The Reading / Listening - Level 0

People in the USA have different ideas about what school is for. A poll found that 45 per cent of Americans said the main goal was for students to take exams. Around a quarter of people said it was for kids to get a job. Just over 26 per cent of Americans said the biggest reason for school was to teach citizenship.

A writer once said the purpose of school is, "to ask questions of the universe." Students had different ideas about school. Elena Brankov, 15, said it was to teach creativity and share ideas. Lyndon Bailey, also 15, said school, "is just to make poor kids into robots who work and make rich people richer".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 1,  Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/08/29/why-do-kids-go-to-school-americans-are-divided-on-the-answer-a-new-poll-shows/
  • http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-08-29/confusion-over-purpose-of-us-education-system
  • https://edsource.org/2016/national-poll-shows-differing-views-about-focus-of-public-education/568712


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. People in the USA
  2. the main
  3. students to take
  4. Around a
  5. it was for kids
  6. Just over 26 per cent
  7. the biggest
  8. school was to teach
  1. quarter of people
  2. reason
  3. have different ideas
  4. to get a job
  5. citizenship
  6. exams
  7. goal
  8. of Americans

Paragraph 2

  1. A writer
  2. the purpose
  3. ask
  4. Students had different
  5. it was to
  6. share
  7. make poor
  8. make rich people
  1. teach creativity
  2. kids into robots
  3. once said…
  4. richer
  5. of school
  6. questions of the universe
  7. ideas
  8. ideas about school

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

People in the USA have different (1) ___________________ school is for. A (2) ___________________ 45 per cent of Americans said (3) ___________________ was for students to take exams. Around (4) ___________________ people said it was for kids (5) ___________________. Just over 26 per cent of Americans said the (6) ___________________ for school was to teach citizenship.

A writer (7) ___________________ purpose of school is, "to ask questions (8) ___________________." Students had different (9) ___________________. Elena Brankov, 15, said it was to teach creativity (10) ___________________. Lyndon Bailey, also 15, said school, "(11) ___________________ poor kids into robots who work and make (12) ___________________ ".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

PeopleintheUSAhavedifferentideasaboutwhatschoolisfor.Apollfoun
dthat45percentofAmericanssaidthemaingoalwasforstudentstotake
exams.Aroundaquarterofpeoplesaiditwasforkidstogetajob.Justover
26percentofAmericanssaidthebiggestreasonforschoolwastoteachcit
izenship.Awriteroncesaidthepurposeofschoolis,"toaskquestionsofth
euniverse."Studentshaddifferentideasaboutschool.ElenaBrankov,1
5,saiditwastoteachcreativityandshareideas.LyndonBailey,also15,s
aidschool,"isjusttomakepoorkidsintorobotswhoworkandmakerichp
eoplericher".

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

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

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

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

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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