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Indian leader calls for global yoga day (30th September, 2014)

The Reading / Listening - Level 3

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked world leaders to start a U.N. International Yoga Day. He was speaking at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. It was his very first speech at the 193-member General Assembly. He spoke about the benefits of yoga, saying it was good for the mind and body, and could also help climate change. He said yoga provides harmony between humans and nature, and is "an invaluable gift" from India's 5,000-year-old culture. Modi said: "It is not about exercise, but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature." He added: "By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change."

Many doctors and people in the medical community say yoga is a good way to stay physically and mentally healthy. Yoga makes you focus on exercise, breathing and meditation. A lot of research says it can help people with heart disease, high blood pressure and lower back pain. Studies also say yoga can improve our mood, However, there is also research that says people need to be careful when doing yoga. Wikipedia says: "An extensive survey of yoga practitioners in Australia showed that about 20 per cent had suffered some physical injury while practicing yoga." A World Yoga Day already exists. It was started by the world-yoga-day.org website in 2007.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Level 0, Level 1 or Level 2

Sources:

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/narendra-modi-asks-world-leaders-to-adopt-international-yoga-day/#sthash.5SbcSpeg.dpuf
http://news.oneindia.in/international/un-should-adopt-an-international-yoga-day-modi-1530928.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga#Terminology

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The 40 Lesson Activities on the PDF Handout

WARM-UPS

1. YOGA: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about yoga. Change partners often and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?

world leaders / United Nations / benefits of yoga / mind and body / gift / nature / mentally healthy / meditation / heart disease / blood pressure / reduce stress / injury

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. MIND AND BODY: How good or bad are these things for the mind and body? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	Good things	Bad things	Your experience
Yoga
Hiking
Shopping
Praying
Jogging
Golf

4. ALL OF US: Students A strongly believe we should all do yoga; Students B strongly believe yoga is boring. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

5. U.N. DAYS: Rank these with your partner. Put the most important days at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

• English Language Day

• World No-Tobacco Day

• Global Day of Parents

• World Refugee Day

• World Wildlife Day

• International Women's Day

• International Day of Happiness

• World Water Day

6. MIND: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "mind". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	India's leader met Barack Obama and agreed on a world yoga day.	T / F
b.	It was the first time Mr Modi addressed the UN General Assembly.	T / F
c.	Mr Modi said yoga could help with climate change.	T / F
d.	Mr Modi said yoga was more about exercise than about discovery.	T / F
e.	Doctors say yoga is good for the mind and body.	T / F
f.	Research said yoga can help people with back problems.	T / F
g.	A study said yoga injures 50% of people who practice it.	T / F
h.	A World Yoga Day will start for the first time in 2017.	T / F

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

1.	asked	a.	advantages
2.	benefits	b.	lower
3.	invaluable	c.	find
4.	discover	d.	better
5.	deal with	e.	requested
6.	focus	f.	large-scale
7.	improve	g.	manage
8.	reduce	h.	extremely useful
9.	extensive	i.	(be) troubled with
10.	suffered	j.	concentrate

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.	the 193-member	a.	pain
2.	good for the	b.	meditation
3.	yoga provides harmony between	c.	oneness with yourself
4.	discover the sense of	d.	community
5.	it can help us deal	e.	humans and nature
6.	people in the medical	f.	physical injury
7.	exercise, breathing and	g.	mind and body
8.	lower back	h.	when doing yoga
9.	people need to be careful	i.	with climate change
10.	suffered some	j.	General Assembly

GAP FILL

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked world (1) ____________ to start a U.N. International Yoga Day. He was speaking at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. It was his very first (2) ____________ at the 193-member General Assembly. He spoke about the benefits of yoga, saying it was good for the (3) ____________ and body, and could also help climate change. He said yoga provides (4) ____________ between humans and nature, and is "an invaluable (5) ____________" from India's 5,000-year-old culture. Modi said: "It is not about exercise, but to discover the sense of (6) ____________ with yourself, the world and the nature." He added: "By changing our (7) ____________ and creating consciousness, it can help us (8) ____________ with climate change."

harmony
speech
mind
oneness
deal
leaders
lifestyle
gift

Many doctors and people in the medical (9) ____________ say yoga is a good way to stay physically and (10) ____________ healthy. Yoga makes you focus on exercise, (11) ____________ and meditation. A lot of research says it can help people with heart disease, high blood (12) ____________ and lower back pain. Studies also say yoga can improve our mood, reduce (13) ____________ and make us sleep better. However, there is also research that says people need to be (14) ____________ when doing yoga. Wikipedia says: "An extensive (15) ____________ of yoga practitioners in Australia showed that about 20 per cent had suffered some physical (16) ____________ while practicing yoga." A World Yoga Day already exists. It was started by the world-yoga-day.org website in 2007.

