Debate_TG(1권)수정 2011.9.

8 4:46 PM 페이지1

TEACHER’S GUIDE

EXPLORING
DEBATE 1

WorldCom ELT
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TEACHER’S GUIDE

EXPLORING
DEBATE 1
Jack Clancy, Sean Bienert

ⓒ 2011 published by WorldCom Publishing Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior
permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN:978-89-6198-317-4

Desk Copy Request / Information

To place your desk copy request or for more information,
please contact the following office:
Tel:(02) 3273-4300 Fax :(02)3273-4303
Homepage : www.wcbooks.co.kr
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Contents
Teacher’s Guide

>> Lesson Plan ... 5

>> Answer Keys / Model Opinions

UNIT Fast Food ... 14

UNIT Dieting ... 20

UNIT Watching TV ... 26

UNIT School Life ... 32

UNIT Cosmetic Surgery ... 39

UNIT Family ... 46

UNIT Pets ... 53

UNIT Valentine’s Day ... 60

UNIT Internet Anonymity ... 67

UNIT Success and Happiness ... 75

UNIT Pollution ... 83

UNIT Peer Pressure ... 91

UNIT Children Studying Abroad ... 98

UNIT Corporal Punishment ... 105

UNIT The Lottery ... 112

UNIT Gap between Rich and Poor ... 119

UNIT Modern Life ... 126

UNIT Animal Testing ... 133

UNIT Online Gaming ... 140

UNIT Role Models ... 147

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>> Lesson Plan

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Part 1 Warm-up

Objectives
The Teacher Will: ask engage students’ prior knowledge of the topic by asking questions.
The Student Will: answer questions about the topic.

Rationale
Warm-ups are important to engaging students’ existing knowledge of a subject. They are also important in setting the
tone for the class.

Warm-up
Ask students to complete the warm-up. Refer
to the answer keys/model opinions part for
the details.

Interview
Beginner Classes
- Assign students into groups of two.
- Students should interview each other using
the questions in the book.

Intermediate Classes
- Students should interview each other in
pairs or groups of three.
- Students should be asked to take notes on
what their partner says so that they can
explain to the class what their partners said.
Explain that this will happen before the
activity begins.
- Ask each student what their partner said, to assess that they were able to
communicate the necessary ideas.
- If time allows, students can change partners.

Advanced Classes (add this as an expansion to intermediate)

- If time allows, students can expand interview questions to have their partners make
up other questions.

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Part 2 Reading and Comprehension Check

Objectives
The Teacher Will: lead the students in reading.
The Student Will: read and understand the passage.

Rationale
These exercises and thoughts about the passage will connect it to the students’ prior knowledge and reasoning
abilities. This section acts as a bridge to the students’ higher level thinking abilities.

Reading Passage
1. Lead the students in reading the passage
in a way that is appropriate for the
students’ levels.

Beginner Classes
- Read the passage out loud.
- Ask students if there are any words that
they do not know: if there are, explain the
definitions of the words to the students.
- Read the passage to students again. If
there were any words that the students
didn’t know, show them in the passage
and make sure that the students
understand how they are used before
moving on.

Intermediate Classes
- Select students randomly to take turns
reading the passage.

Advanced Classes
- Students should read the passage by themselves.

2. Ask if the passage is clear before moving on and explain any difficult sections.

Lesson Plan 7
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Comprehension Check
Direct students to answer the questions,
based on the reading. While students are
answering the questions, watch and see if
there are any questions or problems as the
students complete the activity.

Vocabulary Check
1. Ask students to complete the vocabulary
exercise.
2. While students are working on the
exercise, watch the class for any questions
or problems. Do not give students the
answers if they cannot get them quickly.
Instead, ask them to look back at the
reading passage for hints.
3. When most or all of the students are
finished with the vocabulary exercise, go over the answers to the questions
with students.

Think About It
1. Give students two to three minutes to fill in the Think About It.
2. Let students know that they have a short time to complete this exercise.
But if they are still writing at the end of the time, allow them to continue.
3. Ask students to share their answers.

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Part 3 Opinion Practice/Examples

Objectives
The Teacher Will: help students use higher level thinking skills to form opinions on the reading. The teacher will
also lead students in the refutation of opinions.
The Student Will: form opinions, under the teacher’s guidance, about the reading. They will also learn to refute
other opinions through the explanation of their own logic.

Rationale
Forming, supporting, and refuting opinions will be important to the students’ ability to debate the topic.

Supporting Opinions
Give the students about two minutes to match the
beginning and ending parts of the sentences. When
checking answers, be sure to ask the question “why?”
about each potential answer. It is not enough to have
students choose the correct answer; they have to
understand why it is correct.

Refuting Opinions
Give the students about two minutes to find the best
refutation of each opinion. When checking answers be
sure to ask the question “why?” about each potential
answer. It is not enough to have students choose the correct
answer; they have to understand why it is correct.

Opinion Examples
1. Begin with having the students read each opinion and
answer the questions.
2. Use the example answers to help students see what a good
answer looks like.

Lesson Plan 9
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Part 4 Discussion Questions

Objectives
The Teacher Will: lead the students in an opinion-based discussion.
The Student Will: discuss the topic of the reading passage.

Rationale
This exercise is, in many ways, the goal of the class. Students who have mastered the other concepts will need to
think in new and different ways to carry the discussion. This will help in the arrangement of arguments for a debate.

Discussion Questions
1. Break the class into groups before
beginning the activity.
2. Before allowing students to discuss the
questions on their own, ask some guide
questions that engage prior knowledge.
Refer to the answer keys/model opinions
part for the guide questions.
3. Ask students to answer one of the
discussion questions, and then call on
students to explain why they agree or
disagree with the answer. After doing this
once or twice, break students into groups
of 2-4 and ask them to talk about each
question. While they are discussing, walk
around the classroom and answer any
questions the students might have, but
also make sure that the students are
talking about the questions.
4. It is important to be patient and give students time to think about these questions before they discuss them.
5. If students have difficulty with the discussion, have them brainstorm answers in their notebooks and then call
on them to read these. If the class continues to have problems, it will not be possible to break them into
groups, and continue the discussion by calling on students for answers.

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Part 5 Time to Debate

Objectives
The Teacher Will: lead the students in a debate.
The Student Will: debate effectively.

Rationale
Debate is the combination of all the skills and concepts that have been taught to this point. It is the end goal of the
preparation with comprehension, practice, and reading.

Time to Debate
A. Pre-debate
1. Begin by having students write short opinions on one or more of the debate topics in the book. This will
help them plan out their debates.
2. Break the class into groups.
3. Assign two groups for each topic. Decide which group will be affirmative (agree) and which group will be
negative (disagree). Point out that it doesn’t matter whether or not students actually agree with their own
side. They must argue it anyway.
4. Any groups not debating should take notes and be ready to explain which side they agree with and why.
5. If there are too many groups or too many questions, the teacher can either pick what questions to debate,
or groups can debate more than one topic.

B. Opening Statements
1. Give groups about ten to fifteen minutes to put together an “opening statement” where they will explain
their position and the reasons for it.
2. The affirmative side should present their opening statement first with the negative side immediately after.
3. Direct the negative side to take notes on the affirmative side and the affirmative sides to take notes on the
negative side.

C. Rebuttals and Supporting Statements

1. After the opening statements have both been given, give both sides five minutes to come up with reasons
that they do not agree with the other side.
2. Again, the affirmative side should begin and present their reasons for not agreeing with the negative side.
They should follow this with more reasons that they feel that their own side is correct. The negative group
should do the same.
3. Step 2 should be repeated at least once. If there is time, twice.

D. Conclusions
1. Give students about five minutes to put together a conclusion, a final statement explaining why they still
believe that their side is right and why the other side’s arguments are wrong.
2. Ask students who have been watching the debate which side they think had a better argument and why.

Lesson Plan 11
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>> Answer Keys / Model Opinions

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U N IT

1 Fast Food

Warm-up (page 5)

1. Ask students to describe fast food.

2. Ask students to name fast food restaurants.

3. Tell students to fill in the circles. Explain to them that any fast food items can be put into the circles.

Possible Answers

Hamburger Onion rings Milkshake French fries

Chicken nuggets Pizza Hot dog Salad
Ice cream sundae Iced tea Soda Submarine sandwich
Cheese sticks

Comprehension Check (page 7)

1. When did fast food begin?

- Fast food began when people started to live in cities.

2. Where is fast food made?

- in a factory

3. What does fast food not have enough of?

- fiber

4. How fast is the fast food industry growing in India?

- 40% a year

5. What health problems are caused by eating fast food?

- diabetes and heart disease

Vocabulary Check (page 7)

1. “I like to eat fast food, despite the fact that it’s unhealthy.”

2. The oil industry makes a lot of money every year.

3. Doctors often examine their patients.

4. Obesity is the condition of being extremely overweight.

5. Sometimes we don’t understand why we want something, we just crave it.

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Think About It (page 7)

Answers will vary based on the students, but here are some examples:

Advantages Disadvantages

Quick service Often cheap Not enough fiber

Conveniently located Many choices Factory-made food
Appealing to children Tastes good May cause obesity
Free toy with meal No clean up May cause cancer
More time with family/less time cooking May cause diabetes
Lacks many nutritional components

Supporting Opinions (page 8)

1. Fast food is not healthy...

d. because it is high in fat and low in fiber.
Food that is low in fiber and high in fat can make a person obese, suffer from heart disease,
and many other problems.

2. People are becoming more obese today...

c. because they eat food in very large portions which is also high in calories.
Excess calories cause obesity. Large quantities of high calorie food can easily become
excessive.

3. It is easier for busy families to eat fast food...

b. because it is cheap and very fast to make.
Not having to spend much money or time on food allows families to be together more.

4. Fast food is more fun than cooking...

a. because you can get toys and eat with your friends.
Many fast food restaurants appeal to children with toys and playgrounds.

Refuting Opinions (page 8)

1. It takes too long to cook at home.

a. That’s not necessarily true! Many meals can be made quickly and are very easy to
prepare.
Some foods do take a long time to prepare, but others take very little time, and
many ingredients can be bought precooked, washed, and cut.
No home cooked meal is as fast as fast food.

Unit 1 Fast Food 15

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2. Eating fast food will make you obese.

d. Only if you eat too much and do not exercise. If you live a healthy lifestyle and eat
only a little fast food you will not necessarily become obese.
The first statement is completely general. The second statement shows that it is
not necessarily always true.
This is true in the same sense that if you only smoke cigarettes once in a while,
they won’t give you cancer. It’s probably true, but why risk it? You’re playing with
your life.

3. It is too expensive to make dinner. Fast food is cheaper.

c. That’s not always true. Many meals can be made very cheaply. Often it can be
cheaper to cook at home.
When you pay for fast food, you are also paying for the labor of putting the food
together. A lot of food can be made at home more cheaply.
If I factor my time into the expense of making the food, it is still cheaper to eat out.

4. Fast food tastes better than the food I eat at home.

b. That’s easy to solve! Buy a cookbook and teach yourself to cook. There are many
delicious recipes and many different types of food to try.
If you don’t know how to cook, the food that you make at home will not be very
good. If you do, it will be as good as any other food.
That will take even more time that I don’t have. Good tasting food that I don’t have
to take time to make.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

Fast food is bad for society. [Opinion]

That’s not true, it allows families to spend time together and some fast food restaurants even offer
healthy food. [Refutation]
Families used to spend time together preparing meals and cleaning up afterwards. It’s better for people
to do an activity where they can learn and grow with each other than to sit down to plates of cheap,
unhealthy food. [Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

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Opinion Examples (page 9)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
I like fast food restaurants because they’re fun. Hamburgers and French fries are more fun to eat, because
you eat them with your hands. People are friendly and the colors are bright. My mom and dad take me to a
fast food restaurant to cheer me up when I’m in a bad mood. They know I enjoy the cheerful atmosphere. If
they took me to a quiet, boring, slow restaurant it would only make me feel worse.

Opinion B
I don’t think fast food is real food. It looks, smells and tastes very different from the food my mother makes.
Also, after I eat fast food, I don’t feel well. It makes me slow and heavy. I read that fast food has a lot of fat but
no fiber. I think fresh food is important. So when I’m busy and don’t have time to prepare my own meals, I
bring some simple food with me. Apples and nuts, or a banana and some raisins are portable and healthy to
eat.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
My parents work very late and are often tired when they get home. I have a lot of schoolwork to do and
frequently dinner is the only time that we can get together and talk. If we spent all night cooking and cleaning
up after ourselves, we wouldn’t really get a chance to talk to each other. Fast food is good for this.

For Opinion B
Fast food is marketed to the world as family friendly and a good way to spend time together. However, if
people just wanted to put some work into their meals, they could have family time while cooking and
preparing the food. Cooking as a family can be fun, too. This is a far better solution than just buying food that
wasn’t prepared with any sort of care.

Discussion Questions (page 10)

Guide Questions

- Who benefits the most from fast food sales?

- How do you feel a few hours after you eat fast food?
- What related problems does people being overweight cause?
- Do you think that eating too much fast food is the fault of children, parents, the fast food industry, or
the government? Why?

1. Should fast food chains be allowed to advertise to children?

- Yes, because freedom of speech is important.

- No, because it affects children’s health.

Unit 1 Fast Food 17

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2. What do you think about all the trash that fast food restaurants create?

- It’s wasteful and unnecessary. They should use less packaging. They should recycle.
- It’s no worse than a lot of other industries. Many fast food places use recyclable packaging, so consumers
can recycle it. Also, most of the packaging comes from recycled paper.
- I think that it sets a bad example for children. If you grow up thinking that everything is disposable, and that
that’s okay, you’re very likely to be a wasteful person when you grow up. Fast food companies should give
discounts for people who bring their own containers.
- Some of the packaging contains a lot of different chemicals that are not good for us. There are a lot of bad
potential effects for people’s health.

3. What are the advantages of fast food restaurants?

- They are convenient, cheap, and fast. It is an easy way for us to spend time with our families, and everyone
loves that.
- They are fun for children. Kids love fast food because they get toys, and some fast food restaurants have
built in playgrounds.

4. Why do you think fast food restaurants are so popular?

- They advertise a lot. The only way that fast food can sell food that is unhealthy is by advertising it as much
as they can. They market their food to children with deals to companies that make animations or create
their own characters. They market to parents as family friendly.
- They appeal to children. Almost all of the fast food chains have some sort of mascot that is directed at
attracting children. They give toys out with their meals and often have playgrounds attached to the
restaurants. Children love fast food.
- People like to save money. Fast food is cheap. And if you don’t know how to cook, it’s cheaper than most
food you’d prepare at home. People feel like their time is valuable, too, so they spend money paying
someone else to put the food together.
- People are very busy. Fast food meals can be bought, paid for, and eaten in minutes.

5. What is an example of healthy food? Name the food and explain why it is healthy.

- Salad is healthy because it has fresh vegetables which have many nutrients. It also does not have a lot of
calories, saturated fat, or cholesterol.
- Sushi is healthy because it is fresh fish and doesn’t contain too much fat.
- Fruit is healthy because it is high in fiber and contains vitamins. It also has a lot of water in it, which we need
anyway.
- Nuts are healthy because many of them have certain kind of fat that are good for our bodies. They contain a
lot of protein, too.

Time to Debate (page 10)

1. Fast food chains should be prohibited from serving unhealthy food.

- I agree, because our health is the most important thing.

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- This is true. It might not be so bad, but the fast food chains know exactly what they are doing. They sell a
product that doesn’t cost much to make, is very low quality, and extremely unhealthy. So they market it a
lot, and the public buys it. This is not right.
- I disagree, because people should be free to choose what they eat.
- There are a lot of unhealthy things in our society, but no one is forcing them to buy things. Everyone has a
right to chose what they want, and right now, people want fast food. No one thinks it’s healthy, and the
industry doesn’t lie about that. There are other reasons people want it.

2. Fast food is a necessary evil.

- I agree, it’s not worth the trouble to change it.

- I agree. It is part of our lifestyle and provides a valuable service to people who do not have time to cook or
prepare their own food.
- I disagree, we can make better food choices.
- I disagree. Necessary evils are things like police being trained to hurt people or the military having guns.
These are things that we can’t change because we need them to make our society safe. Fast food is not
necessary at all. Many people do not eat it.

3. We should ban fast food advertising to children.

- I agree, children will believe anything they are told.

- I agree. Cigarette companies are no longer allowed to market to children, and fast food companies
shouldn’t be allowed to either. There are many deaths every year because people eat this sort of thing.
Stopping people from doing it when they are young is very important.
- I disagree, freedom of speech is important.
- I disagree. Children do not buy fast food. Marketing to children doesn’t matter. Parents are the ones who
make the decisions, and if they don’t want their children eating fast food, they should tell them not to. The
fast food companies cannot make the children buy it because children can’t buy anything.

Unit 1 Fast Food 19

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U N IT

2 Dieting

Warm-up (page 11)

1. Tell students not to open their books yet at the start of the lesson.

2. Ask students to name some things that are important to do in order to stay healthy.

3. Tell students to open their books and look at the warm-up. Explain that they must put a number next to each
of the ten items in the warm-up. A “1” will mean that it is the most important thing to a person’s health, a “10”
will mean that it is unimportant.

4. Ask them to fill in the warm-up.

Answers will vary, but there are three basic categories:

Importance Item Rationale

Getting enough sleep

Eating fruits and vegetables
These things directly contribute to
Very important 1-4 Exercising regularly
good health.
Not having too much stress
(possibly chewing your food)

Getting along with your friends These things can prevent you from
Somewhat important 5-7 Being on time to appointments being stressed out.
Chewing your food Chewing your food can aid digestion.

Chewing gum
Being the best computer game These have little or no effect on your
Not that important 8-10
player health.
Being stronger than your friends

Comprehension Check (page 13)

1. What are some illnesses caused by dieting?

- anorexia and bulimia

2. What happens if we go on temporary diets?

- We end up gaining the weight back.

3. What happens to a person suffering bulimia?

- They vomit after eating to avoid gaining weight.

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4. According to the passage, what can we do to have a healthy body?

- eat healthy and exercise

5. What does dieting often cause and why?

- disappointment because it doesn’t work

Vocabulary Check (page 13)

1. I have the flu, so I was up vomiting all night.

2. It is unrealistic to expect children to sit quietly that long.
3. You’re driving too fast! Please reduce your speed.
4. I bought an exercise bike to stay in shape.
5. Drinking is not harmful if you do it in moderation.

Think About It (page 13)

Answers will vary based on the students, but here are some examples:

Advantages Disadvantages

Can’t replace sensible eating

Dieting can improve your confidence Can cause bulimia or anorexia
Dieting can make you healthier Can end in disappointment
Dieting can counter obesity Doesn’t give your body enough nutrients in
some situations

Supporting Opinions (page 14)

1. People should change their diets if they are overweight...

b. because being overweight is bad for your health.

Being overweight can make your heart work too hard. It can also lead to diseases like diabetes
and even cancer.

2. Dieting is bad...

c. because a people usually gain weight right back after they finish the diet.
Dieting to lose weight doesn’t work if it is only for a short amount of time. To be healthy, people
should eat right every day.

3. For most people, it is important to exercise...

a. because if you don’t, you can put on fat.

Exercising uses the calories that we gain on a day to day basis. If we don’t use the calories, our
bodies store them as fat.

Unit 2 Dieting 21
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4. People diet for the wrong reasons...

d. because they want to look like the people they see on TV.
Being healthy is the best reason to want to be in good shape.

Refuting Opinions (page 14)

1. Not eating is a fast way to lose weight.

a. That may be true, but it is also unhealthy and very dangerous!

Losing weight by not eating can cause your body to consume muscle - even the
muscles that help your heart beat!
Fasting is a tradition and can be done in moderation.

2. You should change your diet to look like your favorite celebrity.

c. That’s a bad idea. You should diet to be healthy, not to look like other people.
If you look good, but feel terrible all the time, will you enjoy your life at all?
Having a fitness goal will help you get in shape. Just so long as you are realistic and
healthy about it, there’s no problem with wanting to look like a movie star.

3. It is not necessary to exercise to lose weight.

b. I disagree. The best way to lose weight is to eat healthy food and exercise
regularly.
Eating healthy food means that your body does not require as many calories to meet
its nutritional needs. Exercising will burn unnecessary body fat.
Just eating healthier food will help you lose weight if you are very overweight. Some
people cannot exercise because of heart conditions.

4. I am thin so I can eat anything I want!

d. That’s not true. If you eat too much unhealthy food, you can still have health
problems!
The first statement implies that being thin is the ultimate goal of diet and exercise. The
second statement explains that being skinny is not always healthy.
I am thin because I am fit from exercising and eating right. Every now and then, I can
eat whatever I want.

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If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

Dieting is bad. [Opinion]

Some people go on diets so that they can lose weight. Being overweight is unhealthy. [Refutation]
Going on a diet to lose weight will only cause you to gain the weight back when you resume your normal
routine. It’s far better to just eat right all the time and exercise regularly. [Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 15)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A

Dieting has helped me to gain self-confidence. When I was overweight, my clothes did not fit and I was
often out of breath if I had to run or climb stairs. I was embarrassed to go to the beach or play sports. Since
I’ve begun dieting and exercising, I am much happier with my body. I feel good about myself and I am a
healthier person. Now that I’ve lost weight I have confidence that I can do anything.

Opinion B

Dieting is useless. Most people who go on diets to lose weight only succeed for a short time. They change
their eating habits for a short period of time and then go back to eating the way they always did. There is no
easy answer to being thin and healthy. Diets make us believe that if we follow some special rules for a few
weeks, we can be fit and happy. That’s not the way our bodies work. We need to avoid junk food all the time
and concentrate on eating fresh fruits and vegetables if we want to be healthy.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
Even if dieting is only a temporary solution, many people need to lose weight quickly because their health is
at risk. Dieting before making a permanent lifestyle change can be good to boost self-confidence. It can help
people realize that they can influence their lives and motivate them to eat right and exercise in the future.

For Opinion B
There is no healthy way to diet. A sudden and short change to your food intake is never healthy for your
body. It may even shock your body into thinking that your starving. This makes your body use its energy even
more sparingly and can prevent you from losing weight.

Unit 2 Dieting 23
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Discussion Questions (page 16)

Guide Questions

- Who benefits the most from dieting?

- What is the difference between dieting and eating healthy?
- What do you think your body needs to be healthy?
- Are there other things that people can do to be healthy, other than exercise and eating right?
- How much dieting is too much dieting? What do you think is a healthy weight for your height?

1. Have you ever been on a diet? Please tell your group about your experience.

- I went on a diet last year. I lost 3 kilograms. Now I’ve gained 3 kilograms again.
- I went on a diet for ten days last year. It was very difficult. When I found that I had only lost one kilogram, I
gave up. I immediately put on two more kilograms.
- No, I never have and never will. Dieting is stupid and bad for you.
- No, I’ve never had any issues with my weight. I am comfortable with who I am. Even if some of my
classmates are skinnier than I am, maybe that’s just how their bodies are. Everyone’s different.

2. Why do you think dieting is so popular?

- I think people want to be beautiful. They believe thin people are beautiful.
- Our media sells people an image of beauty, but it does more than that. Magazines and websites also sell
fad diets that are supposed to “fix” people’s problems with weight.
- It’s popular because as a society we have an unhealthy relationship with food. People eat processed sugar
and saturated fat - what do they think will happen? When they get fat, they panic and look for an easy way
out.
- Dieting is popular because people are lazy and want a fast solution to their problems. This lazy attitude is
the same thing that causes so many people to be fat in our society.
- Dieting comes from people not having enough time. They don’t have enough time to cook and eat good
food, so they get fat. They know that it’s unhealthy, but they don’t have time to exercise, so they try to diet.

3. Why do you think diet books and programs are such a big business?

- Any glance at a magazine rack will show you just how huge it is. There are supplements and dietary aids to
help people stop eating so much. It must be worth millions. It makes money, so lots of people invest in it.
- A lot of people want to look like movie and pop stars. This is the image of beauty that’s sold to our society,
and so people try quick and easy plans to get skinny.
- It’s a big business because people are too lazy to actually do what’s healthy for them. They want a fast
solution and then to be able to go back to eating ice cream every day.
- It’s a big business because there are a lot of fat people out there. Dieting companies cash in on our poor
body images and our desire to be liked.

4. Do you think all diets work? Why or why not?

- I think most diets don’t work, because people eat too little. Then they get very hungry and eat too much.
Any diet can work if it’s done right. Diets are advertised because they’ve worked for someone. Maybe not

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all diets work for all people, but all diets work for at least one person.
- No, of course not. There aren’t any diets that work. If you diet for a while and then go back to your routine,
you will just gain the weight back. If you’ve been starving yourself, your body may change to be
conservative with energy and you may even gain weight.
- Yes, my cousin has gone on a lot of diets, and she always loses weight. She gains it back, but she just
goes on a different diet afterwards.

5. Would you ever advise a friend to go on a diet? Why or why not?

- I would advise a friend to go on a diet if their health was in danger. I would not advise a friend to go on a
diet to look better. I care about their health, but not their appearance.
- I would never advise a friend to go on a diet. It’s none of my business, and I would be too embarrassed to
say anything anyway.
- Yes, I would advise a friend to go on any diet that I was willing to go on. Sometimes it’s helpful to have a
friend to support you in an activity.

Time to Debate (page 16)

1. People diet because they want to look like the people on the TV.

- I agree, because everyone loves celebrities.

- This is true. Not only do we see the people on TV, we also see them advertising diet drinks and dieting
books. People see this and think that that is how the celebrity got to look like that.
- I disagree, because people are more concerned with their health.
- If people dieted because they wanted to look like the people on TV, there would be far fewer people who
watch TV that are obese. Most people who watch a lot of TV are not skinny.

2. Most diets don’t work.

- I agree, because I have tried many diets and failed.

- I agree. Dieting does not change anything in a person’s life. If they are eating healthily for a short time, they
may lose some weight. But as soon as they go back to not eating right, they will just gain the weight back.
- I disagree, because diets work if people follow the rules.
- Most diets work in that they cause people to lose weight. In this sense, they do their job. It’s the fact that
people go off the diet that causes them to gain the weight back.

3. Dieting is necessary for many people.

- I agree, because many people are too fat to be healthy.

- This is sad, but true. Many people do not have the time to exercise regularly or cook their own meals.
Dieting is necessary for these people to maintain healthy body weights.
- I disagree, because it’s better to change your lifestyle forever.
- This not true. There aren’t any cases of dieting being necessary. The only time it seems like a good idea is
when a person eats too much unhealthy food and then wants an easy way to not be obese. At no point is
any of this necessary.

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U N IT

3 Watching TV

Warm-up (page 17)

1. Ask students the names of some popular TV shows.

2. If possible, sort the different shows into genres: dramas, comedy shows, entertainment news, news, sports
games, sports shows, movies, etc.

3. Ask students to what makes those shows popular.

4. Tell students to fill in the chart.

I like to watch Because

Evening News I can see what’s happening right now.

Music Videos I can see the coolest bands.

Police Shows There’s a lot of excitement.

I don’t like to watch Because

Professional wrestling show They’re too violent.

Soap Operas The people are not realistic.

Sports Sports are only exciting to play, not to watch.

Other examples: cartoons - funny; soap operas - like the actors and actresses; entertainment
shows - news about celebrities; sports games - exciting; etc.

Comprehension Check (page 19)

1. For how long has the television been popular?

- about sixty years

2. What are some ways television influences us?

- the way we dress, the songs we listen to

3. Why is violence on TV a bad thing?

- Because it makes us more violent people.

4. What is another negative effect of television?

- obesity

5. According to the passage, what is TV used for?

- spreading messages and stories

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Vocabulary Check (page 19)

1. You should examine the facts very carefully.

2. Extra studying has had a big effect on your grades.

3. In life, some things can be frustrating and annoying.

4. Don’t expose yourself to the sun, or you’ll get burned.

5. Your parents, school and friends all influence the way you think.

Think About It (page 19)

Answers will vary based on the students, but here are some examples:

Advantages Disadvantages

Gives us information about the world Can lead to obesity

Can spread messages and stories Contains a lot of violent imagery
Can help people laugh and relax Has a lot of commercials
Relaxing Waste of time
Fun to watch with friends Can learn more elsewhere
Can learn about interesting things

Supporting Opinions (page 20)

1. Watching TV can be a great way to learn...

c. because we can get a variety of information much faster than reading a book.
Listening to a person talk on TV is almost always faster than reading.

2. TV has had a big influence on society...

b. because it has changed the way we communicate and it lets us see other parts of the world
from our home.
Before TV people could only see pictures or read descriptions of foreign things and places.

3. Watching too much TV is bad...

d. because it makes us inactive and can lead to obesity.
Watching TV does not burn any calories. If we stay inactive, that can lead to us storing extra
calories in body fat.

4. TV encourages us to buy more...

a. because we see many advertisements in commercials.
Commercials are made to get people to buy things. There are a lot of commercials on TV.

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Refuting Opinions (page 20)

1. People who watch TV will be obese.

c. That’s not necessarily true. If you exercise, eat good food and only watch a little
TV you will not become obese.
Watching TV does not directly cause obesity. It is a combination of things.
How will you have time to exercise and eat well if you are watching TV? Most TV
programs are at least a half an hour long.

2. TV is bad because all of the programs are too violent.

b. Some are violent, but not all. Many shows are fun and educational.
The first argument makes a general argument. The second argument points out that
this is general and not always true.
Even cartoons and the news have excessive amounts of violence. Any shows that
are not violent are usually shows that people don’t watch, so they don’t really
mean anything anyway.

3. I must have a television to hear the news.

d. You can find the news many ways. You can read a newspaper or go on the
internet.
The first argument makes a general statement. The second argument points out that
this is general and not always true.
The Internet and newspapers do not filter the news. The nightly news tells me what
is important from around the world.

