Childhood

 Main Questions

1. When were you born?
2. What is your earliest memory?
3. Did you have any pets as a child? What kind?
4. What did you do in the summer?
5. What was your favorite game?
6. Who was your best friend as a child?
7. What were you afraid of as a child?
8. Describe your parents. What were they like?

 

 

Follow-up Questions (Mixed Order)

A. What did you do together?
B. Why do you remember it?
C. What did you do with them?
D. Where did you live then?
E. Why was it your favorite?
F. Are you still afraid of it now?
G. What are their jobs?
H. What was its name?

Draw and tell

The stork

a. the man sees the whole stork.

b. the man returns to the eye of the stork.

c. the man travels down and up the first leg of the stork.

d. the man travels down and up the second leg of the stork.

e. the man sees the stork's tail.

f. the man sees the stork's body.

g. the man goes down the stork's neck.

h. the man goes up the stork's neck.

g. the man leaves the eye of the stork.

h. the man is in the first of the stork.

What do the words in bold mean – can you guess just by reading?

a. Māui uses blood from his own nose as bait and uses a magic hook made from a jawbone
b. Maui returns to find the fish horribly cut up and is very upset
c. Māui hides in his brothers' waka in the night
d. Māui's brothers argue over the fish and cut it up
e. Māui springs out from his hiding place while far out at sea
f. Maui’s brothers always refuse to take him when they go out fishing
g. Deep under the ocean, Maui’s magic hook attracts the greatest fish of all
h. Maui leaves his brothers to take care of the big fish
i. Māui uses his might to bring in the big fish
j. Maui's brothers are grumpy and they will not share any of their fish bait with Maui
k. The North island is the fish (it is called Te Ika a Maui) and the South Island is the canoe (Te Wakanui a Maui)

Watch the film without sound (sped up)

Now try to put the events in order

1.

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10.

11.

Discuss

1.  What happens first after Māui is refused by his brothers?

2. Why does Māui hide in the waka, and what happens next?

3. What does Māui do when they are far out at sea?

4. Why does Māui use blood from his nose as bait?

5. Why are Māui’s brothers grumpy, and how does this affect Māui?

6. What happens because Māui uses a magic hook?

7. Why does Māui get upset when he returns?

8. How does the story explain the shape of Aotearoa (New Zealand)

 

 

1. Maui’s brothers would always refuse to take him when they went out fishing

2. Māui hid in their waka in the night

3. Māui springs out from his hiding place while at sea

4. Maui's brothers were grumpy and they did not share any of their fish bait with Maui

5. Māui used blood from his own nose as bait and used a magic hook made from a jawbone

6. Deep under the ocean, Maui’s magic hook attracted a greatest

fish of all

7. Māui used his might to bring in fish

8. Maui left his brothers to take care of the fish

9. Māui's brothers argued over the fish and cut it up

10. Maui returned to find the fish horribly cut up and was very upset

11. The North island is the fish (Te Ika a Maui) and the South Island is the canoe (Te Wakanui a Maui)

This is a great way to connect listening and speaking...

Draw and tell stories

There are nine stories...

Learn how to tell the story and draw the picture while you tell it.

Maui and the fish

First watch the video at double speed with the sound muted.

What is the basic story?

 

Maui loved fishing but his brothers

would always refuse to take him and they

would always leave Maui behind

determined Maui came up with a plan in

Māui hides in the waka in the night

the night while we did sneak away and he

did hide himself within the bottom of

the canoe it's there he lay hidden the

next day Maui's brothers sit off to fish

supposing that they had left

Maui behind they did not realize that

Maui was hiding at the bottom of the

canoe while we waited until though afar

of the sea and then suddenly he sprung

Māui springs out while at sea

out from his hiding place surprising his

brothers

Maui's brothers were grumpy and they did

not share the abate with Maori so he

struck himself in the nose causing it to

bleed and he smeared the blood all over

Māui uses blood from his nose as bait

the sacred jawbone that he used as a

hook

Maui flashed the piece of life to his

hook and he began to drill it high above

his head

until finally he liquor

launching the hook-far up to see

the hook descended deeper and deeper

into the depths of Tangaroa

until it reached the ocean floor it's

there while we soak gave off a saint

which attracted a greatest

that fish took hold and started to pull

Maui in the canoe down a canoe tossed

and turned and fear of losing their

Māui uses his might to bring in fish

lives

Molly's brothers pleaded with him to let

the fish go

amid the challenge Maui stood firm

determined Mar we did not give up he

caught on support from his brothers to

help him and he prayed mightily for a

drink

the strength of everyone they began to

hold the fish from the sea

Maui had left his brothers to take care

of us fish why he gathered his people

but honor has returned his brothers had

Māui's brothers cut up fish

already cut and hacked into the great

fish today

Molly's canoe is known as the South

Te Ika A Māui

Island with the great fish of Maui being

the North Island with Stuart island

being that anchor the landscapes of the

North Island being carved out by Maui's

brothers

this is the story of the great fish of Maui

Why Kiwi Lives on the Forest Floor

 

