CARNIVAL PLAN
Carnival safety success – Lesson plan - © BBC | British Council 2002
Teacher’s notes – Carnival Safety Success
This news report is about the Notting Hill Carnival 2002 held on the 25th
and
26th
August, in London. The report describes the carnival and the problems
caused by so many people being in such a small place.
For more information about the Notting Hill Carnival you can visit:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/carnival/
For this lesson you will need
• Copies of Worksheet A (optional)– Introduction and first
reading questions
• Copies of Worksheet B – Reading questions and Writing
activity
• Copies of Worksheet C - Vocabulary
• The audio or written text- Carnival Safety Success
Introduction – worksheet A
Aim – Raise awareness of Carnival. Introduce vocabulary and a language
prediction task.
For this stage you can give out Worksheet A.
However, you can easily do this stage without the worksheet, as follows.
• Start the class by writing the word CARNIVAL on the board.
• Ask students what they know about this word.
Information for teachers:
CARNIVAL
This is a period or occasion or public enjoyment and celebration. There
are often processions and parties. This is very common in Roman
Catholic countries. Brazil and Jamaica are two countries that are famous
for their carnival celebrations.
Next,
• write the headline on the board and the vocabulary choices
(Worksheet A, question 2)
• Ask the students, in pairs to choose some words they think they will
see in the article.
• Next, give the students the first reading question:-
3. What was the problem two years ago and why was Carnival 2002 called a
safety success?
Carnival safety success – Lesson plan - © BBC | British Council 2002
• Play the audio or hand out the text.
• Students read to check their predictions and answer the first question.
Answers for Worksheet A:-
2. These words appear in the article.
Street festival Cloudy
Murder Party
Balcony Colourful
Costumes Arrest
Music Wonderful
3. What was the problem two years ago and why was Carnival 2002 called a
safety success?
Two years ago, two people were murdered. In 2002, there was only a
little crime, and there weren’t any murders. The organisers had made
changes to the carnival, and these changes were successful.
Main reading / listening – Worksheet B
Aim – Understanding details
• Hand out worksheet B
• Students answer the true/false questions.
Answers for Worksheet B:-
1. Are the following statements true or false?
a. In Europe, there is a bigger festival than Notting Hill Carnival –
Answer: False – It is the biggest
b. The weather was very good at Carnival 2002 –
Answer: False – it was cloudy
c. The carnival parade went a different way this year –
Answer: True – the route was changed
d. Many activities continued till midnight –
Answer: False – the ending time of 9 p.m. was closely observed
(followed/obeyed)
e. Over a million people wore special costumes –
Answer: False – 3000 people dressed up in costumes. A million came to
see the parade
Carnival safety success – Lesson plan - © BBC | British Council 2002
f. For some people, it was difficult to see the parade –
Answer: True – the crowds were large (5 people deep) and many people
only had a glimpse of the carnival – a brief look
g. Some police danced and partied -
Answer: True – Some of the police got in on the act, they joined in
h. There were many kinds of music –
Answer: True
g. More than half the arrests were for theft –
Answer: True – pick pocketing and robbery are types of theft
h. The carnival represents only one group or community in London –
Answer: False – it represented the multicultural aspect of London, many
different types of people and communities
Vocabulary – Worksheet C
Before doing the writing follow up exercise, you should do the vocabulary
exercise – worksheet C
You can do this in three ways.
a. Hand out Worksheet C
b. Put the items from Worksheet C on the board
c. Mingle activity.
• Cut up the words and definitions into individual pieces of paper
• Give each student a word or two.
• Distribute the definitions around the class.
• The students then find the definition(s) for their word(s).
• Feed back to the board, be sure to check and drill the pronunciation.
Vocabulary answers:-
hailed as
described / called
To deal with something
to take action about something
Residential area
a place many people live
Steward
someone who helps control a big event
Paraded
walked in a public procession
Lined the route
stood next to the path of the parade
Carnival safety success – Lesson plan - © BBC | British Council 2002
Glimpse
a quick look
Sound system
something that plays music in a public place
Pick-pocketing
stealing from someone’s pockets
Ill founded
unjustified / without good reason
Writing – Worksheet B
It is a good idea for students to work on the planning stages of this writing in
pairs or threes.
Refer the students to the writing advice on Worksheet B

Answers for Teacher’s Survey

*According to the question 1 “How many year have you been teaching English” five teachers answered they have taught from 6, 15, 22, 30, and 33 years.

*According to the question 2 “Which levels are you teaching” the teacher answered they are teaching from seventh to ninth, seventh to eleventh, seventh to eleventh, seventh to eighth and eighth graders.

*According to the question 3 “What is innovation for you” the teacher answered that innovation is…
To use different methods, techniques or tools in the classroom for students better understanding.
It is something new, creative.
To apply new techniques and strategies in the classroom.
To do something new and creative for the students in order to motivate them to learn English.
It is new things I don’t know and can be learn either technological or written.