4. People were always bored before the television was invented.

a. On the contrary. Before TV, people entertained themselves by reading, playing

sports and using their imagination.
Boredom happens when people don’t have an activity that interests them. TV,
because it wasn’t always around, wasn’t always there to relieve boredom.
Before TV was invented people didn’t have as much free time. Many worked long
hours in factories or farms. Had they had as much free time, they’d have been
bored.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

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TV is bad for society. [Opinion]

That’s not true. TV keeps us informed about places we wouldn’t otherwise know about. There are
shows that we can watch to relieve boredom or learn new things. [Refutation]
Those things may be true, but that’s not what people primarily use TV for. Typically, people use it to
watch violent programs and waste time. There are many other ways to do the same things, without TV.
[Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 21)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
I think that television makes people dull. Television affects us when we watch it. It doesn’t matter what we
watch, the effect is the same. We stop thinking, and just take in what we’re told. We don’t have to make
decisions or express thoughts. We just listen. Over time we could forget how to speak well, and our minds
could become lazy. When we interact with other people, our eyes are bright, we move and look alive. I think
that if you watch too much TV, you’ll become stupid and unable to interact with others.

Opinion B
Watching television is very educational. When we go through the channels we can see many events and
cultures from around the world. If it wasn’t for the television, I couldn’t watch sports from far away or keep up
on current events on other continents. I can also watch shows where I learn about nature. Television shows
are also very short, so I can learn only the important things in a short period of time. I learn many things on
television in just half an hour. It would be very difficult for me to learn all those things at the library.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
If you think about active entertainment, like reading, we have to use our minds to interpret what the author is
saying. We have to create the images in our minds. This is mental exercise. With TV, the images are there,
and we don’t have to do anything. It’s mental laziness.

For Opinion B
TV is here. It is not going anywhere. Whether or not its programming is harmful or helpful doesn’t make any
difference. We should focus on watching TV shows that are informative. If we do that, they will gain popularity
and more of them will be put on TV. This is a realistic approach.

Unit 3 Watching TV 29
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Discussion Questions (page 22)

Guide Questions

- What is the purpose of TV?

- What is your purpose when you watch TV?
- Is TV important to you? Why or why not?
- On a scale of 1-10, how would you rank TV’s importance in your life? 10 is very important.
1 is unimportant.
- When do you usually watch TV?
- Do you think that the internet will replace TV?

1. How do you think people spent their time before television?

- I think people used to talk to each other more.

- I think people used to work a lot more. If you look at society in the early 1900s, many people worked on
farms and in factories. They had long work days and didn’t have much free time.
- There were a lot more magazines and newspapers back then. People used to read a lot. Some fiction was
considered dangerous much like watching too much television is now.
- People spent a lot more time with their families. Families have grown distant from jobs and changing
schedules. TV has filled the gap that the family left when people started to work and study more.

2. Could you go for a week without watching television? Why or why not?

- I couldn’t, because I would be too bored.

- No, it’s important for me to be able to see things like the news and the latest shows. If I didn’t see these, I
would be totally lost when trying to talk to my friends.
- Yes, of course. It would be easy. I only watch about a half an hour every few days anyway. Some weeks, I
probably don’t even watch TV anyway. TV is just not really very important to me.
- Yes, I could. I don’t feel like I gain much from watching TV. Frankly, I can do just about all the same things
on the internet, in addition to being able to play games. It would be absolutely no problem for me to go for a
week without TV.

3. How would your life be different without television?

- I would have more time to play outside and do homework.

- I would be really bored a lot of the time. I watch a lot of TV when there isn’t anything else to do. This
happens a lot on a daily basis.
- I would not be able to laugh about yesterday’s shows with my friends.
- Nothing would be all that different. I barely watch all that much TV as it is. I think the main difference would
be that more of my friends would call me because they wouldn’t be watching as much TV.

4. Would life without television be a positive or negative thing? Please explain your answer.

- It would be positive because I could spend more time with friends.

- It would be positive. My grades would improve because I could study more. My family would be happier
because we would spend more time together. Even my dog would be happier because I would probably
play with him more.

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- It would be negative because I’d miss my favorite shows.

- It would be negative because I would have less to relate to my friends and family with. We watch a lot of TV
together to relax and entertain ourselves. Without this, we wouldn’t really have much to do. I think things
would be boring.

5. How do you feel about commercials on TV? Give an example.

- I find many commercials funny. I like the one with the monkey that sings.
- I find some commercials boring. I fall asleep when ones come on about banking.
- I find some commercials annoying. I don’t like the one with the sad lady.
- I find some commercials confusing. I don’t really understand any of the medicine commercials.

Time to Debate (page 22)

1. Television is an important educational tool.

- I agree, because we can learn about science and history on TV.

- I agree. Even shows that people say are stupid are important to socializing us into the way that our culture
is. A smart person can learn something from anything. Some of the “more stupid” shows on TV can actually
be very intellectual if a person pays attention.
- I disagree, because most TV shows are stupid.
- Even if a person is really looking for a intelligence in some programs, sometimes it just isn’t there. Besides,
you can learn a lot more from things that are intended to be informative - like studying - than things that
aren’t - like television.

2. Television is an advertising tool.

- I agree, there are so many commercials on TV.

- Anyone who says differently is missing all of the different kinds of advertising on TV. There are hidden ads in
every show. Companies pay big money just to have their product be mentioned or used on the show, even
if it isn’t a regular TV commercial.
- I disagree, there are also many good shows on TV.
- Advertising is really only advertising if it works. If you make your own decisions, TV cannot control you. TV
doesn’t work as an advertising tool if you are conscious of the commercials as they come up.

3. Television is only a source of entertainment.

- I agree, because most TV programs are not educational.

- This is true. Even the programs that are supposed to be educational have to be entertaining, or no one
would watch them. Everything on TV has to be entertaining to a certain extent.
- I disagree, because the news and nature shows are very educational.
- I disagree. A lot of shows are entertaining because people are interested in what is on them. Only certain
people are interested in learning about sharks or learning certain skills.

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U N IT

4 School Life

Warm-up (page 23)

1. Tell students not to open their books yet.

2. Ask students to list some words that come to mind when they think of school.

3. Ask students to put together categories of the words: if they say - fun, friends, exciting - the category could
be positive things. If they say - boring, stressful, mean teachers - the category could be negative things.

4. Tell students to open their books.

5. Tell students to fill in the chart. Tell them to try and think of as many different things to put in the squares.

Answers will vary, but some examples are listed below:

People Subjects Facilities

Teachers Math Hallway

Students Science Classroom
Principal Geography Office
Janitor English Gymnasium
Hall monitors Physical education Cafeteria
Nurses Music Library
Office workers Art Teacher’s office
Administrative assistants Social studies Janitor’s closet
Vice principals Biology Bathroom

Comprehension Check (page 25)

1. What’s one of the main purposes of going to school when we are young?
- getting along in a group, making friends
2. What can we learn instead of competition?
- cooperation
3. How is home-schooling different?
- There are no buzzers, competition or classrooms.
4. Why do some people believe that cooperation is better?
- They believe it can help us solve the world’s problems together.
5. Why is school an important part of our lives?
- We start when we are very young and spend many years there.

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Vocabulary Check (page 25)

1. I’m very friendly and I get along with everybody at school.

2. I just heard the buzzer ring, so it’s time to go for lunch.

3. Your grades are written on your official report card.

4. I got a low mark on my history exam.

5. We will compete against the other team in soccer.

Think About It (page 25)

1. If you could study anything you want, what would you choose to learn about?

- I would study archaeology because I’m interested in dinosaurs.

- I would choose to study literature because I like writing.
- I would choose to study math because I am a logical person.
- I would choose to study business because I want to be a CEO someday.

2. According to the passage, “you will never stop learning.” Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?

- I disagree because after we finish school we will get jobs and do the same thing every day.
- I agree, because the world changes so fast that there will always be new things to learn.

3. Are you a good student? At what subject are you successful? What subject is difficult for you?

- I am a good student because I try very hard.

- I am good at math, but I am not very good at history.

Supporting Opinions (page 26)

1. Studying at home is better than being in a classroom...

d. because there is no competition or pressure from other students.
Competition comes from other students, at home, there are no other students with whom to
compete.

2. It is better to be in a classroom than studying at home...

a. because you can learn with your friends.
If doing something with your friends is better than doing it alone, then this is definitely true.

3. It is important to learn basic skills when you are young...

b. as we need to be prepared for life as adults.
Basic skills are necessary before a person can learn anything else. Imagine trying to learn
Calculus if you cannot tie your shoes.

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4. It is important to cooperate...
c. so that we can work together to solve problems.
Many of life’s problems require cooperation. A lot of things are too big for one person.

Refuting Opinions (page 26)

1. You do not need to go to school. The information is useless anyway.

c. That’s not true. You need to learn basic skills to prepare for life as an adult.
This assumes that basic skills are taught at school.
Learning History and Science out of textbooks are not “basics” they are even
wrong some of the time. It would be better to learn at home.

2. School is boring. It is much more fun to play.

a. School can be very fun and exciting. For example, you can go to school to learn
how to fly a plane!
The first argument makes a general argument. The second argument points out
that this is general and not always true.
You can go to school to learn to fly a plane, but the school that we go to right now,
the ones that almost everyone goes to, are very boring.

3. Cooperation is more important than competition.

d. Both are important. Competition can help us to work harder and be our best.
The first argument makes a statement with no proof. The second argument
disagrees and offers more evidence.
Competition is not something that we should teach. It teaches greed and
nastiness.

4. You must study the same way as your friends.

b. There are many different ways to study, and it is important to find the best way
for you.
If everyone is different, everyone would study differently.
If your friends are successful and you are not, it might be a good idea to attempt to
follow their example.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

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There are a lot of changes that need to be made to school. [Opinion]

School is as good as it needs to be. People have been going to school for years, and there are no
problems. [Refutation]
There are a lot of problems. Students get stressed out and frustrated. Many of the tests that they take
are meaningless and do nothing but put them into meaningless competition against each other. [Re-
refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 27)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
School is no fun. We are forced to go there nearly every day for many years. When we could be outside
playing or still in bed, we sit in a classroom and learn boring stuff. I know that it’s important to learn how to
read and write, but does it really take so long? I also think we learn lots of useless things that aren’t practical
in our daily lives. Why should I learn about math or history when I will never need to know them? I can hardly
wait until high school is over and I can spend my time the way I want.

Opinion B
Every morning I wake up and I am excited about going to school. I can’t wait to get there and meet my
friends, open my locker and get my books. Without school I wouldn’t be able to learn so many wonderful
things and do so many interesting activities. In my school, I’m involved in the chess club, the swim team and
student government. If there were more hours in a day I would join more clubs and teams. I like school so
much that I want to be a teacher when I grow up.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
A lot of the teachers try to tell us that what we are learning is important, but it only seems to be important to
pass tests. I ask my parents questions from the books that I am reading. Usually, they laugh, throw up their
hands and say, “I don’t know.” My parents are successful people. If they don’t know these things, why do I
need to know them?

For Opinion B
Being successful and happy at school is all about attitude. If you aren’t excited about school, you’ll do
poorly and then be even less happy about going. Yes, some classes are boring, but if you make school into a
game with yourself, you can’t lose. School is fun if you make it fun.

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Discussion Questions (page 28)

Guide Questions

- Why do we go to school?
- Do we all go to school for the same reasons? Support your opinion.
- Does everyone need to go to school?
- How do we know who needs to go to school and who doesn’t?
- What should school teach us that it doesn’t teach right now?

1. How would you spend your time if you did not go to school?

- I would swim, go to the movies, and read lots of books.

- I would get a job so that I could make some money. When I wasn’t working, I would hang out with my
friends. I would cook.
- I would probably be really bored. School occupies a lot of my time during the day. Without it, I don’t really
know what I’ll do. I’ll probably just play a lot of computer games.
- I will learn more. I will research things that I want to know on the internet. I will look up how to do things
myself. I will teach myself to cook, to fix things, I will learn like to be like grandfather - he could do anything.

2. How would your life be different if you could not read or write?

- I could not text my friends. I could not read a menu at a restaurant.

- I could not send e-mails, read e-mails, understand foreign movies, surf the internet, apply to college, read
the newspaper, or write stories.
- I would be happier. I think people put too much importance on reading and writing. I could still eat. I could
still work a regular job. I could still do a lot of things.
- My life would be very different. Our society is based around people being able to read and write. Anyone
who cannot read or write has a lot of problems in their everyday lives. You cannot drive because you cannot
read road signs or even read a driver’s license test. You cannot travel on the subway because you wouldn’t
know where you were going. You couldn’t do anything.

3. What are some valuable things that you learn in school?

- We learn about computers and new programs.

- We learn reading and writing. We learn other languages. In Science classes, we learn how the world around
us functions. In Math, we learn how to measure and predict the way that things will happen.

* What things are not so valuable?

- History and social studies are pointless. Learning about the past is boring. Most of the history and social
studies classes I’ve had have been somewhat racist and not very good classes.
- We learn to accept what we’re told, but that makes it difficult to become strong, independent people.

4. What would you like to learn about that is different from school subjects?

- I would like to learn how to build boats.

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- I would like to learn more about nutrition. My little brother eats sugar all the time and acts completely insane.
I know that there are things that I eat that make me feels strangely, but I don’t know what they are
necessarily. I want to know more.
- I would like to learn about films and actors.
- I would like to learn more about psychology. We learn about what things happened in the past and what
things are happening now, but we almost never talk about why people did them. This is a subject that we
might even be able to use in our real lives. Why wouldn’t people want to learn about it?

5. Why is it important to get an education?

- Because you can’t have a career without an education.

- It is important to get an education so that you will be a happier person. An uneducated person will struggle
their whole life and not really make any progress. An educated person knows how to get a job, how to
interact with people, and how to do things.
- If we are uneducated, people will laugh at us. Imagine if you couldn’t read or write. Everyone would think
that you were the stupidest person on Earth. You would have no friends. People need to get educations to
be part of our society.
- I don’t think that people need educations. Humans existed for hundreds of thousands of years before
schools. And if schools disappeared tomorrow, no one would suddenly die. School tells us that it is
important, and that’s the only reason we think it is.

Time to Debate (page 28)

1. It’s better to be home-schooled.

- I agree because your education is made just for you, so it fits your needs.
- I agree. Most of the classes that I take in regular school are filled with children who are difficult for the
teacher to control. Instead of getting a good education, all I do is watch bad children try to make the
teacher as angry as possible. Learning from home would be better.
- I disagree because school teachers have more experience at helping us learn and overcome challenges.
- This isn’t true. Learning from public school may not be ideal, but there are a lot of things we learn in school
that aren’t necessarily academic. We learn acceptable social behavior. We learn how to deal with other
people. You cannot teach these things from a computer or a home school.

2. Cooperation can help us solve the world’s problems.

- I agree because competing has only caused more problems in the world.
- This is true. Imagine two people trying to build houses faster. If a person works on the house just to get it
built more quickly than the other person, it will be sloppy or otherwise poorly built. If two people work on it
together, it will be much better.
- I disagree because competition promotes efficiency, and problems can be solved more quickly.
- It might seem like a good idea to cooperate, but a lot of the really good inventions that mankind has come
up with were brought about by competition. The Cold War between the USA and the USSR brought about
a lot of the inventions that we still use today.

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3. School is too competitive.

- I agree because we should learn to work with people instead of trying to be better than they are.
- Of course, people should learn to eliminate competition. It allows people to do what they are good at, rather
than struggling to try to be as good as possible at everything they can. This will increase the skill level of the
world on average.
- I disagree because competition makes us stronger. It prepares us for the real world.
- Competition is not going anywhere. It is as natural as cats eating mice. The whole world is a competition,
and the only healthy thing for us to do is to imitate that so that children are ready for this when it is time for
them to be.

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U N IT

5 Cosmetic Surgery

Warm-up (page 29)

1. Ask students what cosmetic surgery is.

2. If students have trouble defining the phrase, ask them what cosmetics are. Then ask them what surgery is.
Ask them how those two things can be combined.

3. If students still have trouble coming up with the definition, the teacher can tell students that cosmetic surgery
is any medical procedure used to change a person’s appearance.

4. Ask students what some common cosmetic surgery operations are.

5. Ask students if they could change their bodies in unrealistic ways, how they might change them. For
example: would they want an extra arm to help them complete their work? Would they want to be able to see
behind them? Would they want wings?

6. Ask students to fill in the warm-up.

Answers will vary, but below are some examples.

connected to a computer to better store information

better speed
Brain
easier to remember things
memories don’t fade

skeleton made of metal

Skeleton
skeleton flexible so bones will never break

more arms
walk on four legs
Arms and Legs
wings as extra set of arms
tentacles instead of arms

several hearts in case of heart attacks

Heart and lungs
can breathe any kind of air

Stomach can eat metal or wood

can see through walls

Eyes
three eyes for better vision

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Comprehension Check (page 31)

1. What are some popular types of cosmetic surgery?

- nose job, tummy tuck, eyelid surgery

2. Where is eyelid surgery popular?

- the east

3. How many cosmetic surgeries were performed in the United States in 2009?
- 11 million

4. What are the dangers of plastic surgery?

- an accident during surgery, becoming addicted

5. Why do some say plastic surgery is popular?

- because of the media

Vocabulary Check (page 31)

1. Your mental health is as important as having a healthy body.

2. You shouldn’t feel inferior to those people because you’re as smart as they are.

3. After your surgery, it will take time to recover.

4. I wanted to look better, so I had put on cosmetics.

5. The scandal was widely reported in the media.

Think About It (page 31)

Answers will vary based on the students, but here are some examples:

Advantages Disadvantages

Can enhance self-confidence Promotes the idea that image is everything

Allows for freedom of choice Is still somewhat dangerous
Is safer now than ten years ago Can be addictive
Does not have to be obvious Causes others to want it
Unnecessary Puts down those who haven’t had it
Can help people who have had accidents Creates unrealistic images of beauty

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Supporting Opinions (page 32)

1. People should be allowed to have plastic surgery...

b. because it is their body and their choice.
If we live in a free society, people should be allowed to make choices that only affect them.

2. Plastic surgery is too dangerous...

c. because people can become addicted and mistakes happen.
Addiction and mistakes can kill or hurt people very badly. These are dangerous.

3. Plastic surgery makes you more confident...

a. because you are happier with your body.
People who are happier with their bodies are generally more confident. If plastic surgery
makes people happier with their bodies, it would follow that they would be happier.

4. The media is responsible for making plastic surgery popular...

d. because every day we see beautiful people on TV and magazines.
Attractive people on in the media make people want to be more attractive. This can make
plastic or cosmetic surgery more popular.

Refuting Opinions (page 32)

1. Your appearance is the most important thing about you.

d. This is not true. It is more important to be nice to people than to look better than
them.
The first argument presents no evidence. The second argument presents a
contrary idea with evidence.
People will be nicer to attractive people no matter what. They don’t even mean it
most of the time. People might say that this isn’t true, but it is.

2. The only way to gain confidence is with plastic surgery.

c. It is possible to gain confidence by going on a diet, working hard or trying new

things.
Confidence comes from many places, not just from the way a person looks.
Many people don’t have time to do those things. If you work constantly and don’t
have time for much else, plastic surgery can be the only answer.

3. People will only like me if I have plastic surgery.

a. People will like you because you are nice and a good person, not because of how
you look.
The first argument is probably not true. There are a lot of flaws in this reasoning.
It’s easy to say that, but the reality of the situation is that people have eyes and
they often let that impair their judgment.

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4. Plastic surgery is the fastest and safest way to change your appearance.

b. Yes, it is fast, but plastic surgery is very dangerous and mistakes do happen.
Any time that a person has surgery, there are dangers. Mistakes in plastic surgery
can kill you.
Mistakes are rare and can be corrected by more surgery. People are scared of
nothing.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

Plastic surgery is bad for society. [Opinion]

Plastic surgery is just a way for people to feel better about themselves. Society creates the desire for
plastic surgery - how can it be bad for society? [Refutation]
Plastic surgery creates an unnatural image of the way people’s bodies should look. It’s expensive and
unhealthy. Plus, it feeds on itself by people wanting to have better and better bodies. People should just
learn to be happy being who they are. [Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 33)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
Some people see the benefits of plastic surgery. Others see disadvantages. Basically, it is a personal
decision. If we have enough money, we are each free to choose how we look. If I decide to get a nose job, I
am the one who is most affected. It does not harm others. For this reason, if I want to gain self confidence by
changing my appearance, it is a personal matter. I should be free to make any decision I like.

Opinion B
I think that people who get plastic surgery are superficial. When I look in the mirror, I know that my
appearance is not perfect. Maybe my ears could be a little smaller or forehead a little less wrinkly. So what?
It’s not so important how I look. I think a person is defined by their actions and their words, not by their
appearance. It is always important to dress appropriately and neatly. However, I don’t think we should judge
people by their appearance.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
Who cares if I have plastic surgery? It’s no one’s business but mine. If I want to have a horn put on my

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forehead, how does it affect anyone that is not me? People who get upset about plastic surgery shouldn’t
have it. Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do with my looks. It would be like telling me what dress to wear to
school. This is absurd.

For Opinion B

If I said that you could have a pair of really nice shoes, but they would cost you thousands of dollars and
you would have to go through a very dangerous operation to get them, would you? If I told you that the
shoes could give you cancer years later, or might cause you to look very strange years down the road, would
you still get them? This is essentially what plastic surgery is. All of that, just to look a certain way.

Discussion Questions (page 34)

Guide Questions

- What is the point of plastic surgery?

- What is the difference between having plastic surgery from having had a car accident and doing it just
because you want it? Is there a difference?
- Do you look down on people who have had plastic surgery? Why or why not?
- What would you say if you were going to have surgery anyway, and the doctor said that they could
make you look better while they were performing the surgery?

1. Do you know anyone who’s had cosmetic surgery? Please tell your group about it.

- Yes, I know a lady who got a nose job. She wanted to look like a movie star.
- I’ve had plastic surgery. I wanted to look better because I had a really big nose. It looked ugly, and I wanted
it to change.
- No, that’s stupid. If I met someone who had had plastic surgery, I wouldn’t talk to them. People like that are
stupid.
- My brother had plastic surgery because he was in a fire. He had burns all over his face. They gave him
plastic surgery to make him look like he used to.

2. Would you ever consider using surgery to change your appearance? Please explain your answer.

- Yes, I would. I want to be in control of my life.

- Yes, I plan to when I can. I don’t like the way that I look, and it feels like an itch that I cannot scratch. It
makes me depressed, and I’m afraid that no girls will like me.
- No, I wouldn’t. It’s better to be natural.
- I would never get plastic surgery. As far as I am concerned, if you get plastic surgery, you aren’t in control of
your life. You’re being told what you should look like, and you’re following that.

3. How does your appearance affect your life? How would your life be different if you were extremely beautiful?
Extremely ugly?

- It can make your life very different. If I were very beautiful, people would pay more attention to me. If I were
very ugly, I would not be popular.

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- Studies have shown that more attractive people are generally treated better than less attractive people. This
isn’t really debatable. They have done studies to prove that people are treated according to how they look.
- My life would be no different. I don’t listen to people who judge people by their appearance. I am who I am.
If anyone has a problem with that, I don’t want to be around them anyway.
- I already think of myself as very attractive. I think confidence is everything, and it makes people seem more
attractive. If you think that you’re attractive, you will be. Most people can be attracted to anyone if the
person is charming.
- We learn to accept what we’re told, but that makes it difficult to become strong, independent people.

4. Are attractive people treated differently? How so?

- Yes. Attractive people get more attention. People are nicer to them.
- Yes. People resent attractive people and feel like life has been unfair to others. People like attractive people
on the surface but secretly don’t want to see them happy.
- Anyone who is worth associating with doesn’t treat others differently based on how they look. They just
treat people well. This is how everyone should act.
- No. I think that people who are ugly tend to be nicer than attractive people. Most of the attractive people I
know act like the world owes them something, so people are generally not as nice to them. Everything sort
of equals out.

5. Which do you think is more important; how a person looks or how a person acts? Why?

- I think the way a person acts is more important. Our behavior is what really changes our lives. You can be
proud of your actions, but you should not be proud of your appearance.
- The word “personality’ is all about how a person acts. It is how we judge people and how we ought to
judge people. The idea that attractive people get what they want is not true and bad for society. I hate it
when I see people being mean to people because of the way they look.
- I think the way a person looks is more important, because people will judge our looks when they first meet
us.
- It’s unfortunate, but people usually judge another person before they even talk to them. They gauge people
by the clothes they wear, how pretty or handsome they are, even how tall they are. It’s not fair, but it’s a
fact of life.

Time to Debate (page 34)

1. Image is everything.

- I agree, because you can have better jobs and better relationships if you are beautiful.
- It shouldn’t be, but scientific studies have shown that it’s what people gauge as the most important.
Attractive people make more money, are promoted more quickly, are treated better - they are just generally
happier.
- I disagree, because image is only a small part of life.
- This just isn’t true. The idea makes itself bigger though, it’s not necessarily true. However, people thinking
that it is, makes them more concerned with their appearance, and then other people see that and the whole
thing starts again. It really doesn’t have to be.

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2. Cosmetic surgery increases self confidence.

- I agree, because if you become beautiful, you can stop worrying about your looks.
- Then you can think about work or other things.
- Of course it does. If a person feels bad about the way that their nose looks, and they get a nose job, they’ll
feel better. What could be more simple than that?
- I disagree, because you can never be perfect.
- No. This isn’t true. It feeds unhealthy body images. If a person gets a nose job because they don’t like the
way that their nose looks, then they’ll end up wanting to get their eyebrows changed or liposuction or
something else.

3. Only vain people get cosmetic surgery.

- I agree, because it’s foolish to spend so much money on your looks.

- Of course. Who else but a vain person would spend thousands of dollars on the way that they look? What
do we call a person who spends all day in front of a mirror or thousands of dollars on clothes? We call them
vain. It’s what the word means.
- I disagree, because it’s smart to look your best.
- Not necessarily. What if they had an accident? What if they were born disfigured? What if they just had a
really ugly nose that people judged them on all the time? It may not be vain to get something changed if it
causes you a lot of problems.

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U N IT

6 Family

Warm-up (page 35)

1. Ask a few students what it would be like to have a famous mother or father. Tell them to think about it for a
few minutes. Then ask specific students what would be different from the way that their lives are right now.

2. Ask students to think about what it would be like to have a famous brother or sister. Would they like it or not?
Why?

3. Ask students to fill in the warm-up. Answers will vary.

Comprehension Check (page 37)

1. What was the average number of children for American families in 1800?
- Eight, 8

2. What is the average number of children in an American family now?

- Two, 2

3. When did other countries start having smaller families?

- When they became wealthier.

4. How does poverty affect family size?

- It makes people want to have more children, because children can earn extra money for the family.

5. What is changing in women’s lives?

- Many of them have careers outside the home.
- They may not want to stay home to raise a family.
- They may want to have a child later in life.

Vocabulary Check (page 37)

1. I cherish the memory of my grandparents.

2. The average grade on the test was C.

3. Sociologists say that people need to have strong communities.

4. Playing sports helped me learn to relate to other kids.

5. The latest trends in fashion can be found in magazines.

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Think About It (page 37)

Advantages of a large family Disadvantages of a large family

Family members are never alone Less attention for each child
Older siblings can teach younger siblings Adds to growing world population
Children can work and bring more money to Less money to spend on each child
the family Siblings can become too competitive and
Children will become more independent and argue
take care of themselves Older siblings may be have to work too much
Children learn how to relate to others faster to take care of younger ones
Less work for parents once older siblings take More work for parents
over Expensive
Family gatherings can be more fun

Advantages of a small family Disadvantages of a small family

More attention for each child No siblings to have fun with

Doesn’t contribute to population problem No baby sitters in family
More money to spend on children Only children may become spoiled or bored
More free time for children because they are Children can become lonely
not spending time caring for younger siblings Less money brought into family
Less expensive Family gatherings smaller
Children can bond more because there are More work for parents
fewer
•Children have to look outside the family for
Less competition between siblings close friends
Less work for parents
Children become more social outside their
family

Supporting Opinions (page 38)

1. Families today should be small...

b. because the population of the world is becoming too big.
If families are big, there will be even more people. This contributes to the problem.

2. Children should have many brothers and sisters...

d. so that they will have more people to play with and to learn from in the family.
More children means more potential friends.

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3. It is better to be an only child...

a. because you will get all of your parents’ attention.
If parents only have one child, they do not have to split their attention between several children.

4. Families that need money should have many children...

c. because the children can bring more money into the family.
If children can work, they can get jobs and help support the family.

Refuting Opinions (page 38)

1. Being an only child is better than having brothers and sisters.

b. This is not true for every person. It is good to have brothers and sisters because
you can learn many things from them and play with them.
The first argument presents a general argument and no evidence. The second
argument presents a contrary idea with evidence.
Everyone can make friends. They don’t need brothers and sisters. Everyone also
benefits from more attention from their parents.

2. Parents should make all of their children work at a young age.

a. It is the responsibility of parents to give their young children a good education

before they begin to work.
The first argument values work more. The second argument values education more.
Work is an education. Children learn a lot more valuable skills working than at school.
They learn what money is really worth and will not be spoiled.

3. You should compete with your siblings to be the best.

d. No, you should cooperate with your siblings and live happily together.
The first argument supports competition between siblings. The second argument
supports cooperation between siblings.
Competition between siblings makes people stronger. It is a kind of cooperation.