mentally
pressure
stress
survey
community
injury
breathing
careful

LISTENING - Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)	He was speaking at the U.N. ______ in New York
	a. Generals Assembly b. Generally Assembly c. General Assembly d. Generous Assembly
2)	He spoke about the benefits of yoga, saying it was good for ______
	a. the minds and body b. the minded and body c. the mined and body d. the mind and body
3)	He said yoga provides harmony between ______
	a. humans and natural b. humans and nurture c. humans and nature d. humans and mature
4)	discover the sense of ______ yourself
	a. oneness with b. winless with c. openness with d. one less with
5)	it can ______ climate change
	a. help us dealing with b. help us deal with c. help us deals with d. help us ideal with
6)	Many doctors and people in the ______
	a. medicine community b. Medicare community c. medical community d. media call community
7)	Yoga makes you focus on exercise, ______
	a. breathe in and meditation b. breathing and meditation c. breathing in and meditation d. breath in and meditation
8)	people with heart disease, high blood pressure and ______
	a. lowers back pain b. lower back pain c. lowered back pain d. low a back pain
9)	yoga can improve our mood, reduce stress and ______
	a. make us sleep better b. make us sleeps better c. make us sleepy better d. make us sleeping better
10)	about 20 per cent had suffered ______
	a. some physically injury b. some physic all injury c. some physicals injury d. some physical injury

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has (1) ___________________ start a U.N. International Yoga Day. He was speaking at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. (2) ___________________ first speech at the 193-member General Assembly. He spoke (3) ___________________ yoga, saying it was good for the mind and body, and could also help climate change. He said yoga (4) ___________________ between humans and nature, and is "an invaluable gift" from India's 5,000-year-old culture. Modi said: "It is not about exercise, but (5) ___________________ of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature." He added: "By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can (6) ___________________ climate change."

Many doctors and people (7) ___________________ community say yoga is a good way to stay physically and mentally healthy. Yoga makes you focus on exercise, (8) ___________________. A lot of research says it can help people with heart disease, high blood pressure (9) ___________________ pain. Studies also say yoga can improve our mood, reduce stress and (10) ___________________ better. However, there is also research that says people need to be careful when doing yoga. Wikipedia says: "An extensive survey of yoga practitioners in Australia (11) ___________________ 20 per cent had suffered some physical (12) ___________________ yoga." A World Yoga Day already exists. It was started by the world-yoga-day.org website in 2007.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.	Who did India's leader ask about a yoga day?
2.	How many members form the U.N. General Assembly?
3.	What did Mr Modi say yoga provides harmony between?
4.	What did Mr Modi say yoga is not about?
5.	What did Mr Modi say we needed to change?
6.	What does yoga make you focus on besides breathing and exercise?
7.	What kind of back pain is yoga good for?
8.	What does yoga make us do better?
9.	How many people in an Australian study got injured doing yoga?
10.	When did World Yoga Day start?

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ

1.	Who did India's leader ask about a yoga day?	6.	What does yoga make you focus on besides breathing and exercise?
	a) a yogi b) world leaders c) the World Yoga Association d) UNESCO		a) friendship b) thinking c) meditation d) sleep
2.	How many members form the U.N. General Assembly?	7.	What kind of back pain is yoga good for?
	a) 189 b) 191 c) 192 d) 193		a) hernia b) painful back pain c) sudden back pain d) lower back pain
3.	What did Mr Modi say yoga provides harmony between?	8.	What does yoga make us do better?
	a) humans and nature b) yin and yang c) the mind and body d) the spirit and soul		a) sleep b) maths c) make friends d) have confidence
4.	What did Mr Modi say yoga is not about?	9.	How many people in an Australian study got injured doing yoga?
	a) me, me, me b) pain c) exercise d) religion		a) 20% b) 12% c) 15.3% d) a quarter
5.	What did Mr Modi say we needed to change?	10.	When did World Yoga Day start?
	a) the body's flexibility b) our lifestyle c) our breathing d) our body position		a) 2006 b) 2007 c) 2008 d) 2009

ROLE PLAY

Role A – The mind

You think yoga is most helpful to the mind. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things might not work. Also, tell the others which of these yoga cannot help (and why): the body, world peace or climate change.

Role B – The body

You think yoga is most helpful to the body. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things might not work. Also, tell the others which of these yoga cannot help (and why): the mind, world peace or climate change.

