ESL Holiday Lessons.com: International Students' Day

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

International Students' Day is on November the 17th every year. It has a tragic beginning, at the start of WWII. Nazis attacked the University of Prague in what was then Czechoslovakia. On November 17, 1939, nine students were executed and 1,200 sent to concentration camps. The 17th of November was first marked as International Students' Day in London in 1941. The International Students' Council (ISC) started it and for many years, asked the United Nations to accept it worldwide. The ISC developed into the International Union of Students (IUS) and continued to remember what happened in Prague. It continues to fight against discrimination. It also places education at the centre of the fight for democracy and human rights.

Students are among the most important members of our society. They are the future of the world. It is time many governments accepted this and took students and their education more seriously. It seems as though few governments truly recognize the importance of a good education for every child. Even in the USA, the “No Child Left Behind” act has left children behind. In Britain, the government’s promise of “Education. Education. Education” has been spent on weapons. Students all over the world are desperate to go to any kind of school. The news is full of stories of kids in developing countries wanting an education. This is sad, because many students in developed nations waste their time at school.

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

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	It has a tragic	a.	were executed
2	nine students	b.	happened
3.	concentration	c.	worldwide
4.	accept it	d.	beginning
5.	remember what	e.	rights
6.	democracy and human	f.	camps

Paragraph 2

1.	among the most	a.	of a good education
2	the future of	b.	countries
3.	recognize the importance	c.	on weapons
4.	spent	d.	important
5.	kids in developing	e.	time
6.	waste their	f.	the world

LISTENING GAP FILL

International Students' Day is on November the 17th every year. _________________ beginning, at the start of WWII. Nazis attacked the University of Prague _________________ Czechoslovakia. On November 17, 1939, nine students were executed and 1,200 sent to concentration camps. The 17th of November _________________ International Students' Day in London in 1941. The International Students' Council (ISC) started it ___________________, asked the United Nations to accept it worldwide. The ISC developed into the International Union of Students (IUS) _________________ remember what happened in Prague. It continues to fight against discrimination. It also places education _________________ the fight for democracy and human rights.

Students are among the most important members _________________. They are the future of the world. It is time many governments accepted this and took students and their education _________________. It seems as though few governments truly recognize the importance of a good education _________________. Even in the USA, the “No Child Left Behind” act has left children behind. In Britain, the government’s promise of “Education. Education. Education” has _________________ weapons. Students all over the world are desperate to go to any kind of school. The news is _________________ kids in developing countries wanting an education. This is sad, because many students in developed nations _________________ at school.

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

International Students' Day is on November the 17th every year. It has a ____________ beginning, at the start of WWII. Nazis attacked the University of Prague in what was ____________ Czechoslovakia. On November 17, 1939, nine students were executed and 1,200 sent to concentration ____________. The 17th of November was first marked as International Students' Day in London in 1941. The International Students' Council (ISC) ____________ it and for many years, asked the United Nations to ____________ it worldwide. The ISC developed into the International Union of Students (IUS) and continued to ____________ what happened in Prague. It continues to fight ____________ discrimination. It also places education at the ____________ of the fight for democracy and human rights.

camps
accept
against
then
centre
tragic
started
remember

Students are among the most important members of our ____________. They are the ____________ of the world. It is time many governments accepted this and took students and their education more ____________. It seems as though few governments ____________ recognize the importance of a good education for every child. Even in the USA, the “No Child Left Behind” act has left children behind. In Britain, the government’s ____________ of “Education. Education. Education” has been ____________ on weapons. Students all over the world are desperate to go to any kind of school. The news is full of stories of kids in developing countries ____________ an education. This is sad, because many students in developed nations ____________ their time at school.

future
spent
truly
waste
society
wanting
seriously
promise

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

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

International Students' Day is on November the 17th every year. It has a tragic / tragedy beginning, at the start of WWII. Nazis attacked the University of Prague in what was there / then Czechoslovakia. On November 17, 1939, nine students were execution / executed and 1,200 sent to concentration camps. The 17th of November was first parked / marked as International Students' Day in London in 1941. The International Students' Council (ISC) started it and from / for many years, asked the United Nations to accept it global / worldwide. The ISC developed into the International Union of Students (IUS) and continued to remember what happened / happens in Prague. It continues to fight against discrimination. It also places education at the centre / central of the fight for democracy and human rights.