4. Your family is more important than your friends.

c. Yes, but your friends are important, too. You spend a lot of time with your friends
and learn many things from them.
The second argument presents a contrary opinion with more evidence.
Your family will always be your family. Your friends may not always be your friends.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

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Big families are better for society. [Opinion]

This is not true. Big families contribute to world population and often cannot be taken care of by only
two parents. Often times the children behave badly because the parents don’t have time for all of them.
[Refutation]
Big families, as long as they are close, do not cause problems. They are more self sufficient. They can
work on tasks together and take care of their own problems. In big families, it doesn’t matter if parents
have time for everyone because the older children can help. [Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 39)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
I think a bigger family is best. If I had more brothers and sisters, I’d have more people to have fun with.
There would always be someone to play with me, and we’d all keep each other company. We would divide
up all the chores, so work would seem easy. We’d learn from each other, too. All the older kids would teach
the younger ones how to read and write. If you don’t have brothers and sisters, you don’t really learn how to
relate to people. A family prepares you for life, so the more the merrier!

Opinion B
I believe that a smaller family is better. It’s difficult to share your parents with a lot of brothers and sisters.
When would they have time for you? Also, if you had many brothers and sisters, you would have to babysit
them all the time. That wouldn’t leave much time for having fun. Kids should be able to do normal, fun things.
If they have too many responsibilities, they can’t. One or two kids are just the right amount. That way, a child
gets the proper amount of time and attention.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
Bigger families are better. I have five brothers and six sisters. My older brothers and sisters are married and
one of them even has children. There is always someone for me to talk to and relate to. My parents have a lot
of experience with children, so they know how to deal with children. They always seem to have an answer
when I have questions for them. My older siblings also help me a lot.

For Opinion B
Smaller families are the same as bigger families only everyone is closer. If you don’t have to split up time
between a whole lot of people, you can be a lot closer with everyone. I spent six hours at the zoo the other
day with my parents. If I had a lot of brothers and sisters, they wouldn’t be able to spend that kind of time
with just me. Also, I read the other day that in 2011, the world will have seven billion people. We just can’t
support that many people. Big families contribute to this problem.

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Discussion Questions (page 40)

Guide Questions

- Do you think that the idea of a family is outdated? Why or why not?
- How many children do you think is ideal? Why?
- How many children make a big family? Why would you say that?

1. What do you think of the change from larger to smaller families? Support your opinion.

- I think it’s a positive change, because the world’s population is growing too quickly.
- The change is positive. People have started to be able to plan their families better. People now take financial
considerations into account when they have children. They also know how much time they will have.
- I think it’s unfortunate, because fewer people will know what it’s like to have brothers and sisters.
- It shows that people don’t really care about their families anymore. Everyone is too concerned with work
and careers. This is just more evidence that our values have changed, and it’s not better this way.

2. Do you think children from large families have an advantage or a disadvantage? Explain your answer.

- I think they have an advantage, because they learn skills from their siblings while they are very young.
- I think that they definitely have an advantage. It’s like having a second parent around who can relate better
to you. Older siblings are tutors, mentors, and friends all rolled into one. What could be better?
- I think they have a disadvantage, because they only get a small part of the family’s resources.
- It’s definitely a disadvantage. Older children have an established relationship with their parents when the
younger sibling comes along. Younger children change this, and everyone’s lives change. The younger
siblings have to compete against the older ones and can never win.

3. How does family size affect the way family members relate to each other? Support your opinion.

- I think large families tend to express their thoughts and feelings more openly. They learn not to be too
sensitive and to be strong individuals.
- I think that smaller families are closer. It’s just simple math. If a father spends two hours a day with his
children, and there are two children, they get an hour each. If there are four, each will only get a half an
hour.
- I don’t think family size has much effect on the way family members relate to each other. It depends more
on each personality.
- As long as a family is close, and everyone loves each other, there is absolutely no difference. The idea that
time must be divided up among children doesn’t make sense because often children spend time with each
other, and the parents usually spend time with all of the children at once.

4. How does family size affect a family’s finances? Support your opinion.

- I think large families struggle financially. It costs a lot of money to support each child.
- Large families can’t help but struggle. If you look at any examples of poor countries there usually are large
families there. This is because the large families cannot afford to take care of the children and cannot spend
time with them, because the parents must work long hours.
- I don’t think large families have any more difficulties than small ones. Most money is spent on a home and

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car, which everyone shares. The other costs are small.

- It’s simple math. If you send a child to college for several thousand dollars, how much will it cost to send
several children to college? However much it costs for one, multiplied by the number of children that go.
They may get scholarships, but they may not. Medical bills are multiplied. Food is multiplied. Everything gets
expensive.

5. Do you think the trend will ever go back to larger families? Support your opinion.

- No, I don’t think the trend will go back to large families. People prefer to save the money for luxuries
instead.
- No, this is an advance in society. People are seeing all of the advantages from small families. I don’t think
anyone will see any reason to go back. Having small families is better and more practical for the human
race. As world population increases, people will have smaller and smaller families.
- Yes, I think the trend may go back to large families someday. People may miss having a full, busy home.
- The world is over-populated right now, but people are having smaller and smaller families. However, as
population growth lessens, people may decide that there is more room to have larger families and have
them. People could do anything in the future, it is tough to say.

Time to Debate (page 40)

1. It’s better to have big families.

- I agree, because bigger families can help each other more.

- It is better. Bigger families are warmer, friendlier, happier, and their children are more well-adjusted. It
comes from having lots of brothers and sisters. Children who have older siblings grow up having to relate to
other people. Busy families with one or two children have the TV babysit their children. And this is a
mistake.
- I disagree, because bigger families have to spend too much money raising their children. Then they have no
money left for emergencies.
- No. It is better to have small families. There are a lot of potential problems with having big families. Imagine if
one child has a severe and expensive medical problem. Do you let the rest of the family suffer for that one
child? It’s like saying that you love them more. With smaller families, the odds of this are less.

2. Children from small families are more likely to be successful.

- I agree, because their parents have more time to help them succeed.
- I agree. There is more money to send to college, more money to spend for things like clothes and family
vacations. Imagine having ten children in your family. Going down the street would be the only vacation that
would be affordable. There’s no way that a big family can support for children as easily.
- I disagree, because they don’t have many siblings to learn from. Siblings prepare you for a world of
competition.
- This is not true. The support that comes from having a lot of brothers and sisters cannot be replaced by
anything. Tutors, counselors, and baby sitters are no longer necessary if there is an older sibling around.
Children learn so much from their older siblings. It’s almost as if each child has more of a chance at being
successful.

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3. Having large families is foolish and irresponsible.

- I agree, because the world’s population is already too big. Adding to it only increases the environmental and
social problems.
- Most families that are large are because of poor planning on the families’ part. The family grows and grows
and the children don’t have the kind of role-models that they should have. They cannot be watched as
effectively by older siblings. Imagine the expense if two of the children went to expensive colleges. How
does one pick who to send to school and who not to send? It’s not fair.
- I disagree, because if you raise kind and intelligent children, you’ll make the world a better place.
- It’s not a matter of being foolish or irresponsible. It’s a matter of loving children, and that can never be bad.
Good parents should have as many children as they want. They will be good examples to their children, and
those children will grow up to be well adjusted and successful. The most important thing is the parents’
attitudes to their children.

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U N IT

7 Pets

Warm-up (page 41)

1. Ask students what different animals act like.

2. Ask students what different animals are good to have as pets.

3. Ask students what makes different animals good to have as pets.

4. Tell students to think about combining the things that make animals good pets, and how they could be
combined to make the perfect pet. If students have trouble answering the questions, ask them; Does it
protect the person’s house? Does it help the person do something? Is it smart?

5. Ask students to fill in the warm-up.

6. Have students share their drawings and answers with the class.

Possible Answers

- It will be the perfect pet because it will be friendly and do my homework.

- It will be the perfect pet because it will be cute and fluffy, but want to be friends with me.
- It will be the perfect pet because it will be strong and protect me from bad people.
- It will be the perfect pet because it will be able to fly and take me places that I want to go.
- It will be the perfect pet because it will be small and no one will notice it.
Expansion: If there is time, the teacher can have students vote on their favorite pet that their classmates
made up.

7. Do the expansion with a blind vote - it will prevent students from voting for their own animal. Tell them that
they cannot vote for themselves, have them put their names, what their pet was, and what pet they’re voting
for on a small piece of paper. Count them up and give a prize to the winner.

Comprehension Check (page 43)

1. Why do people keep birds or fish?

- They keep birds for their songs.
- They keep fish because they are cheap and easy to care for.

2. What health benefits do pet owners experience?

- Pets lower your risk of having a heart attack.

3. What happens when people get tired of their responsibilities to their pets?
- They put them out on the street. Then they become a nuisance.

4. What kind of love do pets provide to their owners?

- unconditional love
- They don’t judge them.

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5. How many dogs and cats are euthanized in the US every year?
- 3 million

Vocabulary Check (page 43)

1. Children expect unconditional love from their parents.

2. Don’t judge me for my lifestyle.

3. The horse was injured and had to be euthanized.

4. My parents provide me with food and clothing.

5. I need to have friends and family for companionship.

Think About It (page 43)

1. Do pets love their owners as much as their owners love them? Explain.

- Yes, they do. Their owners are their best friends and are like family to them.
- No, they don’t. Animals want to be fed. They don’t have emotions like love the way humans do.
- It depends entirely on the animal. Some pets love their owners more than their own lives. Some pets don’t
care at all.
- Pets actually love their owners MORE than their owners love them. A dog is a piece of furniture to a lot of
people. To most dogs, their owners are like a god.

2. Should pets be allowed in stores and restaurants? Why or why not?

- Yes, they should. Sometimes people need their animals to feel happy or safe. The animals are as clean as
most humans.
- Sometimes. Seeing-eye dogs should be allowed anywhere that blind people are allowed. They usually are.
- No, they shouldn’t. They’re not clean. They could make a mess or make too much noise. They might bother
people.
- No. People shouldn’t own pets in the first place. This argument is one of the reasons for this. Animals
cannot adapt to our society.

3. If an animal is suffering, should it be euthanized or allowed to live?

- It should be allowed to live, because living with pain is better than dying.
- It depends entirely on how much pain the animal is in, and how good its chances of living are. If it’s just
going to die soon anyway and be in horrible pain, it would be better to euthanize it.
- It should be euthanized, because it’s our responsibility to end their pain.

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Supporting Opinions (page 44)

1. Fish are great pets...

c. because they are pretty, cheap and easy to care for.
Fish do not need a lot of things from people. This makes them easy to care for. Their food is
usually inexpensive.

2. Pigs aren’t actually dirty...

b. because they only roll in the dirt and play in mud when they have nowhere else to go.
On farms where pigs are kept, they often have nowhere that they can go to get away from the
mud and dirt. People only think that pigs are dirty.

3. Having pets is a great idea...

d. because they provide companionship and can even improve your health.
Animals can provide people with a relief from stress; this can improve people’s health.

4. It is bad to have an elephant as a pet...

a. because they are too big, and it would be very expensive to feed them.
If children can work, they can get jobs and help support the family.

Refuting Opinions (page 44)

1. Cats are smarter than dogs.

b. That’s not true. Dogs are smarter than cats. They can learn tricks.
If it takes intelligence to learn tricks, and dogs can but cats can’t, then perhaps dogs
are smarter.
Cats can learn tricks as well. And if you watch a cat for any amount of time, it
becomes obvious that cats are more independent than dogs. This usually is taken as
a sign of higher intelligence.

2. Cats are cheaper than dogs. A cat costs $200; a dog costs $400.
c. That’s not necessarily true! You can often get puppies for free.
Free is a lot cheaper than $200.
You can get both of them for free at animal shelters. However, cats are smaller and
because of this, anything that a veterinarian does with a cat is going to cost a lot
more money.

3. Cats are cuter than dogs.

d. That’s not always true. Some dogs such as cocker spaniels are very cute, while
some cats are mean and ugly.
The first argument is completely based on opinion and may not have any basis in
fact.
Cats don’t drool. They don’t do a lot of the gross things that dogs habitually do. This
makes them cuter.

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4. Cats are clear; dogs are very dirty.

a. That’s easy to solve. Give your dog a bath.
If dogs are dirty, giving them baths should solve the problem.
Cats generally clean themselves more than dogs. Dogs like to play in dirt and mud.
Cats don’t. Therefore, cats are cleaner.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

Having pets is good for people. [Opinion]

This is not true. Pets can cause people a lot of stress, cost lots of money, and even cause people health
problems like asthma. [Refutation]
If a person is responsible and takes care of their pet like they should, it will work out very well. Pets
don’t generally cost a lot more money than other things that people probably shouldn’t be spending money
on. Doing a lot of research can help a person find a pet that will be right for them. If a person can do these
things, having a pet will be a positive experience. [Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 45)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
I think keeping pets is a waste of money. We live in a world where money is tighter and tighter but still
people waste money on keeping expensive pets. Many people in the world are starving, yet millions of dollars
are spent on animals every year. Not only is there the food but often there are costly vet bills. Also, many pets
are expensive to purchase. Even if you go the pound and get a dog, it will still be expensive, never mind if you
get some sort of purebred. In my case, I can find much better ways to spend my money.

Opinion B
I think pets teach young children valuable lessons. If a child has a pet, that child learns to take care of
another living thing. Pets need to be cared for in a lot of different ways. They need to be groomed and fed on
a regular basis. Often, pets need to be trained to live in a house. As children are able to complete these
tasks, they learn responsibility and time management skills. Furthermore, pets provide companionship for
young children as they grow. It is also important to mention that sometimes it works the other way around
and pets look after children!

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3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
My friend had a cat that climbed up on top of the family stove and ate an entire plate of brownies.
Chocolate is toxic to pets, so it poisoned the cat. They had to run the cat to the vet and the vet bill was
extremely expensive. The next week, the cat did the same thing! Because animals do not learn the same way
that people do, they can continually make the same bad mistakes.

For Opinion B:
Dogs can teach children what it means to care about something. Dogs and cats need to be taken care of,
and most of the ways in which they need to be cared for are not terribly difficult. Children can walk them, feed
them, and brush them. Having these regular responsibilities can be fun and instructive for children. If you
don’t feed the dog, it may eat something it should. If you don’t walk it, it may go to the bathroom in your
house.

Discussion Questions (page 46)

Guide Questions

- Do you think that pet ownership is important for people? Why or why not?
- What is the difference between pet animals and the ones we eat?
- Would you ever want to own a potentially dangerous animal? Why or why not?
- Do you think that there should be more rules about animal cruelty or less? Why?

1. Do you think it’s fair to have large dogs in the city? Why or why not?

- No, I don’t think it’s fair. Large dogs need more space to run. They can’t be happy or healthy in a crowded,
small place.
- No, dogs are close enough genetically to wolves that they can breed. Can you imagine trying to say that a
wolf should be allowed to live in the city with people? That’s a terrible idea. Dogs like Chow-chows and
German shepherds need a lot of space to be happy. If they don’t have it, they can become dangerous.
- Sure, I think it’s fair. If the owner gives them lots of exercise, they’ll be fine anywhere.
- Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years. They were domesticated even before cows. If ANY
animal can live in the city, it’s a dog. So long as the owner takes good care of the dog, it should be fine
anywhere.

2. Are there some pets people should not be allowed to have? What kinds, and why?

- People shouldn’t be allowed to have any kind of pet. Animals are beings with wills and minds of their own.
Could you imagine being someone’s pet? No one would like that. Animals that are happy as pets have
been conditioned into it. Animals who aren’t pets would never choose to be.
- People should not be allowed to have pets that are dangerous, like poisonous snakes. People could get
hurt.
- People shouldn’t be allowed to have wild animals like wolves and bears as pets. Not only are they
dangerous, but they also aren’t domesticated. They want to run free and cannot adjust to living in human
society. They will chew up the person’s house or worse.

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- People should be able to have any kind of pet they want, as long as they follow all the rules and are kind to
the animal.

3. What should be done about people who don’t take proper care of their animals? Support your opinion.

- People who don’t take care of their pets should pay large fines. Animals can’t speak for themselves. They
depend on their owners. Animal cruelty is a serious crime.
- I think that whatever the person did to the animal, should be done to them. Being cruel to people is one
thing, but people can fight back or leave or get angry. Animals are defenseless and cruelty to them should
not be tolerated.
- Maybe they should be forced to work in an animal shelter for free. That might make up for some of the harm
they’ve caused.
- Nothing. If we start prosecuting people for animal cruelty, what’s next? Surely, it’s cruel when a butcher kills
a cow or a pig. If we think like this, our entire society will end up vegetarian. Animal cruelty isn’t something
most people like, but we can’t outlaw it.

4. Should animals’ rights be recognized? Support your opinion.

- Yes, animal rights should be recognized by law. As long as we treat animals badly, we’re not really civilized.
Animals should be protected from cruel people.
- This shouldn’t even be a question. Who would really defend senselessly torturing an animal? Why wouldn’t
it be? If animals don’t have rights, then there wouldn’t be anything wrong with killing animals slowly, for fun.
If it’s not against the law, people will surely do it.
- No, animal rights should not be recognized. It’s fine to say we should treat animals well. However, it’s too
extreme to say they should have rights like people.
- If we start giving animals rights, where do we draw the line? Do we stop eating them? Do we stop making
jackets from their skin? Do we stop getting medicines and other products from them? Treating animals is
fine, but if they have rights, we have a lot to lose.

5. Do you think some people are too extreme in their love for their pets? If so, what kind of behavior is an
example?
- Yes, some people are too extreme. For example, some people buy really expensive clothes for their pets.
Some people let their pets eat from the same plate as they eat from.
- Yes, definitely. Some people will take care of their pets more than their children. I knew a boy whose mother
had a birthday party for the family dog and spent more money on it than on the boy’s birthday party. How is
that normal?
- No, it’s normal to love an animal as much as a person. People who don’t have pets just don’t understand.
- This is absurd. Who is to say how much love for an animal is too much? Should we only allow people to
love their children so much? What about husbands and wives? No one can say how much a person should
love anything. Everyone is different and no one should be told what to love and what not to love.

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Time to Debate (page 46)

1. Animals have feelings just like humans.

- I agree, because animals show their emotions in ways similar to humans. They show signs of loneliness,
excitement and loyalty.
- Of course they do. Animals react similarly to people in many situations and display the same kinds of
emotion that people do. If we say that they don’t have emotions, we might as well say that we are the only
people who have emotions.
- I disagree, because animals only have instinct, not emotion. When we think they’re sad, they’re probably
just hungry.
- Animals don’t have emotion. They respond to feelings, but they cannot think on the same level that people
do. If an animal runs away from something, it’s an instinct to avoid pain. It’s not quite the same thing as
being sacred of the dark.

2. It’s cruel to keep animals in cages.

- I agree, because no animal was meant to be in a cage. All animals need to roam free. It’s in their nature.
- Would any living creature want to live in a cage? We use prisons as punishment for bad people in human
society. It’s wrong to force animals to live in them for no reason other than our own amusement.
- I disagree, because an animal in a cage is safe. It also gets food and water. Its life is easier in a cage than in
the wild.
- Animals in the wild do not really roam as free as people think. Most of them have dens and nests. A cage
sounds like a negative word. But if the animal stays there for food and safety, it’s more of a home.

3. It should be illegal to keep dangerous pets.

- I agree, the risk of hurting someone is too great. People get hurt by dangerous dogs or snakes quite often.
- This is true. In fact, there are already a lot of laws restricting the ownership of dangerous animals. It just
makes sense to ban this altogether. Dangerous animals belong in the wild, not in people’s houses.
- I disagree. Pets are not dangerous if the owner takes proper care of them. It’s only neglect that makes
animals dangerous.
- This doesn’t make any sense. What animals are dangerous? Parrots? Goldfish? Dogs? Cats? My friend has
a shitzu that weight about a kilogram. It couldn’t hurt anything even if it wanted to. Any animal can be
dangerous if it is mistreated. But if the animal is raised by caring, friendly people, nearly any animal can be
safe.

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U N IT

8 Valentine’s Day

Warm-up (page 47)

1. Ask students to name one holiday and the activity that they associate most with that holiday.

2. If students have trouble with this, give them one example from their culture: Dia de los Muertos, Halloween,
Songkran, Chuseok, Christmas, etc.

3. Give students a chance to come up with what they do for the activity on that day. When students grasp the
concept, move to step 4.

4. Ask students to fill in the warm-up.

Possible Answers

•Holiday: Halloween Activity: Trick or treat, parade

•Holiday: Arbor day Activity: Plant a tree
•Holiday: Cinco de Mayo Activity: Have parades
•Holiday: Boxing day Activity: Go shopping, give gifts to poor people
•Holiday: Black Friday Activity: Buy Christmas presents
•Holiday: 4th of July Activity: Set off fireworks
•Holiday: Canada Day Activity: Have the day off from school
•Holiday: Thanksgiving Activity: Eat turkey, parade
•Holiday: Christmas Activity: Give gifts, sing carols, pray, parade, hang a stocking
•Holiday: St. Patrick’s Day Activity: Wear green
•Holiday: Easter Activity: Find hidden candy
•Holiday: Mother’s/Father’s day Activity: Give gifts to parents
•Holiday: New Year’s Eve Activity: Countdown, make a wish
•Holiday: Kwanzaa Activity: Have a big dinner, decorate the house

5. Ask the class for their answers and write them in two columns on the board: one for the holiday and one for
the activity that people do on that holiday.

6. Explain that people spend money on almost every holiday. Ask them what people spend money on for a
number of the holidays on the board. Then ask what companies make money on that.

Comprehension Check (page 49)

1. For whom is Valentine’s Day named?

- Valentinus, a Roman priest from the 3rd century.

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2. What happened to him?

- He was thrown in jail and condemned to death.

3. What is he the patron saint of?

- couples

4. When did Valentine’s Day become a romantic holiday?

- 150 years ago

5. What do some of us feel obliged to do on Valentine’s Day?

- buy things

Vocabulary Check (page 49)

1. It’s wrong to persecute people because of their religious beliefs.

2. The saint spent his life healing the sick and preaching.

3. I don’t consider myself a very good student.

4. They received a large donation from a wealthy patron.

5. Don’t feel obliged to help me. I can do it myself.

Think About It (page 49)

1. Do ‘hallmark holidays’ like Valentine’s Day serve any purpose? Why or why not?

- Yes, they give people a chance to say kind words to each other.
- Yes, they do. They stimulate the economy and are important to our society because they help us socialize.
- No, they only make people waste money.
- No, no holidays serve any purpose. Even the ones that aren’t considered “Hallmark holidays” are just
pointless traditions that don’t have any bearing on our modern world.

2. Is it better to buy a gift or make a gift for someone you care about? Explain your answer.

- It’s better to buy a gift because it will be made by an expert.

- It’s better to buy a gift because if you make something it might not look how you wanted it, and could be
ugly or not work.
- It’s better to make a gift because it will be unique and meaningful.
- You should make a gift because if you buy something for a person, they think that you just threw money at
the holiday and didn’t put any thought or effort into it.

3. What would be a good Valentine’s Day gift?

- Chocolate is good because it’s what people usually get for each other.
- A card is a good gift because you can make it yourself.
- Jewelry always makes good gifts because it shows people that you spent a lot of money.
- People shouldn’t give gifts on Valentine’s Day. It’s a commercial holiday.

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Supporting Opinions (page 50)

1. Businesses enjoy Valentine’s Day...

d. because people spend a lot of money on gifts and cards.
Gifts and cards come from somewhere. Businesses that sell these things make money on
Valentine’s Day.

2. Valentine’s Day should be celebrated...

c. because it is a nice way to spend time with the people you love.
People often spend time with their loved ones on special occasions. Valentine’s Day is one such
occasion.

3. Flowers are good Valentine’s Day gifts...

b. because they are beautiful and romantic.
Beauty and romance are associated with Valentine’s Day. Flowers show this.

4. You should get your loved one a Valentine’s Day gift...

a. because the gift will show your loved one that you love them.
We associate giving and getting gifts with love, and people think of this when they think of
Valentine’s Day.

Refuting Opinions (page 50)

1. If you do not get a Valentine’s Day gift it means no one loves you.

b. That is not true. Many people do not celebrate Valentine’s Day, and they still might
love you.
People who don’t celebrate Valentine’s day still have feelings. They just don’t give out
cards on that day.
If people really love you, they’ll do everything that they can to show it. If they don’t
show it on Valentine’s Day, how must they really feel?

2. Jewelry is a better gift then flowers.

d. No way! Jewelry is too expensive, and flowers are very beautiful.

Jewelry can cost thousands of dollars. Flowers rarely cost anywhere near this
amount.
Expensive things make the best gifts. If someone got you a rose, or a diamond, which
one would you think meant more? Obviously the diamond, they cost a lot of money!

3. You must buy all of your friends a gift for Valentine’s Day.

c. No, you should only buy gifts for very special people like a boyfriend or girlfriend.
The first argument is completely based on opinion and may not have any basis in fact.

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What if you don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend? What if you don’t want one? What if
you just really want to show all of your friends that they mean a lot to you? It’s silly to
just single out one person.

4. Only very expensive gifts are romantic.

a. You do not need to spend a lot of money to be romantic. You can even make your
own gift!
The first argument is completely based on opinion. The second one presents a
contrary opinion and some evidence.
Gifts that you make yourself show a person that you aren’t willing to spend money on
them. This is intrinsically NOT romantic. In fact, a lot of people get really offended if a
person won’t spend money on them.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

Valentine’s Day does nothing to commemorate St. Valentine. [Opinion]

Yes, it does. People’s gifts and dates are in memory of St. Valentine, even if they don’t really understand
the original story. [Refutation]
That’s not true. Companies make a lot of money on it and market it to really mean something. This is
just a pack of lies to make them money. Valentine’s Day is a joke, and anyone who falls for it is stupid. [Re-
refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 51)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to show your boyfriend or girlfriend how much you love them. In the days
before Valentine’s Day, you can see flowers and candy in every store window. That makes it easy to
remember to buy a gift. Valentine’s Day also makes it easy to know how they feel about you. If they bring you
large presents, they love you a great deal. I always look forward to Valentine’s Day. I love flowers and candy,
and I also like to know how much I’m loved.

Opinion B
Valentine’s Day is an example of corporations trying to tell me what to do and when to do it. If I would like
to bring some flowers or candy to someone, I can do so anytime of the year. If I don’t bring home some

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flowers and chocolates on Valentine’s Day, I am seen as cold-hearted. I don’t think that’s fair. Wouldn’t it be
better to bring someone chocolates on another day? That way, they would know that I didn’t have to, but
wanted to give a present.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
A lot of couples don’t get to spend much time with each other and can forget how special their relationship
is. Valentine’s Day is one day, each year, where people can focus on this. It’s a helpful reminder to people
that they should value the person that they are with. Even if some companies make money on it, who cares?
The most important thing is to show the person that you love them.

For Opinion B
Couples should make holidays of their own. This would be more special to them and mean more. Holidays
that conform to everything that companies say aren’t really holidays. They certainly aren’t special. Who has
fun on Valentine’s Day when all of the good places to go on dates are crowded and all of the good presents
become more expensive? People shouldn’t conform to what companies want from them.

Discussion Questions (page 52)

Guide Questions

- Do you think that Valentine’s Day is important? Why or why not?

- Do you think that couples should have special days like this, or do you think that it’s bad for single
people? Why or why not?
- What other holidays do you think are too commercial? Why?
- Do you think that commercialization makes a holiday valueless? Why or why not?

1. What do you think about ‘Hallmark holidays?’ Do they take advantage of people’s feelings of guilt or
insecurity? Why or why not?

- Yes, they do take advantage of people’s insecurity. Some people feel like losers if they don’t get a valentine.
Other people feel like they must give valentines or they’ll seem rude. People have these feelings because
Valentine’s Day is impossible to avoid.
- Yes, they do take advantage of people’s feelings. I hate days like this. Last year, I bought my girlfriend a
shirt, and she broke up with me the next month. If it hadn’t been for the stupid holiday, I would still have
that money.
- They only take advantage of people’s feelings if people are silly enough to let them. You can still celebrate
holiday’s like Valentine’s Day without acting like that. You can make it your own special day and celebrate it
the way that you want to.
- Companies taking advantage of a person’s feelings has nothing to do with whether or not the holiday is a
happy one. The holiday is about showing a person that you care in the way that works best for you. If you
do this by buying things, that’s fine. If you do this by making them dinner, that’s fine, too.

2. What do you think about the kinds of gifts that are popular on Valentine’s Day? Are there any that you would
like to receive? Why or why not?

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- Most of the gifts are silly. I am not interested in receiving toys with overly sweet messages on them.
- If a person writes me a poem, makes me something nice to eat, or does something else that requires effort,
I really like that. It shows that they thought of me.
- I think they’re cute. I like getting gifts that have a nice message.
- I like expensive gifts. People have to spend time picking out the right thing, and they spend a lot of time
making the money to get them. Not everyone is talented at writing or cooking. There are all kinds of ways to
show that you care.

3. Do you think Valentinus did the right thing to marry Christian couples even though it was illegal? Why or why
not?

- Yes, I think he did the right thing. He felt that love was more important than the laws of the government.
That’s truly romantic.
- Of course, how is this even a question? People should be able to get married, and that’s that. Anyone who
made a law against it is just wrong. Valentinus followed what he believed was right. That’s why we
remember him.
- He did the wrong thing. Had he followed the rules, he could have lived longer and done more important
work.
- It’s sort of a silly thing to give up your life for. Christian couples should have just recognized the marriages
themselves. That way no one would have had to get hurt. He wasn’t wrong for doing it, it was just a stupid
way to protest a rule.