Linking phrases (A–F) — mixed up

• Next
• Finally
• One day
• After a few minutes of silence
• As a last attempt
• Next

 

Words (1–6) — mixed up

• said
• building
• are
• wet
• be
• am

Why Kiwi Lives on the Forest Floor

_____________ (A) the king of the forest, Tanemahuta, was walking through the bush. He looked at his trees and noticed that they _____________ (1) sick. They were being eaten by the bugs that lived on the forest floor. Tanemahuta told his brother Tanehokahoka, King of the sky, what had happened to his children, the trees.

Tanehokahoka wanted to help, so when he heard the news, he called all the birds together for a meeting. Tanemahuta said to them, “I need one of you to give up your life in the sky and come and live on the forest floor so the trees will _____________ (2) saved. Who will come?” Tanemahuta and Tanehokahoka waited and listened – but everything was quiet, and not a single bird spoke.

_____________ (B), Tanehokahoka turned to Tui. “Tui, will you come down from the forest roof?” Tui said “Oh no Tanehokahoka – it is too dark and I _____________ (3) afraid of the dark.”

_____________ (C), Tanehokahoka turned to Pukeko. “Pukeko, will you come down from the forest roof?” "Oh no, there’s too much water down there and I don't like getting my feet _____________ (4)," replied Pukeko.

_____________ (D), Tanehokahoka turned to Pipiwharauroa and asked “Pipiwharauroa, will you come down from the forest roof?” Pipiwharauroa said "No, I am too busy _____________ (5) a nest for my family.” Tanehokahoka knew that if one of the birds did not come down from the forest roof, not only would all the trees die, but the birds would have nowhere to live.

_____________ (E), Tanehokahoka turned to Kiwi and asked, “Please, will you come down from the skies and save the trees?” Kiwi looked around and saw his family. He then looked at the cold damp earth and turned to Tanehokahoka.

_____________ (F), Kiwi _____________ (6) “Yes.” Tanehokahoka and Tanemahuta were very happy. This little bird would save the trees. Tanemahuta spoke to Kiwi: “Kiwi, do you realise that if you do this, you will have to grow strong legs? You will lose your beautiful wings and colourful feathers so you blend in with the colour of the forest floor. You will not be able to return to the forest roof and will never see the light of day again.”

busy I too a nest am for my family building

He the all together birds for meeting a called

be not You will able to return the to roof forest

need I one of to give you your life up sky the in

Travel

Geography quiz

General discussion



Spin the wheel and discuss a travel destination.

Speaking practice - Present perfect:

have  +  pp

1. What have you heard about this place?

2. Have you met anyone from that country?
3. Have you ever seen a movie from that country?
4. Have you tried the food from that country?

5. Has anyone you know visited that country?

6. Have you ever considered visiting it?

 

 

NB: Remember to contract “I” and “have” / “have” and “not”

 

I’ve heard…

I haven’t heard…

 

I’ve met…

I haven’t met….

Modals:

1. What can you do there?
2. What should you take?
3. How long would you need to see and do everything?
4. Would you ever go there? Why? Why not?



Travel Destinations





Vocab



Writing

1. Many people from overseas nations think that ___________________________________, but this is certainly not the case!

2. ____________ has a ____________ atmosphere.

3. If a friend came to visit _________________, I would first take them to ________________

___________________ where they could _____________________________________________

4. Then perhaps, I’d take them to _________________ so they could____________________.

5. Another place we could go is ___________________. It’s a good place to______________

_________________________________________________________________________________

6. What people typically do for fun in __________________ is __________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

7. Some people like to____________________________________________________________

8. The best time to visit __________________ is in _______________ because _____________

_________________________________________________________________________________

9. What I most like about ____________________ is ___________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

10. Finally, if you come to ________________, don’t forget to___________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Think of a country that....

is picturesque

is a popular stopover

is full of ancient ruins

has trendy shops

is hassle-free

is off the beaten track

is multicultural

is monocultural 

is a good place to go trekking

has sprawling cities

is highly cosmopolitan

is overpopulated

is a great place to unwind










Vocab focus - descriptive words

Spin the wheel to get a country.

