Breaking News English ESL Lesson Plan on Time

Does time fly or does it go slowly? We’ve all had experiences of wanting time to pass quicker, slow down or even stop. The BBC has reported on research on the speed time travels at. Its reporter Tom Colls discusses a study conducted by researchers at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, USA. Lead researcher Professor Aaron Sackett found he could make people feel that time was going more slowly and more quickly than it really was. Professor Sacket said there was a strong link between the feeling of time passing and levels of enjoyment. He said he showed that time really does fly when you’re having fun. “We could manipulate people's feelings of time quite easily," he said.

The BBC’s article provides an analysis of how scientists have looked at time throughout history. The most famous scientist they include is Albert Einstein. He said time is simply something in our minds. Professor John Wearden, a time psychologist at Britain’s Keele University said it was difficult to analyze how time goes by. He said most people think time goes fast and slowly. As an example he quotes his own mother, who says days seem to last forever, but months fly by. Professor Wearden told the BBC: "Time doesn't really go fast or slowly, it can't do….It just goes at the speed it goes." He added that time can only be measured by a clock. Most language students might agree that time flies by when they are studying English.

WARM-UPS

1. TIME: Walk around the class and talk to other students about time. Change partners often. Sit with your first partner(s) and share your findings.

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

time / slow down / strong link / levels of enjoyment / having fun / people’s feelings / analysis / scientists / our minds / psychologists / quotes / last forever / clocks /agree

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

3. TIME FLIES: Does it? Complete this table. Talk about what you wrote you're your partner(s).Change partners and share what you heard.

	When time flies & why	When time drags & why
English lesson
At the dentist
Driving
Being with friends
School
Travelling

4. SPEED: Students A strongly believe time passes at the same speed for everyone; Students B strongly believe time passes at different speeds for different people. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

5. TIME METAPHORS: Why is time these things? Talk about this with your partner(s). Are there similar meanings in your language(s)?

Time is money
Time is a gift
Time is a teacher
Time is a prison

Time is a river
Time is a thief
Time is an investment
Time is a garden

6. CLOCK: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘clock’. 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.	The BBC has proved that time goes more quickly than we thought.	T / F
b.	A researcher said passing time and levels of enjoyment are connected.	T / F
c.	The researcher said he could make people think time had stopped.	T / F
d.	The researcher said he could change people’s image of passing time.	T / F
e.	A BBC article wrote about at how scientists in history looked at time.	T / F
f.	Einstein said time only existed in human imaginations.	T / F
g.	A professor’s mother said days passed quickly and months slowly.	T / F
h.	The professor said only clocks could measure time.	T / F

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

1.	fly	a.	connection
2	study	b.	calculated
3.	link	c.	fun
4.	enjoyment	d.	review
5.	manipulate	e.	cites
6.	analysis	f.	shoot by
7.	history	g.	continue
8.	quotes	h.	report
9.	last	i.	control
10.	measured	j.	time

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

1.	experiences of wanting time to	a.	when you’re having fun
2	the speed time	b.	quotes his own mother
3.	he could make people feel that time was	c.	forever
4.	levels	d.	pass quicker
5.	time really does fly	e.	throughout history
6.	scientists have looked at time	f.	going more slowly
7.	time is simply something	g.	by a clock
8.	As an example he	h.	of enjoyment
9.	days seem to last	i.	travels at
10.	time can only be measured	j.	in our minds

WHILE READING / LISTENING

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

Does time fly or does it go ____________? We’ve all had experiences of wanting time to pass quicker, slow down or even ____________. The BBC has reported on research on the ____________ time travels at. Its reporter Tom Colls discusses a study ____________ by researchers at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, USA. Lead researcher Professor Aaron Sackett found he could make people feel that time was ____________ more slowly and more quickly than it really was. Professor Sacket said there was a ____________ link between the feeling of time passing and levels of enjoyment. He said he showed that time really does fly when you’re ____________ fun. “We could manipulate people's ____________ of time quite easily," he said.

strong
conducted
feelings
stop
going
slowly
speed
having

The BBC’s article provides an ____________ of how scientists have looked at time throughout history. The most famous scientist they ____________ is Albert Einstein. He said time is simply something in our minds. Professor John Wearden, a time psychologist at Britain’s Keele University said it was difficult to ____________ how time goes by. He said most people think time goes fast and slowly. As an example he ____________ his own mother, who says days seem to ____________ forever, but months fly by. Professor Wearden told the BBC: "Time doesn't really go fast or slowly, it can't do….It just goes at the ____________ it goes." He added that time can only be ____________ by a clock. Most language students might agree that time ____________ by when they are studying English.

measured
speed
include
quotes
analysis
flies
last
analyze

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

Does time fly or does it go slowly? We’ve all had experiences of wanting time to pass quicker, _________________ stop. The BBC has reported on research on the speed time travels at. Its reporter Tom Colls discusses a _________________ researchers at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, USA. Lead researcher Professor Aaron Sackett found he could _________________ time was going more slowly and more quickly than it really was. Professor Sacket said there _________________ between the feeling of time passing and levels of enjoyment. He said he showed that time _________________ you’re having fun. “We could manipulate people's feelings _________________," he said.

The BBC’s article provides _________________ scientists have looked at time throughout history. The most famous scientist they include is Albert Einstein. He _________________ something in our minds. Professor John Wearden, a time psychologist at Britain’s Keele University said it was difficult _________________ goes by. He said most people think time goes fast and slowly. As an example he quotes his own mother, who says days _________________, but months fly by. Professor Wearden told the BBC: "Time doesn't really go fast or slowly, it can't do….It _________________ it goes." He added that time can only be measured by a clock. Most language students might _________________ by when they are studying English.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

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

time

fly

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:

experiences
travels
researcher
strong
fun
manipulate

analysis
include
analyze
quotes
months
agree

STUDENT TIME SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about time 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.

