UNIT 4 BEAUTY CONTEST

UNIT OVERVIEW

In this unit, students will:

 T Read and listen to Ivy Chang’s blog.

 Answer multiple-choice questions to show understanding of the story.
 T Consider three alternative opinions about the importance of beauty contests and what it takes to win one.
 Study the Opinion Network to learn expressions for agreeing or disagreeing with someone.
 Extend the Topic by talking about what is important in a beauty contest.
 Read a Culture Corner extract about the top ten contests.
 Share ideas about a major accomplishment.
 Listen to a follow-up video extract from Stacy-Ann giving her views about appearance and beauty contests.
 Take the Unit Test.

Authors’ Introduction
Go to impactseries.com/issues to listen to Richard’s unit introduction.

The Issue
In this unit, a former beauty contest winner, Ivy Chang, defends beauty contests. J.R. Wright attacked, on his
blog, beauty contests, calling them sexist. In the Situation, Ivy responds on her blog, pointing out that it takes
more than good looks to win a beauty contest. The perception held by Mr. Wright, that beauty contests are sexist,
is widespread. Ivy points out that she worked hard to win a beauty contest and that winning changed her life.
While the issue is the nature of beauty contests, specifically whether or not it takes more than beauty to win such
a contest, another issue is how hard work, dedication, and determination can play a role in a person’s life.

Questions Raised
 Are beauty contests sexist? The What Do You Think? section focuses on this issue. Students might also want
to consider beauty contests for men. There is at least one such contest, in Africa.
 What does it take to win a beauty contest? Again, the What Do You Think? section focuses on this issue.
 Can beauty contests have a positive impact on a young woman’s life?

To Keep in Mind
 Female students may have different reactions than male students. This might be important when having
students discuss the questions raised in the unit.
 Some female students, who might not consider themselves attractive, might be uncomfortable discussing
beauty contests. If teachers are concerned about this issue making some female students uncomfortable,
they might focus on the issue of what it takes to achieve a major goal.

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TEACHING GUIDE

Getting Ready
 Before the students discuss the two questions in pairs, make sure that everyone has some idea about the
different kinds of contests. You could brainstorm with the students, and write their responses on the board.

m Teaching tip: After the students have worked in pairs, you could ask volunteers for their answers. If time permits, find out if any
students have won a contest that they entered. You could ask them what the prize was and how they felt when they found out that
they won.

Situation
 Consider going over the four questions in Check Your Understanding (page 23) before listening to the
recording. Have the students listen the first time with their books closed. Then have them open their books and
follow along as they listen a second time. You might also ask the students to read aloud as they listen to the
recording a third time.

m Teaching tip: It’s important for students to know the meaning of the word sexist. This is a key word in the Situation and
throughout the unit in general.

Check Your Understanding

Answer Key
1. a 2. b 3. c 4. b

What Do You Think?

 After you check students’ understanding of the story using the comprehension questions, students discuss
the opinions of Mark, Iris, and Shingo. Discussion should be done in pairs or, if you have an uneven number of
students, one group of three students.

m Teaching tip: You could use the format in B where one student gives the opinion of one of the three (for example, Mark thinks
that…) and the second student expresses agreement or disagreement with Mark.

2 Culture Point: Since the 1960s beauty contests have declined in popularity in the Western world due to growing criticism that
they are degrading to women. However, since the 1980s beauty contests have grown in popularity in Eastern Europe as well as
parts of Asia and Africa.

Extending the Topic: Is it important?

 Have students work individually when filling out the chart on what is important in a beauty contest, and in
pairs (or threes) for the follow-up discussion.

Give students plenty of time to fill out the chart, and be sure that they add their own ideas at the bottom. The
more clearly they have understood these qualities and thought of their own ideas, the easier it will be for them to
do the following discussion activity. You could ask for three volunteers to read the sample conversation before
students begin to discuss. Encourage them to use the sample language.

Culture Corner
Have students work in pairs or groups of three. Students read through the list of American Dating Tips. Give
them an opportunity to ask about unknown words. Then write a few questions on the board for discussion. For
example: Have you ever entered one of these contests? If so, did you win? Which of these contests would you like
to enter? Why? At the end, you could ask a few volunteers for their answers. Or you could get a show of hands to
find out how many students have won contests. This is an appropriate lead-in question to the Sharing My Ideas
activity.

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Sharing My Ideas: A big accomplishment
 Choose
Make sure students understand that the topic is a big accomplishment, and that the focus is not on beauty
contests. Go over the four ideas and solicit more ideas from your students and write them on the board. If you
care to, you could mention one of your own big accomplishments.

