ESL Holiday Lessons.com: Racial Discrimination Day

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

March 21 is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It commemorates a tragedy that happened in the town of Sharpeville in South Africa on this day in 1960. Police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid laws. The massacre shocked the world. For many years this day was known as Sharpeville Day in South Africa. In 1966, the UN General Assembly created this special day, calling on all countries to redouble their efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, once and for all. Every March 21st, the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and New York conduct activities to highlight the evil of racism and our duty to combat it.

This day perhaps played a role in the ending of apartheid in South Africa. Today the country is a multi-racial society where the government is promoting equality at all levels. The ending of apartheid and the discrimination that went with it opened up South Africa to greater economic development. UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon spoke of how racism affects human rights and becomes an obstacle to a nation’s development: "Racist practices hurt their victims, but they also limit the promise of entire societies where they are tolerated. They prevent individuals from realizing their potential and stop them from contributing fully to national progress." Racism is still a damaging force in today’s world. Try and make a difference on March 21.

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	It commemorates	a.	fire and killed 69 people
2	Police opened	b.	against the apartheid laws
3.	The massacre	c.	evil of racism
4.	a peaceful demonstration	d.	forms of racial discrimination
5.	eliminate all	e.	a tragedy
6.	highlight the	f.	shocked the world

Paragraph 2

1.	played a role in the ending	a.	multi-racial society
2	the country is a	b.	entire societies
3.	government is promoting	c.	realizing their potential
4.	limit the promise of	d.	force in today’s world
5.	prevent individuals from	e.	of apartheid in South Africa
6.	Racism is still a damaging	f.	equality at all levels

LISTENING GAP FILL

March 21 is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It commemorates a ____________________ in the town of Sharpeville in South Africa on this day in 1960. Police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful ____________________ the apartheid laws. The massacre shocked the world. For many years ____________________ as Sharpeville Day in South Africa. In 1966, the UN General Assembly created this special day, ________________ countries to redouble their efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, ____________________. Every March 21st, the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and New York conduct activities to highlight ____________________ and our duty to combat it.

This day perhaps ____________________ the ending of apartheid in South Africa. Today the country is a multi-racial society where the government is promoting ____________________. The ending of apartheid and the discrimination that went with it opened up South Africa to greater economic development. UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon ____________________ affects human rights and becomes an obstacle to a nation’s development: "Racist ____________________ victims, but they also limit the promise of entire societies where they are tolerated. They ______________________ realizing their potential and stop them from contributing fully to national progress." Racism is ____________________ force in today’s world. Try and make a difference on March 21.

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

March 21 is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It commemorates a __________ that happened in the town of Sharpeville in South Africa on this day in 1960. Police opened __________ and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid laws. The __________ shocked the world. For many years this day was __________ as Sharpeville Day in South Africa. In 1966, the UN General Assembly created this special day, calling on all countries to redouble their __________ to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, __________ and for all. Every March 21st, the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and New York conduct activities to highlight the __________ of racism and our duty to __________ it.

efforts
massacre
combat
evil
tragedy
known
fire
once

This day perhaps played a role in the __________ of apartheid in South Africa. Today the country is a multi-racial society where the government is promoting __________ at all levels. The ending of apartheid and the discrimination that went with it __________ up South Africa to greater economic development. UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon spoke of how racism affects human rights and becomes an __________ to a nation’s development: "Racist practices hurt their __________, but they also limit the promise of entire societies where they are tolerated. They prevent individuals from realizing their __________ and stop them from contributing fully to national __________." Racism is still a damaging force in today’s world. Try and make a __________ on March 21.

victims
ending
difference
obstacle
equality
potential
progress
opened

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.

March 21 is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It commemorates a tragedy / tragic that happened in the town of Sharpeville in South Africa on this day in 1960. Police opened flame / fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful / peacefully demonstration against the apartheid laws. The massacre shocking / shocked the world. For many years this day was knowing / known as Sharpeville Day in South Africa. In 1966, the UN General Assembly created this special day, calling on all / every countries to redouble their efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, once and for every / all. Every March 21st, the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and New York conduct activities to highlight the evil of racism and our duty for / to combat it.

