Breaking News English ESL Lesson Plan on Smoking

Cigarette packets to carry gory pictures

The British government is to use shock tactics in its latest attempt to discourage smokers from smoking. Gory photographs highlighting the health hazards of smoking will be plastered on cigarette packets. These will include images of diseased lungs blackened by tar next to a set of clean, healthy lungs. A total of sixteen pictures have been selected to scare existing and potential smokers. These will all be accompanied by stronger written health warnings. The new initiative will take place by the end of 2009. Britain’s Health Secretary Alan Johnson told BBC News that other countries have successfully used similar graphic photos. "We do think it will help the number of people, who want to give up smoking - the vast majority of smokers want to give up - and this will give them an extra push," he said.

Anti-smoking campaigners welcomed the new warnings on tobacco products. They say it is important for people to be more aware of the effects smoking has on vital body organs. Amanda Sandford, from the anti-smoking group ASH, said she hoped the strong images would make more people quit. "Evidence from international studies is that the stronger warnings are better," she said. She is also pleased the adverts will coincide with the raising of the minimum age for buying cigarettes, which rises from 16 to 18. However, smokers’ rights groups are up in arms over the new attack on smoking. Neil Rafferty, from the group Forest, described the government’s decision as the "victimization" of smokers. "The government are bullying smokers simply because they can get away with it," he said.

WARM-UPS

1. SMOKING: Walk around the class and talk to other students about smoking, cigarettes, cigars, etc. Change partners often. After you finish, sit with your original partner(s) and share what you found out.

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

shock tactics / gory photos / health hazards / lungs / government initiatives / campaigners / ash / minimum smoking age / smokers’ rights / bullying

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

3. GRAPHIC WARNINGS: In pairs / groups, discuss which of these graphic warnings would make you change your ways.

Photos of heart disease on fast food
Roadside billboards showing photos of road crash victims
Photos of diseased livers, stomachs and kidneys on alcohol products
Pictures of death on the packaging of guns and bullets
Images of inactive brains before the showing of TV game shows and sit-coms
Photos of stressed English teachers at careers fairs

4. OPINIONS: In pairs / groups, discuss what these people might think of the new gory photograph campaign:

smokers
cigarette manufacturers
tobacco farmers
tax-collecting governments

children of parents who smoke
hospital heads
bar owners
hypnotists

5. CIGARETTE: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘cigarette’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

6. BAD HABITS: Brainstorm a list of bad habits. With your partner(s), discuss what government campaigns can do to encourage people to quit these habits.

7. QUICK DEBATE: Students A think smoking should be banned completely. Students B think people should be allowed to smoke if they want to. Change partners often. Share your findings.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

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

a.	Cigarette packs in the UK are to have graphic photos of disease.	T / F
b.	Text health warnings will disappear.	T / F
c.	Cigarette companies have two years to introduce the new system.	T / F
d.	Britain is the first country to use photographs to deter smokers.	T / F
e.	Anti-smoking campaigners are unhappy with the gory photos.	T / F
f.	There is worldwide proof that strong health warnings are effective.	T / F
g.	Young people in Britain can currently smoke from the age of 18.	T / F
h.	Anti-smoking groups accused the government of bullying them.	T / F

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

1.	tactics	a.	correspond
2	discourage	b.	strategies
3.	existing	c.	approved of
4.	give up	d.	deter
5.	vast	e.	furious
6.	welcomed	f.	current
7.	vital	g.	persecution
8.	coincide	h.	crucial
9.	up in arms	i.	huge
10.	bullying	j.	quit

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

1.	its latest attempt to discourage	a.	place by the end of 2009
2	Gory photographs highlighting the health	b.	blackened by tar
3.	images of diseased lungs	c.	in arms over the new attack
4.	The new initiative will take	d.	on vital body organs
5.	this will give them an extra	e.	smokers from smoking
6.	Anti-smoking campaigners welcomed	f.	age for buying cigarettes
7.	aware of the effects smoking has	g.	hazards of smoking
8.	coincide with the raising of the minimum	h.	away with it
9.	smokers’ rights groups are up	i.	push
10.	because they can get	j.	the new warnings

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.

