ESL Holiday Lessons.com: Left-Handers Day

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

There is a special celebration for left-handed people, but not right-handed people. August the 13th is Left-Handers Day. The official website says the day is an “annual celebration of left-handers’ superiority!!” Left-handers say they have to live in a world designed for and by right-handers, and that they have to put up with a lot of inconveniences. The day started in 1992 as a way to increase public awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed. Some of the events held on this day include right-handers being asked to use left-handed objects so they can see how awkward it can be doing things the wrong way round. A simple example of this is the computer mouse. Imagine right and left clicking on a mouse that is a mirror image of the one you use. Other events include left-hand-only games.

Scientists have no answer to the question why some of us are left-handed. About fifteen per cent of the population are. Some people believe it is genetic. It does run in families. Research suggests that left-handers are likely to be more creative. There are higher percentages of left-handed people as musicians, artists and scientists. Indeed, left-handers say being left-handed is a sign of greater intelligence. There is also research to show that left-handers are also good at ball sports and things involving hand-to-eye co-ordination, like boxing. There are many interesting facts about left-handers. Most left-handers draw figures facing to the right and they usually see better underwater. Four of the five designers of the Apple Macintosh computer were left-handed – that’s 1,000 per cent higher than the normal level. And finally, left-handers also say they are more beautiful and handsome.

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	a special celebration for	a.	being left-handed
2	a world designed for and	b.	left-handed people
3.	put up with a lot	c.	way round
4.	disadvantages of	d.	by right-handers
5.	doing things the wrong	e.	of the one you use
6.	a mouse that is a mirror image	f.	of inconveniences

Paragraph 2

1.	Scientists have no	a.	of greater intelligence
2	It does run	b.	co-ordination
3.	left-handers are likely to	c.	in families
4.	being left-handed is a sign	d.	be more creative
5.	hand-to-eye	e.	the normal level
6.	1,000 per cent higher than	f.	answer to the question

LISTENING GAP FILL

There is a special celebration for left-handed people, ___________________ people. August the 13th is Left-Handers Day. The official website says the day is an “annual celebration of left-handers’ superiority!!” Left-handers say they have to live in a world ___________________ right-handers, and that they have to put up with a lot of inconveniences. The day started in 1992 ___________________ public awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed. Some of the events held on this day include right-handers ___________________ left-handed objects so they can see how awkward it can be doing things the wrong way round. A simple example of this is the computer mouse. ___________________ clicking on a mouse that is a mirror image of the one you use. Other events include ___________________.

Scientists have no answer to the question ___________________ left-handed. About fifteen per cent of the population are. Some people believe it is genetic. It ___________________. Research suggests that left-handers are likely to be more creative. There are higher percentages of left-handed people as musicians, artists and scientists. Indeed, left-handers say being left-handed ___________________ intelligence. There is also research to show that left-handers are also good at ball sports and things ___________________ co-ordination, like boxing. There are many interesting facts about left-handers. Most left-handers ___________________ the right and they usually see better underwater. Four of the five designers of the Apple Macintosh computer were left-handed – that’s 1,000 per cent _____________________ level. And finally, left-handers also say they are more beautiful and handsome.

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

There is a ____________ celebration for left-handed people, but not right-handed people. August the 13th is Left-Handers Day. The official website says the day is an “____________ celebration of left-handers’ superiority!!” Left-handers say they have to live in a world designed for and by right-handers, and that they have to ____________ with a lot of inconveniences. The day started in 1992 as a way to ____________ public awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed. Some of the events held on this day include right-handers being ____________ to use left-handed objects so they can see how awkward it can be doing things the ____________ way round. A simple example of this is the computer mouse. Imagine right and left clicking on a mouse that is a ____________ image of the one you use. Other events include left-hand-only ____________.

put up
mirror
annual
asked
games
special
increase
wrong

Scientists have no ____________ to the question why some of us are left-handed. About fifteen per cent of the population are. Some people believe it is ____________. It does run in families. Research suggests that left-handers are likely to be more creative. There are higher ____________ of left-handed people as musicians, artists and scientists. Indeed, left-handers say being left-handed is a sign of ____________ intelligence. There is also research to show that left-handers are also good at ball sports and things involving ____________ -to-eye co-ordination, like boxing. There are many interesting facts about left-handers. Most left-handers draw ____________ facing to the right and they usually see better underwater. Four of the ____________ designers of the Apple Macintosh computer were left-handed – that’s 1,000 per cent higher than the normal ____________. And finally, left-handers also say they are more beautiful and handsome.

percentages
figures
answer
hand
level
greater
genetic
five

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

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

There is a special celebration / celebrate for left-handed people, but not right-handed people. August the 13th is Left-Handers Day. The official website says the day is an “annually / annual celebration of left-handers’ superiority!!” Left-handers say they have to live in a world designed for and by / to right-handers, and that they have to put up with a lot of inconveniences. The day started in 1992 as a way to / of increase public awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed. Some of the events held on this day include right-handers being asking / asked to use left-handed objects so they can see how awkward it can be doing things the wrong way down / round. A simple example of this is the computer mouse. Imagine right and left clicking on a mouse that is a window / mirror image of the one you use. Other events including / include left-hand-only games.

