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Formal Lesson Plan: Reading The Georgia Straight Bruce Lawrence

Objectives: Students will learn about the Georgia Straight and the kinds of stories that can be found in it. They will learn various, advanced vocabulary, perhaps not so intellectual, but very, truly cultural. Prerequisites: Students need to be intermediate level readers as the topics and vocabulary will seem quite bizarre at first. Level: Intermediate Duration: 2 hours Materials: - 3 copies of Canada’s Largest Urban Weekly cut into strips - 3 copies of The Georgia Straight - 6 copies of the question sheets Set up: team work, then large group work while reporting Anticipated problems: Some students will finish earlier than others. In that case have them search for some interesting article to read.

Warm up: T: What do you like to do in your free-time? S: Sleep. Eat. Watch TV. Go clubbing. Study grammar. T: Do any of you guys like to read? S: Y/N/sometimes <Specific Qs> T: Do any of you read the newspaper? S: Y/N/sometimes What can you find in newspapers? Ss: News. Weather. Sports. Movie listings. T: What do you call those things that are written about some person or event? What’s the word? S: Article? T: Yeah, articles. Yeah, I never used to like to read newspapers. I thought it was always just the same old terrible news: economy is down; war in the middle-east; murders in the USA, blah blah blah. But when I lived in Korea my friend Art would always read the newspaper (the English one) and he would always find really interesting events that were happening in Seoul. Teaching: T: So, I’ve got some very interesting articles for you to peruse in this newspaper! (show Georgia Straight). But first some important vocabulary! choose various difficult words and elicit definitions frenzy runway extravaganza MIA

MC running on empty film fest pink blood

<eliciting definitions> For example: T: Who knows what “frenzy” means? Any guesses? Ss: various guesses/unnerving silence T: Well, how does it sound? fffffffffffffffrenzy Ss: like fire T: And where would you see people in a frenzy?

Ss: a party. T: So, is frenzy boring or exiting? Ss: exiting! T: What do you think this one’s going to be about: “Fashion Frenzy: reviewing local runway extravaganza” Ss: various guesses T: Yeah, maybe. Anyone else have an idea on what it might be about? Main Activities: Pre-reading: Strip Story of Canada’s Largest Urban Weekly T: OK, before we read The Georgia Straight, I have a little task for you to do that will teach you a little bit about that newspaper. It’s called a “Strip Story.” It’s a very small article cut into strips. You have to put it in order. For example the first one is… Ss: Strip Story of Canada’s Largest Urban Weekly So, Chun Luk, can you come to the front and read the first ‘S from the answer sheet? And the rest of you listen and put it in order. During-reading: Georgia Straight Search Questions T: OK, I’m going to give each table one copy of The Georgia Straight and two copies of Search Questions. This is a race to see which group can answer all of the questions the fastest. So, for example, the first question is “When was BC Fashion Week launched?” So, how can I find the answer quickly? Ss: Look in the table of contents! T: Right, so I look here under Fashion and ... Oh, but there’s no fashion section. Maybe there’s a different word. Listen to the list: News, Style, Cover. Ss: Style T: OK, so I look under style and turn to page 25 and look for the answer! OK? Go! T: OK, finished? What’s the answer to number 1, 2, etc.?

Post-reading: Student made test Qs T: OK, now I want you to make three questions just like I did. In your group, choose a section and make three questions. Don’t make them too hard. Then when you’re ready, pass them to the next group and see if they can answer it. T: OK, group one, what were your questions? What did you put as an answer? Group three, is that right? Wrap up (T chooses a few difficult words and asks review Qs) What does … mean? Can you use it in a sentence? What’s the difference between “newspaper” and “magazine”? What’s the difference between “straight” and “crooked”? What’s the difference between “straight” and “gay”? Contingency plan Have students write personal ads, collect them, and choose one and read it then guess who wrote it. Homework Easy: Read an article and make a summary. Difficult: Write your own newspaper article.

Canada's Largest Urban Weekly The Georgia Straight has been an integral part of life in Vancouver B.C. for 36 years. In addition to feature stories on everything from politics and social issues to local underground musicians and artists, every issue includes details on pretty much everything happening in Vancouver, from movies to literary events and concerts. In every section of the publication, from food to arts, there is information about people and places that are unique in Vancouver, and that our readers very likely will not have heard about elsewhere. We strive always to tell stories that are not covered in the mainstream media or to tell them with an unusual angle or twist. We have several reader polls through the year, which result in the Golden Plate Awards for local restaurants, the Straight Music Awards for local musicians, and the Best of Vancouver Awards for every type of business, service, activity, and weird stuff in the city, from the best bowling alley to the best Vancouver excuse for being late for work. The Straight has a per-issue circulation average of 117,000 and an average weekly readership of 534,000

Georgia Straight Search Questions 1. When was BC Fashion Week launched? 2. Who is the veteran Toronto designer? 3. When is Vancouver Fashion week? 4. What is MIA’s real name? 5. What kind of music does she play? 6. What is she being criticized for? 7. Who is Julian Darley? 8. What is he worried about? 9. What is his solution? 10. When is the Vancouver International Film festival? 11. How many Chinese films are playing? 12. How many Korean films are playing? 13. What is “Pink Blood”? (hint: It’s in The News) 14. Who is the author? 15. What is it about? 16. What is the first Chinese restaurant recommended? 17. Which one is in Richmond? 18. Who owns Green village? 19. In which restaurant can get German food? 20. How about Mediterranean food? 21. How about Russian food? 22. What country is featured in the Travel section? 23. What is Gucci available to do 24 hours a day? (hint: She (?)’s an Adult!)

Georgia Straight Search Questions (with answers) 1. When was BC Fashion Week launched? (September 28) 2. Who is the veteran Toronto designer? (Joeffer Caoc) 3. When is Vancouver Fashion week? (at the same time) 4. What is MIA’s real name? (Maya Arulpragasam) 5. What kind of music does she play? (hip hop) 6. What is she being criticized for? (mixing culture) 7. Who is Julian Darley? (director of Post Carbon Institute) 8. What is he worried about? (gas prices) 9. What is his solution? (find local solutions) 10. When is the Vancouver International Film festival? (right now!) 11. How many Chinese films are playing? (1) 12. How many Korean films are playing? (1) 13. What is “Pink Blood”? (hint: It’s in The News)(a book) 14. Who is the author? (Douglas Victor Janoff) 15. What is it about? (violence against gays) 16. What is the first Chinese restaurant recommended? (Szechuan Garden Restaurant) 17. Which one is in Richmond? (McKim Wonton Mein Saga) 18. Who owns Green village? (Joe and Many Zhu) 19. In which restaurant can get German food? (Café Katzenjammer) 20. How about Mediterranean food? (Afghan Horsemen) 21. How about Russian food? (Rasputin) 22. What country is featured in the Travel section? (Sicily) 23. What is Gucci available to do 24 hours a day? (hint: She (?)’s an Adult Servicer!)(pump your body)