TIME DISCUSSION

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

a)	What did you think when you read the headline?
b)	What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘time’?
c)	Does time fly or does it go slowly?
d)	How valuable is time?
e)	Does time fly when you’re having fun?
f)	“Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.” What does that mean?
g)	When does time go most slowly for you?
h)	How do you feel about wasting time?
i)	Has there been a time in your life when you wanted time to stop?
j)	How important is it to use your time wisely?

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

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

a)	Did you like reading this article?
b)	How do scientists look at time?
c)	Is Einstein right in saying that time is not real – only imaginary?
d)	How do you make time?
e)	Do days go slowly and months fly by?
f)	When was the last time you thanked someone for their time?
g)	What is the best time metaphor? Time is __________.
h)	Are you good at managing your time?
i)	How does time pass in English lessons?
j)	What questions would you like to ask Professor Aaron Sackett?

LANGUAGE – MULTIPLE CHOICE

Does time fly or does it go (1) ____? We’ve all had experiences of wanting time to pass quicker, slow down or even stop. The BBC has reported (2) ____ research on the speed time travels at. Its reporter Tom Colls discusses a study conducted (3) ____ researchers at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, USA. Lead researcher Professor Aaron Sackett found he could make people feel that time was going more slowly and more quickly than it (4) ____ was. Professor Sacket said there was a (5) ____ link between the feeling of time passing and levels of enjoyment. He said he showed that time really does (6) ____ when you’re having fun. “We could manipulate people's feelings of time quite easily," he said.

The BBC’s article provides an (7) ____ of how scientists have looked at time throughout history. The most famous scientist they include is Albert Einstein. He said time is (8) ____ something in our minds. Professor John Wearden, a time psychologist at Britain’s Keele University said it was difficult to analyze how time goes by. He said most people think time goes fast and slowly. As an example he (9) ____ his own mother, who says days seem to (10) ____ forever, but months fly by. Professor Wearden told the BBC: "Time doesn't really go fast or slowly, it can't do….It just goes at the speed it (11) ____." He added that time can only be measured by a clock. Most language students might agree that time (12) ____ by when they are studying English.

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

1.	(a)	slowly	(b)	slowish	(c)	slowest	(d)	slowed
2.	(a)	at	(b)	by	(c)	on	(d)	to
3.	(a)	at	(b)	by	(c)	in	(d)	to
4.	(a)	reality	(b)	real	(c)	real time	(d)	really
5.	(a)	strength	(b)	power	(c)	strong	(d)	powered
6.	(a)	fly	(b)	float	(c)	rocket	(d)	soar
7.	(a)	analyze	(b)	analytical	(c)	analyzes	(d)	analysis
8.	(a)	simple	(b)	simply	(c)	simpler	(d)	simplest
9.	(a)	quotation	(b)	quote	(c)	quotes	(d)	quoting
10.	(a)	last	(b)	cast	(c)	past	(d)	vast
11.	(a)	times	(b)	goes	(c)	lives	(d)	lasts
12.	(a)	flyers	(b)	fliers	(c)	flights	(d)	flies

WRITING

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

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

4. THE SPEED OF TIME: Write a magazine article about the speed of time Include imaginary interviews with a prisoner and a rock star.

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. LETTER: Write a letter to Professor Aaron Sackett. Ask him three questions about time. Give him three examples of how your time goes quickly or slowly. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

SYNONYM MATCH:

1.	fly	a.	shoot by
2	study	b.	report
3.	link	c.	connection
4.	enjoyment	d.	fun
5.	manipulate	e.	control
6.	analysis	f.	review
7.	history	g.	time
8.	quotes	h.	cites
9.	last	i.	continue
10.	measured	j.	calculated

PHRASE MATCH:

1.	experiences of wanting time to	a.	pass quicker
2	the speed time	b.	travels at
3.	he could make people feel that time was	c.	going more slowly
4.	levels	d.	of enjoyment
5.	time really does fly	e.	when you’re having fun
6.	scientists have looked at time	f.	throughout history
7.	time is simply something	g.	in our minds
8.	As an example he	h.	quotes his own mother
9.	days seem to last	i.	forever
10.	time can only be measured	j.	by a clock

GAP FILL:

Researcher shows time can fly

Does time fly or does it go slowly? We’ve all had experiences of wanting time to pass quicker, slow down or even stop. The BBC has reported on research on the speed time travels at. Its reporter Tom Colls discusses a study conducted by researchers at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, USA. Lead researcher Professor Aaron Sackett found he could make people feel that time was going more slowly and more quickly than it really was. Professor Sacket said there was a strong link between the feeling of time passing and levels of enjoyment. He said he showed that time really does fly when you’re having fun. “We could manipulate people's feelings of time quite easily," he said.

The BBC’s article provides an analysis of how scientists have looked at time throughout history. The most famous scientist they include is Albert Einstein. He said time is simply something in our minds. Professor John Wearden, a time psychologist at Britain’s Keele University said it was difficult to analyze how time goes by. He said most people think time goes fast and slowly. As an example he quotes his own mother, who says days seem to last forever, but months fly by. Professor Wearden told the BBC: "Time doesn't really go fast or slowly, it can't do….It just goes at the speed it goes." He added that time can only be measured by a clock. Most language students might agree that time flies by when they are studying English.

LANGUAGE WORK

1 - a

2 - c

3 - b

4 - d

5 - c

6 - a

7 - d

8 - b

9 - c

10 - a

11 - b

12 - d

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Breaking News English

February 13, 2010

Researcher Shows Time Can Fly