Ex.17. STUDENT POACHING SURVEY: Write five questions about elephant poaching.

Ex.18. IVORY TRADE DISCUSSION:

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS

a. What did you think when you read the headline?

b. What do you think about elephant poaching?

c. Do you think it’s OK to kill animals to make products?

d. Are there differences between killing an animal for food, leather or other goods?

e. How concerned are you that poachers are killing elephants?

f. How would you feel if the world’s last elephant died?

g. Do you think the UN should allow the sale of the stockpiled ivory to Japan?

h. Do you think the Japanese should stop using ivory tusks for personal stamps and use an alternative material instead?

i. Do you prefer the idea of signatures of personal stamps?

j. Why do you think people like things made of ivory?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS

a. Did you like reading this article?

b. Why do you think it took 18 years to reach this agreement?

c. Do you think the elephant is the most majestic land beast?

d. Do you think Japan and China should change their traditions and stop using things that require the killing of endangered species?

e. What punishment do you think is fitting for an elephant poacher?

f. What would you say to a shopkeeper who had products made from endangered species in his/her shop?

g. Do you think China has the right to be angry at not getting any of the stockpiled ivory?

h. Would you like to have a job that is directly involved in protecting wildlife?

i. What’s the best thing you can do to help protect elephants?

j. Did you like this discussion?

Ex.19. AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

a. What was the most interesting thing you heard?

b. Was there a question you didn’t like?

c. Was there anything you totally disagreed with?

d. What did you like talking about?

e. Which was the most difficult question?

Ex.20. SPEAKING: ROLE PLAY:

This role play is to discuss whether or not animals should be commercially farmed to cut out the black markets in animals and products and thus protect animals in the wild. Team up with classmates who have been assigned the same role as you. Develop your roles and discuss ideas and “strategies” before the role play begins. Introduce yourself to the other role players before you begin.

Role A – ELEPHANT FARMER You can breed thousands of elephants. You know you can reduce the price of ivory and other elephant products. You believe China and Japan have a right to continue their traditions. You are a conservationist and want elephants to survive in the wild. You can clone elephants for commercial purposes. THINK OF MORE REASONS WHY ELEPHANT FARMING IS GOOD.

Role B – CONSUMER You think endangered animal farming is the best solution to animal conservation. You feel sorry for the millions of animals who die while being illegally smuggled across borders. You like animal products but have never bought any because of conservation concerns. Animal farming means you can now buy a tiger skin coat and a polar bear rug. THINK OF MORE REASONS WHY ANIMAL FARMING IS GOOD.

Role C – CONSERVATIONIST You think animal farming is a terrible idea. It sends people the wrong message that commercialism is more important than animals’ lives and conservation. Animals have rights. You think legalizing animal farming will increase poaching. You think cloning will destroy all wildlife. THINK OF MORE REASONS WHY ANIMAL FARMING IS TERRIBLE.

Role D – ENDANGERED ELEPHANT You have had enough of worrying about whether or not you or your family will be caught by poachers. You cannot sleep at night. Dozens of your relatives and friends have been killed. You have heard many bad things about animal farms. Animals should be left alone in the wild. THINK OF MORE REASONS WHY ANY USE OF ANIMALS IS NOT FAIR.

Change roles and repeat the role play. Comment in groups about the differences between the two role plays. In pairs / groups, discuss whether you really believe in what you said while you were in your roles.

Ex.21. WRITING: Write about the elephants and ivory for 10 minutes. Correct your partner’s paper.

ADDITIONAL TASKS

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations with each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about the new ban on ivory trade. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) at the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE WRITING:Write a magazine article about the death of the world’s last elephant. Discuss who is most to blame. Read what you wrote to your classmates at the next lesson. Which article was the best and why?

4. LETTER:Write a letter to the authorities of CITES. Ask them three questions about the survival of the elephant. Give them three suggestions about what they should do to stop poachers. Read your letter to your partner(s) at the next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

5. TRANSLATION:Find an article in Russian describing the CITES activities. Translate it into English. Present your translation orally in class.

Unit IV.