Today is the 60^th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and other world leaders will attend a memorial service in Hiroshima’s Peace Park. The 70-minute-long ceremony is close to the bomb’s epicenter. It will include the blessing of water in memory of people who died begging and dying of thirst after the bomb fell. Survivors and descendants of those who died will also attend the service.

The bomb was the first use of nuclear weapons on civilians. The blast and its aftermath wiped out half of Hiroshima’s population and completely flattened 90 per cent of the city. An estimated 140,000 people died in the first few days. Three days later, a second bomb took a further 80,000 lives in Nagasaki. Many historians believe the attacks were essential to end World War II early. Experts believe more people would have died in a land invasion of Japan. Others consider the bombings man’s most evil acts.

WARM-UPS

1. NUCLEAR WEAPONS: In pairs / groups, talk about nuclear weapons. What lessons have we learned or should we have learned? Use the words below to help your conversations:

Hiroshima The Cold War Deterrent Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Iran

North Korea Nuclear terrorism A nuclear free world World War III Other

2. HIROSHIMA: What do you want to know about Hiroshima and the bombing? Write down three questions. After you have finished, ask your questions to your classmates. Change partners and talk about your findings.

3. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring.

Japan / nuclear weapons / Hiroshima / memorial services / begging for water / thirst / time for reflection / 140,000 people dead / World War II

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

4. ATOM BOMB: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word “atom bomb”. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

5. OPINIONS: Talk about these opinions on Hiroshima and nuclear weapons. Do you agree or disagree with them?

1. August 6 should become the very first worldwide holiday, called “Hiroshima Day”.
2. Nuclear weapons will never be used again to kill people.
3. The dropping of the bombs in Japan saved lives by ending WWII early.
4. Hiroshima is living proof that human spirit can never be defeated.
5. The world should be very tough with North Korea’s and Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
6. In the near future, terrorists will get hold of nuclear weapons.
7. Every capital city in the world should have a Hiroshima memorial museum to show the horrors of atomic bombs.
8. All schoolchildren around the world should have a “Hiroshima lesson” on August 6.

6. QUICK DEBATE: Students A think the world will be nuclear weapons free one day. Students B think the world will never be nuclear weapons free. Change partners often.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	An atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima 60 years ago today.	T / F
b.	George W. Bush will attend a memorial service in Hiroshima.	T / F
c.	A ceremony will remember people who died while begging for water.	T / F
d.	August 6 is a holiday in Hiroshima.	T / F
e.	The bomb’s blast killed half of Hiroshima’s population.	T / F
f.	The bomb destroyed 30 per cent of the city.	T / F
g.	An equal number died three days later in the Nagasaki bombing.	T / F
h.	The atomic bombings of Japan brought a quicker end to WWII.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.	anniversary	near
b.	leaders	leveled
c.	attend	commemoration
d.	close	citizens
e.	begging	immoral
f.	civilians	necessary
g.	flattened	be at
h.	essential	believe
i.	consider	dignitaries
j.	evil	pleading

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

a.	the 60th anniversary of	of nuclear weapons
b.	world leaders will	begging
c.	70-minute-long	of Japan
d.	people who died	ceremony
e.	dying	evil acts
f.	the first use	the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
g.	wiped out	of thirst
h.	a second bomb took	half of Hiroshima’s population
i.	a land invasion	attend a memorial service
j.	man’s most	a further 80,000 lives

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words in the column on the right into the correct spaces.

60th anniversary of Hiroshima bombing

Today is the 60th anniversary of the _______ bombing of Hiroshima. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and other world _______ will attend a memorial _______ in Hiroshima’s Peace Park. The 70-minute-long ceremony is _______ to the bomb’s epicenter. It will include the _______ of water in memory of people who died _______ and dying of _______ after the bomb fell. Survivors and __________ of those who died will also attend the service.		begging service descendants leaders blessing atomic thirst close
The bomb was the first use of nuclear weapons on civilians. The _______ and its aftermath wiped out half of Hiroshima’s _________ and completely _________ 90 per cent of the city. An estimated 140,000 people died in the first few days. Three days later, a second bomb _______ a further 80,000 lives in Nagasaki. Many _______ believe the attacks were _______ to end World War II early. Experts believe more people would have died in a land _______ of Japan. Others consider the bombings man’s most _______ acts.		invasion flattened population historians blast evil essential took

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘peace’ and ‘park’.

• Share your findings with your partners.
• Make questions using the words you found.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

• Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the gap fill. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. STUDENT “HIROSHIMA” SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about Hiroshima and nuclear weapons today.