4. Is giving a valentine a real sign of love and affection? Why or why not?

- Yes, I believe it can be a real sign of love. It depends on the feelings of the sender.
- It can be, of course. What else could it possibly mean if a person sends a valentine? Of course that’s a sign
of love. That’s what we intend it to be as a society, so that’s what it means. If this is meaningless, so is
kissing, hugging, or telling someone that you love them.
- No, I think valentines are only a sign of politeness. If a person really loves you, they’ll say so on any normal
day.
- Valentines are silly. People who truly love each other know it. They don’t need to express it once a year. It’s
an obvious thing that is shown by the way they treat each other every day. Love is not a once a year
scheduled thing.

5. Could Valentine’s Day be depressing for some people? Why or why not?
- Yes, it could. People who are lonely are reminded of their loneliness on such holidays. This makes them feel
worse.
- Of course, how could it not be? People who are lonely are often driven to the point of suicide on Valentine’s
Day. It’s a terrible holiday for single people. Many of them see spending it alone as a sign of even worse
loneliness. It’s awful.
- No, it couldn’t. It’s a chance for everyone to do something nice. This could make anyone feel good.
- No, Valentine’s Day represents an opportunity. If people are going to be lonely, that’s because they are
lonely people. Valentines don’t have to be for a boyfriend or girlfriend, they can be for anyone that is special
to you. Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be a lonely day.

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Time to Debate (page 52)

1. Valentine’s Day is a silly and meaningless holiday.

- I agree, because true love should be expressed when it is felt, not when it’s demanded.
- Of course it is. It used to mean something, but that was over a thousand years ago. Valentine’s Day has
only stuck around because of greedy companies exploiting people’s feelings for each other.
- I disagree. Sometimes people need encouragement to say kind words to each other.
- Valentine’s Day is what you make it. If you make it a silly holiday, then it will be a silly holiday. However, for
many people it is serious because they take it seriously. They spend a lot of time and energy getting ready
for it, so it is serious to them.

2. It’s a good idea to have a day where people can express their feelings.

- I agree. It’s healthy to express feelings, even if they’re written for you by a card company.
- I agree. Routine makes everyone feel a little numb. It’s good to have a marked day where we remember
that we’re not just machines. It makes every other day bearable because we have these sorts of days to
look forward to.
- I disagree. People don’t really express their feelings on Valentine’s Day. They just buy gifts that say
sentimental things.
- Special days just make the rest of the days of the year that much more boring. If we take a special day to
value people, it just shows how little we actually value them. Think about it, if you really show someone that
you love them for one day a year. That leaves three hundred and sixty-four days a year that they’re just
average.

3. You can tell how much you are loved by the number of valentines you receive.

- I agree. Each valentine represents a person who likes you a lot.

- Of course you can. It’s simple math. The best loved people at schools and offices always get lots and lots
of valentines. Everyone else is lucky to get one. These people always feel really special on those days.
- I disagree. Having many admirers is not the same as being loved.
- This is absurd. It’s like saying that one person who people think about enough to buy a card is more loved
than someone whose husband or wife makes them dinner and buys them flowers after having spent
twenty-five years of marriage with them. Of course the latter is a far better example of love.

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U N IT

9 Internet Anonymity

Warm-up (page 53)

1. Ask students what a blog is.

2. Ask the class who reads any specific blogs or writes on themselves.

3. If students say yes, ask what blog or what the one they write is about.

4. Tell students that a portmanteau (pronounced: port man toe) Word is something put together from two other
words - blog actually comes from “Web log.” Other examples would be things like “fantabulous” combining
“fantastic” and “fabulous.” “Netbook” combines “internet” and “notebook.” Ask if students can name more of
them. These are difficult, but some common portmanteau words are: skort = skirt + shorts, lion + tiger =
liger, Veritas + Horizon = Verizon, jeans + leggings = jeggings, etc.

5. Tell students that there are a lot of recent inventions that have two names - online gaming, message boards,
smart phone, online chat, etc. (These are not necessarily portmanteau words, but they can be.)

6. Ask students how some of these things combine two words. If they have trouble, explain to them that a
“message” is communication between two people. A “board” is where things can be posted. A “message
board” on the internet is a place where people can post communication.

7. Ask students to come up with their own invention. Tell them that they must answer the questions:
- What does it do?
- Who uses it?
- Why would it be a good idea for a company to make this product?

Examples
GPS truck
- What does it do?
Truck without a driver, goes from place to place using GPS to navigate.
- Who uses it?
shipping companies
- Why would it be a good idea for a company to make this product?
It would allow shipping companies not to have human restrictions on drivers. Things could get where they
needed to go at any time.
Unplugger
- What does it do?
A device that shuts down all power to devices that aren’t being used to save power
- Who uses it?
everyone

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- Why would it be a good idea for a company to make this product?

It would save money, energy, and the environment. Devices like computers and television continue to use
power even when they’re off. The unplugger makes sure that nothing is taking power when it isn’t on.

8. Have students share their inventions with the class.

Comprehension Check (page 55)

1. If we had to use our names online, what positive effects could that have?
- It could prevent people from writing mean or hurtful things.

2. What negative effects could it have?

- It could harm our freedom to speak and write.
- It could harm democracy.

3. How is our culture different than it was 10 years ago?

- People watch less TV and read fewer newspapers.

4. What makes the issue of internet anonymity complex?

- It involves ideas about community, responsibility and freedom of speech.

5. What is the state of internet anonymity right now?

- All our words can be anonymous on the internet.

Vocabulary Check (page 55)

1. Email and phone are the ways I communicate most often.

2. The complaint came from a(n) anonymous phone caller.

3. We were upset to see vulgar words written on the wall.

4. I’ll show you the best method of baking a cake.

5. It’s our policy to refund your money if you return a purchase.

Think About It (page 55)

1. What do you think would happen if we had to sign our names on everything we did online?

- We might be less likely to write anything. We would fear the consequences. We would think more carefully
about what we write.
- People wouldn’t be so rude. They would not want to have vulgarities and bad words attached to their
names.
- People would act exactly the same. So what if your name is attached? If the person is in another country,
they’re not going to be able to find you.
- People would act exactly the same. We just think that people are more rude on the internet because we
don’t know those people in real life. Everyone knows people who are rude in real life - they’re probably the
same on the internet.

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2. How do you know what to believe when you read it on the internet?

- You don’t know what to believe. Much of what’s on the internet is wrong. You can believe what you read if
they explain where they got the information.
- You can’t believe anything you find on the internet. People post all sorts of nonsense. There’s no good way
to check.
- You can believe most of what you find on the internet. If it’s not true, other users will call the person out on
faking something.
- You can believe it if you find it linked to a real study or scientific magazine or something like that. That’s the
way we believe things that we hear about in real life.

3. Do your parents monitor your internet use? What are they concerned about?
- My parents don’t let me use social networking sites like Facebook. They are worried that bad people could
find me.
- They don’t let me spend too much time online. They say it’s not healthy. They check the internet history to
see what I’ve been doing.
- My parents don’t care what I do on the internet. What difference does it make? They figure, it’s not real life.
Nothing I see on the internet can actually hurt me.
- My parents don’t let me use the internet without them being right there. They want to see all of the websites
that I go to because they are afraid of a lot of things - computer viruses, bad people, frauds and scams, my
parents don’t like me being on the internet.

Supporting Opinions (page 56)

1.People should be forced to use their real name on the internet...

b. because it will make people be more responsible for their actions.

If people’s real names are posted, they are connected to what they say. If they are not, no one
can say anything against what they have said or done.

2. Internet anonymity is too dangerous...

a. because people are more likely to do bad things if they believe no one will know who they are.
If people are not responsible for their actions, no one can punish them for doing bad things.
Without punishment, what prevents people from being bad?

3. Being anonymous on the internet is good...

c. because you can hide information about yourself from other people.
Would you post things like your bank account or address online?

4. Everyone should be given free speech...

d. because we should be allowed to say what we believe.
Freedom of speech allows people to say what they want. This is a right guaranteed by most
countries.

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Refuting Opinions (page 56)

1. Free speech is the most important thing we have in society.

d. It is important to be able to say what we believe, but it is more important to be safe

and free from danger.
If you’re not safe, freedom might not mean anything.
If you cannot say or do what you want, what is the point of even being safe? People
are safe in cages, but who wants to live in a cage?

2. We should ban the internet because it is not safe.

b. That is a bad solution. The internet is too important to ban. We can try and make it
safer.
Banning things means that no one can use them. If no one could use the internet, our
lives would be very, very different.
People have been killed by crazy people they meet on the internet. Try using this
argument with their families. If one person dies, it is too many. We need to ban the
internet.

3. Sometimes it is too embarrassing to use your real name on the internet.

c. That is silly. You should never be embarrassed about the things that you do.
If you are embarrassed to do or say something, you shouldn’t do or say it.
Society makes us embarrassed to say and do a lot of things that we shouldn’t be
embarrassed about. For these things, we should be able to be anonymous.

4. You should be allowed to protect your privacy on the internet.

d. No, the internet is a public place so everyone should be allowed to see your
personal information.
If a place is public, there shouldn’t be anything to hide.
You are simply defining the privacy as the right not to be observed. Privacy is one of
the important human rights.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

Anonymity on the internet makes people behave badly. [Opinion]

That’s not true. People behave badly on the internet because they are bad people. Anonymity makes it
so that they don’t get caught doing it. It doesn’t MAKE them bad. [Refutation]
This just agrees with the first statement using different words. If people are able to behave badly

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because of the internet, it is the same as it making them behave badly. The only difference is the words.
The effect is the same. [Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 57)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
I think that many problems would be solved if people were forced to use their real names on the internet.
People would be less likely to use vulgar language and say rude things. When people are anonymous, they
feel like it’s ok to be cruel. They say things they would never say in person. When this kind of behavior is
widespread, it lowers our standards. Then we think it’s normal to be rude. The more responsibility we have
for our behavior, the better we behave. We should always be willing to attach our name to our words.

Opinion B
Many countries guarantee freedom of speech and freedom of the press. We might not write our ideas if we
had to include our names. Especially if we had different opinions than the government or if our ideas were
unpopular. We would be afraid of punishment. However, that’s what freedom of speech is - the freedom to
speak your mind without fear of punishment. If we abandon internet anonymity, we will lose our freedom of
speech. This freedom is an important part of a democracy.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
Society makes people act in a civilized way because we know that there are consequences if we act badly.
Anonymity means that we can act in ways that are rude, mean, and even criminal. If there is nothing to
prevent this, people have proven this, are proving it now, and will continue to prove it in the future.

For Opinion B
Without anonymity, there can be no free speech. Think about using the toilet - everyone does it, but this is
something we all do in private. Society tells us that this is dirty and should be done in private, so we go along
with it. There are other things that society makes people feel embarrassed about that they shouldn’t have to
feel embarrassed about. Anonymity protects this.

Discussion Questions (page 58)

Guide Questions

- What might you do differently if your whole class was online?

- If you saw one of your neighbors online, and they didn’t know who you were, what would you? Why?
- Do you think that people are rude on the internet because they are rude people, or do you think the
internet makes them that way? Why?

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1. Do you think freedom of speech gives us the right to say anything? Please support your answer.

- Yes, I believe freedom of speech should be complete. Otherwise, it’s not real freedom.
- Yes. Just as people should have freedom of speech. We have the freedom to believe them or not believe
them. That’s natural. If a person says something stupid or dangerous, we have the freedom to tell them that
it’s stupid and dangerous.
- No, people should not be allowed to say things that are racist or could lead to violence. Saying such things
should be considered a crime.
- People have never had completely unregulated freedom of speech. There is no way to tell whether or not a
person who yells, “Bomb!” in a movie theater is telling the truth or not. That’s why it is a crime to do it.

2. Why do you think people write hurtful things on the internet that they would never say in person? Please
explain.

- People are more concerned about seeming kind than about others’ feelings.
- They are not afraid to cause harm if they can do it secretly. Also, people do what seems ‘normal’ in any
situation. If it’s normal to be mean online, most people will behave accordingly.
- The idea of a “social contract” means that we act nice because we are held accountable. If someone takes
away that accountability, we will not be nice. Not seeing a person’s real name does this.
- If people say mean things in real life, they can end up getting into a real fight. They don’t see how angry they
might make people and the hurt that they can cause. People don’t feel like it’s real.

3. In Opinion A, it says “We should always be willing to attach our name to our words.” Why should we?

- Because it shows that we mean what we say enough to stand by it. If we can’t sign our name to
something, perhaps we don’t feel strongly enough about it.
- Because we should be proud of the things that we say. We should get credit for saying intelligent things,
and people should be interested in who we are.

4. Should people feel responsible for each other’s feelings, even if they don’t know each other? Why or why
not?

- Yes, they should. If we don’t care about others’ feelings, terrible things can happen. We have to treat
people as we would wish to be treated.
- There have been court cases of children who have been driven to suicide by nasty and horrible
schoolmates harassing them. People’s responsibility for others’ feelings goes beyond being polite.
Sometimes, it can be criminal.
- No, strangers’ feelings are not our responsibility. We must focus on caring for the people we know. That’s
the natural thing to do.
- No. This is stupid. This kills freedom of speech entirely. Should I agree with someone’s religion or political
views because I don’t to offend them? That’s absurd. Some people’s ideas are so stupid that they are
actually dangerous. We might have worried about the feelings of people who worked in the cigarette
industry and just let them keep making their products without making laws about them. Would that have
been good?

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5. Have you ever read something online that upset you? Was it anonymous? What was it?

- Yes, I read some very mean comments about a friend of mine. They upset me, because I knew they would
hurt her feelings. It was anonymous, but still very hurtful.
- Yes, I’ve seen websites that were racist, and that really bothered me. They weren’t posted anonymously,
but I have no idea who the people were that were posting these things.
- No. I never let anything I read online bother me. Who cares what other people think. Let them say stupid
things on the internet. Most people don’t even read that anyway. If you’re worried about what people say
about you in the internet, then you worry too much.

Time to Debate (page 58)

1. Internet anonymity is the best way to let people say what they really think.

- I agree, because when people are hidden there’s no reason for them to lie.
- Yes, it is. People often have religious families or live in countries where they cannot say what they want to.
This allows them to do what they want and still be alright. If things were not this way, they would have no
way to say what they mean.
- I disagree, because if people don’t have to stand by their statement, they feel no responsibility for their
words.
- People who are unwilling to say who they are probably don’t mean what they are saying. Or, if they do, they
don’t mean it that much. Everyone should stand by their words or just not say anything.

2. People should be required to give their name in some online situations.

- I agree. There’s too much thoughtless writing online. People might be more respectful if their identities were
known.
- People are required to give their names in some online situations. In fact, nearly any website you sign up for
asks you for your first name, your last name, and your e-mail address. This isn’t even debatable, it’s fact.
- I disagree. No one has the right to decide this freedom should be taken away. Once you start enforcing
these rules, it destroys the freedom that makes the internet so wonderful.
- I disagree. Giving your e-mail should be enough. In some ways, our e-mail addresses are more of our online
selves than our names. We pick them. They correspond with the things we say and do online more than our
physical selves. They should be enough.

3. Protecting internet anonymity is the same as protecting a person.

- This is true. Internet anonymity makes it so that people cannot find us if we don’t want to be found. There
are dangerous and crazy people out there who could do bad things to us if they knew who we were.
- Of course, what if a person in China or Saudi Arabia wants to say something about the government? They
aren’t allowed to if they use their real name. If they did, they could go to jail or be executed. Internet
anonymity is an important thing.
- No, it is not. It protects a bunch of mean people and allows them to keep being mean. There is no real
good reason for internet anonymity. People protect it because they think freedom of speech is holy.

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- No, it’s not. If a person doesn’t want their identity posted on the internet, they don’t have to use it. It
worked for thousands of years before the internet. It will continue working long after. There’s no reason that
a person HAS TO be on the internet.

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U N IT

10 Success and Happiness

Warm-up (page 59)

1. Ask students what they think happiness is. Remind students that you are not asking them what makes them
happy, but what happiness actually is.

2. Students may answer a lot of different things, or they may have a lot of trouble with the question.

3. Tell the students that happiness is a feeling. Different things can make different people happy. Ask for one or
two examples.

4. Tell students to fill in part one of their warm-up.

5. Ask for some examples. They will vary, but here are some possibilities:
Getting a good grade Playing a game that you like Spending time with your family
Hearing a funny joke Good food Getting a compliment
Winning a prize Getting nice clothes Getting a toy
Doing well in a contest Finishing a long project Going on a vacation
Relaxing Reading a good book Seeing a good movie
Seeing art that you like Wearing comfortable clothes Playing with a pet
Spending time with a pet Having a friend over to your house Getting money
Getting a letter Celebrating a holiday Having a party

6. Ask students how long these things take. If they have trouble with the question, ask them. Do they all happen
in a few moments? Do they all take a really long time?

7. If students have a lot of trouble figuring this out, reveal to them that all of these things take different amounts
of time. Some are very fast. Some take a long time.

8. Ask students to fill in the second part of the warm-up. Again, answers will vary greatly by class, but here are
some examples:

Things that make you happy quickly Things that make you happy after a while
•Getting a good grade •Winning a prize
•Playing a game that you like •Getting a good grade
•Spending time with your family •Spending time with your family
•Hearing a funny joke •Doing well in a contest
•Good food •Finishing a long project
•Getting a compliment •Relaxing
•Winning a prize •Reading a good book
•Getting nice clothes •Getting money
•Getting a toy •Getting a letter
•Doing well in a contest

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Things that make you happy quickly Things that make you happy after a while

•Seeing a good movie

•Seeing art that you like
•Wearing comfortable clothes
•Playing with a pet
•Spending time with a pet
•Having a friend over to your house
•Getting money
•Getting a letter
•Celebrating a holiday
•Having a party

9. Have students share some of their answers from their lists. (Depending on how large the class is, it might be
better to only have a few students do this, or maybe have each student share a few.)

10. Ask the class what things make them feel the best and how long they take.

11. Ask students to define success in their own words. If they have trouble with the idea, ASK them if they think
that being successful has to do with happiness.

12. Have students share with the class.

Comprehension Check (page 61)

1. What do some people mean by ‘success?’

- They mean career and wealth.

2. What things do people sacrifice for this kind of success?

- time, values, or happiness

3. What do we usually mean by ‘happiness?’

- closeness to family and time to enjoy life

4. How do we make decisions about how we spend our time?

- based on our values

5. How are the terms ‘success’ and ‘happiness’ subjective?

- They mean different things to different people.

Vocabulary Check (page 61)

1. I felt miserable after we lost the game.

2. What do you mean by the term ‘unbelievable?’

3. I value hard work and honesty most of all.

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4. At the end of the year our work will be evaluated.

5. I would sacrifice a week’s allowance to have those cool shoes.

Think About It (page 61)

1. Is it possible to be successful and unsuccessful at the same time? Explain.

- Yes, it is. You can be successful at school but unsuccessful socially. You can be successful at your hobby
but unsuccessful at your job.
- Of course you can. The term “pyrrhic victory” describes this perfectly. This is a victory that comes at such a
great cost that a person might as well have lost. This is success that is unsuccessful.
- No, you are either successful or you aren’t. You have to look at your whole life and decide.
- No. By definition, success means that you have not failed. Two things cannot be opposite at the same time.
It wouldn’t make sense. If there are two things and one is each, it is the more important of the two that
shows whether or not something is successful or unsuccessful.

2. Is anyone happy all the time? How can you tell?

- No, nobody is always happy. It’s normal for emotions to go up and down.
- It’s a simple matter of brain chemistry. A lot of what makes you happy or unhappy isn’t even what’s going
on around you. The serotonin levels in your brain can fluctuate and make you unhappy when you ought to
be happy. No one has a perfect brain in this way.
- Yes, some people are happy all the time. They just have that type of personality. It’s difficult to tell what
people are really feeling. We don’t always show our true feelings. When you know someone well, you can
tell what they’re feeling.
- Some people have the money and power to be able to do anything that they want. If something happens
that they don’t like or might make them unhappy, they can just change it. These people have absolutely no
reason to be unhappy.

3. Do you think being extremely rich would make you happy? For how long?

- Yes, absolutely. I would buy gifts for my family and friends. It would be wonderful. It would last as long as I
had money.
- I would be happy forever. I could use the money to make more money, so that it wouldn’t run out. I could
use my wealth to make myself live for a really long time so that I could enjoy it for a long time.
- It would make me happy and excited at first, but then it would just become normal. Money doesn’t really
change the important things in your life, like friendships and values.
- I think that having a lot of money would make me realize how pointless money is to begin with. I know it
right now, but a person cannot really understand this until they are right in the middle of it. I think it would
actually depress me.

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Supporting Opinions (page 62)

1. You should do things you enjoy...

c. because it makes you a happier person.
Doing things we enjoy makes us happy.

2. You should not be afraid to fail...

d. because we learn more from our mistakes than from our successes.
If we do something wrong, we learn not to do it that way. If we do something right, we may have
just gotten lucky and not learn anything.

3. Everyone should take time to relax in the day...

b. because working all day can be very stressful.
It is implied that working is stressful, and stress is bad. If these are true, than this statement is
true.

4. You should never give up...

a. because people who quit when they fail will not become successful.
Typically people fail a little at everything they try, when they start. If they give up as soon as they
aren’t successful, they will never be successful at anything.

Refuting Opinions (page 62)

1. If you fail you will never be successful.

a. This is not true. Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before he succeeded in
inventing the light bulb!
If Edison was successful, and he failed, the first statement is not true.
Failing and trying again is not truly failure. Failure is when you either cannot or will not
try again. If that is failure, then you cannot be successful if you fail.

2. You are only successful if you are rich.

d. There are many different ways to be successful. You can be successful if you get
good grades in school.
If a person defines success in ways other than being rich, the first statement is not
true.
Society only values rich people. They are more powerful and always get what they
want. If you do well in school, society doesn’t really care about you.

3. You should always work hard and never relax.

b. This is a bad idea. Everyone needs time to relax and have fun. If you always work
you will be stressed out.
If we are stressed, we can have health problems. How can a person enjoy success if
they aren’t healthy?

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If we work hard and don’t relax, we may be able to retire early and not have to work
anymore.

4. Happiness is more important than being a success.

c. No, it is more important to be a success so you can have a good job and be rich.
The first argument claims that happiness is the most important thing. The second
argument claims that success is.
Being rich doesn’t mean anything if you’re sad all of the time. The point of money is to
make people happy.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

Being successful is related to how much money a person has. [Opinion]

This isn’t true. Many people don’t have a lot of money, but they are still happy. [Refutation]
Having some money is definitely important. If a person doesn’t have enough money to feed themselves
or their family, they will not be happy. There’s no way that they can be. [Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 63)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
It’s possible to be happy without being successful. At least, you don’t have to be rich to be happy. Many
people think that wealth is the same as success. However, recent research shows that rich people are no
happier than middle class people. It’s true that we need food and shelter. We need enough money to take
care of our basic needs. But all the things we buy with extra money don’t actually make us happier in the
long run. They just make people envy us.

Opinion B
Success and happiness are related things because you cannot have one without the other. It is impossible
to be successful and not be happy. If you are a successful doctor, you earn a lot of money and you’re well
respected among your colleagues, you will be happy. It is also impossible to be happy with failure. If your
business fails and you are broke and disgraced, how could you be happy? We should be concerned with
success first and then happiness will follow!

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3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
Many people that we consider to be famous have been poor. People will never forget St. Francis of Assisi -
he had nothing. What about Jesus? Was he “successful?” Gandhi had almost nothing in the way of money.
History is full of examples of people who were not rich but were more successful than many others.

For Opinion B
What kind of happy life can a person have if they have no money? People constantly say that money isn’t
everything, but what about people who can’t afford food? They see money as a chance to be able to eat -
that makes people happy. What kind of family and friends are going to be happy with a person who always
needs to borrow money or loses their house because of debt? Wealth is important to happiness.

Discussion Questions (page 64)

Guide Questions

- What difference does it make if a person is successful or not?

- Do you think a person who is hungry or unhealthy can be happy? Why or why not?
- Do you think that it’s possible to have one short success that will keep a person happy for their whole
life? Explain why or why not.
- Do you think that humans naturally think of things in terms of winning and losing? Why or why not?

1. How wealthy do you need to be to be successful?

- I don’t think you need to be wealthy at all to be successful. You only need to accomplish your own goals.
- I don’t think that you need to have any money. Look at Jesus or Gandhi. They were very successful and
neither of them had any money at all. The way I see it, the more you have, the more problems you have.
- I think you need to be wealthier than your neighbors to be really successful.
- I think you need to have lots of money to be happy. It’s very nice for people to say otherwise, but if their
families suffer then can you say that they’re successful? No, you cannot. True success is being able to
provide for those you love, and it’s not cheap.

2. How wealthy do you need to be to be happy?

- You don’t need to be wealthy to be happy. You need freedom and some good friends.
- The less money the better. Oscar Wilde once said that if you don’t die in debt, you have no creativity. If I
spend all my time working, I am never going to have a good time, or enjoy my life. Work as little as possible,
put lots on credit, and have a good time. That’s happiness for you.
- You need to be wealthy enough to afford fun things sometimes.
- Wealth is happiness. People say differently, but have they ever driven a Ferrari? Have they ever gone to
another country for lunch, on their private jet, just because they felt like it? It’s well and good to say that
money can’t buy you happiness, but it just isn’t true.

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3. Can a person be successful even if they hurt a lot of people to get there?

- No, because true success means being honorable.

- No, true success is being remembered by everyone as a good person. If you hurt a lot of people, no one
will think that you’re successful. Not only that, if you hurt a lot of people, there are already all of those
people who don’t like you. That’s not success.
- Yes. Sometimes people get hurt but you can’t let that get in your way of moving forward.
- I think General Patton, by anyone’s measure, was successful. His army KILLED a lot of people. I would say
that that’s a lot worse than “hurting” them. It all depends on what the field is where the person is trying to
be successful. If they are businessmen and drive other people out of business, then they need to do that. If
the person is a general, their success is often linked with harming and killing others.

4. Can a person be happy if they are always worried about what other people think of them?

- No, because you can never please everyone.

- No, because in the course of a person’s life, they will meet people who have different ideas about how they
should be. If they try to please both of them, they will have no end of disappointment.
- Yes, it’s good to be aware of other people’s thoughts.
- This is only true if it’s taken in the most extreme sense. There are plenty of people out there who are
respected and loved by nearly everyone. Those people are certainly concerned with what others think, and
have used it to become happy people.

5. How important is friendship to happiness? To success? Explain.

- Friendship is very important to happiness. It’s almost impossible to be happy when you’re lonely.
- We, as human beings, have a psychological need for companionship. We can get all of the money in the
world or do whatever we want. But if we have no friends, it means exactly nothing. Of course, friendship is
important.
- Friendship is not really important to success. It’s hard to have time for friends when you’re busy being
successful.
- Do you think that Donald Trump is successful? Do you think that he has any friends? It’s pretty easy to see,
just by watching the way that he acts on television that he is a pretty terrible person to be around. He is, on
the other hand, extremely successful.

Time to Debate (page 64)

1. You cannot be both successful and happy.

- I agree, because success demands that we sacrifice the things that make us happy.
- I agree. Success is something that society determines. Happiness is something that you determine. If you
have one, it is almost impossible to have the other.
- I disagree. We can be moderately successful and still have time for the things that make us happy.
- Sure you can. If money makes you happy, you can be a very successful businessman or businesswoman,
and that will make you happy. Not every businessperson is miserable. There are many businesspeople
whose success and happiness are the same thing.

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2. Money cannot buy happiness.

- I agree. Happiness comes from things that are not for sale, like love and a clear conscience.
- In fact, money is often the opposite of happiness. Buddhism, one of the largest religions in the world,
teaches that desire causes suffering. Money is a symbol of desire. While Buddhism might not be completely
right, there are an awful lot of people that think that money is a symbol of suffering.
- I disagree. Happiness can be enhanced by things like leisure time, travel and a nice home. It takes money to
get these things.
- This is something that poor people say to make up for the fact that they don’t have money. If a person
bought you a car, it would make you happy. If they bought you a house, it would make you happy. Money
can buy you the time to do the things that make you happy.

3. True success means you’ve reached your own goals, not society’s expectations.

- I agree. It’s not really success if you haven’t done what you actually wanted to do.
- This is true. If you own your own successful business, have a private jet, and are a mean person with no
friends, is that success? Society’s expectations might say that it is. If you die without ever having a real
friend, would that be success?
- I disagree. Success means excelling, and society can judge if you are excelling or not.
- Our impact on society is more important than we are. Think about how you are remembered. This lives on
long after you do. Society judges how you will be remembered and if you meet society’s expectations, you
will be immortalized in public memory. This is true success.

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U N IT

11 Pollution

Warm-up (page 65)

1. Ask students what pollution is and for some examples of it.

2. If students have a lot of trouble answering the question, explain that pollution is when something is put into
the environment in a bad way. Explain that this can be because the thing is poisonous in some way or
simply because there is just too much of it.

3. Ask the students how pollution happens.

4. Tell students to fill in part one of their warm-up.

5. When most or all of the students are finished, ask them for answers.
Answers

1. c 2. b 3. a 4. d 5. e

6. Ask students what will happen if they forget their homework. Their answers will probably be something like
“my mom will get mad” or “my teacher will give me a bad grade.”

7. Then ask them what will happen if they DO their homework. Their answers will probably be something like “I
will get a good grade,” or “the teacher will be happy with me.”

8. Explain that for every cause and effect, there is a possibility that the effect can change if the cause is
changed.

9. Ask students for examples of this.

10. Ask students to answer the second part of the warm-up. (What can we do to make less pollution?)
Examples will vary, but here are some possible answers:
•ride bikes instead of cars •drive electric cars
•buy cars that are fuel efficient •buy hybrid cars
•recycle •turn the lights off
•buy things that are made locally instead of things shipped from a long distance
•contact the government about building green electricity
•plant a tree •buy products that don’t have a lot of packaging
•try using less electricity •install a solar panel
•walk instead of driving •try to use less water
•don’t use aerosol spray cans •buy things packaged in tin and glass instead of plastic

11. Have students share some of their answers from their lists. (Depending on how large the class is, it might be
better to only have a few students do this, or maybe have each student share a few.)