Cigarette packets to carry gory pictures

The British government is to use shock __________ in its latest attempt to discourage smokers from smoking. Gory photographs highlighting the health __________ of smoking will be plastered on cigarette packets. These will include images of __________ lungs blackened by tar next to a set of clean, healthy lungs. A total of sixteen pictures have been selected to __________ existing and potential smokers. These will all be accompanied by stronger written health warnings. The new __________ will take place by the end of 2009. Britain’s Health Secretary Alan Johnson told BBC News that other countries have successfully used similar __________ photos. "We do think it will help the number of people, who want to give up smoking - the __________ majority of smokers want to give up - and this will give them an extra __________," he said.

vast
initiative
diseased
push
tactics
graphic
hazards
scare

Anti-smoking campaigners __________ the new warnings on tobacco products. They say it is important for people to be more __________ of the effects smoking has on __________ body organs. Amanda Sandford, from the anti-smoking group ASH, said she hoped the strong images would make more people quit. "__________ from international studies is that the stronger warnings are better," she said. She is also pleased the adverts will __________ with the raising of the minimum age for buying cigarettes, which rises from 16 to 18. However, smokers’ __________ groups are up in arms over the new attack on smoking. Neil Rafferty, from the group Forest, described the government’s __________ as the "victimization" of smokers. "The government are bullying smokers simply because they can get __________ with it," he said.

evidence away
aware
rights
decision
vital
welcomed
coincide

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Cigarette packets to carry gory pictures

The British government is __________________________ its latest attempt to discourage smokers from smoking. Gory photographs highlighting the __________________________ will be plastered on cigarette packets. These will include images of diseased lungs blackened by __________________________, healthy lungs. A total of sixteen pictures have been selected to scare existing and potential smokers. These will all be accompanied by __________________________. The new initiative will take place by the end of 2009. Britain’s Health Secretary Alan Johnson told BBC News that other countries have successfully __________________________. "We do think it will help the number of people, who want to give up smoking - the vast majority of smokers want to give up - and this will __________________________," he said.

Anti-smoking campaigners __________________________ on tobacco products. They say it is important for people to be more aware of the effects smoking __________________________. Amanda Sandford, from the anti-smoking group ASH, said she hoped the strong images would make more people quit. "Evidence from international studies is that the stronger warnings are better," she said. She is also __________________________ with the raising of the minimum age for buying cigarettes, which rises from 16 to 18. However, smokers’ rights groups __________________________ new attack on smoking. Neil Rafferty, from the group Forest, described the government’s decision as the "victimization" of smokers. "The government are bullying smokers simply because they ___________________," he said.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

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

health

hazard

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 exactly how these were used in the text:

tactics
plastered
blackened
2009
vast
push

welcomed
vital
international
coincide
rights
bullying

STUDENT SMOKING SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about SMOKING 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.

DISCUSSION

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

What did you think when you read the headline?
What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘cigarette’?
Do you / have you ever smoked?
What are the differences between smokers and non-smokers?
What damage do cigarettes do to a smoker?
Are you worried about the effects of passive smoking?
Do you think gory photos on cigarette packets of diseased body parts will discourage people from smoking?
How do you think the cigarette industry will fight back?
Why do cigarette companies advertise their products as being “cool and trendy”?
What does your government do to encourage people to stop smoking?

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

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

Did you like reading this article?
Do you think smokers know the damage cigarettes do to them?
Do you think schoolchildren should be shown graphic photos of lungs and hearts that have been diseased by smoking?
Do you think the new pictures are an unfair attack on the tobacco industry?
Do you think beer cans and wine bottles should carry photos of diseased livers and candies to have photos of decayed teeth?
What do you think should be the legal age for young people to start smoking?
Should youngsters be fined by the police if they smoke?
Should cigarettes be made illegal?
What questions would you like to ask a tobacco company CEO?
Did you like this discussion?

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

What was the most interesting thing you heard?
Was there a question you didn’t like?
Was there something you totally disagreed with?
What did you like talking about?
Which was the most difficult question?

LANGUAGE

CORRECT WORD: Put the correct words from a–d below in the article.

Cigarette packets to carry gory pictures

The British government is to use shock tactics in its latest attempt to discourage smokers (1) ____ smoking. Gory photographs highlighting the health hazards of smoking will be (2) ____ on cigarette packets. These will include images of diseased lungs blackened by tar next to a set of clean, healthy (3) ____. A total of sixteen pictures have been selected to scare existing and potential smokers. These will all be accompanied by stronger written health warnings. The new (4) ____ will take place by the end of 2009. Britain’s Health Secretary Alan Johnson told BBC News that other countries have successfully used (5) ____ graphic photos. "We do think it will help the number of people, who want to give up smoking - the (6) ____ majority of smokers want to give up - and this will give them an extra push," he said.

Anti-smoking campaigners (7) ____ the new warnings on tobacco products. They say it is important for people to be more aware of the effects smoking has on vital (8) ____ organs. Amanda Sandford, from the anti-smoking group ASH, said she hoped the strong images would make more people quit. "Evidence from international studies (9) ____ that the stronger warnings are better," she said. She is also pleased the adverts will (10) ____ with the raising of the minimum age for buying cigarettes, which rises from 16 to 18. However, smokers’ rights groups are (11) ____ in arms over the new attack on smoking. Neil Rafferty, from the group Forest, described the government’s decision as the "victimization" of smokers. "The government are bullying smokers simply because they can (12) ____ away with it," he said.

