?” I ask.

farms.”

“It´s farinha,” Carrols explains, “It´s made

“It´s wonderful to see how the local people

from manioc flour, which comes from

have united to save our rainforest,” Carlos

cassava roots.”

adds.

I decide to wait for my teacher to have a

“Let´s hope it isn´t too late,” I say with a

bite first. After I see that she´s enjoying it,

big sigh. I haven´t realised how serious this I take a bit and find it surprisingly yummy. problem is.

It reminds me of the rice my dad cooks.

“My father said that once the newly-

Then I taste the fish which I find quite

planted trees grow, they´ll bring the

bitter. I wonder if it is the herbs Juliana has

animals to their natural habitats,” Carlos

used. The boys start speaking in their

continues.

mother tongue so I focus on the meal.

This story makes me think about the

When we finish, Russie turns to everyone

pandas in China.

saying:

In 1980s they were

declared as endangered species but the

“I´m afraid we have to go. Thank you so

government ran many programmes which

much for your hospitality.”

were quite successful and their population

“It´s been lovely to have you here. If you

increased rapidly.

come back, please, drop by and say

“That´s great news,” says Russie. Then she “Hello”.” Juliana replies. turns to me: “Frank, shall we have a walk

“I´ve learned so much about the

around?”

rainforest,” I say, “I would love to come

“Oh, why don´t you wait and have dinner

back and help out planting some trees.”

with us?” Juliana says. “I am about to cook

“That would be great,” Pedro comes and

some fish.”

gives me a hug.

53

Continued from previous page

Frank and Russie’s Little Big Magical Adventures

We leave the family and again find

“Do you know what? When I go back to

ourselves surrounded by palm trees, lots of school, I want to start an environmental unfamiliar animal sounds and our

project to save the Amazon rainforest.” I

thoughts.

tell Russie.

“Frank, it´s time for us to head back home, “What a marvellous idea, Frank! I´d love to I think. We´ve been away for too long.”

join forces with you. How about if I involve

“I agree, teacher. I am grateful for

British schools in your project?”

everything that I´ve experienced but I miss “That would be GREAT!” My words are my family terribly” I say, and take out the

muffled because the ring has taken its

ring from the rucksack.

effect.

Before I put it on, I look around to make

The end

sure there´s nobody nearby. I promise myself that I will come back again one day and help those people who live in the jungle. Seeing their lifestyle and how much damage to the environment big corporations have caused makes me furious.

54

sloth, macaw, anaconda, jaguar, coconuts

What other animals live in the Amazon rainforest?

After reading the story, decide if the statements are TRUE/FALSE or NO INFORMATION 1. Frank has told Russie that he was going to use the ring again.

2. It is easy for Russie to recognise the place they have been transported to.

3. Russie didn't meet any indigenous people while Frank was sleeping.

4. The huts look exactly like the thatched cottages in England.

5. Frank doesn't show the article about rocket Space X to the little boy.

6. The calendar on the wall shows it is November 2030.

7. The boys have made bowls from coconuts.

8. The boys' father is planting trees on his own.

9. Palm oil is used to make medicine.

10. Local farmers breed animals that are in danger.

11. Russie helps Juliana cook dinner.

12. Frank's school has been involved in an environmental project.

55

Across 2. making a hot drink of tea or coffee 5. no longer in existence 6. (of a place) with no people in it 7. to be enough for somebody/something 8. dishonest or illegal behaviour, especially of people in authority 9. native

Down 1. the place where a particular type of animal or plant is normally found (plural) 3. the fact of being or looking similar to somebody/something 4. a worried, sad feeling after you have received an unpleasant surprise 56

“Bye, mum,” Ange la grabbed her lunc h box and hurried was waiting outsid towards the yellow e. She didn’t hear th school bus, which at her mother wish Exam. ed her good luck at the Final English She got on the bus and sat next to Rebe cca who was review “I’m really nervous ing her notes. about the exam, An gie,” Rebecca said.

“Don’t worry, Becc a. It’s not the end of the world. I’m su exam won’t be very re you’ll be fine. O hard.” Angela tried ur teacher said the to comfort her frie go in the park and nd. “Look, it’s a be ride our bikes in th autiful day! We can e afternoon.”

Rebecca turned to her in disbelief. W hat’s happened with in a very good moo Angela? This morni d. Usually she is gr ng she seems to be umpy and reluctan about Andy who ha t to go to school. Sh s been bullying her e is always talking fo r months.

Then she replied.

“Of course, let´s do it after the test.”

Ten minutes later the bus stopped in front of the school the gate. Some pa . Mrs Peterson was rents were droppi greeting everyone ng off their childre everywhere. by n at the car park.

There was chatter “Morning, girls, w hat a beautiful day, ” Andy approached theme park in tow them, “Did you he n? Shall we go this ar about the new afternoon?”

Angela stared at hi m, she looked at Re be cc “Are you talking to a and then turned us,” Rebecca asked. to Andy.

“Of course, there´s nobody else around us,” Andy said.

“I´m afraid we´ve arranged to go cycl ing in the park,” Re was stunned and w becca replied. She ouldn´t say a word. knew that her friend Meanwhile Angela true… Andy is real remembered her dr ly nice to her. Wha t´s happened to hi eam. It´s come She smiled and said m? Has she jumpe : d in another univer “We can go to the th se? eme park at the wee kend, Andy. But yo this afternoon. Wha u are more than wel t do you think, Rebe come to join us cca?”

Rebecca nodded an d reminded Angela th at it was time to go her head around he into school. She still r friend´s change of could not get behaviour. How co cycling with them? me Angela wanted And even go to the to invite Andy to go theme park at the weekend?

58

the

Join our Facebook page

Inspiring Teachers

Contact details Instagram: inspirational_english_ Twitter:@RussieEng Facebook- Inspirational English info@inspirationalenglish.co.uk http://www.inspirationalenglish.co.uk/ 61

http://www.cristinacabal.com/

http://www.regipio.com/

https://creativeelt.wordpress.com/ http://maxenglishcorner.com//

http://gisig.iatefl.org/

http://www.teachingcove.com/about/

http://www.lifelearningapps.com/

http://snstouch.com/teacher/en.html?type=11

http://www.readlistenlearn.net/

62

Across: 3-scurries, 6-grand, 7-bewildered, 8-scent, 9-shabby, 10-joyfully Down: 1-conclude, 2-disagreeable, 4-sensible, 5-mumbles

He takes the chicken and then comes back.

He then takes the fox and brings the chicken back.

He then takes the corn and comes back.

Finally he takes the chicken again.

Across: 2. brewing, 5. extinct, 6. deserted, 7. suffice, 8. corruption, 9. Indigenous Down: 1. habitats, 3. resemblance, 4. dismay

Footprints

1-F, 2-F, 3-T, 4-F, 5-T, 6-NI, 7-NI, 8-F, 9-T, 10-T, 11-F, 12-NI

pages 2, 49, 63- Mrs Price

Page 12, 14 & 15 Kids Relaxation

Page 13- Pixabay.com

page 10- Peter Taylor

page 16-Larissa Albano

page 18-20, 32, 44, 55-Unsplash.com

page 21- Jeanne Bourne

pages 38-42 Growing With Gratitude

page 45 -Josie Whitehead

page 58- Sissy Ma

Front & back cover, p. 4, 5, 8, 11, 17, 22, 43, 57, 59-61, 66

Spark.adobe.com