• Ask other classmates your questions and note down their answers.
• Go back to your original partner / group and compare your findings.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

6. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:

anniversary leaders epicenter blessing begging descendants

civilians wiped out estimated further experts evil

DISCUSSION

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

1. What were your initial thoughts on this headline?
2. Did the headline make you want to read the article?
3. What does Hiroshima mean to you?
4. What did you learn about Hiroshima at school?
5. What should children learn about Hiroshima at school?
6. What do you think are the feelings of the people of Hiroshima today concerning the 60^th anniversary?
7. What kind of message would you leave at the Peace Park in Hiroshima?
8. Do you think nuclear weapons will ever be used again?
9. Do you think all nuclear weapons should be destroyed?
10. Why do countries have or want nuclear weapons?

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

1. Did you like reading this article?
2. What did you think about what you read?
3. What adjectives would you use to describe what you read?
4. Do you think the bombings were necessary to end WWII early?
5. What are your images of the bombing of Hiroshima?
6. Do you think Japanese people have a unique understanding of the horror of war?
7. Do you think August 6 should be commemorated globally every year with a “World Hiroshima Day” holiday?
8. What would happen if all nuclear weapons disappeared tomorrow?
9. What questions would you ask one of the survivors of the bomb?
10. Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

1. What question would you like to ask about this topic?
2. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
3. Was there a question you didn’t like?
4. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
5. What did you like talking about?
6. Do you want to know how anyone else answered the questions?
7. Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING

HIROSHIMA PEACE: You are part of the Nuclear Weapons Destruction Council. Your project is called “Hiroshima Peace”. You must persuade all countries that have or want nuclear weapons to destroy them or forget about them. Write down the reasons why you think these countries have / want nuclear weapons and why they do not need them:

COUNTRY	REASONS FOR HAVING / WANTING	REASONS FOR NOT NEEDING
USA
China
Israel
North Korea
India
UK
Iran

After you have finished, change partners and share and compare what you talked about.

Discuss whether the reasons for having or wanting nuclear weapons are good reasons for each country.

Talk about what the leaders of each country might say about your ideas.

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

60th anniversary of Hiroshima bombing

Today is the 60th anniversary of the _______ bombing of Hiroshima. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and other world leaders will _______ a memorial service in Hiroshima’s Peace Park. The 70-minute-long _______ is close to the bomb’s epicenter. It will include the _______ of water in memory of people who died _______ and dying of _______ after the bomb fell. Survivors and ___________ of those who died will also attend the service.

The bomb was the _____ ____ of nuclear weapons on civilians. The blast and its aftermath _______ out half of Hiroshima’s population and completely __________ 90 per cent of the city. An estimated 140,000 people died in the first few days. Three days later, a second bomb _____ a further 80,000 lives in Nagasaki. Many historians ________ the attacks were __________ to end World War II early. Experts believe more people would have died in a land __________ of Japan. Others consider the bombings man’s most _____ acts.

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson.

3. NUCLEAR FREE CONTRACT: Make a contract that requires all countries to abandon nuclear weapons. Include the promises all countries must make for a peaceful world in the future. Show your contracts to your classmates in your next lesson. Did you all include similar things?

4. LETTER: Write a letter to a survivor of the atom bombs. Write your thoughts on the bombings and ask some questions about the survivor’s experiences. Read your letter to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all write about and ask similar things? Discuss what you think the answers to your questions might be.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. T

b. F

c. T

d. F

e. T

f. F

g. F

h. T

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.	anniversary	commemoration
b.	leaders	dignitaries
c.	attend	be at
d.	close	near
e.	begging	pleading
f.	civilians	citizens
g.	flattened	leveled
h.	essential	necessary
i.	consider	believe
j.	evil	immoral

PHRASE MATCH:

a.	the 60th anniversary of	the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
b.	world leaders will	attend a memorial service
c.	70-minute-long	ceremony
d.	people who died	begging
e.	dying	of thirst
f.	the first use	of nuclear weapons
g.	wiped out	half of Hiroshima’s population
h.	a second bomb took	a further 80,000 lives
i.	a land invasion	of Japan
j.	man’s most	evil acts

GAP FILL:
 

60th anniversary of Hiroshima bombing

Today is the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and other world leaders will attend a memorial service in Hiroshima’s Peace Park. The 70-minute-long ceremony is close to the bomb’s epicenter. It will include the blessing of water in memory of people who died begging and dying of thirst after the bomb fell. Survivors and descendants of those who died will also attend the service.

The bomb was the first use of nuclear weapons on civilians. The blast and its aftermath wiped out half of Hiroshima’s population and completely flattened 90 per cent of the city. An estimated 140,000 people died in the first few days. Three days later, a second bomb took a further 80,000 lives in Nagasaki. Many historians believe the attacks were essential to end World War II early. Experts believe more people would have died in a land invasion of Japan. Others consider the bombings man’s most evil acts.

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