ESL Holiday Lessons.com: World Smiley Day

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

Bet you didn’t know there’s a World Smiley Day!! Well, now you know. There is a special day of the year at the beginning of October for us all to celebrate the little yellow smiley face we all know and love. It is just a circle with two dots in the middle, to represent eyes, and a half circle for the mouth. The smiley is everywhere today. How many times do you use a smiley in your text messages? How often do you quickly scribble a smiley on a memo or draw one with your finger on a bathroom mirror? Even tiny children can and do do this. The happy little face is now one of the most recognizable images on the planet. And what a great image it is. If we could all follow this simple little symbol, what a wonderful world this would be.

Bet you also didn’t know that the smiley was the design of an American artist. His name is Harvey Ballwell, but he died in 2001. He created the smiley face in 1963. In 1971, two businessmen used it in a campaign to sell novelty goods. They produced badges, coffee mugs, t-shirts and bumper stickers and suddenly smiley was worldwide. The Smiley name and logo is registered in over 100 countries to produce many different goods and services. Harvey Ballwell wanted to use his creation for a good cause. He decided that the first Friday in October each year would be World Smiley Day. The theme for this day is: "Do an act of kindness; help one person smile." It’s a shame this day isn’t every day of the year.

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

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	Bet you	a.	two dots
2	at the beginning	b.	didn’t know
3.	a circle with	c.	with your finger
4.	text	d.	this would be
5.	draw one	e.	of October
6.	what a wonderful world	f.	messages

Paragraph 2

1.	the design	a.	stickers
2	a campaign to sell	b.	services
3.	bumper	c.	cause
4.	goods and	d.	of an American artist
5.	for a good	e.	kindness
6.	an act of	f.	novelty goods

LISTENING GAP FILL

__________________ there’s a World Smiley Day!! Well, now you know. There is a special day of the year __________________ October for us all to celebrate the little yellow smiley face we all know and love. It is just a __________________ in the middle, to represent eyes, and a half circle for the mouth. The smiley is everywhere today. How many times do you use a smiley in your text messages? How often do you __________________ smiley on a memo or draw one with your finger on a bathroom mirror? Even tiny children can and do do this. The happy little face is now one of __________________ images on the planet. And what a great image it is. If we could all follow this __________________, what a wonderful world this would be.

Bet you also didn’t know that the smiley __________________ an American artist. His name is Harvey Ballwell, but he died in 2001. He created the smiley face in 1963. In 1971, two businessmen used it __________________ novelty goods. They produced badges, coffee mugs, t-shirts and bumper stickers and __________________ worldwide. The Smiley name and logo is registered in over 100 countries to produce __________________ and services. Harvey Ballwell wanted to use his creation for a good cause. He decided that the first Friday in October each year would be World Smiley Day. The __________________ is: "Do an act of kindness; help one person smile." __________________ day isn’t every day of the year.

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

Bet you didn’t know there’s a World Smiley Day!! Well, now you ____________. There is a special day of the year at the beginning of October for us all to ____________ the little yellow smiley face we all know and love. It is just a circle with two ____________ in the middle, to represent eyes, and a half ____________ for the mouth. The smiley is everywhere today. How many times do you use a smiley in your text messages? How often do you quickly ____________ a smiley on a memo or draw one with your ____________ on a bathroom mirror? Even tiny children can and do do this. The happy little face is now one of the most recognizable ____________ on the planet. And what a great image it is. If we could all ____________ this simple little symbol, what a wonderful world this would be.

circle
celebrate
finger
dots
scribble
follow
know
images

Bet you also didn’t know that the smiley was the ____________ of an American artist. His name is Harvey Ballwell, but he died in 2001. He ____________ the smiley face in 1963. In 1971, two businessmen used it in a ____________ to sell novelty goods. They produced badges, coffee mugs, t-shirts and bumper ____________ and suddenly smiley was worldwide. The Smiley name and logo is registered in over 100 countries to ____________ many different goods and services. Harvey Ballwell wanted to use his creation for a good ____________. He decided that the first Friday in October each year would be World Smiley Day. The ____________ for this day is: "Do an act of kindness; help one person smile." It’s a ____________ this day isn’t every day of the year.

campaign
theme
stickers
design
shame
created
cause
produce

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

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

Bet / But you didn’t know there’s a World Smiley Day!! Well, now you know. There is a special / specialize day of the year at the beginning of October for us all to celebrate the little yellow smiley face we all know and lovely / love. It is just a circle with two dots in the middle, to represent eyes, and a half circle / circular for the mouth. The smiley is everywhere today. How many times do you use a smiley in your text messages? How often do you quickly scribbling / scribble a smiley on a memo or draw one with your finger on a bathroom mirror? Even tiny children can and do do / does this. The happy little face is now one of the most recognizable images / image on the planet. And what a great image it is. If we could all follow this simple little symbol, what a wonderful world this would have / be.