Students are between / among the most important members of our society. They are the future of the world. It is time / timing many governments accepted this and took students and their education more / seriously. It seems as though few governments truth / truly recognize the importance of a good education for every / all child. Even in the USA, the “No Child Left Behind” act has left children front / behind. In Britain, the government’s promise of “Education. Education. Education” has been spent in / on weapons. Students all over the world are desperate to go to any kind of school. The news is full of stories of kids in developing countries wanting an education. This is sad, because many students in developed nations wasteful / waste their time at school.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

International Students' Day is on November the 17th every year. It has a (1) ____ beginning, at the start of WWII. Nazis attacked the University of Prague in what was (2) ____ Czechoslovakia. On November 17, 1939, nine students were executed and 1,200 sent (3) ____ concentration camps. The 17th of November was first marked as International Students' Day in London in 1941. The International Students' Council (ISC) started it and for (4) ____ years, asked the United Nations to accept it (5) ____. The ISC developed into the International Union of Students (IUS) and continued to remember what happened in Prague. It continues to fight against discrimination. It also places education at the (6) ____ of the fight for democracy and human rights.

Students are among the (7) ____ important members of our society. They are the future of the world. It is time many governments accepted this and took students and their education more (8) ____. It seems as though few governments truly recognize the importance of a good education for every child. Even in the USA, the “No Child Left Behind” act has left children (9) ____. In Britain, the government’s promise of “Education. Education. Education” has been spent (10) ____ weapons. Students all over the world are desperate to go to any kind of school. The news is (11) ____ of stories of kids in developing countries wanting an education. This is sad, because many students in developed nations (12) ____ their time at school.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	tragedy	(b)	tragically	(c)	tragic	(d)	tragedies
2.	(a)	then	(b)	when	(c)	there	(d)	near
3.	(a)	on	(b)	up	(c)	at	(d)	to
4.	(a)	much	(b)	many	(c)	more	(d)	most
5.	(a)	global	(b)	planet	(c)	worldwide	(d)	Earth
6.	(a)	mid	(b)	centre	(c)	focus	(d)	middling
7.	(a)	most	(b)	mast	(c)	must	(d)	mist
8.	(a)	serious	(b)	seriousness	(c)	seriously	(d)	series
9.	(a)	front	(b)	ahead	(c)	there	(d)	behind
10.	(a)	on	(b)	in	(c)	at	(d)	of
11.	(a)	fill	(b)	full	(c)	filling	(d)	filled
12.	(a)	wasteful	(b)	waster	(c)	wasting	(d)	waste

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	a agticr beginning
2.	nine students were eexetcud
3.	accept it iolwdrwde
4.	reebemmr what happened
5.	fight asgtnai discrimination
6.	human hstrgi
Paragraph 2
7.	members of our iecosty
8.	more yssueiolr
9.	a good utnaieocd
10.	spent on swponae
11.	oendvlgepi countries
12.	tsaew their time at school

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( 1 )	International Students' Day is on November the 17th every year. It has a tragic beginning, at the start
( )	world. It is time many governments accepted this and took students and their education more
( )	Students are among the most important members of our society. They are the future of the
( )	students were executed and 1,200 sent to concentration camps. The 17th of November was first marked
( )	seriously. It seems as though few governments truly recognize the importance of a good education for every
( )	years, asked the United Nations to accept it worldwide. The ISC developed into the International Union
( )	of WWII. Nazis attacked the University of Prague in what was then Czechoslovakia. On November 17, 1939, nine
( )	of “Education. Education. Education” has been spent on weapons. Students all over the world are desperate
( )	as International Students' Day in London in 1941. The International Students' Council (ISC) started it and for many
( )	of Students (IUS) and continued to remember what happened in Prague. It continues to fight against
( )	child. Even in the USA, the “No Child Left Behind” act has left children behind. In Britain, the government’s promise
( )	wanting an education. This is sad, because many students in developed nations waste their time at school.
( )	discrimination. It also places education at the centre of the fight for democracy and human rights.
( )	to go to any kind of school. The news is full of stories of kids in developing countries

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

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

1.	beginning tragic a has It.
2.	17, 1939, nine students were executed On November.
3.	Continued Prague in happened what remember to.
4.	to against continues fight discrimination It.
5.	of centre The democracy for fight the.
6.	our of members important most The society.
7.	They world the of future the are.
8.	a of importance the Recognize education good.
9.	kind to of go school to any Desperate.
10.	time their waste nations developed in Students.

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 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS DAY SURVEY

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

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