White man attacked for having dreadlocks

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

There is a debate in the USA about white people having dreadlocks. A YouTube video of a black female student asking a white male student about his dreadlocks went viral. The woman told the guy that he should not have the hairstyle because it was part of her culture. He replied that many cultures had dreadlocks, including the ancient Egyptians. The university said it would promptly investigate the incident.

Dreadlocks are hair that is woven together. Historians are not sure where they first came from. People in ancient Egypt, Europe, the Pacific islands, Australia and Africa had them. A writer said black people often have negative experiences in society because of dreadlocks. She asked if white people with dreadlocks also had the same problems. She said "There are…racial connotations and stereotypes attached to them."

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/dreadlocks-cultural-appropriation-row-intensifies-as-students-come-forward-to-provide-more-context-a6963251.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/31/living/white-dreadlocks-cultural-appropriation-feat/index.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/03/31/can-a-white-guy-have-dreadlocks-this-puzzling-viral-video-wades-into-the-politics-of-black-hair/

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 Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.	There is a debate	a.	dreadlocks
2.	A YouTube	b.	viral
3.	went	c.	Egyptians
4.	The woman told the guy that he should	d.	video
5.	it was part	e.	in the USA
6.	many cultures had	f.	of her culture
7.	ancient	g.	the incident
8.	promptly investigate	h.	not have the hairstyle

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

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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	Dreadlocks are hair that	a.	experiences
2.	Historians are not	b.	Egypt
3.	where they first	c.	attached to them
4.	People in ancient	d.	connotations
5.	the Pacific	e.	is woven together
6.	negative	f.	came from
7.	racial	g.	sure
8.	stereotypes	h.	islands

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

There (1) ___________________ the USA about white people having dreadlocks. A YouTube video (2) ___________________ student asking a white male student about his dreadlocks went viral. The woman told the guy (3) ___________________ not have the hairstyle (4) _________________ of her culture. He replied (5) ___________________ had dreadlocks, including the ancient Egyptians. The university said it would promptly (6) ___________________.

Dreadlocks are hair that (7) ___________________. Historians are not sure where they (8) ___________________. People in ancient Egypt, Europe, the Pacific islands, Australia and (9) ___________________. A writer said black people (10) ___________________ experiences in society because of dreadlocks. She asked if white people with dreadlocks (11) ___________________ problems. She said "There are…racial connotations and stereotypes (12) ___________________."

DREADLOCKS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about dreadlocks 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.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

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

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about dreadlocks for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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