Think of (or google) two words to describe it:

New Zealand / Aotearoa

The capital city: hilly, windy
The countryside: green, farmland
The winter: mild, wet
The summer: warm, humid
The food: multicultural, meat

The economy: stable, small

The religion: secular, multicultural

The history: colonial, bi-cultural
The people: friendly, diverse

The capital city: What's its name? How many people live there?
The countryside: What does it look like?

The language: Which languages are spoken?
The winter: Does it have cold winters? What activities can you do in the cold season?
The summer: Does it have hot summers? What activities can you do in the warmer season?
The food: Is it famous for any particular food?

The economy: What industries are important? Farming? Technology? Entertainment? Tourism?

The religion: Which religions are practiced?

The history: Do you know any important facts?
The people: How many are there? What kinds of people are there?

Your country as a travel destination:

Your country


Talk to someone from a very different part of the world. Spin the wheel and tell what you know about that topic for your own country.

Best and worst experiences while traveling:

Best and Worst

El Paso

 

1. To whirl (verb)
2. To cast a spell (verb phrase)
3. Maiden (noun)
4. In vain (adverbial phrase)
5. Dashing and daring (adjectives)
6. Stranger (noun)
7. Deed (noun)
8. Badlands (noun)
9. Cantina (noun)
10. Saddle (noun)
11. Mounted (adjective)
12. Rifle (noun)
13. To kneel (verb)

 

A. A person you do not know
B. To spin or turn quickly
C. A young unmarried woman
D. Brave and stylish
E. A difficult, wild area of land
F. A long gun used for shooting
G. Sitting on or riding an animal (usually a horse)
H. To go down onto your knees
I. Something done or an action
J. A seat for a rider on a horse
K. Without success or result
L. To use magic or enchant someone
M. A bar or small restaurant (especially Spanish/Mexican style)

 

Lead in:

1. What comes to mind when you hear the word cowboy?

2. What do you know about life in the Wild West?

3. What do people usually do in a cantina or saloon?

4. How would you describe a “typical” cowboy?

5. Why were gunfights common in Western stories?

6. What would cause two cowboys to fight?

7. If a story involves a cowboy, a girl, and a rival, what do you think will happen?

El Paso

Out in the West Texas town of El Paso
I fell in love with a Mexican girl
Nighttime _______ find me in Rosa's cantina
Music _______ play and Felina ______ whirl

Blacker than night were the eyes of Felina
Wicked and evil while casting a spell
My love was deep for this Mexican maiden
I was in love, but in vain I _______ tell

One night, a wild young cowboy came in
Wild as the West Texas wind
Dashing and daring, a drink he was sharing
With wicked Felina, the girl that I loved
So in anger

I challenged his right for the love of this maiden
Down went his hand for the gun that he wore
My challenge was answered in less than a heartbeat
The handsome young stranger lay dead on the floor

Just for a moment, I stood there in silence
Shocked by the foul evil deed I ______ done
Many thoughts raced through my mind as I stood there
I had ______ one chance and that was to run

Out through the back door of Rosa's I ran
Out where the horses were tied
I caught a good one, it looked like it ______ run
Up on its back and away I did ride
Just _____ fast _____ I

_______ from the West Texas town of El Paso
Out to the badlands of New Mexico

Back in El Paso, my life _______ be worthless
Everything's gone in life, nothing is left
It's been so long since I've seen the young maiden
My love is stronger than my fear of death

I saddled up and away I did go
Riding alone in the dark
Maybe tomorrow, a bullet _____ find me
Tonight nothing's worse than this pain in my heart

And at last here I am on the hill, overlooking El Paso
I can see Rosa's cantina below
My love is strong and it pushes me onward
Down off the hill to Felina I go

Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys
Off to my left ride a dozen or more
Shouting and shooting, I ______ let them catch me
I ______to make it to Rosa's back door

Something is dreadfully wrong, for I feel
A deep burning pain in my side
________ I am trying to stay in the saddle
I'm getting weary, unable to ride

But my love for Felina is strong and I rise where I've _______
Though I am weary, I _______ stop to rest
I see the white puff of smoke from the rifle
I feel the bullet go deep in my chest

From out of nowhere Felina has found me
Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side
Cradled by two loving arms that I'll die for
One little kiss and Felina, goodbye