This day perhaps played a role / roll in the ending of apartheid in South Africa. Today the country is a multi-racial social / society where the government is promoting equality at all levels / level. The ending of apartheid and the discrimination that went with it opened down / up South Africa to greater economic development. UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon spoke / said of how racism affects human rights and becomes an obstacle to a nation’s development: "Racist practices hurt their victims, but they also limiting / limit the promise of entire societies where they are tolerated. They prevent individuals from realizing their potential and stop them for / from contributing fully to national progress." Racism is still a damaging force in today’s world. Try and make a different / difference on March 21.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

March 21 is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It commemorates a (1) ____ that happened in the town of Sharpeville in South Africa on this day in 1960. Police opened (2) ____ and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid laws. The massacre shocked the world. For many years this day was (3) ____ as Sharpeville Day in South Africa. In 1966, the UN General Assembly created this special day, calling on all countries to redouble their (4) ____ to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, (5) ____ and for all. Every March 21st, the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and New York conduct activities to highlight the evil of racism and our duty (6) ____ combat it.

This day perhaps played a (7) ____ in the ending of apartheid in South Africa. Today the country is a multi-racial society where the government is promoting equality at (8) ____ levels. The ending of apartheid and the discrimination that went with it opened (9) ____ South Africa to greater economic development. UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon spoke of how racism affects human rights and becomes an obstacle (10) ____ a nation’s development: "Racist practices hurt their victims, but they also limit the (11) ____ of entire societies where they are tolerated. They prevent individuals from realizing their potential and stop them from contributing fully to national progress." Racism is still a damaging (12) ____ in today’s world. Try and make a difference on March 21.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	tragedy	(b)	tragic	(c)	tragedies	(d)	tragically
2.	(a)	fires	(b)	fire	(c)	fired	(d)	fiery
3.	(a)	knowing	(b)	knows	(c)	known	(d)	knew
4.	(a)	effortless	(b)	effortful	(c)	effortlessly	(d)	efforts
5.	(a)	twice	(b)	only	(c)	once	(d)	one
6.	(a)	at	(b)	for	(c)	to	(d)	with
7.	(a)	rolling	(b)	role	(c)	roles	(d)	roll
8.	(a)	every	(b)	all	(c)	each	(d)	these
9.	(a)	up	(b)	down	(c)	in	(d)	out
10.	(a)	to	(b)	by	(c)	on	(d)	in
11.	(a)	promised	(b)	promising	(c)	promiser	(d)	promise
12.	(a)	forces	(b)	forced	(c)	forcing	(d)	force

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	a eytgdar
2.	Police endoep fire
3.	a cpeflaeu demonstration
4.	The massacre kdeohcs the world
5.	redouble their etoffrs
6.	our duty to comtba it
Paragraph 2
7.	the gednni of apartheid
8.	equality at all elselv
9.	etgarer economic development
10.	an lsebotca to a nation’s development
11.	national prseogrs
12.	a damaging ecfor

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	of how racism affects human rights and becomes an obstacle to a nation’s development: "Racist
( )	years this day was known as Sharpeville Day in South Africa. In 1966, the UN General Assembly created this special
( )	This day perhaps played a role in the ending of apartheid in South Africa. Today the country is a multi-racial
( )	and New York conduct activities to highlight the evil of racism and our duty to combat it.
( )	for all. Every March 21st, the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva
( )	people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid laws. The massacre shocked the world. For many
( 1 )	March 21 is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It commemorates a tragedy that
( )	progress." Racism is still a damaging force in today’s world. Try and make a difference on March 21.
( )	practices hurt their victims, but they also limit the promise of entire societies where they are tolerated. They prevent
( )	individuals from realizing their potential and stop them from contributing fully to national
( )	day, calling on all countries to redouble their efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, once and
( )	happened in the town of Sharpeville in South Africa on this day in 1960. Police opened fire and killed 69
( )	society where the government is promoting equality at all levels. The ending of apartheid and the discrimination that
( )	went with it opened up South Africa to greater economic development. UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon spoke

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	happened that tragedy a commemorates It
2.	fire killed people opened and 69 Police
3.	countries all on calling efforts their redouble to
4.	forms of racial discrimination , once and for all eliminate all
5.	the of activities highlight evil racism to
6.	the in role a played apartheid of ending
7.	Today multi the - country racial is society a
8.	obstacle an becomes and rights human affects racism
9.	world damaging Racism force is in still today’s a
10.	make and Try 21 March on difference a

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

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

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION SURVEY

Write five questions about Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out. Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

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 more information about Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. POSTER: Make your own poster about Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.