Bet you also didn’t know that the smiley was the designer / design of an American artist. His name is Harvey Ballwell, but he dead / died in 2001. He created the smiley face in 1963. In 1971, two businessmen used it in a campaigning / campaign to sell novelty goods. They produced badges, coffee mugs, t-shirts and bumper sticking / stickers and suddenly smiley was worldwide. The Smiley name and logo is registered / registration in over 100 countries to produce many different goods and services. Harvey Ballwell wanted to use his creation / creative for a good cause. He decided that the first Friday in October each year would be World Smiley Day. The theme / themes for this day is: "Do an act of kindly / kindness; help one person smile." It’s a shame this day isn’t every day of the year.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

(1) ____ you didn’t know there’s a World Smiley Day!! Well, now you know. There is a special day of the year at the (2) ____ of October for us all to celebrate the little yellow smiley face we all know and love. It is just a circle with two dots in the middle, to represent eyes, and a half (3) ____ for the mouth. The smiley is everywhere today. How many times do you use a smiley in your text messages? How often do you quickly (4) ____ a smiley on a memo or draw one with your finger on a bathroom mirror? Even tiny children can and do (5) ____ this. The happy little face is now one of the most recognizable images on the planet. And what a great image it is. If we could all follow this simple little symbol, what a wonderful world this would (6) ____.

Bet you also didn’t know that the smiley was the design of an American artist. His name is Harvey Ballwell, but he (7) ____ in 2001. He created the smiley face in 1963. In 1971, two businessmen used it in a campaign to sell (8) ____ goods. They produced badges, coffee mugs, t-shirts and bumper stickers and suddenly smiley was worldwide. The Smiley name and logo is (9) ____ in over 100 countries to produce many different goods and services. Harvey Ballwell wanted to use his creation for a good (10) ____. He decided that the first Friday in October each year would be World Smiley Day. The (11) ____ for this day is: "Do an act of kindness; help one person smile." It’s a (12) ____ this day isn’t every day of the year.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	But	(b)	Bit	(c)	Bat	(d)	Bet
2.	(a)	begin	(b)	beginning	(c)	beginnings	(d)	beginner
3.	(a)	circle	(b)	circled	(c)	circular	(d)	circles
4.	(a)	scribbling	(b)	scribbled	(c)	scribble	(d)	scribbles
5.	(a)	have	(b)	do	(c)	be	(d)	get
6.	(a)	have	(b)	be	(c)	do	(d)	live
7.	(a)	died	(b)	dead	(c)	death	(d)	dying
8.	(a)	novels	(b)	novelist	(c)	novelty	(d)	novelists
9.	(a)	register	(b)	registration	(c)	registers	(d)	registered
10.	(a)	caused	(b)	cause of	(c)	causing	(d)	cause
11.	(a)	theme	(b)	them	(c)	thematic	(d)	themed
12.	(a)	shameful	(b)	shamed	(c)	shame	(d)	shaming

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	the ngeignbin of October
2.	just a rieccl
3.	in the ledidm
4.	text msessaeg
5.	bathroom mirrro
6.	what a ronwfeuld world
Paragraph 2
7.	the sgendi
8.	He rdeteac the smiley
9.	bumper erscktis
10.	goods and evsirecs
11.	a good usaec
12.	It’s a sehma

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	of October for us all to celebrate the little yellow smiley face we all know and love. It is just a circle with two dots in the
( 1 )	Bet you didn’t know there’s a World Smiley Day!! Well, now you know. There is a special day of the year at the beginning
( )	stickers and suddenly smiley was worldwide. The Smiley name and logo is registered in over 100
( )	cause. He decided that the first Friday in October each year would be World Smiley Day. The theme for this
( )	countries to produce many different goods and services. Harvey Ballwell wanted to use his creation for a good
( )	used it in a campaign to sell novelty goods. They produced badges, coffee mugs, t-shirts and bumper
( )	face is now one of the most recognizable images on the planet. And what a great image it is. If we could all follow
( )	this simple little symbol, what a wonderful world this would be.
( )	artist. His name is Harvey Ballwell, but he died in 2001. He created the smiley face in 1963. In 1971, two businessmen
( )	middle, to represent eyes, and a half circle for the mouth. The smiley is everywhere today. How many times do you
( )	day is: "Do an act of kindness; help one person smile." It’s a shame this day isn’t every day of the year.
( )	use a smiley in your text messages? How often do you quickly scribble a smiley on a memo or draw one with your
( )	Bet you also didn’t know that the smiley was the design of an American
( )	finger on a bathroom mirror? Even tiny children can and do do this. The happy little

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

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

1.	didn’t a Day you there’s Smiley Bet know World.
2.	of beginning the at year the of day special A October.
3.	dots A in circle the with middle two.
4.	on smiley a scribble Quickly memo a.
5.	planet of recognizable the One most on the images.
6.	an was of artist smiley design American The the.
7.	a in it used businessmen Two campaign.
8.	creation his Use cause good a for.
9.	; help one person smile Do an act of kindness.
10.	day It’s isn’t a every shame day this.

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 WORLD SMILEY DAY SURVEY

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

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about World Smiley 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 World Smiley Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.