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Comprehension Check (page 67)

1. How many people die each day from water pollution?

- 14,000

2. What are the two major types of pollution?

- air and water pollution

3. What are the primary causes of air pollution?

- emissions from cars and factories

4. There was an oil spill in the spring of 2010. Where was it?
- the Gulf of Mexico

5. How do we know air pollution is a serious problem in China?

- It causes the deaths of more than 600,000 people there each year.

Vocabulary Check (page 67)

1. Many of the byproducts created in our factory must be thrown out.

2. Newer cars make less emissions and are better for the environment.

3. If you’re not careful with your drink, you may have a(n) spill.

4. I accidentally burst my balloon.

5. Restaurants must be careful about sanitation to ensure food safety.

Think About It (page 67)

1. Many say pollution is our most serious problem. Do you agree? Why or why not?

- I agree. Other problems, like war and hunger, can be solved. If the environment is destroyed, it can’t really
be fixed.
- Of course it is. We have a lot of problems. But the possible consequences of global warming and poisoning
our water supply could end all life on earth. This needs to be solved before we do anything else.
- I disagree. Poverty and war are more serious, because people are suffering and dying right now. We have
to help them.
- Science will solve the problem of pollution in time. There are a lot of other problems, like war and cultural
differences to which we need to come up with more complicated solutions.

2. How is your life affected by pollution?

- My mother has asthma, so it’s hard for her to breathe when pollution is bad.
- Sometimes we don’t buy the fish, because we know it is poisoned by pollution. Poisoned fish will make us
sick.
- It doesn’t affect my life. I don’t notice it at all.

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- There is a big dump near my house. Whenever I walk past it, I see rats and enormous flies. Many people
get sick from it.

3. Can young people make a difference in the fight against pollution?

- Yes they can. Young people decide what’s popular. They buy things or ask their parents to buy them. If
they decide to only buy things that are good for the environment, it will make a big difference.
- Yes, they can. Young people will someday be older people. As we grow up, we need to make decisions
that are environmentally good so that our world will be healthy.
- No, they can’t. Only the governments and factory owners can make a difference. They hold all the power.
- No. Young people are led around by companies and told what to think. Fashion and movies might tell kids
to think about pollution, but they do that to make a profit. The solutions that they provide are fake and don’t
do much.

Supporting Opinions (page 68)

1. You should study about pollution and think of ways to stop it...
d. because having a clean planet is important for our future.
Studying something is always important if you want to do something about it.

2. Everyone should recycle paper...

c. because we will have to cut down less trees.
If we cut down trees for paper, and this is a problem, then using recycled paper is a good idea.

3. Smoking should be banned everywhere...

b. because it is bad for the environment and bad for your health.
The first part of the argument explains an idea. The second part of the argument explains why.

4. You should turn the lights off when you leave the house...
a. because it will save electricity.
If you don’t need to use electricity, don’t use it.

Refuting Opinions (page 68)

1. Cars produce too much air pollution. We should stop using cars.

b. That is not a practical solution. We need cars to work and travel. We can make
more energy efficient cars!
The second argument claims that banning cars is not realistic. If we need them, we
can’t get rid of them.
Our lives may be less convenient without cars, but there are many other solutions.

2. My life is not affected by pollution, so why should I care.

c. That’s not true. Everyone is affected by pollution because we share this planet. If it
is polluted everyone will suffer.

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Pollution is a global problem. Even if a person doesn’t notice a problem, doesn’t

mean that it doesn’t affect them.
I go to school. I go home. I eat food. I play with my dog. I live in the country. How
exactly does pollution affect me?

3. Children are too young to help stop pollution.

d. You are never too young to help. Children can influence their parents to recycle
more.
If children influence their parents, their age does not matter And they have an effect
on pollution.
It is more likely that parents will have an effect on their children. If someone’s parents
tell them that pollution doesn’t matter, it is much more likely that the child will believe
them.

4. Air pollution is more serious than water pollution.

a. They are both serious because we cannot live without clean air and water.
Even though we might die faster without air, we still have to have water.
Pollution of the air causes global warming, which is hurting our water supply.
Therefore, air pollution is more important.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

Business is more important than the environment. [Opinion]

All businesses are in the environment. If our world dies, business will die with it. [Refutation]
Business has the power to stop pollution. If companies sell the idea of “going green” to people, we can
solve our pollution problems. Not only that, but poor people are more concerned with just feeding
themselves. If we don’t worry about business, we won’t have time to worry about the environment. [Re-
refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 69)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
These days, many people are talking about the problem of pollution. Everyone is upset about polluted water
and dirty air. However, we are not ready to completely change our lifestyles. Let’s face it. Technology allows

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us to enjoy so many benefits. Convenience and comfort have made our lives better. We would have to let go
of so many wonderful things to change this problem of pollution. Maybe it’s better to just accept it: pollution
is the price of our convenient lives. It seems like a price we are willing to pay.

Opinion B
Pollution is a serious problem. But I have a three step solution: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle! We need to
use less water and energy, and not buy stuff that we don’t need. We also need to drive our cars less often.
We need to reuse things instead of throwing them in the garbage. Lastly, we need to recycle paper, metal,
plastic and glass. If everyone follows these three easy steps there will be a lot less pollution. Are you ready to
reduce, reuse and recycle?

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
We have used technology to solve our problems ever since we invented ways to start fire and make wheels.
Technology has brought about the problem of pollution, and it will likely solve it. Yes, we should be
concerned about it, but if we buy things that pollute less and less, we will eliminate the problem without too
much difficulty.

For Opinion B
Our world is dying. If it dies, we die with it. If we ignore this, we will die. It’s the same thing as standing in the
street when a bus is coming. There is nothing more important than our future. If we aren’t concerned with
pollution, we aren’t thinking about our futures. We have a chance to make a difference. We just have to do it.

Discussion Questions (page 70)

Guide Questions

- What difference does it make if a person is successful or not?

- Do you think a person who is hungry or unhealthy can be happy? Why or why not?
- Do you think that it’s possible to have one short success that will keep a person happy for their whole
life? Explain why or why not.
- Do you think that humans naturally think of things in terms of winning and losing? Why or why not?

1. Do you think most people take environmental problems seriously enough? Explain your answer.

- No, I don’t think they do. Scientists say that we don’t have much time left before the earth is completely
ruined. It’s an urgent problem.
- Not in the way that they should. I think if you asked people, they might say that they take these problems
seriously, but they don’t actually do anything about it. People need to take more action and stop just saying
that they care.
- Yes, I think they do. Most people are changing their habits as much as they can. We can’t spend every
minute in a state of panic. We have to carry on.
- Yes, I think that people care. If they didn’t, there would be no green product movement. There would be no
electric cars. There would be more pollution. If people didn’t care much, we wouldn’t even be talking about
this.

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2. What kinds of lifestyle changes will we have to make to save the environment? Is it worth it?

- We’ll have to stop flying in airplanes and driving in cars so much. We’ll have to limit what we buy to ‘green’
products. We’ll have to give up all those fun plastic toys that are made in factories. It’s not worth it! It’s the
governments and factories that should change, not us.
- The environment will fix itself. I read that if we leave the water cycle alone for seven years, it will clean itself.
If that’s true, then a lot of the other stuff can probably fix itself as well. The environment is just not as big a
problem as people think it is.
- It’s worth it. In the end, the earth is all we have. If we don’t save it, we have nothing.
- People who don’t think that the environment is worth saving are absurd. They think that just because they
don’t see the problems that they aren’t serious or aren’t really happening. The problem with this attitude is
that by the time a lot of the environmental problems - particularly with global warming - can be seen, it will
already be too late.

3. A lot of advertising talks about going ‘green’. How much of this advertising is genuine, and how much is just
following the trend?

- Many of these ads don’t actually say anything serious about helping the environment. They just claim to use
‘natural ingredients,’ or color the package green. Only a small amount of ‘green’ advertising is really about
making changes.
- This is so absurd that it’s almost funny. Who makes these “green” campaigns? Businesses. These are the
same businesses that pollute the environment and exploit people. The idea that they care about the
environment is almost laughable.
- It’s true. Some of the green campaigns are just a way for companies to sell more things to people. Some of
them are linked with non-profit groups and are legitimate, though. There will always be people trying to
make money from changes in society, but that doesn’t make the green campaigns any less good.

4. Who should be responsible for taking care of the environment? Should it be the government? The factories?
Or us, the consumers? Explain your answer.
- I think it should be the government. We elect them to work on these kinds of problems. They shouldn’t
avoid them just because they’re worried about votes.
- I don’t think anyone should be responsible all by themselves. We bought the products that have polluted
the environment. So it’s our fault. The companies made the products, so it’s also their fault. The
government was slow to make laws about pollution. This makes it everyone’s fault. We should all do things
to make the environment better.
- I think it should be the factories. They have made billions of dollars over the years. Now they must spend
that money on fixing the environment. I think it should be the consumers. We make choices about what to
buy. If we stop buying things from big polluters, it will send them a message. It will tell them to clean up their
act.

5. Some people say it’s too expensive to become environmentally friendly. They say it will hurt the economy too
much. Do you agree with this? Why or why not?

- Yes, I agree. The economy depends on business. Changing our ways too much will destroy the businesses.
That destroys the economy. Then everybody suffers.

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- If we destroy our economy, our country will collapse. This causes so many other problems that it will make
pollution look like a joke. Civil wars and famine are far more pressing issues than global warming. I think we
need to fix the problem, but in its own time.
- I disagree. It’s a matter of priorities. It may be hard on the economy, but ruining the planet we live on has
much worse consequences. We simply must find a way to fix the problem.
- People get very dramatic about the economy. The truth of the matter is that the human race existed for
thousands and thousands of years before there even was an economy. If the economy has a bad time, we
will still be here. If our environment dies, we will all die as well.

Time to Debate (page 70)

1. Environmentalists exaggerate the problem. Throughout history, there has always been someone saying the
world is about to end. This is no different.

- I agree. Everything seems fine to me. Let’s not panic. We’ll work the problems out eventually.
- It’s true. The hole in the ozone layer was supposed to end the world right? Well, now it’s closing. People
say that global warming may just be a trend in the weather. This is nothing to concern yourself over.
- I disagree. Research shows that our grandchildren may not have clean water to drink or air to breathe. This
is a serious problem.
- It’s better safe than sorry. The fossil record shows that there have been five extinctions where nearly all life
has been wiped out on earth. The fact of the matter is that if we don’t do something, all life could be wiped
out again - whether it’s natural or not.

2. We should all stop driving cars, except when absolutely necessary.

- I agree. Emissions from cars are a big part of the problem. Reducing them would have a great effect.
- This makes sense. Why would you drive your car when it isn’t absolutely necessary. Also, this might
increase the amount of public transportation available. This would make a number of things better in our
world.
- I disagree. It would make a small difference, compared to the pollution from factories. It’s industry that
should change first.
- Producing meat uses far more greenhouse gas and energy than driving. If people stopped eating meat and
became vegetarian, we could drive all day, and the environment would be just fine. The meat industry wants
to cover this up, but it is a fact.

3. Our actions now will decide what kind of world our grandchildren will live in.
- I agree. If we work very hard at changing, there may still be clean air and water in the future. If not, the world
will be a very unhealthy place.
- This is true. Who else determines what the world will be like in the future? Our choices affect our children
and our children’s children. If we live in a society that is not sustainable, it will collapse. Then, what will our
grandchildren be left with?
- I disagree. This moment is no different from any other. Every generation has problems to deal with. We
shouldn’t exaggerate the problem.
- World War I was called “The Great War.” Then came World War II. People called the first one the Great War

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because they had never experienced anything like it. People tend to think that they are living in a time period
unlike any other all of the time. While this is true to an extent, it doesn’t mean that we’re any closer to
destroying the world than we were in 1914.

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U N IT

12 Peer Pressure

Warm-up (page 71)

1. Ask students what peer pressure is.

2. If students have trouble with the definition, ask them to break the phrase into two words: peer and pressure
- what is a peer? What is pressure?

3. If students still have trouble with the words, explain that a peer is someone around the same age as
someone else. Most students should know what pressure is.

4. Give examples of peer pressure. What might peers try to make each other do?

5. Ask students to fill in the table.

6. When most or all of the students are finished, ask them for answers.

Possible Answers

Good things that friends might pressure you to do Bad things that friends might pressure you to do

Study Steal
•Listen to new kinds of music Smoke cigarettes
Try different fashion Cheat
Be friends with someone you didn’t know first Help someone cheat
Try a new game Do drugs
Learn a new sport Make fun of someone
Learn a new art form Not be friends with someone
Start a band Disobey your parents
•Get into fights

Expansion

7. Break students into at least three groups.

8. Explain to students that they must not tell anyone outside their group what their example is.

9. Divide students into groups and assign one of the bad examples of peer pressure to each group.

10. Go on to tell them that they must act out the example without speaking. The other groups must raise their
hands and guess what the example is, based on what the group does.

11. Assign one point to a group with a correct answer.

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12. Assign three points to the group that acts out the example, for making it clear.

13. Depending on the size of the class and the time, either continue until all of the groups have had a chance to
act out their example or until all of the examples have been used.

Comprehension Check (page 73)

1. What is pressure from a group of friends called?

- peer pressure

2. What are two examples of negative peer pressure?

- pressure to steal or smoke

3. What university had a study on peer pressure in the 1970s?

- Stanford

4. How many students were selected for the study?

- 24

5. What happened in that study?

- The group pretending to be guards started acting mean.

Vocabulary Check (page 73)

1. We chose names randomly to decide who would play the game first.

2. The burglars had to pay a huge fine or spend time in prison.

3. It’s inappropriate to be mean to your classmates.

4. Her parents put a lot of pressure on her to succeed at school.

5. At school, you learn to relate to your peers.

Think About It (page 73)

1. Do humans know what’s right and wrong when they’re born, or must they learn it? Explain your answer.

- People have to learn what’s right and wrong. Clearly, a lot of people never do learn it.
- That’s why there are violent criminals. Everybody knows right from wrong. Some people just don’t want to
do what’s right.

2. Do we put pressure on other people without realizing it? How?

- Yes, we do. We sometimes make people feel guilty in subtle ways. If they don’t do what we want them to,
they may feel bad.
- No, peer pressure is never an accident. People know what they’re doing when they pressure each other.

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3. Imagine your friend has been pressured into doing something wrong. What’s the best way to tell him or her
you don’t approve?
- The best thing to do is to say nothing. The friend will have to make his or her own decisions.
- The best thing to do is to be completely honest. Tell them you don’t like what they’re doing. You can also
say you’re available if they want someone to talk to.

Supporting Opinions (page 74)

1. You should never steal...

d. because taking things that don’t belong to you is wrong. If you want it you must pay for it.
The first part of the argument sets a statement. The second part explains why it is true.

2. You should never give in to bad peer pressure...

b. because being yourself is more important.
If other people are making your decisions, then you are not being yourself.

3. It is difficult to say no to a friend...

c. because everyone wants their friends to like them and think they are cool.
People like other people who are agreeable. Many people worry about seeming disagreeable by
saying no.

4. You should not smoke...

a. because cigarettes are bad for you.
Smoking is bad for you. You shouldn’t do things that are bad for you.

Refuting Opinions (page 74)

1. You should always try to fit in with a group.

d. Not always. It is more important to be yourself. Eventually you will find a group that
is good for you!
The first argument presents no evidence. The second argument presents a contrary
opinion with some evidence.
Striving to be different just to be different is stupid. Everyone has certain things in
common. We all breathe. We all eat. We are all people. No one should dodge that.

2. You should smoke. It’s cool!

a. No, it is not cool. Smoking is bad for your health.

Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in many countries. Being
“cool” is not worth this.
But everyone’s doing it. Do you want to be an outsider?

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3. You are weak if you follow peer pressure.

b. That is not necessarily true. Strong people use positive peer pressure to help each
other succeed.
The first argument does not present any evidence. The second argument presents an
opposing idea with some evidence.
That’s not true. Strong people don’t need peer pressure to help them succeed. They
do things with only their own motivation.

4. It is more important to listen to your friends than to listen to your parents.

c. That is not true. You should always listen to your parents because they have much
experience and know what is correct.
Your parents have been alive longer than your friends. This gives them more
knowledge about life. Generally, people who know more about life can give better
advice.
Your parents were alive in their day. They don’t know anything about what it is like to
live now. They are not as knowledgeable about things at school as your peers.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

Peer pressure is always bad. [Opinion]

Not true. If your friends are all signing up for a club, and they want you to sign up with them, it could be
a very positive experience. [Refutation]
If you have interest in something, you’ll decide to do it whether or not your friends want to. Peer
pressure is more likely to influence you into doing something that you really don’t have any interest in. [Re-
refutation]

As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 75)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
I am part of a study group that is full of very hard-working students. We meet three times a week and help
each other study. To be a part of the group, you need to have an ‘A’ average. If your grades fall below an ‘A’
you can’t come to the group anymore. Sometimes, we have to kick students out of the group. We all
encourage, help and pressure each other. Pressure helps us to do better.

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Opinion B
Peer pressure can be a very dangerous thing. We can be pressured to do things that we would never
normally do because of pressure from a group. In the case of war, people are pressured and convinced to kill
other people. Normally, most of us would never kill another person. Less extreme is smoking. Often
teenagers smoke to look cool so that they can be part of a group. Peer pressure can convince us to do
things that are sometimes bad for us.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
If your peers pressure you to do things that are wrong, get new peers. Peer pressure is a positive influence,
provided that it is coming from the right people. If your friends are bad, they will try to influence you in a
negative way. If your friends are good, they will do just the opposite.

For Opinion B
Strong, smart, intelligent, and confident are all words that we hope describe us. However, anyone that is
influenced by peer pressure - in a good or a bad way - does not fit these words. A truly strong person will
make up their own mind, and if they happen to be doing the same thing as the group, it’s because they
happen to want the same thing. It has nothing to do with the group.

Discussion Questions (page 76)

Guide Questions

- When was the last time that you really felt peer pressure?
- Do you ask people for advice ever?
- Do you think that asking for advice is the same thing as peer pressure? Why or why not?
- Do you think that it’s better to reject the idea of a group, even if the group has a good idea?

1. Where do you draw the line with peer pressure? Are there things you might agree to do? Are there things you
would never do?

- I draw the line at drugs. I would never do drugs, no matter what. I might try other things, like smoking. But I
wouldn’t start smoking all the time.
- I just don’t ever respond to peer pressure. If I feel like a group is trying to pressure me into doing something,
I go do something else. I don’t really have a line with peer pressure. I figure that if a whole group of people is
doing something, they must have thought it through enough for it to be a good idea.
- I wouldn’t go against what my parents say. Beyond that, I don’t really care, and if something that my friends
are doing seems fun, why not? I figure that as long as I stay out of trouble, there’s nothing wrong with
following my friends once in a while.

2. Do your parents ever warn you about peer pressure? What do they say?
- My parents say, “If your friend jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?” This is not a very good example.
They don’t understand how important it is to fit in.

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- My parents don’t talk to me about peer pressure. They respect my ability to make my own decisions, and
they know that they don’t have to say anything. If I do something bad or stupid, it is my own fault, and I’ll
have to face the consequences.
- My parents have told me in a million different ways that peer pressure is something to be avoided. They
compare people who follow what their friends say to sheep. I think that if I were to get into trouble because
of something my friends got me to do, my parents would be more angry that I didn’t think for myself.
- My parents are always working. They don’t really talk to me much about anything because they are too
busy at work. This would be a strange thing to come from either of my parents because they are always
doing what other people told them to.

3. What kind of personality type is most affected by peer pressure? What type is the least? What type are you?

- Some people are followers. They naturally want to do what others ask them to. They want to make people
happy. They are most affected by peer pressure.
- People who are really social are most likely to have peer pressure applied on them. Because they want to
be liked and want to get people’s attention. They are constantly looking to please people and stand out.
The easiest way to do both of those things is by doing what the group tells you.
- Leaders are more likely to feel peer pressure because everyone is looking at them. They are usually the first
ones to do something new, and everyone watches them. This is a lot of pressure.
- It’s true. Some of the green campaigns are just a way for companies to sell more things to people. Some of
them are linked with non-profit groups and are legitimate, though. There will always be people trying to
make money from changes in society, but that doesn’t make the green campaigns any less good.

4. Adults may tell you that friends who pressure you are no friends at all. They may say you should ignore them.
Is this realistic? Explain.
- This is not realistic. It’s impossible to go your own way when you’re at school. It would be miserable.
- This is totally unrealistic. The only reason that adults say this sort of thing is because they aren’t in the
situation that you are in at school. Not only that, but if you look at the lives of the adults who say these
things, they are not even taking their own advice. Frequently, these people drive the same cars, talk to the
same people, and go see the same movies as everyone else that they know.
- It could be realistic. You would just have to find friends who accepted you the way you are.
- It’s not only realistic; it’s the way that things should be. If people are putting pressure on you to do things
that you don’t want to do, look at the situation: why don’t you want to do it? Usually, it’s because of fear -
that of getting hurt or into trouble or both. Anyone who would want you to do things like this is not a friend.
Friends don’t do things like this to other friends.

5. Why do people in groups want to behave similarly?

- If other people around me do what I’m doing, it makes me feel like I’m doing the right thing. It affirms me. If
people do something different, it challenges me. It seems to say I’m not doing the right thing.
- People feel safer belonging to a group because there is safety in numbers - this is why civilization holds
together. It’s why tribes and small groups started. People try to do things and follow along with the will of
the group because it keeps their spot in the group safe.
- People behave similarly in groups because they are stupid awful creatures. Our species, because of our
desire to be in groups, has fought wars. Is there anything more destructive and evil than war? Would war
exist if groups didn’t? Of course not. How could you have a one-on-one war?

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- People don’t always behave similarly in groups. We expect them to because it’s easier to keep track of
things that way. However, if you look at the way in which and the reason for people following the pack,
you’ll see that they do it in different ways. People are individuals, even when they are part of a group.

Time to Debate (page 76)

1. Giving in to peer pressure is a sign of weakness. If you do it when you’re young, you’ll probably always be
weak.

- I agree, because you have to learn to stand your ground. You might as well start when you’re young.
- Of course it is. Would it be a sign of strength for people to say, “Go jump in a lake,” and the person jumped
in? No one would say that a person who follows a group is a strong person. It’s absurd.
- I disagree. Peer pressure is a normal part of growing up. Everyone is affected by it at some point.
- This isn’t true. Strong people do what they have to do to survive. If playing a long with a group keeps you
from being made fun of or otherwise unhappy, then it’s the smart thing to do. You don’t always have to
follow what people say, but sometimes it just makes life easier.

2. Peer pressure can have a positive influence on our lives.

- Of course it does. There is an old saying, “good sailors are not made on calm seas,” is directly about this. If
we are never tested to see what kind of people we are, we will always be weak. It’s important to stand up
to peer pressure, but if one is never subjected to it, how will they know how to react?
- I disagree. Forming our own opinions is better. It’s hard to have your own opinions when there’s peer
pressure.

3. If you’re pressured to do something bad, it’s not all your fault.

- I agree. The person who pressures you is partly responsible. They should be held accountable, too.
- Of course, it’s partially their fault. If they hadn’t pushed you into doing whatever it was that you did, you
wouldn’t have done it. If this is the case, then really, it’s more their fault than it is yours.
- I disagree. We all experience pressure, but we have to make our own decisions. We are individuals with our
own choices.
- Sadly, this is not true. In the eyes of the law and our own consciences, usually the person who puts
pressure on us to do something bad is completely innocent. We have to live with our decisions and their
consequences. If someone tells us to rob a bank, it’s unlikely that they will go to jail. However, it’s likely that
we will, if we do as we’re told.

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U N IT

13 Children Studying Abroad

Warm-up (page 77)

1. Tell students to think of places that they might want to study abroad. Tell them that these can be places they
have already studied abroad or places they have never been.

2. Ask students to fill in the warm-up.

3. Have students share their ideas.

Possible Answers

Country USA Australia UK

Learn American English, Learn English in a safer Learn English surrounded

make business contacts environment than many by rich tradition and
in one of the world’s English-speaking heritage, see many
Reason to
largest economies, study countries, experience famous sites, make
study abroad at some of the world’s exotic wildlife and contacts in some of the
best universities scenery world’s best financial
institutions

Further Examples

China - learn Mandarin, make contacts in the world’s largest rising economic power, variety of different
locations to study
UAE - experience many cultures, make contacts from all over the world, intern at some of the best financial
institutions in the world

4. Write the names of the countries the students share on the board and see which are the most popular.

5. Ask the class why they think that the most chosen places are the most popular. Compare several students’
answers. If they are the same, move on to the interview. If not, ask them why they feel the way that they do.

Comprehension Check (page 79)

1. What is considered a prerequisite for success in many Asian countries?

- fluency in English

2. What is the advantage of studying abroad at a young age?

- learning English

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3. What are the drawbacks of studying abroad?

- leaving one or both of your parents, having to learn a new culture

4. How much does it cost families to send their children abroad to study?
- It can cost a lot of their annual income.

5. What do cultures depend on?

- their languages

Vocabulary Check (page 79)

1. With a lot of work, I will achieve total fluency in Spanish.

2. Is high school algebra a prerequisite for university level math?

3. There are benefits to saving all your money, but there are also drawbacks.

4. It’s considered impolite to talk on your cell phone at dinner.

5. You have to make homework a top priority if you want a good grade.

Think About It (page 79)

Answers will vary based on the students, but here are some examples:

Advantages Disadvantages

•Learn excellent English •Miss family

•Experience another culture •Possibly forget one’s culture
•Gain independence •Can be stressful
•Make new friends •May feel out of place at home
•Improve future opportunities •Suffer from culture shock
•Technology means that home is only a phone •Can have a bad experience
call away •Possible to stay within a person’s own culture
•Can be a lot of fun while abroad, making the experience pointless
•Makes a person more willing to try new things and expensive

Supporting Opinions (page 80)

1. If you want to learn a new language you should study abroad...

c. since you will have to use the language everyday in reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Anything you want to get good at, you should practice. Reading, writing, speaking, and
listening are all practices in language.

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2. You should never forget your native language...

a. because your culture depends on your language.
Language is a part of culture. If a language is not spoken, that part of the culture will fade away.

3. You should call your family often when abroad...

b. because it will help to keep your relationship strong.
Communication keeps people close. Calling your family means that you will communicate with
them a lot.

4. You need to be strong to study abroad...

d. because you will face new challenges and will have to be independent.
Strong people do not depend on other people. This is the kind of person you need to be to
study abroad.

Refuting Opinions (page 80)

1. Studying abroad is dangerous.

b. That’s not true. Most people who study abroad are safe and have a very great
experience.
The first argument presents no evidence. The second argument presents a
contrary opinion with some evidence.
Even if most people study abroad and are safe, would you really want to be one of
the few to whom something bad happens?

2. If you leave your country you will lose your culture.

d. No you won’t. You can keep your culture and still experience a new one.
The first argument presents no evidence. The second argument presents a
contrary opinion - it also presents no evidence.
Many people study abroad and instead of coming back unable to adapt to being
home, it makes them stronger people within their own culture.

3. You should stay home because your family will miss you a lot.

c. Your family might miss you, but modern technology has made it very easy to talk to
your family.
If you see your family on the computer, you won’t miss them as much.
Seeing your family on the computer and knowing that they are thousands of miles
away will only make you miss them more.

4. If you study abroad you will get a better job.

a. That’s not necessarily true. If you study abroad but do not work hard it will be
difficult to get a job.
If you do not work hard while studying abroad, you’ll only be able to show bad
grades for the experience. That doesn’t help anyone.

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That’s not true. Many companies don’t just look at grades. They see that you are a
risk-taker and willing to try new things. This often is a better display of what people
are like than just a letter or a number on a paper.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

No one should study abroad. It’s a waste of time and money. [Opinion]
Not true. If it translates into a person getting a good job, how could it be a waste of time or money?
[Refutation]
Extremely few people get jobs directly because they have studied abroad. It is much more likely that
they will get into debt and be too distracted to study - thus suffering worse grades if they study abroad.
[Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 81)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
I want to have every advantage in my education. If that means going to a foreign country, then I will do it. I
realize that it is scary and that I will miss my family, but my education must be the best. If I get an excellent
education, then I will score well on my college entrance exams. Then I can get into a good college and get a
job where I make a lot of money. I realize it is going to be difficult, but it’s really worth it.

Opinion B
I wouldn’t want to study abroad. I would rather be at home with my friends. I don’t think it would feel very
good to be shipped off across the ocean where you don’t know anyone. Those kids must be very lonely. It
would be like going to a new school, except a hundred times worse. If I want to learn English, I can do it
here. Some things are not worth the trouble. Studying abroad is one of them.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
Studying abroad can help me to be the kind of person that I want to be. I want to experience new things,
see new sights, try new food, and make new friends. Learning is not just about books. Learning is about
having experiences and study abroad offers the best types of experiences that a person can have.

For Opinion B
Studying abroad is something that people do to make themselves more interesting. I think that I am plenty

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interesting already, and when I travel it will be because I am old enough to appreciate it. Most students going
to school abroad don’t even really see the real culture because they aren’t old enough to go out and see it for
themselves. They stick with their group of friends from their home country and don’t see anything. Study
abroad is not for me.

