Lesson objectives:
Students will:
- Become familiar with Scottish identity and stereotypes;
- Be familiar with some interesting facts about Scotland and its people;
- Express their thoughts about stereotyping and being stereotyped.
Skills development:
Students will practise:
- Reading for specific information;
- Discussing the text;
- Writing about stereotypes.
Vocabulary:
value freedom;
mean;
canny;
shrewdness;
probity;
generous;
ingenuity;
self confidence;
belief in the value of education.
| Stage | Purpose | Classroom management | |
| 1. | Warm-up | to motivate the students to discuss the topic | whole class |
| 2. | pre-reading activity | to introduce the students to the topic | whole class group |
| 3. | reading the text | to practise reading for specific information | individual |
| 4. | after-reading | to promote discussion | whole class pairs |
| 5. | speaking | to practise describing a nation | group |
| 6. | writing | to practise writing a paragraph | individual |
Warm-up:
Ask the students to write down as many words as they can about Scotland and Scots.
It can also be a word-web.
Give the definition of a stereotype.
A stereotype is a generalized perception of first impressions: behaviours presumed by a group of people judging with the eyes/criticizing ones outer appearance (or a population in general) to be associated with another specific group.
Pre-reading activity.
Answer the following questions:
- Do you know who was called Braveeheart?
- Who was Henry Duncan?
- Who was Robert Burns?
Reading.
Read the text and find the answers to the questions.
Name the three common stereotypes that pertain to the Scots.
After-reading activity.
Say if the following are true or false:
- The Scots are tolerant.
- The Scots are mean.
- The Scots are charity givers.
- The Scots are generous
- The Scots are self confident.
- The Scots believe in the value of education.
Match the names of famous Scots and the inventions:
| raincoat | Henry Duncan |
| telephone | Charles Macintosh |
| bicycle | Alexander Fleming |
| breech loading-rifle | Kirkpatrick Macmillan |
| penicillin | Patrick Fergusson |
| TV | Alexander Graham Bell |
| Bank of England | John Logie Baird |
Speaking.
The students discuss the following in groups giving feedback orally or in written schemes:
Why do we stereotype people?
What are the stereotypes of the Scots?
Do you personally believe in stereotyping?
Is it bad or good to be stereotyped?
Use the following phrases:
I think;
I believe;
To my mind;
In my opinion;
On the one hand;
On the other hand;
It seems to me;
According to the text;
From the point of view of the author of the article.
Writing.
Write a paragraph about the stereotype of the Russians.
Additional links:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-uk-culture-scotland-homepage.htm
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-culture-living-uk-home.htm
Home task.
Read the following poem and write a letter to a Scot asking if it is true about Scots.
Wearing a kilt;
drinking whisky;
have red hair;
been blushy with blue or green eyes;
been very pale;
been really really loud when drunk;
loving to have good time;
enjoying listening to music;
watching soccer;
watching a lot of different sports;
been very economical and sometimes rich;
loving celebrating St.Patrick day;
been very patriotical and nationalist.
Anonymous.