*According to the question 4 “Do you consider yourself as an innovator teacher” the teacher answered…
No. I have to move to different places, so for me is so difficult to carry out extra material. I use books and flashcards but those are not innovative material at all.
Yes. I try to use my computers, presentations, new learning activities
Yes. Because I try to make ma classes in different ways, using different materials, games, stories etc, in order to catch students’ attention
Yes. Because I try to do interesting my class.
No. I’m not that proficient with modern technological tools.

*According to the question 5 “What tasks would be put in practice to achieve an innovative class” the teacher answered…
Videos, recordings, listen to natives exchanging points of view about different topics.
New activities related with dialogues, songs…
Songs, movies, videos etc.
Brainstorming to get information from my students, interactive practice in which students can improve their language.
Watching videos and they can guess what’s coming up, scaffolding and I like trying role plays.

*According to the question 6 “What are the main techniques you use to teach English” the teacher answered…
Reading comprehension, repetition, recognition of pictures or drawings, games, role plays…
Repetition of vocabulary, readings, dialogues
Pictures, realia and tapes.

*According to the question 7 “What kind of technologies do you use” the teacher answered…
None.
Computer
Tape recorder, computers,
DVDs, tv, computer, video beam
CD Player and Laptop

*According to the question 8 “Do you consider that teacher’s attitudes affect the environment in the classroom” the teacher answered…
Yes. If students have a good relationship with the teacher it is very easy to develop the teaching- learning process, but if the students are uncomfortable with the teacher they are not going to participate and they will not pay attention what the teacher is trying to teach.
Yes. Because if I arrive to classes with a negative attitude or angry, they are going to realize about that, and the environment is going to be affected.
Yes. Teachers need to be serious and strict with their teaching and friendly to increase students’ interests.
Yes. Because a wrong teacher attitude can interfere in the students attitudes too.

*According to the question 9 “What kinds of teacher’s attitudes affect the environment in the classroom” the teacher answered…
Disrespectful, disinterest, arrogance…
Superiority, to be an insolent person or using bad manners
When teachers are angry or they don’t want to answer student needs.
Bad temper, lack of communication with her/his students.
When teachers are lazy and they are not creative.

*According to the question 10 “Do you consider that student’s problems and feelings affect the environment in the classroom” the teacher answered…
Yes. Students use to behave as they feel. If they are happy, they are going to participate; but if they are sad they are not going to do it.
Yes. Students act and participate in the way they are feeling.
Yes. Because if they have problems in their houses they are going to transmit them in the class disturbing the classmates.
Yes. Because if they have problems, those problems affect student behaviors in the acquisition of knowledge.

*According to the question 11 “Are you conscious of your student’s problems and feelings” the teacher answered…
Most of the time (I think)
Mmm, sometimes
No
Yes

*According to the question 12 “Do you consider that student’s motivation affects the environment in the class”
Yes. If they are motivated in learning a new language they will participate and be interested in putting attention during class time.
Yes. Because if they really like the language, they are going to learn it, but if they do not show motivation for it, it is most difficult for they to learn it
Yes. Because if they are not motivated they won’t feel attraction to the second language
Yes. Because if they are not motivated, they don’t learn.

I am a teacher...Marva Collins. Learning Disabilities???

Marva Collins is a woman born in Alabama.Marva Collins grew up in Atmore, Alabama at a time when segregation was the rule. Black people were not permitted to use the public library, and her schools had few books, and no indoor plumbing. Nonetheless, her family instilled in her an awareness of the family’s historical excellence and helped develop her strong desire for learning, achievement and independence. After graduating from Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia, she taught school in Alabama for two years. She moved to Chicago and taught in Chicago’s public school system for fourteen years.
This woman didnt believe on the word learning disabilities she believed that there was more teaching inabilities than learning. She created a low cost private school to teach low income African American who were labeles as learning labeled. Marva works with the Socratic method. It called my attention reading about this woman because she never gives up on kids who usually are considered not able to learn. She overcomes this obstacles with no problem. Learning about this teacher could be an inspiration for teachers nowdays. The students that have learning disabilities are not always tought on the correct way. They are usually seen as an obstacle on the teaching process and in many cases teachers do not work with them as they should, and they do not provide them the help that they really need to come forward in their learnings.

Marva has many interesting quotes but one of the ones that should be taken into account is "Don't try to fix the students, fix ourselves first. The good teacher makes the poor students good and the good student superior. When our students fail, we, as teachers, too, have failed. ". The quote speaks for itself. It's important for us to be motivated to teach our students in the correct way, to motivate them and to find ways to help them to come forward. This is one of the reasons why Marva doesn't believe on learning disabilities. She believes that if we teach students on the right way students wouldn't have no problem when learning.