Discussion Questions (page 82)

Guide Questions

- If you could teach someone one thing about your culture, what would it be?
- What’s one thing in your own culture that you don’t really understand?
- What do you think would make it hard for someone to adapt to your culture?
- What do you think would be difficult for you to adapt to in a new culture?

1. How important is keeping your own culture?

- It’s very important. Our cultural traditions help us understand our place in the world.
- Culture and traditions are part of our identity. They are as important as our address and our clothes.
Imagine how out of place you would feel if these things weren’t around anymore.
- It’s not very important. It’s more important to be a unique individual.
- Traditions are really just something that people do over and over again regardless of how silly it is. Culture is
just a collection of traditions. Bull fighting in Spain is considered very cultural. Most people outside of that
think that it is terrible and cruel. It’s been kept alive because it’s a tradition. This is silly. Just because
someone has been doing something for years does not mean that it is not stupid.

2. How does studying abroad affect family relationships?

- It strains them. Being separated from your parents makes it harder to relate to them when you come home.
- It depends entirely on the family. Some people will realize that they don’t miss their families much and won’t
keep in touch. When they come home they’re like different people. Others miss their families a lot and call
every day. Their families realize how much they miss them, and everyone is happy when they come home.
- It makes them stronger. You miss your parents so much that you’re extra glad to see them when you get
home.
- It doesn’t really do anything. I interact with my parents about as much while I am home as I would if I were
abroad. We talk on the phone. We see each other once in a while. We’ve gotten used to not seeing each
other. I don’t think it would be much of a change.

3. Is studying abroad more stressful than studying in your home country? Why or why not?

- Yes, it is. While learning how to do everything in English, you also have to learn a new culture. This is
stressful.
- Of course it is. If your family and friends from home aren’t there, it’s all of the same stress with nothing
familiar and no support from the people you’re used to. It can be extremely stressful.
- No it’s not. It’s a fun adventure, so it feels more like a game.
- It’s no more or less stressful than studying at home. The pressures may be different, but they are about at
the same level. After a while though, when a person gets used to living abroad, the pressures and stress

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fade away, and what’s left is a great experience.

4. Does studying abroad give people real advantages? If so, does that mean those who can afford it have an
unfair advantage?

- Yes, it does. People who study abroad are more likely to get into university and get good jobs.
- I think it’s fair, because the parents worked hard to get these advantages for their kids.
- It’s totally unfair. That’s the way that the world is though. People who are born rich are far more likely to stay
rich when they get older. Poorer people cannot afford the same advantages and are more likely to stay
poor.
- I think it’s unfair because it just means the rich stay rich. It’s not based on hard work.

5. Can studying abroad have positive effects for your home country?

- Yes, it can. People who study abroad bring back new ideas that can have a positive influence on our home
country.
- Of course it can. Cultures that do not learn from others stop progressing and die. Culture is a living thing,
and it has to evolve. One of the ways that it evolves is by learning from other cultures. Sending students
abroad is one of the best ways to do this.
- No, it can’t. People who study abroad lose their language and culture. This is bad for the country?
- Certainly not. Sending young people abroad where they will learn things that make it hard for them to adapt
to their own culture will cause more and more people to move abroad. If this happens, fewer and fewer
people will know the culture of my home country, and it will die out.

Time to Debate (page 82)

1. Studying abroad is the greatest experience you will ever have.

- I agree. Living abroad challenges you in ways nothing else can. This challenge makes you realize you are
strong. After that, you can handle anything.
- It is definitely one of the best experiences a person can have. You are young. You learn new ideas at your
most open point in life. You make new friends and learn about other cultures. Seldom do people ever speak
of their study abroad experiences negatively - there’s a reason for that.
- I disagree. Studying abroad is like postponing real life. If you future is in your home country, then you should
stay there and learn more about your own country.
- This is absurd. The GREATEST experience that you will ever have? What if you become an astronaut when
you grow up and go to the moon? Will studying abroad be greater than that? What if you get food
poisoning on the trip and are sick the whole time? Will that be the greatest experience you can have?

2. Studying abroad is damaging our culture.

- I agree. Young kids care less and less about our culture. It’s because foreign culture has captured their
attention. Studying abroad can only make this worse.
- Of course this is true. Sending out inexperienced children to show the world what our nation is like is, not
smart. The children aren’t old enough to get anything out of it. They are stressed out and misbehave. Then
the rest of the world thinks we act like that.

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- I disagree. Studying abroad makes for well-educated young people. They come home better equipped to
improve their country.
- The idea that a culture will die because of study abroad is a silly one. Culture needs to absorb other
customs and make them its own. This is how a culture progresses and becomes strong. Children studying
abroad is good for any culture.

3. Your success depends on your dedication, not going abroad.

- I agree. If you go abroad and don’t work very hard, there is no advantage. However, a child who stays
home and studies very hard will excel.
- This is true. Just because a person lives abroad does not make them multicultural or well-rounded. There
are a lot of ignorant, stupid, lazy people who study abroad and bring home nothing but stories about what
fools people in other countries thought they were.
- I disagree. There is a real advantage to studying abroad. Even a lazy student would learn a lot of English in
one year. You can’t help but learn when the language is all around you.
- This is unfortunate, but it is not true. Dedication does mean something, but studying abroad is a sign that
someone has wealth. Statistically speaking, wealthy people are more likely to stay wealthy than poor diligent
people are to become wealthy. It’s not fair at all, but it is the way that the world is.

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U N IT

14 Corporal Punishment

Warm-up (page 83)

1. Ask students what the phrase “corporal punishment” means.

2. Ask students if corporal punishment is allowed in their school. Then ask them why they think it is or it isn’t.

3. Have students fill in the table. These will vary, but here are some examples:

Incident Response
Student is late. Give student a warning.

Student threatens teacher. Call students’ parents.

Student is openly rude to the

teacher - uses bad language Send student to the principal.
when talking to them.

Student forgets their homework. Give student ‘0’ point on their homework.

Student cheats on their exam. Give student ‘0’ points on their exam.

Student gets into a fight with Make student write letter to other student,
another student. apologizing.

4. When most or all of the students have finished, have the class share their answers.

Comprehension Check (page 85)

1. What other consequences can parents give, besides corporal punishment?

- time out, denying privileges

2. What does corporal punishment usually mean in schools?

- being hit with a stick

3. Why do teachers think corporal punishment is effective?

- It saves time, increases their authority and sends a clear message.

4. Why might students in some countries receive corporal punishment?

- for speaking out of turn
- getting a low score on an exam
- not completing their homework

5. What other kinds of punishment can you receive in school?

- You can be kept after class, get a lower grade, or be given more school work.

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Vocabulary Check (page 85)

1. Exercise is a(n) effective way of losing weight.

2. A school may ban certain books if they’re too controversial.

3. It’s important to respect the authority of your parents and teachers.

4. We bring our car in for maintenance routinely.

5. Of all the punishments available, the corporal kind is the toughest.

Think About It (page 85)

1. What sort of behavior, if any, should result in corporal punishment? Explain.

- Any intentional behavior deserves corporal punishment.

- Dangerous behavior should receive corporal punishment. It’s an urgent matter to stop the person from
hurting themselves or others.
- Disrespectful behavior deserves corporal punishment. If a student is bad enough to act that way, they
deserve to feel pain.
- No behavior should receive corporal punishment. There is always a better alternative.

2. What would you rather receive — corporal punishment or a very difficult assignment? Explain your choice.

- I would rather get corporal punishment, because it’s over quickly.

- Corporal punishment is better. I’d remember it, but it’s not going to waste my time with an assignment that
drives the point home well after I’ve learned my lesson.
- I’d rather get the assignment because I just won’t do it. If the teacher isn’t going to hit me, really what can
they do?
- I would rather get the assignment, because at least it’s not physically painful.

3. Whom do you respect more — a teacher who uses corporal punishment or a teacher who doesn’t? Explain
your choice.
- I respect teachers who use corporal punishment, because they are strong.
- I respect teachers who use corporal punishment. You know who they are, you know not to cross them, and
their classes are usually more under control.
- I respect teachers who don’t use corporal punishment, because I can see that they respect their students.
- I respect teachers who don’t use corporal punishment because they have cultivated a commanding
presence without threatening students. They tend to be more creative, and even if they aren’t willing to give
you corporal punishment, they can call your parents who will.

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Supporting Opinions (page 86)

1. Corporal punishment should be banned in schools...

b. because correcting students with violence sets a bad example and can make the student
hate the teacher.
Schools are places of learning. If teachers set violence as an example, what will the students
learn?

2. Children should always respect their parents...

c. because parents love their children and provide them with the things they need to be
successful.
You should respect people who love you and provide for you.

3. Teachers should be allowed to hit bad students...

d. because bad children make teaching difficult and they disrupt the class.
If hitting students is not as bad as class disruption, then it is the lesser of two evils.

4. Parents should never hit a child...

a. because the parents will be teaching their children that violence is OK.
If children learn from their experiences, experiencing violence will teach them violence.

Refuting Opinions (page 86)

1. Strong people use corporal punishment, weak people do not.

d. This is not true. It takes courage to solve a problem without using violence.
The first part of the argument implies that there is only one kind of strength.
At the end of the day, people are animals and are really only inspired to do things by
fear of pain. Even other punishments can be traced back to a fear of pain. Corporal
punishment is at least a clear message.

2. Corporal punishment is the most effective way to discipline children.

c. No it is not. Corporal punishment has been shown to make children do worse in
school and can lead to more violence.
The first argument presents no evidence. The second argument presents a contrary
opinion - it also presents no evidence.
That’s absurd. Corporal punishment has been taken out of some schools. And
children are worse now than they have ever been.

3. You should be afraid of your teachers.

a. This is a bad idea. Students should respect their teachers, but they should not be
afraid of them. Fear makes learning less fun.
Children are more likely to work on something that they are having fun doing than
children who are afraid of not doing the same thing.

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Just because students are afraid of a teacher does not mean that they will not have
fun. They just know not to cross the teacher. This is the best of both worlds.

4. You should do your homework so that you will not get in trouble.
b. You should do your homework because it will prepare you for the future, not
because you are afraid of getting in trouble.
Doing things because you know that they are good for you is better than doing them
to stay out of trouble.
Not all homework is important. Most of the classes I take, I know the answers long
before anyone else. I don’t need to do the homework. I do it so that I can get good
grades. That’s the only reason.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

Corporal punishment is the only real punishment. [Opinion]

That’s ridiculous. What is it when you give someone extra homework? What about if you call their
parents? [Refutation]
People only respond to threats of violence. Even calling a student’s parents is really just a threat of their
parents hitting them. It’s the same thing. If you assign other homework, and they don’t do the homework,
they know that somewhere down the line they could be hit for it. [Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 87)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
Some kids are very bad. They scare the rest of us, and they don’t listen to teachers. Sometimes the only
way to correct them is with a serious punishment. It’s too bad if that hurts them. However, they have had a
lot of chances. They just don’t listen. They need corporal punishment because no other method has any
effect on them. It’s really for the good of the whole school. The whole group is better off if bad behavior is
stopped.

Opinion B
Corporal punishment is not effective. If a teacher uses violence to solve problems in the classroom, then
students will learn to use violence. Also, students who receive corporal punishment learn to hate their
teacher. How can you learn from someone you hate? Classrooms should be places of cooperation. How can
a student cooperate with someone who is hitting them? The law should protect children from violence the

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same way the law protects adults from violence. Why is it ok to hit children, but it’s not okay to hit adults?

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
If a student does something that is directed at the teacher, it is questioning the teacher’s authority. The only
way that a teacher can send a clear message to not question their authority is to hurt that student. If they give
them another assignment, what is going to make the student do it? What if the student uses the assignment
to show further disrespect?

For Opinion B
School is not the prison. It is not the military. It is a place for students to test boundaries and explore. They
are going to be disrespectful at times. They do not mean it as an insult to the teacher, they do it out of
inexperience and innocence. Setting them straight in ways other than corporal punishment is the best way to
do things.

Discussion Questions (page 88)

Guide Questions

- What would you think if you saw one of your classmates get corporal punishment?
- What are alternatives to corporal punishment?
- Have you ever seen your favorite teacher use corporal punishment?
- What would it make you think if you did?
- Do you think that a society that allows corporal punishment in schools is realistic or brutal? Why?

1. What kind of school produces better students — one that uses corporal punishment, or one that doesn’t?
Explain your answer.

- A school that uses corporal punishment produces better students because they are more disciplined. They
are less likely to waste time and fool around.
- Schools that use corporal punishment produce students who aren’t wild. Many students don’t have a
respect for authority at home. The only place that they are going to get instruction on how to obey authority,
is at school.
- A school that doesn’t use it produces better students. They work out of a desire to do well instead of fear.
- Schools without corporal punishment teach their students that violence is not the only answer. These
students tend to be less aggressive, less prone to violence themselves, and therefore just generally better
people.

2. What kind of corporal punishment is worse — from your parents or at school?

- It’s worse at school, because they use a stick and it hurts more.
- I don’t get either. My parents have never hit me. My teachers would lose their jobs if they did. I don’t get
punished in this way, and I think it would be cruel and unnecessary. Students at my school are bad
sometimes, but never this bad.
- It’s worse at home, because you feel guilty as well as feeling the pain.
- It’s about the same. My teacher uses a stick, so that hurts a lot. However, my father is a huge man and has

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spanked me so hard that it hurt to sit down for hours. I don’t like either, but I am well-behaved and not
punished often.

3. What do you think about the trend away from corporal punishment in North America? Is it kinder, or just
weak? Explain your answer.

- I think it’s a sign of better respect between people. They recognize that kids are people and should be
respected.
- It’s better. This is based on lots of studies that show that children respond more to praise and less to
punishment. This is based on science. Someday, the entire world will be like this.
- I think it’s a sign of weakness. They don’t seem to care if there’s discipline at all. Kids do whatever they
want, and that’s wrong.
- It’s obviously a sign of the western system falling apart. Look at the crime statistics among children in the
United States. What these kids needed before they fell into crime, was a good slap from time to time. If they
had had more discipline, the country wouldn’t be in the situation that it is in.

4. If you were in charge of discipline at your school, would there be corporal punishment? When would you use
it? Would you use alternative punishments?

- I would reserve corporal punishment for only the worst behavior. For smaller problems, I would make the
students do work around the school. They would have to sweep the floors or work in the kitchen. I would
make bullies apologize in front of the whole school.
- I would never use corporal punishment. I might make students do lots of extra work. But if they did anything
bad enough to deserve corporal punishment, they would be expelled immediately. There are other students
in the classrooms, and there is not enough time for the teacher to be trying to keep the class in order.
Students obey, or they are out.
- I would go to a system of all corporal punishment. Students would be terrified of making a wrong move.
They would study hard to avoid pain. They would try to succeed because failure would hurt. Those that
failed would be beaten severely. This is what the real world is like. My students would learn.
- I would use corporal punishment in instances of severe disrespect and danger. If a student risks injuring
their classmates, they deserve to be hit. If they are horrible to their teacher, who just wants to teach them,
they need to feel pain for this.

5. Is it more important to like your teachers and parents, or to respect their authority?
- It’s important to like them, because then you will naturally want to please them.
- If you like your parents and teachers, you will respect them. The two things are related. You can’t like
someone if you don’t respect them. If you like your teachers, you will pay attention in their classes and work
diligently. If you like your parents, you’ll obey them.
- It’s more important to respect their authority, because they have to be the boss and make tough decisions
- Respecting their authority is far more important. If you don’t do that then you obviously don’t like them and
can’t learn anything from them. If you treat your parents and teachers like you treat your friends, you’ll learn
about as much as you do from your friends - something, but not much.

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Time to Debate (page 88)

1. Violence does not encourage education.

- I agree. Violence makes students hate going to school. That’s not a good way to learn.
- This is true. Kids get nervous in school all the time anyway - it’s what prevents them from answering a lot. If
they have to worry about this at the same time, it just gets worse and worse. Violence is not something kids
should have to worry about in school.
- I disagree. Students find that they do better with discipline. Then they can feel proud of their achievements.
- Without corporal punishment, we are just teaching children that they can get away with anything if they are
sneaky about it. If a child KNOWS that physical pain is not an option open to a teacher, the student will act
however they want.

2. Sometimes corporal punishment is necessary.

- I agree. Physical pain makes a very strong impression that’s easy to remember. Talking things over is easier
to forget.
- Anyone who is arguing against this hasn’t thought about some of the possibilities of a world without
corporal punishment. Kids do things all the time that are violent and dangerous. If a child brings a knife to
school, should the teacher give them a writing assignment to help them think about it? No. The child needs
to be corrected physically.
- I disagree. There’s always a better way to solve a problem. Corporal punishment only teaches kids that
hitting someone is a good way of solving their problems.
- If a situation arises where a student “needs” corporal punishment, that student has been failed by their
teachers and parents. Corporal punishment shouldn’t be necessary. If we handle our system well, we won’t
need it.

3. It takes time and patience to change bad behavior.

- I agree. Students behave badly for a lot of reasons. It can be complicated. Just hitting them doesn’t change
all that.
- This is true. If students are subjected to corporal punishment daily, they become immune to it. They know
that they’ve had it, but they forget about it as soon as it’s over. More importantly, they don’t learn anything
from it.
- I disagree. Kids need to receive a clear message. Otherwise, they’ll just be confused. Corporal punishment
is the clearest way to tell them their behavior is wrong.
- This is only true to a certain extent. However, in the short term, if a teacher only sees a student once in a
while, that student is not going to learn how to be good without something to help them to remember. It
takes time and patience, but it also takes the strength to do what is necessary. Children need discipline.

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U N IT

15 The Lottery

Warm-up (page 89)

1. Ask students what the lottery is.

2. Ask students to fill in the first part of the warm-up.

Answers will widely vary, but here are some examples:

Possible Answers

•go on a trip around the world •buy a hot air balloon •buy a horse
•buy a limousine or fancy car •build or buy a castle •donate to charity
•buy my parents’ a house •buy a company •invest in a business
•buy a zoo •start my own charity •build or buy a super computer
•build or buy a robot •build or buy a rocket •build or buy a jet
•buy an island •buy a circus company •buy thousands of books
•buy lots of really cool toys •buy or build a TV station •buy a soccer team

3. Ask students if there are things that they can think of that money can’t buy.

4. After students give one or two examples, tell them to fill in the second part of the warm-up.
Answers will widely vary, but here are some examples:

Possible Answers

•love •friendship •knowledge

•beauty •strength •health
•confidence •happiness •piece of mind
•righteousness •other people’s minds •ideals
•immortality •religious views •political views

5. When most or all of the students have finished, have the class share their answers.

Comprehension Check (page 91)

1. How many countries have national lotteries?

- more than 70

2. Who usually operates the lottery?

- the government

3. What was the biggest lottery winning ever?

- 365 million dollars in Nebraska, USA

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4. What are the chances of winning the lottery when 6 numbers are chosen?
- 1 in 14 million

5. Does everyone adjust well to being a lottery winner?

- No, some people lose the money, and some go bankrupt.

Vocabulary Check (page 91)

1. It was hard for him to adjust to his new life as president.

2. We try not to make too many risky investments with our money.

3. I’m an American citizen and I have the passport to prove it.

4. Make sure your assignments are printed in the correct format before you hand them in.

5. There’s a big payoff if you win tonight’s poker game.

Think About It (page 91)

Advantages Disadvantages

•Raises money for important national projects •Makes a few people very rich instead of helping
•Gives people something to look forward to many people
•Makes the winners very happy •Is an unfair way to raise money because the rich
•Brings people together in groups to buy tickets don’t participate
•Isn’t expensive •Makes people think about money more and less
•Is entertaining about the important things in life
•Causes poor people to waste money

Supporting Opinions (page 92)

1. Playing the lottery is not dangerous...

c. because you only play when you can afford it and it is very cheap.
The first part of this puts forward an argument. The second part gives two reasons for this.

2. The lottery should be banned...

b. because people can become addicted and lose a lot of money.
If people are addicted to the lottery, they can spend a lot of money and not win anything.

3. If you play the lottery you should buy more than one ticket...
a. because it will increase your chances of winning.
If you’re odds are 5/10,000,000, you stand a better chance than if they are 1/10,000,000.

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4. The lottery is fun...

d. because it will increase your chances of winning.
Games of chance with a possible extremely good outcome are fun.

Refuting Opinions (page 92)

1. You should invest money in banks and property, not waste it on the lottery.
b. I do not agree. The lottery is a very cheap way to try and be a millionaire, so why
not try? And investing in banks and property can be dangerous, too.
If it is cheap and an equal risk, the lottery is better.
Far more people make money on banks and property than on the lottery. It’s just a
fact.

2. You should pick your own numbers; never let the computer choose for you!
c. Actually, it does not matter how you pick your numbers because the chances of
winning will always be the same.
If you pick any one number in a group, it has the same chance of being called as
any other number.
My friend had a feeling about a number once, and it was called in a school lottery.

3. You should buy many lottery tickets if you want to be a millionaire.

d. Buying many tickets will not guarantee that you become a millionaire. Even if you
buy 1,000 tickets the chances of winning are very small.
The odds of 1,000/10,000,000 are better than 1/10,000,000 but still very bad
odds.
Someone will win the lottery eventually. If you have better odds, it could be you.

4. If you win the lottery you should share the money with your friends.
a. No, it is your money and you can do whatever you want with it.
You bought the ticket. Your name will be on the checks. It belongs to you.
Anyone who thinks like this shouldn’t really have any friends anyway. Friends help
each other out. If they are lucky, they share their good luck with their friends.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

The lottery is just for fun; it’s not serious. If you win, great, but if not, it’s cheap. [Opinion]
That’s true for some people, but others get addicted and end up spending more money than they
should on the lottery. What about them? [Refutation]
Just because some people cannot handle a little fun, does not mean that it isn’t fun. This is the same

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feeling that because there are alcoholics, alcohol should be banned, or because people speed, cars should
be outlawed. Ridiculous. [Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 93)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
The lottery is like a tax on people who are bad at math. Our chances of winning the lottery are almost zero.
So many people play and often there is only one big winner. Some people play the lottery every week and
after years have nothing to show for it. It seems silly to me that so many people would throw their money
away so just a few people could be rich. It would be much smarter to save the money you spend playing the
lottery. Of course, you wouldn’t be rich but it would be better than nothing.

Opinion B
The lottery gives us something to look forward to. I like to imagine what I could do with a million dollars. It
makes me feel good to think about how I could help people. It makes me feel good to imagine having such
great luck! Everyone would want to be my friend. There’s nothing wrong with spending just a few dollars on
that kind of fun. I know the chances are slim, but that’s not really the point.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
If you save money over the years, there is a 100% chance that you will still have it later. If you spend the
money on the lottery, there is only about a millionth of a chance of it still being there. This is not smart if we
think about it in this way. People shouldn’t play the lottery.

For Opinion B
Good feelings are what we live for. If we aren’t willing to put a few dollars toward getting excited about
something once in a while, it’s true, we’ll have more money, but we show that we don’t know how to use it to
make our lives worth living.

Discussion Questions (page 94)

Guide Questions

- Do you know of anyone who plays the lottery? Have they ever won anything?
- Do you think that the lottery is harmless fun or dangerous addiction? Why?
- Would you pay a hundred dollars for a thousand lottery tickets?
- Do you think that the government should use other things as lotteries to promote other things, like
voting? Why or why not?

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1. How would winning the lottery affect your friendships? Explain your answer.

- Suddenly your life would be very different from your friends’ lives. You would not have as much in common
with them. Your friends would expect you to help them and give them gifts. Your friends might resent your
wealth.
- You would have lots of friends. Everyone wants to be around a rich person. However, you’d probably never
be able to tell who was your real friend and who was not. Rich people have this problem. The only way to
not have it is to not be rich.
- Your friends might enjoy doing new things with you because of your money. Maybe you would become
more important to them.
- You would never have any friends again. You’d be so worried that people were after your money. You
would be suspicious of everyone. Old friends, family members, you couldn’t trust anyone. Having a lot of
money creates a lot of greed, and a lot of greed creates a lot of enemies.

2. The government makes money from the lottery. Most people who buy lottery tickets are poor. Is this fair?
Why or why not?

- Yes, this is fair. Poor people don’t have to spend their money on tickets. Giving people the choice is
completely fair.
- Yes, it’s fair. No one forces anyone to buy a ticket. Would it be fair to middle-income people if they took the
lottery away because it supposedly exploited poor people? Would it be fair to not let poor people play? It’s
fair the way it is.
- No it’s not fair. Poor people have very few opportunities to get rich. For them, it’s hard to resist buying
tickets. Governments know that poor people will get poorer buying lottery tickets.
- No, it can’t be fair. The simple fact of that matter is that tickets cost money. Rich people have more money,
so they have a better chance if they want one. If the odds of a lottery were decent, rich people would be the
first ones to cash in, and then no poor people would ever win.

3. How much money would it take to make a person completely satisfied? Is there ever enough? Explain.

- Once you have enough to buy a big house and nice car, it’s enough. You need enough to feel like you don’t
have to worry anymore.
- You need enough to make your family rich as well. You need enough to travel around the world.
- You can never have enough. No matter how much money you have, you want more. That’s why rich people
keep working so hard.
- Money is not what makes a person satisfied. It’s the person themselves. You could have no money and be
just as happy as a billionaire if you know how to live right. Fulfillment comes from doing things, experiencing
amazing feelings, and having close friendships. All of these things are things money can’t buy.

4. Is gambling addiction a real problem? Explain why or why not.

- Yes it’s a real problem. Research shows that people with this problem can’t control it. It’s just like other
addictions. They will spend all their money and ruin their families’ lives by gambling.
- Yes, it’s very real problem. People get addicted to it the same way that they get addicted to other things.
Simply because it’s not mind-altering, like a drug, doesn’t mean that it can’t take over your mind. It’s
frightening to see what it can do to some people.

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- No, it’s not real. It’s not a drug or anything that affects your brain. You just have to choose not to gamble.
- No. All these people who talk about it being a problem have no self control. If you don’t want to lose, don’t
buy a ticket. It’s as simple as that. Just understand the odds, have some fun with it, but otherwise stay
away from gambling.

5. Does the lottery take advantage of people? Explain.

- Yes. All the advertising and news about the lottery affects people. It makes them want to buy a ticket, even
if they shouldn’t waste the money
- Of course the lottery takes advantage of people. If a person plays the lottery once a week for their entire life,
their odds are still not too much better than a person who plays once. Those odds are so bad that they
might as well be zero - or no chance at all.
- No, nobody is forced to buy a ticket. It’s just another choice people have to make.
- Of course not. People who think this don’t know how to have fun. Yes, you could save your money, but
what are you going to do? Have people bury you with it? The lottery is just a cheap, fun way to give yourself
something to look forward to.

Time to Debate (page 94)

1. The lottery takes advantage of poor people and people with poor judgment.

- I agree, because the poor need to save every penny just to live. Of course they dream of winning, but
instead they just lose their precious money.
- Of course it’s taking advantage of poor people. If you look at the simple numbers: more poor people buy
the tickets. They have barely any chance of winning, and the government keeps half the money.
- I disagree. No one is forcing them to buy a ticket. It’s just for fun. If they don’t realize that, it’s their own
fault.
- Many poor people are poor because they have bad decision making skills. The government is not preying
upon this. The fact of the matter is that if people weren’t making poor decisions on this, they would be off
making poor decisions elsewhere. At least this way, the money goes back to the public though government
projects.

2. The lottery is actually a good way to fund government projects.

- I agree. It’s optional, which is nice. It gives everyone something to dream about. It makes a lot of money for
important projects.
- It’s fine. People have some fun. Some people make a lot of money, and everything else goes back into
roads and schools. Everyone wins. Who loses?
- I disagree. If money is needed for improvements, it should be taken from fair taxes. Those with more money
should pay more taxes.
- The poor should not be made to pay for government projects. That is essentially what this means. Rich
people should pay for government projects. They wouldn’t see a decrease in their quality of life, like poor
people might if they are addicted to buying lottery tickets.

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3. The lottery is harmless, if you have no expectations.

- I agree. Everyone needs something to dream about. Dreaming about being rich and helping your loved
ones is wonderful. It’s a pleasurable daydream. However, you have to realize it’s just a dream.
- How can it be harmful if you have no expectations? You’re just getting excited and if you don’t win, you
didn’t expect to. It’s absurd to think that you’ll win, but it’s absurd to do a lot of the things that we do for
entertainment. Money is there to make us happy. Spending a few dollars on something like this is fine.
- I disagree. In addition to wasting money on a ticket, you feel disappointed when you don’t win. You lose
both ways. This is harmful.
- It might not be harmful if people really could come to this with no expectations. The problem is that they
can’t. If they had no expectation, they wouldn’t buy the tickets. Meanwhile, they could be spending the
money on things that would benefit them or their families.

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U N IT

16 Gap between Rich and Poor

Warm-up (page 95)

1. Ask students if millionaires have jobs.

2. If students say yes, go to number 3. If they say no, ask students how millionaires make their money - other
than the lottery.

3. Ask students what jobs millionaires have.

4. Ask students to fill in the first part of the warm-up.

Answers will widely vary (many answers will change with area and working conditions), but here are some
examples:

Box Jobs
CEO, movie star, professional athlete, professional artist, movie
1(top)
producer, movie director, pop star

stockbroker, judge, surgeon, politician, lawyer, doctor, engineer,

2
dentist, architect

teacher, mechanic, plumber, electrician, manager, social worker, bus

3
driver, taxi driver, subway driver, city employee, welder, soldier

fast food server, retail sales clerk, babysitter, dishwasher, farm worker,
4(bottom)
factory worker, road crew worker, construction worker

5. Ask students for their answers and list them on the board.

6. After a reasonable number of answers have been written on the board, ask students which job is the most
difficult.

7. If students have more than one idea about this, ask for their reasons. If students have only one answer, ask
them if it is the most stressful job. Does it require the most strength? Is it the most dangerous job?