1.	(a)	by	(b)	for	(c)	from	(d)	with
2.	(a)	plastered	(b)	plasters	(c)	plastering	(d)	plasterers
3.	(a)	rungs	(b)	rung	(c)	lung	(d)	lungs
4.	(a)	inaction	(b)	initiative	(c)	inertia	(d)	initiation
5.	(a)	simultaneous	(b)	similarly	(c)	same	(d)	similar
6.	(a)	vista	(b)	vest	(c)	vast	(d)	visa
7.	(a)	welcomed	(b)	thanked	(c)	introduced	(d)	campaigned
8.	(a)	church	(b)	body	(c)	official	(d)	pipe
9.	(a)	will	(b)	be	(c)	is	(d)	so
10.	(a)	coincide	(b)	collide	(c)	coordinate	(d)	commit
11.	(a)	two	(b)	up	(c)	muscles	(d)	strong
12.	(a)	go	(b)	pass	(c)	take	(d)	get

WRITING:

Write about smoking for 10 minutes. Correct your partner’s paper.

_______________________________________________________________________

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 about smoking rules around the world. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. SMOKING POSTER: Make a poster comparing the lives of a smoker and a non-smoker. Include the pros and cons each has. Show your poster to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about the damage smoking does to a smoker (bodily, financial, social…). Include imaginary interviews with a smoker who never wants to quit and one who has recently quit.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Which article was best and why?

5. LETTER: Write a letter to the head of a tobacco company. Ask him/her three questions about how they promote and advertise their products. Give him/her three pieces of advice about how to be more responsible. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. T

b. F

c. T

d. F

e. F

f. T

g. F

h. T

SYNONYM MATCH:

1.	tactics	a.	strategies
2	discourage	b.	deter
3.	existing	c.	current
4.	give up	d.	quit
5.	vast	e.	huge
6.	welcomed	f.	approved of
7.	vital	g.	crucial
8.	coincide	h.	correspond
9.	up in arms	i.	furious
10.	bullying	j.	persecution

PHRASE MATCH:

1.	its latest attempt to discourage	a.	smokers from smoking
2	Gory photographs highlighting the health	b.	hazards of smoking
3.	images of diseased lungs	c.	blackened by tar
4.	The new initiative will take	d.	place by the end of 2009
5.	this will give them an extra	e.	push
6.	Anti-smoking campaigners welcomed	f.	the new warnings
7.	aware of the effects smoking has	g.	on vital body organs
8.	coincide with the raising of the minimum	h.	age for buying cigarettes
9.	smokers’ rights groups are up	i.	in arms over the new attack
10.	because they can get	j.	away with it

GAP FILL:

Cigarette packets to carry gory pictures

The British government is to use shock tactics in its latest attempt to discourage smokers from smoking. Gory photographs highlighting the health hazards of smoking will be plastered on cigarette packets. These will include images of diseased lungs blackened by tar next to a set of clean, healthy lungs. A total of sixteen pictures have been selected to scare existing and potential smokers. These will all be accompanied by stronger written health warnings. The new initiative will take place by the end of 2009. Britain’s Health Secretary Alan Johnson told BBC News that other countries have successfully used similar graphic photos. "We do think it will help the number of people, who want to give up smoking - the vast majority of smokers want to give up - and this will give them an extra push," he said.

Anti-smoking campaigners welcomed the new warnings on tobacco products. They say it is important for people to be more aware of the effects smoking has on vital body organs. Amanda Sandford, from the anti-smoking group ASH, said she hoped the strong images would make more people quit. "Evidence from international studies is that the stronger warnings are better," she said. She is also pleased the adverts will coincide with the raising of the minimum age for buying cigarettes, which rises from 16 to 18. However, smokers’ rights groups are up in arms over the new attack on smoking. Neil Rafferty, from the group Forest, described the government’s decision as the "victimization" of smokers. "The government are bullying smokers simply because they can get away with it," he said.

LANGUAGE WORK

1 - c

2 -a

3 - d

4 - b

5 - d

6 - c

7 -a

8 - b

9 -c

10 - a

11 - b

12 - d

Breaking News English

THE ARTICLE

Cigarette packets to carry gory pictures

WARM-UPS

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

WHILE READING / LISTENING

Cigarette packets to carry gory pictures

LISTENING

Cigarette packets to carry gory pictures

AFTER READING / LISTENING

STUDENT SMOKING SURVEY

DISCUSSION

LANGUAGE

Cigarette packets to carry gory pictures

WRITING:

HOMEWORK

ANSWERS

Cigarette packets to carry gory pictures

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