 

Comprehension

1. Where does the narrator meet Felina, and what is her role in the story?

2. Why does the narrator get into a fight with the wild young cowboy?

3. What happens immediately after the narrator shoots the stranger?

4. Where does the narrator go after leaving El Paso, and why?

5. What obstacles does the narrator face when he returns to Felina?

6. How does the song end, and what happens to the narrator?

 

Language

1. What do the words in bold have in common?

2. What part of speech are the words in yellow – what do the words mean?

3. What grammar feature 

Fertile Ground - New technology in China turns desert into land rich with crops

China has reportedly developed a technology that is able to transform desert lands into arable soil that could grow crops and natural vegetation. 

 

Lead in:

1. What challenges do deserts usually have when it comes to growing crops?

2. What countries or regions do you associate with large deserts?

3. How do you think technology could help transform a desert into farmland?

4. Do you think changing natural environments like deserts is a good idea? Why or why not?

 

Before watching: What do these words mean?

crop

method

region

oasis

substance

retain

soil

transform

fertile

 

 

 

Now, look at these synonyms of the words above. Can you recall the word they are a synonym of?

 

plant

practice

area

garden

material

keep

earth

change

fruitful

 

What is the difference in meaning?

crop    /     plant

method     /     practice

region      /      area

oasis       /     garden

substance      /      material

retain       /       keep

soil     /      earth

change     /    transform

fertile   /   fruitful

 

True, False, Doesn't Say?

1. The area is very cold.

2. The desert is an ideal place to support vegetation.

3. The scientists planted all the crops that are growing in the area.

4. The transformation of the land has happened relatively quickly.

5. The researchers have found something inside plants that they put into the sand.

6. The method of turning sand into soil the researchers have discovered is cheaper than other methods.

7. The experiment has been copied in other countries.

 

Further questions
1. What kinds of crops can be grown in these areas?
2. How long does it take for crops to get established?
3. What exactly can the magic paste do?
4. What are the long-term aims of the researchers?

Use vocabulary in a sentence

Watch:

Fertile Ground

Vocab:

Turning desert into rich land

Colour

What colour do you think of?

Sensitive

Earthy and serious

Neutral

Passionate

Creative and natural

Serious and professional

Practical and on the move

Open and positive

Helpful and kind

Creative and nerdy

Pure and innocent

Confident and passionate

Independent and a bit rebellious

Fun and sporty

Why?

 

 

1. What overall trends do you notice in car colour popularity over time?

2.  Around which years do grey, black, and white cars start to dominate?

3. Which colour shows the fastest growth, and which declines the most?

4. Are there any surprising changes or spikes in the data?

5. What do you think explains these choices? Do you think practicality (e.g., resale value, maintenance) has anything to do with it?

6. What colour is your car, and why did you choose it?

7.  If you were 

Name that colour quiz

sick     angry      sleep      awake       sensitive      passion     neutral       mental       change    slow     fast

embarrassing     sadness     positive       kindness       innocent       powerful      love      deep      alon

caring      intelligent     neutral     passionate     courageous     independent     creative      analytical

serious       jokey       thoughtful        generous       warm-hearted      shy       extraverted      introverted

Colour oracle

What words does this remind you of?

Think of six things that are naturally blue. You can't say "sky"or "sea".

1

2

3

4

5

6

What colours can you see on this dress?

What colours are you wearing today? Why?

colour idioms

choose the correct word

out of the blue/red  (unexpectedly)

Q: Which of these events have occurred out of the blue?

Covid

World War II

9/11

The "discovery" of the American Continent by Christopher Columbus

The sinking of the Titanic

pink/green with envy     (jealous)

Is anyone jealous of you for any reason? Why?

purple/orange with rage    (angry)

get caught red/black handed    (guilty)

to have green/white thumbs       (good at gardening)

What makes you go purple with rage?

Do you have green thumbs?

Have you ever tried "shop-lifting"? Why? Why not? Did you get away with it?

  a white/blue lie      (small lie told to be polite or kid)

Tell each other some good reasons to tell white lies.

once in a red/blue moon       (not often at all)

Think about 

something you and your family do once in a blue moon

something that you almost never say or do, but just sometimes you do

to get the green/red light     (to be given permission)

Who gave you the green light to come to NZ?






What colour goes with these noun-adjectives for colour?

ocean

forest

lemon

royal

emerald

sapphire

sky

pitch

dirt

fire-engine

battleship

eggshell

snowy

stark

hot

Speaking:


You have ten characters in a play. They're personality and attitude is expressed in the following statements. What colour will their costume be?