8. Ask students to rank what they think the most difficult jobs are with 1 being the most difficult, and the highest
number being the least difficult.

Comprehension Check (page 97)

1. How many people own 40% of the world’s assets?

- 1% of the world’s population

2. How much of the world’s asset do the poorest half of the world’s people own?
- 1% of the world’s assets

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3. Why do people volunteer?

- to raise money and get food, water and medicine for people
- because they feel guilty
- because they believe they can change the world

4. What is the life expectancy in Mali?

- 48 years

5. What percentage of adults can read in Mali?

- 26%

Vocabulary Check (page 97)

1. It’s hard to borrow money if you don’t have any assets.

2. We don’t have a lot of money, but we’re not in poverty.

3. The poorer a country is, the lower its life expectancy.

4. I volunteered to help with the fundraiser on the weekend.

5. Is the distribution of food and medicine fair?

Think About It (page 97)

Advantages Disadvantages

•Saves the very poorest people from starving •Doesn’t change the reasons those countries are poor
•Shares some of the wealth between rich and •In some cases, the money doesn’t ever reach the
poor poor
•Helps make people aware of poverty in the •Takes away from money that may be needed in own
world country
•If there’s no aid, the gap between rich and poor •Isn’t a long-term solution
grows bigger •Can cause poor countries to need aid and not
•Can stop civil wars from starting over resources develop on their own
•Can helps top plagues •Can support dictators
•Can help people start businesses and help •Can end up buying guns for the militaries in other
develop other countries countries, rather than food

Supporting Opinions (page 98)

1. Rich people should help the poor...

b. because the rich have so much and the poor have very little.
This implies that it is our duty to help others.

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2. Rich people should not have to help the poor...

c. because rich people work hard for their money and deserve to keep it.
This implies that it is our choice as to whether or not we should help others.

3. Everyone should have the same amount of money...

d. because all people are the same.
If everyone is the same, they deserve the same things.

4. It is important to have money...

a. since we need to pay for food, housing and education. If we did not have money we could not
have these things.
Food, housing, and education all cost money. Without money, we cannot have them.

Refuting Opinions (page 98)

1. Poor people should get a better job, then they can be rich.
a. It is not that simple. Poor people often have less education which makes it difficult
to get a good job.
If you need a good education to get a good job, and poor people don’t usually get
good educations, then it follows that they would not be able to get good jobs.
Poor people can go to night school, they can get better educations. It’s not
impossible, it’s just a lot of work.

2. It is better to spend your money than to save it.

d. Spending money can be fun, but it is important to save for emergencies in the
future.
If you have an emergency, and it is expensive, you will wish that you had saved your
money.
Emergencies can happen at any time, this is true. It’s also true that you can die at any
moment. If a really serious emergency happens, the money that you didn’t spend will
mean nothing. At least if you spent it and had a good time, it was valuable then.

3. Money is the most important thing in the world.

b. That is not true. It is more important to be happy and healthy than rich.
If you are rich, but unhealthy and miserable, what good is your money?
You won’t be happy and healthy without being rich. Healthcare is very expensive and
few people can afford it. Most of them are rich.

4. Having money will make you happy.

c. That is not necessarily true. Having money can also cause more problems.
If you are worried about your money, you can be stressed out all the time. If you don’t
have anything, you won’t be worried about losing anything.

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This is ridiculous. People who think that money causes more problems than not
having money have never truly been hungry, sick, or without hope. Money helps when
you need the things you really need.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

Being poor just means that a person is lazy. [Opinion]

No, it means that a person is unlucky. Look at the lives of rich people and tell me that they are not lazy.
Some rich people don’t work all week. Some poor people work every day and never get a rest.
[Refutation]
I remember the children who grew up to be poor adults. They were disrespectful to their teachers and
played all through class. They were practically asking to get bad grades and didn’t care when they did.
That is the biggest act of laziness of all. If a person doesn’t do well in school, it is because they are lazy.
[Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 99)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
I believe that it is possible for one person to make a big difference in the world. Last week I read a story
about a woman named Oprah Winfrey. She grew up in a very, very poor family. She had many hardships and
few opportunities growing up. But she worked hard, and now she is one of the most famous and richest
people in the world. She donates millions of dollars to help poor people around the world. She is just one
person, and she made a big difference in many peoples’ lives all over the world.

Opinion B
The world’s problems are really complicated, but some people think we can make a difference. They must
be kidding! Putting a few quarters in a donation jar isn’t going to make a difference. We’re just a handful of
people; what can we do? I think it’s better to focus on your own life and your own problems. Then at least
you have a chance of changing something. It’s hard to accept, but there will always be poor people and rich
people. Making donations won’t change the way the world works, so don’t kid yourself.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
Of course it is possible for one person to make a difference. They don’t even have to be rich. Look at

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Gandhi or Jesus. These people weren’t rich, but there are very few people who don’t know who they were.
There are many examples of people leading lives that the rest of us can only dream of, but they were not rich
at all.

For Opinion B
The problem with our society is that the challenges we face have been around longer than we have. They
will still be here when we are gone. The idea that some do not have enough to eat is older than humanity. It is
a law of nature. The lucky - whether by strength or intelligence - eat and survive. The unlucky do not. If we
were to change this, imagine what our world would be like. We would fill our gene pool with weak people.

Discussion Questions (page 100)

Guide Questions

- Why do you think that some people are rich and others are poor?
- If you could live on doing very little work, but not having much, would you? Why or why not?
- Why do you think that some intelligent people are very poor? What do you think is more important than
money?

1. Do you think most people care about poverty? Why or why not?

- No, I don’t think most people do. They get used to watching it on the news. Then they don’t feel so bad
about it anymore. If everyone really cared, it would change.
- No, I think that most people SAY that they care about poverty. They’ll donate money or give a little bit to a
homeless person when they see one. But if they really cared, they’d vote for politicians who taxed the rich
heavily. This doesn’t happen nearly as much as it would if people really cared. Yes, I think most people do.
Millions and millions of dollars are given to charities every year. People give because they care.
- Yes, I think that people care, but the system we live in is very difficult to change. Even if we don’t want
poverty to exist, it’s not the same as being able to do something about it. The problems we face today
affect us all, but they are rooted in the past and no one can change that. People care, but they cannot do
much.

2. Do you think it’s fair that some have so much and others have so little? Why or why not?

- No, I don’t think it’s fair. When we’re little, we’re taught to share. Grown-ups should have to share, too.
- No, I don’t think it’s fair, but fair is just a word. That’s the way that the world is. Some things are just unfair
and there is nothing we can do about it. If we tried to take money from rich people and give it to the poor,
that wouldn’t be fair either.
- Yes, I think it is fair. Some people are poor, but that’s not my fault. It wouldn’t be fair for me to have to give
my money away.
- Yes, it’s fair, but it’s not right. It’s only really fair if you think about things in a completely uncaring way.
Some people are born with money. Some people aren’t. The rich people didn’t do anything special to be
born rich, just like the poor didn’t do anything to be born poor. It’s fair, but it isn’t the way that things should
be.

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3. How would your life be different if you were poor? Give several examples.
- I would not get good food every day. When I did get food, it would probably not taste very good or be very
nutritious. I would have trouble concentrating in school if I even went. I would get sick a lot.
- I might not have a place to live. Living on the street would be hard. People who live on the street get wet
when it rains, cold when it snows, and hot when it’s hot outside. They can get sick or even die very easily
because of the weather.
- I would not be able to ride in a nice car. I could probably not do anything but walk. Vacation would be out of
the question, and I’d never be able to study abroad.
- I might not get medicine if I needed it. I might not have warm clothes. I could get sick easily if I were poor.

4. What could be done to help make the world fairer?

- Rich people could be asked to share more of their money.
- If poor countries owed money to other countries, they shouldn’t have to pay it all back.
- More people could give to charity. If you had a birthday, you could ask people to give to charity instead of
giving to you.
- All the world leaders could get together and agree that taking care of poverty is a top priority.

5. Whose job is it to solve economic problems? Politicians? Charities? Us?

- I think it’s our responsibility. If we don’t help, we’re just making excuses.
- I think it’s the responsibility of politicians. They have the real power, so they can make real changes.
- I think it’s the responsibility of charities, because they are experts at raising money. They know how to do it
best.
- I think it’s the responsibility of big, wealthy corporations. They control so much money, they could give a lot
of it away. It would help a lot of people.

Time to Debate (page 100)

1. If people want more money, they just need to work harder.

- I agree, because if you really want to work hard, you can make a lot of money.
- I agree, many people make excuses, but none of those people are rich. It seems like people either make
money working, or they make excuses as to why they are not working. Yes, bad things can happen, but if
you work hard enough, eventually you will be successful.
- I disagree, because some people have no way of making money. There may be no jobs where they live.
- This is absurd. People who grow up in poor neighborhoods don’t go to schools that are as nice. They don’t
get the same education and can’t find the same opportunities. It’s not that poor people aren’t as good as
rich people, they just start with less and usually end up with less because of it.

2. The government should give money to people who are poor.

- I agree, because a government should take care of everybody, not just the rich.
- The government exists to take care of its citizens. Taxing the rich to provide for better schools and colleges
just makes sense. It doesn’t affect the way that rich people live to be taxed a little more, but it benefits poor
people in ways most of us don’t even understand.

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- I disagree. If you give money away, people will become lazy and not want to work for it.
- There is a name for this: communism. If you tax everyone so that the poor people can have the same
amount as the rich, what reason does anyone have to work anymore? This is silly. People need to work.

3. The world’s richest people should share their wealth with the poor.

- I agree. The richest people have more money than they can ever use. It’s really unfair.
- Of course. Rich people exist because of the poor. If it weren’t for poor people, who would work in the
factories that rich people own? Who would build the cars that rich people drive? Who would make the nice
clothing that rich people wear? Rich people should give back to the community.
- I disagree. They earned their money, and it’s fair that they keep it. They shouldn’t have to give it away.
- This is ridiculous. No one will work if they don’t think that their money will be their money. Imagine if after a
lifetime of work, someone came to you and said that they were taking your money for poor people who
weren’t working as hard as you’d worked? Which is really unfair?

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U N IT

17 Modern Life

Warm-up (page 96)

1. Ask students if their grandparents had the internet.

2. Ask students what their grandparents did when they wanted to learn about something - students’ answers
will vary: read a book, went to school, I’m not sure, asked someone who knew, etc.

3. Ask students to think for a moment about other things that their grandparents or great grandparents didn’t
have that we have.

4. Ask students to fill in the first part of the warm-up. Answers will vary, but here are some examples:
•doing research — difficult because there was no internet
•staying warm — there was no natural gas heat or electric heat
•laundry — no washing machines or dryers
•transportation — no cars, trains or airplanes
•communication — no telephone or email
•getting food — no refrigeration, no microwave ovens, no supermarkets
•staying clean — no hot showers
•treating illness — no vaccines for polio or flu, no antibiotics
•fashion — few sources of clothing
•recreation — no video games, no TV
•making art — no acrylic paints
•music — no karaoke, no CDs, no electric instruments or speakers

5. Ask students to fill in the second part of the warm-up. Answers will widely vary, but here are some examples:
•cleaner air and water — Not as much pollution
•easier to get a job — Not as much competition, not as many people
•higher quality in food store bought items — Less things made in big factories, more care in making things
•closer families — Everyone lived nearby
•less crime — People had better relationships with their families and communities, more support
•less space between rich and poor — fewer large corporations
•easy to start your own company — less competition from big companies
•easier to make a living in the arts — not as many people doing the same thing

5. When most or all of the students have finished, have the class share their answers.

Comprehension Check (page 103)

1. According to the passage, what devices have changed our lives a lot in the past 30 years?
- computers, microwave ovens, cell phones

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2. When did the radio become popular?

- in the 1920s

3. How were dishes washed in the past?

- by hand

4. What’s one bad side effect of change?

- stress

5. When did people start using the internet?

- in the 1990s

Vocabulary Check (page 103)

1. Modern inventions like computers make our lives easier.

2. After you finish your chores, you can go play outside.

3. Riding horses is old-fashioned, but it’s also fun.

4. I have certainly enjoyed spending the weekend with you.

5. We all found the magician’s performance amazing.

Think About It (page 103)

Advantages Disadvantages

•Many things are easier to do. •More stress

•Can get places faster •People are too busy to spend time with each other
•Can communicate with people instantly •Some modern inventions cause pollution
•Have modern medicine to help us •We don’t spend as much time in nature
•Can get any information we want right away •We aren’t as active, and that makes us less healthy
•Can learn things more easily
•Not bored as often
•Many choices
•Easier to travel

Supporting Opinions (page 104)

1. People should not use cell phones when driving...

c. because it is dangerous for other drivers and it can cause an accident.
If you’re paying attention to your cell phone, you aren’t watching the road. If you’re not watching
the road, you could cause an accident.

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2. We should continue to develop new types of energy...

d. because we cannot rely on fossil fuel forever.
We cannot rely on fossil fuel forever because it will run out.

3. The internet is the most important modern technology...

a. because it makes communication easier and provides fast access to information.
The spread of information is the most important thing in the world. The internet is the biggest
advance in this field, so therefore it is the most important.

4. Our lives are easier than the lives of our grandparents...

b. because we have technology which makes work and communication faster.
If work and communication are easier, than our lives must be easier also.

Refuting Opinions (page 104)

1. The internet is interesting; books are not.

a. That is not true. There are books about every subject that you might be interested
in, and you can also read entertaining stories.
If books cover more information than the internet, they might be more interesting.
eBook readers allow you to read books on the computer. This makes computers able
to do anything that books can and more.

2. It is more fun to play a soccer video game than to play real soccer.
d. No way! It is better to be active and playing sports outside than to sit inside playing
a video game all day.
Being active gets you exercise, which your body needs anyway.
That’s only true if you want to get sweaty and not be able to do other things until you
shower. Video sports have all the excitement and none of the hassle.

3. Life is better today because of technology.

b. That is not necessarily true. Many things are faster, but our lives are also busier and
more stressful because of technology.
We have turned our food processing into an industry that makes people sick and
destroys the environment. There is nothing better about that.
Technology has created some problems, but it will fix those in the future as well. We
will all be happy for the things that technology has done for us.

4. Listening to live music is better than listening to a CD.

c. Not anymore! Technology is so good today that when you listen to a CD it sounds
better than the real thing.
People can edit and change things on CDs. It makes the recording better than
anything that could have been produced live.

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Live music is an experience beyond sound. It’s sight, it’s memories, it’s your friends
being there with you. With live music, you meet people who like the same music as
you. It’s just better.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

The modern world is better. [Opinion]

The modern world is bigger, but that just means that more people suffer. We have made new problems for
ourselves rather than solving the ones we had before. Instead of solving the problem of hunger, we’ve given
ourselves longer work days and more stress. Why? [Refutation]
Humanity is always progressing forward. Even if we make mistakes, it is still forward progression. We will
learn from these mistakes, fix the things we’ve done wrong and continue on. It’s the nature of our species.
We have nowhere to go but forward, and so we will. [Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 105)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
I think that all of our modern conveniences make our lives better than the lives of our ancestors. People live
longer today because of medicines and advances in health care. Also, we have greater access to food and
clean water, which makes us healthier. Machines like cars and planes allow us to travel great distances very
quickly. Phones allow people today to communicate quickly and easily. In the past, it could take weeks to
send someone a message in the mail or travel to another country.

Opinion B
It seems like no matter how much we accomplish, we never get any happier. I don’t think all these
conveniences actually make our lives better. They just make our lives faster. We grow more impatient,
wanting everything to happen in an instant. If we can’t have it right now, we don’t want it. I think what we
really need is a sense of community. In the past, people relied on each other more. They were close because
they needed each other in order to survive. Maybe they were difficult days, but at least everyone had a sense
of purpose.

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3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
Evolution is the idea that things are selected by their ability to stay around. This applies to everything. Do
you know anyone with a pet rock? Probably not. This was an idea from the seventies, and it wasn’t a good
one. No one has one anymore. It wasn’t a good idea, so it disappeared. The ideas that are still around are
around because they are good ideas.

For Opinion B
If you read any very old stories, you’ll find that people were worried about lack of food, disease, and war. If
you read any new stories, they’re different, but generally people are worried about lack of food, disease, and
war. Nothing has changed. Except now, instead of thousands of people starving, we have millions. Instead of
thousands of people dying in wars, we have millions. Does having a blender or a cell phone really make any
of this nicer?

Discussion Questions (page 106)

Guide Questions

- Do you think that stress is worse than disease? Why or why not?
- What do you think when you hear older people talk about the way that things used to be?
- Is there anything that you wish you could try from many years ago? What? Why?
- Imagine that you could go back in time to any period in history, what would you do?

1. Do the benefits of modern technology outweigh the problems? Why or why not?

- Yes, they do. We have found solutions to many problems through technology. We will find many more.
- Of course they do. It’s true that we have produced some things that are very negative, but we’ve also
adapted to them. Nuclear power also gave us the nuclear bomb, however the nuclear bomb has made
people realize how awful war is. Without it, we may have already had a Third World War fought with more
guns and regular bombs. We adapt to the awful things we make and keep progressing. This is good.
- No, they don’t. Our modern advances have destroyed a lot of the environment. Eventually, it will be
completely destroyed. It’s not worth it.
- A person cannot talk about this without talking about the nuclear bomb. For the first time in the history of
our planet, people now have the power to destroy everything. Everything. No science fiction movies about
life after the bomb, no nothing. After a nuclear war, there is nothing left. Does that sound good to anyone?

2. Should there be laws requiring new technology to be environmentally friendly? Why or why not?

- Yes, there should. The environment is being destroyed so quickly that urgent action is required.
- Yes. Greedy people think that the environment is only part of their world. Without it though, nothing can live.
Money is a bit ridiculous if you can’t breathe.
- No, there should not. Many things have to be considered with new technology. The environment is only
one. There have to be compromises.

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- The environment adapts to us. If we do something that is harmful to it, it will heal itself and it will get
stronger. There is no reason to worry about the environment. It eventually adapts to everything that is
brought to it.

3. Modern medicine can make people live longer and longer. How long should a person live? Why?

- People should live as long as possible. No one wants to die. It’s wonderful if people can live longer. There’s
no reason that we shouldn’t want to live longer.
- People should only live to be 80 years old. That’s enough time to experience life. If people lived to be older,
that’s fine. But I don’t think we need to extend life past that.
- People should live to be a hundred. By that time, it would be hard to live, and you would have a lot of health
problems. No one wants to live like that.
- People should not live to be too much older than they do now. It would cause overpopulation. Too many
old people in hospitals would cause problems. It’s unnatural to live forever.

4. What is the most important invention in the last 200 years? Explain your choice.

- I believe the internet is the most important invention. It has completely changed the way we share
information.
- I believe the telephone is the most important. It linked people across long distances for the first time.
Without the telephone, we wouldn’t have the internet.
- I believe nuclear energy is the most important discovery. It will provide power when we run out of fossil
fuels. This may be the thing that saves us from global warming.
- I believe cars and airplanes are the most important inventions. If we didn’t have them we would spend our
whole lives in one small area.

5. Should paper books be eliminated completely? Why or why not?

- Yes, they should. It doesn’t make sense to keep using trees to make paper now. We have digital
alternatives that are better.
- To argue against this, is similar to people saying the same thing about stone tablets. Paper books were
newer, easier to carry, and had some problems that stone tablets wouldn’t have - for instance you couldn’t
get them wet. However, no one would think about carving their writing into stone now, would they?
- No, they shouldn’t. There is something wonderful about a book. A book is something you can keep forever.
It contains information, but it also reminds you of important things.
- We are getting too reliant on electronics. If there were an electronic disaster and suddenly there were no
more ebooks, what would we do? We need to keep paper books around simply because they are more
reliable than computerized ones.

Time to Debate (page 106)

1. It’s rude to talk on your cell phone while you’re at the table.

- I agree. It’s not nice when someone you’re with starts ignoring you and using their phone. You should
excuse yourself and use your phone elsewhere.

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- I agree, it shows the people that you are around that you’d rather be talking to someone else. No one likes
being told that, no one should have to deal with that. Imagine if you were having dinner with someone, and
they ignored you to talk to someone who wasn’t there.
- I disagree. Those rules are old fashioned. These days, everyone has a phone and uses it often. For young
people, it’s completely normal to talk on the phone while you are at the table or anywhere else.
- This is absurd. This rule made sense years and years ago, but today it’s just silly. Everyone has a cell
phone, everyone understands that sometimes you just need to take calls. It’s not that you don’t like the
people you’re with, it’s just that the other person might have something important to say to you. Everyone
understands that.

2. Facebook is a really great way to keep in touch with people.

- I agree. Old friends can find you. New friends can let you know what they’re doing. You can find out about
events and you can see pictures of your friends. It’s perfect!
- I agree. It’s quick, it’s simple, and it allows me to keep in touch with people in seconds. Whereas years ago,
I’d have had to send people letters that would take days to arrive. This is instant.
- I disagree. Most of the information people share on Facebook is silly. It ends up wasting too much time. It’s
better to talk on the phone or, better yet, see someone in person.
- This is not true, Facebook makes communication too easy. We say things we don’t mean, and we imagine
that we are better friends than we are with people because the communication comes to easily. When
people had to write letters, they valued the communication more.

3. Life is no more stressful now than it was in the past.

- I agree. Every generation adapts to the new way of doing things. It seems completely normal.
- How can it be harmful if you have no expectations? You’re just getting excited and if you don’t win, you
didn’t expect to. It’s absurd to think that you’ll win, but it’s absurd to do a lot of the things that we do for
entertainment. Money is there to make us happy. Spending a few dollars on something like this is fine.
- I disagree. Experts say that rapid change causes stress. Things are changing very quickly now. I really don’t
know. I wasn’t around in the past.
- It might not be harmful if people really could come to this with no expectations. The problem is that they
can’t. If they had no expectation, they wouldn’t buy the tickets. Meanwhile, they could be spending the
money on things that would benefit them or their families.

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U N IT

18 Animal Testing

Warm-up (page 107)

1. Ask students how they know that their shampoo isn’t poison.

2. Answers will probably vary, but if the students say anything other than “it’s tested on animals,” continue
asking them questions: How can we try out products to find out if they are okay for people? If something can
have a bad effect on hair, eyes, or skin, what else do you know of that has hair, eyes, and skin?

3. If students continue to have problems identifying that most products are tested on animals, tell them. Most
companies test products on animals before they test them on people.

4. Ask students if they ever have bad reactions to soap, shampoo, or any other household products. A bad
reaction might be like a rash or an allergy to the product.

5. If they have, explain to them that those products have been tested and are still allowed on the market.
Imagine how much worse the reactions would be if they weren’t tested.

6. Tell students to fill in the warm-up.

7. Ask students to think of things that people have in common with animals.

8. Have the class share its answers. Answers will vary from student to student, some examples are listed below.

Product How often do you use it? If this product was bad, what might it do?

Hurt my teeth, taste bad, give me gum

Toothpaste Every day when I brush my teeth.
problems

When I shower or wash my Give me a rash, hurt my skin, make my skin

Soap
hands. change color

My mom uses it when she cleans Hurts skin, doesn’t clean dishes, poisonous
Washing detergent
the dishes. when combined with food

Cold and flu medicine I take medicine when I am sick. Bad side effects, allergies, poisonous

Comprehension Check (page 109)

1. How many animals are tested each year?

- 100 million

2. What happens to the animals after the experiment is finished?

- They are killed.

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3. How has animal testing helped doctors?

- Doctors have new medicines and surgery techniques.

4. Animal testing helped find vaccines for many diseases. Name two of them.
- polio and measles

5. Why do people oppose animal testing?

- They believe that it is unethical to experiment on animals, and that the results may be useless anyways.

Vocabulary Check (page 109)

1. Our team won the game. Our opponents lost.

2. Animal testing is a very controversial issue.

3. I wear many cosmetics to make my skin more beautiful.

4. I estimate that you are 165cm tall.

5. I don’t want my dog to get sick, so I will give him a(n) vaccine .

Think About It (page 109)

Advantages Disadvantages

•Can help cure diseases •Results may be misleading

•Makes sure products are safe for humans •Hurts innocent animals
•Do not have to experiment on humans •Can be expensive
•Helps to develop new medical operations •Almost all of the animals die after or during
•Arguments against this are difficult to prove the experiment

•Less expensive than some other technology or •Animals are not free to live a normal life
paying people •Cheapens the idea of suffering
•Often pointless

Supporting Opinions (page 110)

1. Animal testing should be banned...

b. because it is wrong to make animals suffer.
The first part of this puts forward an argument. The second part gives a reason for this.

2. We should continue animal testing...

a. because the results of these tests help to make our lives better.
If animal testing makes people’s lives better, then people will think that it is a good thing. We
want to continue good things.

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3. Animals should not be forced to live in a cage...

c. since they need space to move. Animals should be free to run, fly, swim and climb.
Animals cannot run, fly, swim, or climb in cages.

4. We should buy cosmetics that are not tested on animals...

d. because we can look beautiful without hurting animals.
If we can get the benefit without the negative effects, why wouldn’t we?

Refuting Opinions (page 110)

1. Scientists are evil for hurting innocent animals.

d. That is not true. Scientists do their experiments because they want to help people,
which is a good thing.
Helping people is generally regarded as good.
Scientists don’t have to hurt animals. People who forced other people into slavery
probably felt like they were doing a good thing for humanity, as well. It doesn’t make
what they’re doing right.

2. It is OK to experiment on animals because they don’t feel pain.

b. That is ridiculous. Animals do get hurt and feel pain. That is why veterinarians exist.
The first argument doesn’t give any support. The second argument does.
Veterinarians exist to keep animals healthy - not to spare them from pain. They don’t
experience pain and fear in the same way that people do.

3. Humans are better than all other animals because we are smart.
a. That’s not necessarily true. Birds can fly and fish can live underwater; humans
cannot.
If humans are better than other animals, then they should be able to see better and fly
better, too.
Humans have jets and submarines, so they can do those things.

4. It is OK for animals to suffer if it helps humans.

c. I disagree. No animal, human or otherwise, should have to suffer for any reason.
The second argument implies that suffering, if avoidable, should be avoided.
Suffering is inevitable. Everything suffers. We try to minimize it. Animal testing is the
lesser of two evils.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

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Animal testing is unnecessary. [Opinion]

You wouldn’t say that if an unsafe product entered the market and made you or a family member sick.
[Refutation]
Yes, I would. There is no guarantee that any of the animal testing that is done would prevent an unsafe
product from being released. Many times they do experiments on animals that have no connection to the
real world. And many of the animals they experiment on are so different from people that we can’t trust the
results anyway. [Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 111)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
Animal testing is not necessary! Today we have new technologies and very smart computers which can get
the same results as tests on animals. Scientists are able to grow human skin in a laboratory, and testing this
skin would provide more accurate results than testing animals. There are also very advanced computer
models which can accurately predict how new medicines will be able to fight diseases. It is unethical to
continue to hurt animals when alternative ways of research are available.

Opinion B
Animal testing is necessary! The human body is very difficult to understand. Computers and technology
cannot always help us, and it is too dangerous to test on humans. Other animals, like chimpanzees, are very
similar to humans. We can test them first and know if a medicine or operation will be safe for humans.
Without animal testing too many people would get hurt or die.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
Animal testing is not only unnecessary, it is dangerous. Our closest relatives, apes and chimpanzees, are
very obviously different than human beings. They have different systems and DNA. They will not react the
same way that humans will. People are different in this way. However, we are the same in the fact that we
feel pain and fear. That is all that these tests create: suffering.

For Opinion B
Many animals are similar to us genetically. Even though they may seem different in some ways, if we test the
effects of a chemical on an animal’s eyes, it’s because their eyes are similar to ours. If we operate on an
animal, it’s because its organs are similar to ours. To say that we shouldn’t test on animals is to say that they
are the same as people.

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Discussion Questions (page 112)

Guide Questions

- Why do we experiment on animals and not people?

- Could we experiment on prisoners in jail instead? Why or why not?
- Do you think that animals feel pain the same way that humans do? Why or why not?
- If animals don’t feel pain the way people do, will experiments mean anything?
- If animals do feel pain the way people do, should we be experimenting on them?

1. Do you think it is OK for animals to suffer to benefit humans? Explain your answer.

- Yes, I think it is OK. If we did not do these experiments many people would die from diseases and illness.
Their suffering saves many lives.
- Of course. I eat meat. If animals didn’t suffer, I wouldn’t have dinner. Anyone who says otherwise is either a
vegetarian or doesn’t make sense. We have always hurt animals. It’s just part of nature.
- No, I think it is wrong for animals to suffer for any reason. All animals are equal and all animals should be
treated with love.
- We are animals. This whole argument is silly. We do the same things that animals do, and we have the
same desires and fears. Animal testing is just a way of trying to mask what is really happening: unnecessary
suffering in the name of pointless science. Nothing that we learn from animal testing is really all that
applicable to our bodies anyway.

2. If it is wrong to experiment on animals, is it also wrong to eat them?

- Yes, I think it is wrong to hurt, kill, or eat any animal. All animals have a right to life and we should not take
that away from them.
- Vegetarianism is not only better for the animals, it is better for us, as well. Meat has been linked to cancer
and heart disease in tests time and time again. The fact that people still eat animals is horrible. It’s a
practice that needs to stop. Not just for the animals, but for us as well.
- No, I think it is OK for humans to eat other animals. They are food, and we need to eat them to survive.
- We need protein from meat. We could get it from beans and tofu, but who wants to eat those things all the
time? Meat is delicious. If that’s wrong, than I don’t want to be right. Can you imagine a world without
bacon and hamburgers? I wouldn’t want to.