Role C – World peace

You think yoga is most helpful to world peace. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things might not work. Also, tell the others which of these yoga cannot help (and why): the body, the mind or climate change.

Role D – Climate change

You think yoga is most helpful to climate change. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things might not work. Also, tell the others which of these yoga cannot help (and why): the body, world peace or the mind.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words 'mind' and 'body'.

mind

body

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

asked
first
benefits
gift
discover
deal

way
focus
high
better
careful
20

YOGA SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about yoga in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

YOGA DISCUSSION

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

1)	What did you think when you read the headline?
2)	What springs to mind when you hear the word 'yoga'?
3)	What are the benefits of doing yoga?
4)	Are people who do yoga calmer than other people?
5)	Is International Yoga Day a good idea?
6)	What do you do for your mind and body?
7)	Why might yoga help climate change?
8)	How do you feel harmony with nature?
9)	What is the "sense of oneness"?
10)	Why do people want to find the "oneness" within them?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

11)	Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
12)	What is yoga?
12)	How would society change if yoga was a school subject?
14)	What would happen on International Yoga Day?
15)	How do people meditate?
16)	How would meditation every day change your life?
17)	What do you do to improve your mood?
18)	How could yoga injure people?
19)	Would you prefer to be good at yoga or karate?
20)	What questions would you like to ask Narendra Modi?

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

LANGUAGE - CLOZE

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has (1) ____ world leaders to start a U.N. International Yoga Day. He was speaking at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. It was his (2) ____ first speech at the 193-member General Assembly. He spoke about the (3) ____ of yoga, saying it was good for the mind and body, and could also help climate change. He said yoga (4) ____ harmony between humans and nature, and is "an invaluable gift" from India's 5,000-year-old culture. Modi said: "It is not about exercise, but to discover the (5) ____ of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature." He added: "By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal (6) ____ climate change."

Many doctors and people in the medical community say yoga is a good way to (7) ____ physically and mentally healthy. Yoga makes you focus on exercise, breathing and meditation. A lot of research says it can help people with heart disease, high (8) ____ pressure and lower back pain. Studies also say yoga can improve our mood, reduce stress and (9) ____ us sleep better. However, there is also research that says people need to be (10) ____ when doing yoga. Wikipedia says: "An extensive survey of yoga practitioners in Australia showed that about 20 per cent had suffered (11) ____ physical injury while practicing yoga." A World Yoga Day (12) ____ exists. It was started by the world-yoga-day.org website in 2007.

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	told	(b)	asked	(c)	ordered	(d)	spoken
2.	(a)	totally	(b)	very	(c)	just	(d)	really
3.	(a)	beneficial	(b)	benefit	(c)	beneficiary	(d)	benefits
4.	(a)	supplies	(b)	provides	(c)	does	(d)	employs
5.	(a)	tense	(b)	cents	(c)	tenths	(d)	sense
6.	(a)	wither	(b)	within	(c)	with	(d)	without
7.	(a)	stay	(b)	live	(c)	reside	(d)	motion
8.	(a)	blooded	(b)	bloody	(c)	blood	(d)	bloods
9.	(a)	fall	(b)	be	(c)	do	(d)	make
10.	(a)	careful	(b)	careless	(c)	carefully	(d)	caring
11.	(a)	some	(b)	many	(c)	any	(d)	all
12.	(a)	already	(b)	just	(c)	is	(d)	be

SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	speaking at the U.N. General meyAssbl
2.	He spoke about the ietbensf of yoga
3.	yoga provides moyranh
4.	India's 5,000-year-old uceurlt
5.	changing our leyitsfel
6.	help us deal with lameict change
Paragraph 2
7.	people in the medical tmcnymiuo
8.	stay lhysplcayi and mentally healthy
9.	high blood rspereus
10.	mroivep our mood
11.	An extensive ryeusv of yoga
12.	niyjur while practicing yoga

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	while practicing yoga." A World Yoga Day already exists. It was started by the world-yoga-day.org website in 2007.
( )	speaking at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. It was his very first
( )	for the mind and body, and could also help climate change. He said yoga provides harmony
( )	of yoga practitioners in Australia showed that about 20 per cent had suffered some physical injury
( )	between humans and nature, and is "an invaluable gift" from India's 5,000-year-old
( )	pain. Studies also say yoga can improve our mood, reduce stress and make us sleep better. However, there is also
( )	nature." He added: "By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change."
( )	mentally healthy. Yoga makes you focus on exercise, breathing and meditation. A lot of research
( )	research that says people need to be careful when doing yoga. Wikipedia says: "An extensive survey
( )	says it can help people with heart disease, high blood pressure and lower back
( 1 )	India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked world leaders to start a U.N. International Yoga Day. He was
( )	culture. Modi said: "It is not about exercise, but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the
( )	speech at the 193-member General Assembly. He spoke about the benefits of yoga, saying it was good
( )	Many doctors and people in the medical community say yoga is a good way to stay physically and