1. Andy: I'm positive, open and lively.
2. Anna: I need my own space. I'm gentle but fragile.
3. Sharon: Don't tell me what to do. I'm my own boss.
4. Gus: I hear what you're saying but I don't want to be involved. I'm not really interested in people.
5. Brian: I'm a person in authority. Behave yourselves.
6. Patricia: I'm royalty. Obey me!
7. Angela: I'm caring and warm. Others are more important for me.
8. Susan: I'm creative yet analytical. I'm nerdy, but original.
9. Arthur: I'm passionate. Love me!
10. David: I'm often in a bit of a hurry, I hate to stand around all day. Please let me through.


Here are ten colours / shades:

1. Dark blue
2. Light blue
3. Orange
4. Red
5. Yellow
6. Grey
7. White
8. Purple
9. Peach
10. Black

Extension: which of these characters will get on well together? Which won't?

What does the diagram show?

Colour Hierarchy Diagram (after Berlin and Kay 1969)

Answer:

The diagram above works from left to right (following the arrows and plus signs). If a language has a particular colour word then it will also have all the colour words to the left of that word. So if a language has a word for blue, then it will also have words for yellow, green, red, black and white. The diagram also indicates that if a language has a word for say pink, then it may, or may not, have a word for purple, but it will have colour words for brown, blue etc.

Why is this?

Watch:
 
The mystery of Blue

Questions:

1. Which famous book about the sea never mentions the colour blue?
2. Which colours would be the first (and last) to be named in ancient languages? Why?

red turquoise black blue white yellow green orange violet

3. Which culture was one of the first to produce a blue dye?
4. How could you test whether or not someone can see a colour?
5.  "Without a word for a colour you may find it difficult to see it”. Do you think this is true?

Discussion:

According to the video, is there some connection between a culture manufacturing colour and "naming" it?
What example was given of this?

C.S Lewis (author of the Narnia series)

"in order to see precisely what something is, you first need to have a vague idea of what it is."

Is the same thing true of the other senses - hearing?

Which sense to you trust most?

SIGHT       HEARING      SMELL      TASTE     TOUCH

How do you check that you're not dreaming?

Does Davidoff's test prove that having a word for a colour might help us to see it? 

We use the expressions "eye-opening experience" or "to open someone's eyes" to mean a person or film or book or journey etc that really made you to see a whole new world. 

Has anyone (or anything) really opened your eyes (or your mind) before?

Create the correct FORM of the word and then check below:

In 'The Odyssey,' Greek poet Homer   FAME    describes the 'wine-dark sea.'

In 1858 William Gladstone, who later became the British prime minister, counted the colour    REFER       in the Homer's Odyssey and found blue wasn't mentioned at all. Black is mentioned NEAR    200 times and white about 100. Red,    WHILE    , is mentioned    FEW   than 15 times, and yellow and green fewer than 10.

It wasn't just the Greeks. Blue also doesn't appear in the Koran, ancient Chinese stories, and an ancient Hebrew version of the Bible,    ACCORD   to a German philologist named Lazarus Geiger.

Check

In 'The Odyssey,' Greek poet Homer famously describes the 'wine-dark sea.'

In 1858 William Gladstone, who later became the British prime minister, counted the colour references in the Homer's Odyssey and found blue wasn't mentioned at all. Black is mentioned nearly 200 times and white about 100. Red, meanwhile, is mentioned fewer than 15 times, and yellow and green fewer than 10.

It wasn't just the Greeks. Blue also doesn't appear in the Koran, ancient Chinese stories, and an ancient Hebrew version of the Bible, according to a German philologist named Lazarus Geiger.

Look at this diagram. What do you think it illustrates?

The surprising pattern behind color names around the world




1. How many colour categories do we have in English?

2. How did anthropologists used to believe colour terms were chosen by cultures?

3. What did the research in 1969 suggest about how colour terms develop in a language?

4. What did William Gladstone notice about Homer's use of colour terms?

4. How do languages with only a few colour terms describe colours that don't have terms?

5. How is colour expressed in Hanuno'o?

6. Why might a word for "red" be formulated before a word for "blue"?

7. What have researchers discovered about colours themselves?





Where would you place these colours in the Hanuno'o spectrum?

Black, dark blue, light blue, purple, orange, white, grey, silver, gold, light green, dark green, pink, red, yellow....

More:

Further reading