3. Many people have pets. Is it wrong to keep a pet in your house?

- Yes, I think it is wrong to keep pets in your house. Animals are supposed to live outside and have room to
run.
- Some animals are domesticated. Dogs and cats have been living with people for thousands of years. They
couldn’t survive without us. However, many other animals are not domesticated. It is cruel to keep these
animals indoors.
- No, I think it is good to have pets and that they are very well taken care of. Owners feed, clean, and love
their pet.

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- No, without us, the animals that we take care of as pets would die. Dogs and cats that have been bred as
companion animals cannot live in the wild. Imagine a Shitzu trying to hunt. Imagine a Yorkshire terrier trying
to catch another animal and eat it. These animals were bred as companions and cannot be anything else.

4. Would it be OK to experiment on humans?

- Yes, I think it is OK. Humans are animals, too. If it is OK to experiment on a mouse or monkey then we
should be allowed to experiment on humans.
- Yes, there are plenty of people who would probably volunteer to be tested on. Experimental surgeries could
save the lives of people who would die anyway. If given a choice, many people would probably jump at a
chance to be saved. Prisoners could volunteer to have chemicals tested on them in return for lesser
sentences.
- No, experimenting on humans is too dangerous. It is not safe to try new medicines or operations without
knowing if they will work. Someone will get hurt.
- No, animal testing means that we don’t have to test things on people. If we can do it on animals, why would
we bother to experiment on people? People will certainly get hurt, some may die. Why would we do this
when there is a perfectly sensible alternative?

5. Technology is becoming more powerful every day. Will computers ever be able to replace animal testing?

- Yes, they will. I think that in the future computers will become very powerful. They will be able to accurately
model the human body. Computers will then be able to predict how new medicines and operations will
work.
- Yes. As a matter of fact, we already have technology that can do this. Any flaws in the technology will be
corrected as time goes on. There is no need for animal testing, and people who say that this is not true, will
see how wrong they are as time goes by.
- No, that will never happen. A computer is not a human. It will never be able to do the same things that a
human body can do.
- Even if computers become extremely advanced and we can do this, will it be as accurate as animal testing?
Why not do both? That would surely be the safest for people. If a person disagrees with this now, they
surely wouldn’t if they got medicine that was poisonous or someone in their family did.

Time to Debate (page 112)

1. Using suffering to stop suffering is not ethical.

- I agree. If we want to stop people from suffering then there are better ways than testing animals. We can
learn to eat properly, stop smoking, and be healthier. Then we will not need to experiment on animals.
- This is true. But what is even worse is the fact that much of the animal testing that we do, is not even done
to stop suffering. A lot of animal testing is done just to see the limits of what animals can stand. Where is
the science in that? What do we learn? This is horribly unethical.
- I disagree. If we did not experiment on animals many people would not be alive today. We need these tests
to make sure that humans and animals will always be healthy.

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- We are not using more suffering to stop suffering. We are picking less suffering to stop more suffering. It
would be unethical to not do this. We need to experiment on animals to make shampoos, soaps, and other
products safe for people.

2. The benefits of animal testing far outweigh the costs.

- I agree. It does not matter to me if a few mice are experimented on. The medical developments that have
been created are much more important that the lives of mice. There are so many of them anyway.
- This is true. In fact, the costs of animal testing are not felt by people. We are never hurt by animal testing.
The only suffering that occurs during this is on the part of animals who do not know any better.
- I disagree. Every life is important. If we continue to experiment on animals we might cure some diseases,
but we will be bad people, which is worse.
- This is absurd. What benefits? We learn that you shouldn’t put chemicals in your eyes. Anyone could tell
you that without sacrificing thirty rabbits to find out. There are no benefits from animal testing. The animals
are not human, so any results are debatable at best. They suffer, and we gain no real knowledge.

3. In the future animal testing will continue to play a big part of our lives.

- I agree. Scientists will continue to test animals and will continue to find cures for new diseases which can kill
humans.
- Of course it will. We will have more diseases, more dangerous, and more treatments that require animal
testing. We will also have more products that need to be tested. As humanity grows larger, more animals
will be needed for testing.
- I disagree. In the future we will be able to do all of these experiments on computers. We will not need to
experiment on animals anymore.
- If our society progresses, we will have less animal testing. If our society doesn’t progress, we will probably
still do the same things that are destroying our planet - driving fossil fuel powered cars, polluting the
environment, killing each other in wars, etc. In short, either we adopt the kind of thinking that will ban animal
testing, or we stay with our current kind of thinking, and then there is no future.

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U N IT

19 Online Gaming

Warm-up (page 113)

1. Ask students to fill in the warm-up. When most or all of them are finished, ask students to share their
answers.
Answers will vary, but only slightly.

Game Who do you play with? Do you play inside or outside?

Soccer My friends and my team Outside on a soccer field

Starcraft My friends or other people online Inside on a computer

Card games My family and friends At home or at a friend’s house

Baseball My friends and my team Outside on a baseball field

World of Warcraft My friends or other people online Inside on a computer

Board games My family and friends At home or at a friend’s house

Video games My family and friends Inside on a television

2. Ask students to share what video games they play. These will vary a lot.

3. Compile a list on the board and use the list in number 5.

4. Ask students how long they play computer games every day.

5. Ask students if they know anyone who plays video games too much. Ask how they know that this person
plays games too much.

Comprehension Check (page 115)

1. Why do doctors worry about excessive online gaming?

- They think people will become addicted, violent, and less intelligent.

2. What do critics believe we should do instead of playing online games?

- study, exercise, and meet new people

3. Who can you play online games with?

- You can play with your friends or other people from all over the world.

4. Gamers score well on what kinds of tests?

- vision and problem solving tests

5. Why can excessive online gaming lead to obesity?

- Because excessive gamers are usually not very active.

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Vocabulary Check (page 115)

1. The critics do not believe that eating candy is healthy.

2. My back hurts because I have bad posture.

3. Eating too much food is associated with obesity.

4. Finding a new, cheap source of energy would benefit everyone.

5. My teacher gave me too much homework. It was excessive.

Think About It (page 115)

Advantages Disadvantages
•Can make new friends •Can lead to obesity
•It is entertaining •Can be addicting
•Can develop faster reflexes •Games are often violent
•Can be better at problem solving •May decrease intelligence
•Can learn teamwork •May develop bad posture or back pain
•Can relieve stress •Waste of time
•Can relive boredom •Bad for your eyes
•Can play with family

Supporting Opinions (page 116)

1. Children should only spend a little time playing online games...

c. since playing excessively can lead to many health problems.
The first part of this puts forward an argument. The second part gives a reason for this.

2. You should do your homework before playing online games...

d. because it is important to learn new things and do well in school.
If it is more important, it should be done first.

3. Online games are better than board games...

a. because you can play with people all over the world.
If playing with more and different people is better, then online gaming is clearly the better of the
two.

4. Teachers should use online games in schools...

b. because online games can help students learn and get better grades.
School is where we learn. Games help students learn. Games should be in school.

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Refuting Opinions (page 116)

1. Online gaming is only for children.

c. That’s not true. Many adults enjoy playing online games, too.
The first argument makes a very general claim. The second argument points out that
it is not true.
Adults that play online games are just grown up children. They should be doing other
things that are more important. Playing and wasting your time are for kids.

2. If you play online games all day, you will have no friends.
b. I disagree. You can meet new people and make great friendships playing online
games.
The first argument doesn’t give any support. The second argument does.
People you meet playing online games are not real friends. You interact with them in a
fake world, so the friendship and the experiences you have a fake as well.

3. Playing online games will make you very smart.

a. No, it will not. Online games can teach you many important things, but if you want
to be smart you must study, too.
The first argument is very general. It does not support itself, either. The second
argument is more specific. It offers evidence.
If you don’t think that playing online games will increase your knowledge, you’re not
playing the right online games. They have quiz show games and things like that where
you can learn anything. It is a kind of studying.

4. People will stop playing online games in the future.

d. I don’t think so. As more people have computers online gaming will become more
popular.
The first argument has no evidence. The second argument does.
I think that in the future, there will be something even better than online gaming. I
don’t know what it will be, but there are always advances in technology.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

Online gaming is a waste of time. [Opinion]

If you think that this is true, then you must not think that any of the things that online gaming can do are
good. Faster reflexes, entertainment, and online friendships cannot all be bad. [Refutation]

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Anything that online gaming can do for a person, there are better ways of doing. Faster reflexes can be
developed through sports, which are also good ways of getting exercise, developing teamwork, and having
fun. [Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 117)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
Playing online games will make children less intelligent. If children play too many games they will not have
time to do homework. Their grades will suffer and they won’t be able to go to a good college or get a good
job. Children should not spend all day playing games. It is a waste of time! Instead, they should study and
learn new things. Playing games might be fun, but it is more important that they be smart.

Opinion B
Playing online games can make children more intelligent. Scientific evidence has shown that children who
play online games score well on tests. They are better at solving problems then people who don’t play
games. And not all online games are violent. Some are educational. Students can learn math and reading
skills by playing online games.

3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
Playing online games may enhance hand-eye coordination and improve children’s reflexes, but for what? To
pretend to shoot people? To cast spells? These aren’t skills that are likely to help children later on in life.
However, if their classmates are studying hard, what online gaming can do, is waste time that children could
be using to keep up with the classmates. Online gaming develops the skill of getting left behind by your
classmates.

For Opinion B
Playing online games is a positive way to learn things. You can learn anything from online games. There are
all kinds of quiz show games and even games that model things on the real world. Some of the best students
in my class are avid gamers, and they’re not being left behind by anyone.

Discussion Questions (page 118)

Guide Questions

- What do you consider more important than online gaming?

- What do you consider to be less important than online gaming?

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- Some people think that more boys are gamers than girls. Do you think that this is true? Why or why
not?
- Do you think that people grow out of playing online games?
- Do you like real sports or video game sports better? Why?

1. Online gaming can be very expensive. Do you think that it is OK to spend so much money playing online
games?

- Yes, people should be allowed to spend their money any way they want. If they want to spend it on
entertainment, that is ok. No one has a problem paying money to see a movie in a cinema. Why should
spending money to play a game be different?
- Yes, if they weren’t spending their money on this, they’d be spending it on other things that aren’t any more
or less important. Having kids spend their money on video games is actually a good way to teach them
responsibility. If children have to do chores to earn money for their online games, it will teach them the value
of money.
- No, it is not OK. Children should save their money for the future, or spend it on something useful. It is a
waste to pay to play a game which only lasts a small amount of time. They could buy a guitar and play it
forever!
- There are a lot of people in the world who don’t have enough money to eat. Instead of paying money for
new games or monthly fees for online games, wouldn’t it be better to donate the money? We could save a
lot of lives this way.

2. Some people believe that excessive online gaming is the leading cause of child obesity. Is this true, or is there
a more dangerous cause of child obesity?

- Online gaming is definitely the leading cause of child obesity. Children spent many hours every day in front
of a computer and do not exercise. If we banned online gaming they would exercise more and be less
obese.
- It is most certainly the leading cause. People used to eat easily as much fat as they do now. However, they
don’t exercise like they used to. Children used to help their families with things that were physically
demanding. They used to use up the calories that they ate during the day. Now that we don’t play outside
as much or do physical work, our bodies store the excess calories. What do people do instead of working
or playing outside? They play on the computer.
- No, our diet is the leading cause of child obesity. Children eat very bad food, like fast food, and too much of
it. Online gaming is OK as long as children eat a healthy diet.
- We eat so many more calories than we need to. In the world we live in, our diet has not adjusted to our
lifestyles. Online gaming cannot make anyone fat. Excess calories cause your body to store fat. Without
eating too much, it is impossible to be overweight.

3. How do your parents feel about online gaming? Do they play as well?

- My parents love online gaming. My dad and I play together often. It is very fun, and a great way to spend
time with my family. They also think that it is a great education tool.
- My parents don’t really care about online gaming. They’ve tried it once or twice to see what it is that I like
doing so much, but they’re really bad at it. Because they aren’t very good, I don’t think they enjoy it very
much. They let me play as much as I want so long as I do my homework.

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- My parents do not like online gaming. They never played as children and they do not play now. They think it
is a waste of time and do not let me play.
- My parents like online gaming. They call it “the babysitter” sometimes. They are very busy and do not have
time to constantly be entertaining me. They let me play online games instead because they know I like it and
can form friendships with people elsewhere.

4. Online gaming is great because it allows you to play with people from all over the world. Do you think it is
better to play with your friends, or to play with people online?

- I think it is better to play with your friends. It is more fun that way. We all know each other and we can have
fun competing together.
- My friends and I talk about strategies to win at online games in school. At lunch, we always talk about how
we did playing the game the other day. We make plans together and go to internet cafes together. It makes
our friendship much stronger.
- I like meeting new people. It is fun to talk to people from different countries. I like learning about their
culture. Also, it helps me to be a better gamer because I am always playing against new opponents.
- I like to keep my real friends in the real world, and my online friends in the online one. I am very good at
gaming, and most of my friends are not. Most of the people I play online games with are much older, and
they live all over the world. We have a very elite team.

5. Some parents think it is not safe to let children play online games. Parents do not know who the other players
are. They could be criminals. Is online gaming safe?

- Yes, online gaming is safe. Children today are smart. They would never agree to meet another online gamer.
They play because it is fun, not because they want to meet new people.
- Nothing in the online gaming world can hurt a child in real life. If parents are letting their children out of the
house to go meet people from the online gaming community, that is not the gaming itself. That is bad
parenting. As long as parents are aware of what their children are doing, no one can hurt them through a
game.
- No, online gaming can be dangerous. Children have been hurt in the past because of the internet. There are
some very bad people who play these games. Children need to be very careful when they play online
games.
- Parents cannot watch everything that their children do all of the time. There is no way to know if someone is
trying to lure children out of the house to hurt them. Online gaming should be regulated to make it safer.
Critics of this are only critics as long as no one that they know has been hurt.

Time to Debate (page 118)

1. Critics exaggerate the problems with online gaming. It is really just harmless fun.

- I agree. Online gaming is a great way for friends to play together. It also allows them to play together
without being in the same house. They can play, and then do their homework.
- This is true. My friends play constantly, and they are at the top of our class. None of us have ever gotten
hurt or into trouble because of it. If we’re all fine and having fun playing online games, where is the negative
side to it?

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- I disagree. Online gaming is very harmful. Children become less active and spend less time studying. They
will become lazy and less intelligent because of online gaming.
- This is not true. Children should not spend as much time as they do playing online games. It is unhealthy
and creates aggression. How can pretending to shoot people all day be anything but bad for you? It’s a
waste of time, and children should spend the time learning an intelligent hobby or exercising. This way they
won’t get fat and have heart problems.

2. Online gaming should be banned for anyone under the age of 18. Children should focus on learning, not
games.

- I agree. It is fine for adults to play video games. Adults have already been to school and can choose to play
if they want. Children, however, must get a good education, exercise, and make friends. They cannot do
this with online gaming.
- This is true. Children’s brains are not well-developed enough for them to make good decisions about their
own lives. This is especially the case with online gaming. Rather than playing outside, or learning something
valuable, children waste time, get fat, and learn to be violent. Adults are smart enough to measure their time
playing games. And if they get addicted, it is their own faults. Children are not.
- I disagree. Everyone, adults and children, need to have time to play and have fun. Online gaming is great
because children can play and learn at the same time.
- This is absurd. It’s like saying that children shouldn’t be allowed to play baseball or chess. They are games.
These games are for kids. People can get addicted or too involved in anything. Parents just need to be
reasonable with their children, not ban things altogether.

3. In the future everyone will own a computer, and everyone will play online games.

- This will definitely happen. In the last 20 years very few people had computers. Online games did not even
exist. Now, millions of people play every day. In 100 years I believe that everyone will have a computer and
play online games.
- Online gaming will not even be a term that people use in the future. All entertainment will be in the form of
online gaming, so we will just call it entertainment. Online gaming is getting more and more popular and
video game sports will eventually replace real ones. People will be able to compete in virtual baseball games
without ever leaving their hometowns. The future is online gaming.
- This will never happen. There are many people today with computers who are not interested in playing
online games. It is a hobby, and it is not for everyone. This will not change in the future. Some people will
play, but some will not.
- This is a bizarre and somewhat scary vision of the future. However, to say that EVERYONE will play online
games is a bit much. There are so many people who live far away from cities and farmers that never really
leave the countryside that this is just impossible. There will always be people that prefer reality or don’t have
access to online gaming.

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U N IT

20 Role Models

Warm-up (page 119)

1. Ask students what a role model is.

2. If they have trouble with the question, ask them what model means. Use it in the sentence, “The teacher
modeled the activity for the students.”

3. If the students have trouble still, explain that to model something means to show someone how it’s done.

4. Ask students if they can figure out what a role model is.

5. If they still cannot, explain to them that a role model is a person that you look up to for some reason.

6. Ask students to fill in the warm-up.

Answers will vary. Some examples are below:

Name Parents

Positive They teach me about love and the importance of being a good person.

Negative They do not listen to me. And make you do things that I do not want to do.

Name Park Ji-Sung

Positive He inspires me to work harder. If he can be a success, so can I!

He left South Korea to play soccer in Europe. He is not loyal to his country
Negative
or his fans. It is a bad example for children.

Name Barack Obama

He overcame racism to become President of the United States. I can
Positive
overcome my problems, too.

Negative He sends many people to fight and die in war.

Name Friends

Positive They teach me to have fun and to be a good person.

Negative They try to make me do bad things and do not study hard.

7. When students are finished ask them to share their work.

Comprehension Check (page 121)

1. What is one bad thing role models can teach young girls?
- They can teach girls that they must be beautiful to succeed.

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2. According to the passage, what do teachers and coaches teach us?

- Teachers and coaches show us that if we work hard we can be successful.

3. Who are our first role models?

- our parents

4. Why is Barack Obama a positive role model?

- He overcame racism to become President of the United States.

5. What do positive role models do?

- They inspire us to succeed and be our best.

Vocabulary Check (page 121)

1. My baseball coach values hard work and teamwork.

2. Mary overcame many health problems to become a famous athlete.

3. John is nice and likes to help people. He has a good character.

4. My aspiration is to become a police officer.

5. The room was messy. I had to jump over many obstacles to get to my bed.

Think About It (page 121)

1. How has your life been affected by positive role models?

- My parents have taught me to be a good person and to be nice to everyone. This has helped me make
friends and will continue to help me as I get older.
- My teachers have taught me about the importance of hard work. This will be important. Everyone must
work hard.
- My coaches have taught me how to work together with other people. This will be important to me when I
need to work in a large company.
- I don’t have a role model yet.

2. Do you think that superheroes like Batman and Superman are positive role models? Explain your answer.

- Yes, superheroes are great role models. They spend their lives helping people that need help. They are very
strong and smart. They also stop villains and put bad people in jail.
- No, I don’t think they are very good role models. They are too violent. Young children will become more
violent because they want to be like their favorite superheroes.
- I don’t think that they are good role models because they are not real. Also, most superheroes have super
powers. That’s not something you can even imitate unless you want to get hurt.

3. Are you a role model? Do other people look up to you?

- Yes, I am a role model to my younger siblings. I teach them to be good people and help them solve their
problems.

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- I am a role model on my baseball team. I am one of the oldest kids on the team. The younger players follow
my lead.
- No, I am too young to be a role model.
- No, I’m not a very good student. I mostly play video games all day, and no one wants to follow that kind of
example. What would they learn? Still, I am happy.

Supporting Opinions (page 122)

1. Our parents are our most important role models...

b. because they are the first people to teach us about the world.
The first part of this puts forward an argument. The second part gives a reason for this.

2. Everyone should play team sports...

d. because coaches can teach us about hard work and cooperation.
If hard work and cooperation is a good thing, and being on sports teams teaches us this, then it
is good.

3. Everyone should have a positive role model...

c. since positive role models inspire us to be our best.
If positive role models are good, and everyone should have good things, then everyone should
have a positive role model.

4. Kobe Bryant is a great role model...

a. because he worked hard and became a successful basketball player.
Working hard and being successful are things that we want to do. We should follow role models
who do things like this.

Refuting Opinions (page 122)

1. We can learn nothing from negative role models.

a. I disagree. Negative role models can teach us things to avoid in our lives if we want
to succeed.
If we see someone do something, and there are bad results, we will learn not to do it.
Often times negative role models do bad things in a way that makes them seem
good. This is negative for young people.

2. Batman is a great role model because he fought evil people.

c. He teaches young children that it is OK to use violence to solve problems. He is a
poor role model.
If violence is bad, do we want to follow someone who does it all the time?
Violence is a last resort. Batman comics teach this as well. Batman doesn’t just beat
people up for fun.

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3. You should not have a role model. It is better to be yourself.

d. You can be yourself and have a role model at the same time. They inspire us to be
our best, but they do not make us different people.
As long as you are not copying everything the person does, you can still be yourself.
Where do you draw the line? Copying someone is still copying them. If you want to be
successful for you, you shouldn’t follow someone else’s lead.

4. You should have the same role models as your friends. Then you will be cool.
b. That is a bad idea. It is important to have role models who interest you. Do not
worry about what your friends think.
The first argument offers some reasoning, but it is not very good reasoning.
If your friends have the same interests as you, and you want to succeed at the same
things. Having the same role models is just smart.

If there is enough time, have the students write opinions refuting the refutation.
(E.g. Opinion Refutation Re-refutation)

You can only have one role model. [Opinion]

This isn’t true. You can have role models that are different because you like different things that they’ve
done. [Refutation]
You only have one life. You can only imitate one person’s life. It’s simple math. If you try to imitate two
people’s lives, neither of them is really your role model. [Re-refutation]
As a class, have students share their examples of “re-refutation.”

Opinion Examples (page 123)

1. Please circle the main idea in each opinion.

2. Please underline the supporting ideas in each opinion.

Opinion A
Coaches make great role models. They teach us that with hard work we can accomplish our goals. Also, in
team sports our coaches help us to work together to succeed. Everyone should learn the importance of hard
work and cooperation. They are skills which we can use in school, our jobs, and in our relationships with
people. If we look to our coaches as role models we will be better prepared to become successful in life.

Opinion B
It is dangerous to look at our coaches as role models. Coaches teach us that winning is the most important
thing in life. If we do not win, then we are failures. Children might become aggressive and selfish. Also, they
will not know how to deal with other types of failures in life, like getting a bad grade on a test. It is fun to win,
but coaches should not make it the most important thing in sports.

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3. What would you say to further support the opinion with which you agree?

For Opinion A
Coaches take an interest in children. Many people say that they do this, but they don’t spend the kind of
time with children that coaches do. They understand us and want the best for us. They are important to our
lives and are excellent role models.

For Opinion B
Coaches are often mean to children who are not good at the sport that they are playing. Some of them do
tell us that trying is the most important thing, but many others are very cut-throat about winning. All they want
is for the players to do well so that they look good. Many coaches are very self-serving.

Discussion Questions (page 124)

Guide Questions

- Who is one role model that children have, who you don’t think is a good role model? Why?
- Do you know if your parents had role models?
- Who would you guess that your parents’ role models were?
- Do you think it’s better to have a famous role model or a close relationship with the person that you
imitate? Why?

1. Do you think that it is better to have many role models, or only one?

- I think it is better to have many different role models. Each role model can help us in different parts of our
lives. My parents can teach me about love. My coaches can teach me about hard work. And my science
teacher can help inspire me to become a doctor.
- If you’re only following one person, you’re only imitating the good points of one person. If you imitate the
good points of many people, it will have a much better effect. This way, you can concentrate on the good
points of many people and become better than any of them.
- It is better to pick one role model and try to be like them. You should study everything they do and model
your life after that person. This way you will have a better chance to be successful, like your role model.
- Getting pulled in a hundred different directions is never a good thing. If a person wants to be like six
different role models, they’re going to have a lot of conflicting ideas. A good trait in one person is not
necessarily a good trait in someone else. We all have our own good qualities, and they work well for us,
because they are unique to our personalities. Following many people may not work out well because of this.

2. Role models must be real people. Do you agree with this statement?

- Yes, role models should be real people. Why would you want to learn about life from cartoons or fictional
characters? They are not real, and the things they do are not real either.
- If you are imitating someone who is not real, the good characteristics that they display are fictional as well.
Following a real person gives you more real ways to imitate them. Following a superhero like superman is a
little absurd. How can you imitate someone who bullets bounce off of?

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- No, a role model can be anyone, or anything, that inspires. There are many fictional characters in books that
would make great role models. By reading about how they overcame challenges we can be inspired to do
the same.
- This is just not true. Fictional characters, good guys in particular, are created to be an ideal that we strive
toward to make us better people. How can that be bad as a role model? If people imitated the choices of
comic book characters or superheroes, but made them apply to real life situations, that would be great.

3. Would you like to be a role model when you are an adult?

- Yes, I would. If I am a role model then that means I am successful. Also, I will be able to help and inspire
children. They will want to be like me, and that is great!
- Yes, of course. I feel like I get a lot out of seeing role models in my life, it would be good for young people to
do the same with me. I try to live my life in such a way that I would want to be a role model. Hopefully,
someone else will say the same of me and follow the things that I have done.
- No, I would not. Being a role model is a very big responsibility. People will always want me to be perfect. It
is too much pressure.
- No, I think that that would be annoying. It bothers me when I see other people copying my older brother. I
am against role models anyway, and I would really hate to see someone following my path and doing the
same things that I do.

4. A role model is the same as a hero. Do you agree with this statement?

- Yes, they are the same. Role models and heroes are both people we can look up to. They both do great
things to help people. So they are the same.
- Yes. A hero is a synonym for a role model. We all need people in our lives to show us right from wrong, and
those are heroes. They are also role models. There is really no difference in the two words. It’s just that
sometimes hero refers to a superhero, and role models usually refer to real people. In either case though,
people sometimes use the words the same.
- No, they are not the same. Many of our childhood heroes, like Superman, teach us that it is OK to use
violence to solve problems. Heroes can disappoint us, but a role model will always help us to be our best.
- No, they are not the same. A role model is someone who it is possible to imitate. A hero may not be the
same thing. If someone’s hero is a model or a war hero, they may not be able to imitate the person because
they don’t look like them, or there isn’t a war going on. Role models are people we imitate in real life.

5. Some people try to be exactly like their role model. They dress, talk, and act like them. Is this a good thing?

- Yes, it is good to act like your role model. Role models are successful, talented, and well liked. Acting like
your role model will help you to learn the skills needed to be a success.
- Yes, if your role model is successful and happy, then there is no reason for you not to try to do the exact
same things. At worst, you may get close to being the same as them, and if they weren’t there, who knows
how you might have ended up. At best, you may even do better than that person, and be even happier.
- No, this is a bad thing. You can never be your role model because you are a different person. You should
learn from them, but not try to be them. It is more important to be yourself.
- Because two people’s lives are always different, you cannot imitate anyone perfectly. It’s ridiculous to try. All
that copying a role model completely will do, is make you seem silly to everyone else. Especially if your role
model is fictional. Can you imagine, trying to act like a comic book character in real life? Be your own person.

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Time to Debate (page 124)

1. Is it possible for someone to be a positive and negative role model at the same time?

- Yes, it is. Role models can be successful in one part of their life and do bad things in another part of their
life. For example, they can be a talented and respected actor, but also drink too much alcohol. They will be
successful in their career, but the alcohol is a bad influence for children.
- Yes, of course. Many famous celebrities are terrible people but very good at what they do. Donald Trump is
horribly mean. He is also very rich and successful. We might want to imitate his success, but not his
personality. In cases like this, there are good and bad parts to the person’s personality.
- No, you are either a positive role model or a negative one. If a role model does anything bad then they are a
negative role model. Children will want to do the bad thing, too.
- Of course not. If a person is imitating someone who does bad things, they’ll end up doing the bad things,
too. It might seem obvious to say that they wouldn’t do those things, but it can be very difficult to tell. Role
models often make bad decisions look good. Think about celebrities with dieting, or politicians with allowing
big companies to pollute the environment.

2. Role models must be famous, successful people. No one else can be a role model.

- I agree with this statement. Role models are supposed to help us to succeed; therefore, a role model must
be a famous, successful person. By learning for these people we can be also be the best.
- Of course. This is how we define success in our world. You wouldn’t want to follow an unsuccessful role
model, would you? Also, role models who are famous and successful are easy to find information on, and
therefore easier to imitate. If you’re trying to follow the lead of someone who is not famous, how will you
know what they did or didn’t do?
- No, this statement is not true. Anyone can be a role model. A role model is supposed to encourage us to be
our best. Our parents, teachers and coaches do this every day. They are not famous, and they are great
role models.
- This is ridiculous. What if our goal is to be a teacher when we grow up? Do you know any famous
teachers? My definition of success is happiness. All of the people that I know, who are truly happy, are not
famous. I don’t know any famous people, but I bet that a lot of them are not very happy. We should imitate
people who are happy because that’s real success.

3. People say that it is important to have a role model. Is it important? Explain why or why not.

- Yes, it is definitely important to have a role model. Studies have shown that people who have role models
are more successful in life. Role models inspire us to be our best.
- We need inspiration sometimes. This world can be a difficult place for us to succeed, and sometimes we
need a little help. Having a role model can give us confidence and strength, especially if the person that we
are imitating overcame difficult odds to achieve what they have achieved. This is important for everyone.
- No, role models are not very important. If you are a strong and smart person you will not need a role model.
You will be able to achieve success without help.
- No. I actually think that it is important to not have a role model. If you are following someone else’s
footsteps and are successful, the only thing you’ve done is become a success at being another person.
You should do things for yourself, so that you can be a success at what you want to be a success at. This
makes sense. Trying to be someone else, does not.

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