 Prepare and Rehearse

Have students answer the questions in the Prepare step. Remind them to take simple notes and discourage
writing out complete sentences. Give them plenty of time to prepare, and point out the Language Hints as you go
around helping individual students.

The Presentation Tip is about how to end a presentation, so be sure to go over this before students begin
rehearsing. As your students practice telling their stories to their partners, try to listen to their conclusions.
Check to see if your students summarize their main points in their conclusions. You might want to model how this
can be done before they improve their notes and practice again. Be sure that partners have read and understood
the Listener task.

Sample Presentation
One of my biggest accomplishments was getting accepted into this university. I prepared by working very hard in
high school. Also, I went to a special school on the weekends to help me prepare for the university entrance
exams. I studied all the time. It was a lot of work. At last, I found out that I was accepted by our university. I was
very happy! In conclusion, I worked hard and studied a great deal to go to this university. I am very happy that I
did.

 Present
Have students change partners or put them in small groups. This time there is no specific Listener task, but the
presenter is instructed to ask if there any questions at the end of the presentation. To encourage good listening
habits, have the audience prepare one or two questions during the presentation.

If you are using the assessment guide below, go over each point with the whole class before students begin their
presentations. (This could also be done during the Rehearse step so that students have time to prepare for or
practice each assessment point.) Be sure to remind your students that communicating their ideas is more
important than using perfect English!

Assessing the Activity

Have students evaluate the person speaking. Create a handout showing a checklist such as the one below, or
write it on the board:
1 – The presenter’s voice was clear. Y N
2 – The presenter sounded confident. Y N
3 – The presenter did not speak too fast or too slowly. Y N
4 – The presenter summarized the main points. Y N
5 – The presenter asked and answered questions at the end. Y N
When students are working in pairs, have each student evaluate the other. If a student presents in front of the
class, have each student grade him or her.

PERSONAL OPINION

 If you have downloaded the video clip or have access to the Internet in class, play the video clip. The first
time, have the students watch with books closed. Ask questions to see if the students have understood the gist of
Stacy-Ann’s opinion. Then have them look at the summary. See if they can fill in the missing words. Play the
extract once or twice more. Then check the answers.
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Answer Key
Stacy-An n
As for me, I don’t really think of myself as an attractive or a beautiful person—physically beautiful, that is. There
are times when I feel a little bit self-conscious about my looks. But a lot of people are attracted to me, not for
what I look like on the outside. They actually like me because of my intellect and because of my spirit and
because of what I bring to them.
I personally feel that people shouldn’t use their beauty to gain some sort of status or reward. I find things like
beauty contests, even though the reward may be a scholarship, aren’t really right. What has that person really
gained from it by using their physical beauty? I mean, beauty can only get you so far, but whatever happened to
someone appreciating you for your inner beauty?

Video Script
Personally speaking, I don’t sometimes find myself as an attractive person or a beautiful person, actually
physically beautiful, and there are times when I feel a little bit self-conscious about my looks. But I do talk to a lot
of individuals that are not attracted to me for what I look like on the outside. They actually like engaging in
conversations with me or they find me employable because of my intellect and because of my spirit and what I
bring to them.

Well, I personally feel that one should never use their beauty to gain some sort of status or reward. I find
sometimes beauty contests, even though the reward may be a scholarship or some sort of bursary for
employment or education, what has that person really gained from it by using their physical beauty? They’ve
opened one door. But they know that there are harder obstacles behind those other doors to face. I mean, beauty
can only get you by so far, but whatever happened to someone appreciating you for your inner beauty?

UNIT TEST

 Make copies of the Unit Test for each student. Distribute the copies and allow about 15 minutes for the class
to complete the Test. Correct the Test in class.

A. U nd erst an ding th e S itu ation: The focus is on understanding how Ivy feels about beauty contests.
Students answer five multiple-choice questions.
B. Vo cabu la ry: The focus is on understanding three words or phrases from the Situation or the Extending the
Topic sections. Students fill in three missing words of a short paragraph that summarizes the Situation.
C. E xpress io ns: The focus is on you check students’ understanding of expressions or phrases from the What
Do You Think? section. Students answer two multiple-choice questions.

Answer Key
A. 1. c 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. D B. wrong, beauty, intelligent
C. 1. b 2. a

LINKS

If yo u w ou ld like th e clas s t o do ad dit io n al re search o n be aut y cont est s, h ere are s o me us ef ul

link s:

Why parents want their children to enter beauty contests:

http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2000/06.08/beauty.html
General information:
http://pageantcenter.com/
History:
http://www.answers.com/topic/beauty-contest?cat=entertainment
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