Scientists have no / know answer to the question why some of us are left-handed. About fifteen per cent of the population are. Some people believe it is genetic / genetically. It does run in families. Research suggests that left-handers are likely to be more creation / creative. There are higher percentages of left-handed people as musicians, artists and scientists. Indeed, left-handers say being left-handed is a sign of greater intelligent / intelligence. There is also research to show that left-handers are also good at ball sports and things involved / involving hand-to-eye co-ordination, like boxing. There are many interesting facts about left-handers. Most left-handers draw figures / figure facing to the right and they usually see better underwater. Four of the five designers / designs of the Apple Macintosh computer were left-handed – that’s 1,000 per cent higher than the normally / normal level. And finally, left-handers also say they are more beautiful and handsome.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

There is a special celebration for left-handed people, but not right-handed people. August the 13th is Left-Handers Day. The (1) ____ website says the day is an “annual celebration of left-handers’ superiority!!” Left-handers say they have to live in a world designed for and (2) ____ right-handers, and that they have to put (3) ____ with a lot of inconveniences. The day started in 1992 as a way to increase public awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed. Some of the events held on this day include right-handers being (4) ____ to use left-handed objects so they can see how awkward it can be doing things the wrong way (5) ____. A simple example of this is the computer mouse. Imagine right and left clicking on a mouse that is a (6) ____ image of the one you use. Other events include left-hand-only games.

Scientists have no answer to the question why some of (7) ____ are left-handed. About fifteen per cent of the population are. Some people believe it is genetic. It does (8) ____ in families. Research suggests that left-handers are likely to be more creative. There are higher (9) ____ of left-handed people as musicians, artists and scientists. Indeed, left-handers say being left-handed is a sign of greater intelligence. There is also (10) ____ to show that left-handers are also good at ball sports and things involving hand-to-eye co-ordination, like boxing. There are many interesting facts about left-handers. Most left-handers draw (11) ____ facing to the right and they usually see better underwater. Four of the five designers of the Apple Macintosh computer were left-handed – that’s 1,000 per cent higher than the (12) ____ level. And finally, left-handers also say they are more beautiful and handsome.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	officially	(b)	officials	(c)	officialdom	(d)	official
2.	(a)	by	(b)	from	(c)	at	(d)	to
3.	(a)	down	(b)	up	(c)	on	(d)	from
4.	(a)	asks	(b)	asking	(c)	asked	(d)	ask
5.	(a)	square	(b)	oval	(c)	straight	(d)	round
6.	(a)	window	(b)	mirror	(c)	view	(d)	pane
7.	(a)	us	(b)	them	(c)	they	(d)	we
8.	(a)	run	(b)	walk	(c)	jog	(d)	stroll
9.	(a)	percent	(b)	percentile	(c)	percentages	(d)	percentage
10.	(a)	researchers	(b)	researching	(c)	researched	(d)	research
11.	(a)	figure	(b)	figured	(c)	figures	(d)	figure out
12.	(a)	normalize	(b)	normal	(c)	normal	(d)	normality

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	a special atecoirlneb
2.	ieddgens for and by right-handers
3.	pcbliu awareness
4.	how wwrdaka it can be
5.	the computer suoem
6.	left ikcgnlci
Paragraph 2
7.	Scientists have no sewnar
8.	It does run in fileisma
9.	be more iacetvre
10.	a sign of egearrt intelligence
11.	draw figures gnfcia to the right
12.	the mralon level

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	are. Some people believe it is genetic. It does run in families. Research suggests that left-handers are likely to be
( )	disadvantages of being left-handed. Some of the events held on this day include right-handers being asked to use
( )	more creative. There are higher percentages of left-handed people as musicians, artists and scientists. Indeed, left-handers
( )	Day. The official website says the day is an “annual celebration of left-handers’ superiority!!” Left-handers say
( )	is the computer mouse. Imagine right and left clicking on a mouse that is a mirror image of the one you use. Other events include left-hand-only games.
( )	they have to live in a world designed for and by right-handers, and that they have to put up with a lot of
( )	ball sports and things involving hand-to-eye co-ordination, like boxing. There are many interesting facts about
( )	say being left-handed is a sign of greater intelligence. There is also research to show that left-handers are also good at
( )	left-handers. Most left-handers draw figures facing to the right and they usually see better underwater. Four of the
( 1 )	There is a special celebration for left-handed people, but not right-handed people. August the 13th is Left-Handers
( )	inconveniences. The day started in 1992 as a way to increase public awareness of the advantages and
( )	left-handed objects so they can see how awkward it can be doing things the wrong way round. A simple example of this
( )	higher than the normal level. And finally, left-handers also say they are more beautiful and handsome.
( )	five designers of the Apple Macintosh computer were left-handed – that’s 1,000 per cent
( )	Scientists have no answer to the question why some of us are left-handed. About fifteen per cent of the population

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

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

1.	celebration people for left-handed A special.
2.	and - A for right designed by handers world.
3.	public way increase awareness A to.
4.	round Doing the way things wrong.
5.	games events - only Other left - include hand.
6.	to answer no have Scientists question the.
7.	people it genetic Some believe is.
8.	left-handed is a sign of greater intelligence Being.
9.	figures to right Draw facing the.
10.	they beautiful - say more Left also are handers.

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 LEFT-HANDERS DAY SURVEY

Write five questions about Left-Handers Day 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 Left-Handers Day 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 Left-Handers Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Left-Handers Day. 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 Left-Handers Day. Write about will happen on this day around the world.