PUT THE WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

1.	General New Speaking UN in the Assembly York at .
2.	yoga of benefits the about spoke He .
3.	humans between harmony provides Yoga nature and .
4.	yourself with oneness of sense the Discover .
5.	us deal It with can climate help change .
6.	mentally A to and way physically healthy good stay .
7.	people disease says help heart Research can with it .
8.	better sleep us make and stress Reduce .
9.	to yoga be careful People when need doing .
10.	had physical About cent some per suffered injury 20 .

CIRCLE THE CORRECT WORD (20 PAIRS)

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked / asking world leaders to start a U.N. International Yoga Day. He was speaking / spoken at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. It was his very / really first speech at the 193-member General Assembly. He spoke about the beneficial / benefits of yoga, saying it was good for the mind / mindless and body, and could also help climate change. He said yoga provide / provides harmony between humans and nature, and is "an invaluable / valuable gift" from India's 5,000-year-old culture. Modi said: "It is not about exercise, however / but to discover the sense of oneness / once with yourself, the world and the nature." He added: "By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with / in climate change."

Many doctors and people on / in the medical community say yoga is a good way to live / stay physically and mentally healthy. Yoga makes you focus in / on exercise, breathing and meditation. A lot of research say / says it can help people with heart disease, high bloody / blood pressure and lower back pain. Studies also say yoga can improve our moody / mood, reduce stress and make us sleep better / good. However, there is also research that says people need to be / do careful when doing yoga. Wikipedia says: "An extensive / extensively survey of yoga practitioners in Australia showed that about 20 per cent had suffered / suffering some physical injury while practicing yoga." A World Yoga Day already exists. It was started by the world-yoga-day.org website in 2007.

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

INSERT THE VOWELS (a, e, i, o, u)

_nd__'s Pr_m_ M_n_st_r N_r_ndr_ M_d_ h_s _sk_d w_rld l__d_rs t_ st_rt _ _.N. _nt_rn_t__n_l Y_g_ D_y. H_ w_s sp__k_ng _t th_ _.N. G_n_r_l _ss_mbly _n N_w Y_rk. _t w_s h_s v_ry f_rst sp__ch _t th_ 193-m_mb_r G_n_r_l _ss_mbly. H_ sp_k_ _b__t th_ b_n_f_ts _f y_g_, s_y_ng _t w_s g__d f_r th_ m_nd _nd b_dy, _nd c__ld _ls_ h_lp cl_m_t_ ch_ng_. H_ s__d y_g_ pr_v_d_s h_rm_ny b_tw__n h_m_ns _nd n_t_r_, _nd _s "_n _nv_l__bl_ g_ft" fr_m _nd__'s 5,000-y__r-_ld c_lt_r_. M_d_ s__d: "_t _s n_t _b__t _x_rc_s_, b_t t_ d_sc_v_r th_ s_ns_ _f _n_n_ss w_th y__rs_lf, th_ w_rld _nd th_ n_t_r_." H_ _dd_d: "By ch_ng_ng __r l_f_styl_ _nd cr__t_ng c_nsc___sn_ss, _t c_n h_lp _s d__l w_th cl_m_t_ ch_ng_."

M_ny d_ct_rs _nd p__pl_ _n th_ m_d_c_l c_mm_n_ty s_y y_g_ _s _ g__d w_y t_ st_y phys_c_lly _nd m_nt_lly h__lthy. Y_g_ m_k_s y__ f_c_s _n _x_rc_s_, br__th_ng _nd m_d_t_t__n. _ l_t _f r_s__rch s_ys _t c_n h_lp p__pl_ w_th h__rt d_s__s_, h_gh bl__d pr_ss_r_ _nd l_w_r b_ck p__n. St_d__s _ls_ s_y y_g_ c_n _mpr_v_ __r m__d, r_d_c_ str_ss _nd m_k_ _s sl__p b_tt_r. H_w_v_r, th_r_ _s _ls_ r_s__rch th_t s_ys p__pl_ n__d t_ b_ c_r_f_l wh_n d__ng y_g_. W_k_p_d__ s_ys: "_n _xt_ns_v_ s_rv_y _f y_g_ pr_ct_t__n_rs _n __str_l__ sh_w_d th_t _b__t 20 p_r c_nt h_d s_ff_r_d s_m_ phys_c_l _nj_ry wh_l_ pr_ct_c_ng y_g_." _ W_rld Y_g_ D_y _lr__dy _x_sts. _t w_s st_rt_d by th_ w_rld-y_g_-d_y._rg w_bs_t_ _n 2007.

PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND ADD CAPITALS

india's prime minister narendra modi has asked world leaders to start a un international yoga day he was speaking at the un general assembly in new york it was his very first speech at the 193-member general assembly he spoke about the benefits of yoga saying it was good for the mind and body and could also help climate change he said yoga provides harmony between humans and nature and is "an invaluable gift" from india's 5000-year-old culture modi said "it is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself the world and the nature" he added "by changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness it can help us deal with climate change"

many doctors and people in the medical community say yoga is a good way to stay physically and mentally healthy yoga makes you focus on exercise breathing and meditation a lot of research says it can help people with heart disease high blood pressure and lower back pain studies also say yoga can improve our mood reduce stress and make us sleep better however there is also research that says people need to be careful when doing yoga wikipedia says "an extensive survey of yoga practitioners in australia showed that about 20 per cent had suffered some physical injury while practicing yoga" a world yoga day already exists it was started by the world-yoga-dayorg website in 2007

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

India'sPrimeMinisterNarendraModihasaskedworldleaderstostartaU.
N.InternationalYogaDay.HewasspeakingattheU.N.GeneralAssembl
yinNewYork.Itwashisveryfirstspeechatthe193-memberGeneralAss
embly.Hespokeaboutthebenefitsofyoga,sayingitwasgoodforthemin
dandbody,andcouldalsohelpclimatechange.Hesaidyogaprovideshar
monybetweenhumansandnature,andis"aninvaluablegift"fromIndia'
s5,000-year-oldculture.Modisaid:"Itisnotaboutexercise,buttodisco
verthesenseofonenesswithyourself,theworldandthenature."Headde
d:"Bychangingourlifestyleandcreatingconsciousness,itcanhelpusde
alwithclimatechange."Manydoctorsandpeopleinthemedicalcommun
itysayyogaisagoodwaytostayphysicallyandmentallyhealthy.Yogam
akesyoufocusonexercise,breathingandmeditation.Alotofresearchsa
ysitcanhelppeoplewithheartdisease,highbloodpressureandlowerbac
kpain.Studiesalsosayyogacanimproveourmood,reducestressandm
akeussleepbetter.However,thereisalsoresearchthatsayspeoplenee
dtobecarefulwhendoingyoga.Wikipediasays:"Anextensivesurveyof
yogapractitionersinAustraliashowedthatabout20percenthadsuffere
dsomephysicalinjurywhilepracticingyoga."AWorldYogaDayalreadye
xists.Itwasstartedbytheworld-yoga-day.orgwebsitein2007.

FREE WRITING

Write about yoga for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

ACADEMIC WRITING

All high schools should teach yoga every week. Discuss.

_____________________________________________________________________________

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 out more about yoga. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. YOGA: Make a poster about yoga. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. CLIMATE CHANGE: Write a magazine article about how yoga can help climate change. Include imaginary interviews with people who think it can and people who think it can't.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on yoga. Ask him/her three questions about yoga. Give him/her three of your ideas. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Also...

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

News
Warm ups
Pre-reading / Post-reading
Using headlines
Working with words
While-reading / While-listening
Moving from text to speech
Post-reading / Post-listening
Discussions
Using opinions
Plans
Language
Using lists
Using quotes
Task-based activities
Role plays
Using the central characters in the article
Using themes from the news
Homework

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ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE (p.4)

a

F

b

T

c

T

d

F

e

T

f

T

g

F

h

F

SYNONYM MATCH (p.4)

1.	asked	a.	requested
2.	benefits	b.	advantages
3.	invaluable	c.	extremely useful
4.	discover	d.	find
5.	deal with	e.	manage
6.	focus	f.	concentrate
7.	improve	g.	better
8.	reduce	h.	lower
9.	extensive	i.	large-scale
10.	suffered	j.	(be) troubled with

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (p.8)

1.	World leaders
2.	193
3.	Humans and nature
4.	Exercise
5.	Our lifestyle
6.	Meditation
7.	Lower back pain
8.	Sleep
9.	20%
10.	2007

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ (p.9)

1.

b

2.

d

3.

a

4.

c

5.

b

6.

c

7.

d

8.

a

9.

a

10.

b

ALL OTHER EXERCISES

Please check for yourself by looking at the Article on page 2.
(It's good for your English ;-)

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Indian leader calls for global yoga day (30th September, 2014)

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