Exploring social issues»¶長假期-階段3-Eng-S.4...who take drugs do not only affect their health, but also cause other problems, like an increase on crime rates. I think social

HKSYC & IA Chan Nam Chong Memorial College Elective 1 – Learning English through Social Issues

U/Eng/NSS Electives/Social Issues/Coursebook/A/2012 Copyright © CNC

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Exploring social issues In this part, you will:

1. identify some common social issues and learn how to define them.

2. identify, examine and present the causes and effects of social issues.

3. identify, examine and present the solutions to social issues.



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Unit 1 – Introduction to social issues

Pre-activity

Work in pairs. Some students have ideas on the meaning of social issues. Look at the pictures below and try to summarize the meaning in the box provided.

1.1 What is a social issue?

A social issue is a 1) _______________ or a situation that either directly or

2) _______________ affects a large number of people in a society, a

community, a country or 3) _________________________. It may have

significant 4) _______________ impacts on people and society and thus needs

a 5) _______________.

Social issues may affect our society indirectly sometimes. For example, people who take drugs do not only affect their health, but also cause other problems, like an increase on crime rates.

I think social issues may affect the whole world, such as global warming. Everyone is facing this problem.

I think social issues usually affect human’s life and the effects are usually negative.

After knowing the causes and effects of a social issue, we have to find out possible solutions to overcome the social problem.

In this unit, you will: Ø identify the social issues discussed in different texts. Ø write a definition of a social issue.



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Activity 1

Your teacher wants to introduce some common social issues to you. Skim the texts. Decide what social issue is being discussed in each of them. Write the names of the social issues in the spaces provided.

Hint: You may use these social issues

A. Animal abuse B. Alcohol abuse C. Abortion

D. Bullying E. Child abuse F. Compensated dating

G. Depression H. Domestic violence I. Drink-driving

J. Drug abuse K. Environmental

protection L. Gambling

M. Global warming N. Heritage

preservation O. Internet addiction

P. Internet piracy Q. Obesity R. Plastic bag levy

S. Pollution T. Poverty U. Recycling

V. Teenage crime W. Teenage

pregnancy X. Teenage smoking

Y. Traffic jam Z. Eating disorder

(e.g. Anorexia)

�1 Social issue: _________________________



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�2 Social issue: _________________________ �3 Social issue: _________________________

Skimming –

read quickly to

find the main

ideas. When

you skim a

text, read the

title, any

subheadings

and the first

sentence of

each

paragraph.

Note

Raise awareness in a green manner Hong Kong is committed to greening its environment, but the government continues

to waste a lot of paper. The government has spent millions making leaflets and

publications promoting environmental awareness, and I doubt anyone will read

them. I appreciate the message about the environment. But paper requires trees.

Daniel Chu Siu-kai, International Christian Quality Music Secondary and Primary School

Source: Adapted from ‘Raise awareness in a green manner’, Young Post, 12 June 2009

There will be a scanned photo attached later. Maids allege violence, abuse Indonesian domestic helpers say they face regular violence and mental abuse at the hands of their employers – they get tied up in red tape when they try to complain.

Several women broke their silence yesterday and called on the SAR and Indonesian governments to draw up a blacklist of employers and employment agencies.

One helper said her employer kicked and slapped her regularly.

She was also stabbed with chopsticks, then had her pay cut to less than HK$300 a month – the legal minimum wage is HK$3,580.

Yesterday, the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union, and the Hong Kong Coalition of Indonesian Migrants Workers Organization launched a campaign aimed at stopping such abuse.

Serinah Ho

Source: Adapted from ‘Maids allege violence, abuse’, The Standard, 10 July 2009



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�4 Social issue: _________________________

Source: Freely adapted from http://www.ifpi.org

�5 Social issue: _________________________

Recently, there have been a lot of news reports about bullying in schools. It seems

that the situation is getting worse. Some people believe that it might have an impact

not only on the victims but also on society. Immediate action needs to be taken. In fact, bullying is not simple a school problem but a social one. Both children and

adults should solve problems peacefully. Education plays an important role in this.

When children are young, they should be taught that bullying is not acceptable. The government also needs to take an active role by offering assistance and

counseling. Social workers should pay more visits to problem families. Television

campaigns might also help. Habakkuk Sin, CUHKFAA

Chan Chun Ha Secondary School

Source: Adapted from ‘School bullying is a social problem’, Young Post, 22 June 2009

www.ifpi.com

Illegal downloads è Internet file-sharing involves 700 million unauthorized music files at any one

time (800 million on the internet overall).

è All major surveys say that illegal file-sharing makes people buy less – the

latest, by Forrester, showing that 36% of downloaders buy less music as a

result.

è Illegal file-sharing is a major factor in the fall in world music sales, down 14%

in just three years.

www.ifpi.com



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Activity 2

Match the social issues to their simple descriptions. Write the letters next to the correct social issues.

1 ___ Drink-driving A being poor

2

___ Drug abuse

B being very fat, in a way that is not healthy

3

___ Global warming

C physical and/or psychological/emotional mistreatment of children

4

5

___ Obesity ___ Poverty

D

E

A person is targeted and disturbed, threatened or embarrassed on the Internet

the condition of having no home

6 ___ Cyber bullying F driving a vehicle after drinking too much alcohol

7 ___ Internet piracy G illegal downloads and/or illegal

8

___ Homelessness

H

file-sharing on the internet illegal substances that some people take for the physical and mental

9 ___ Gender Discrimination

I

effects they have The unfair treatment of people, especially women, because of their

10 ___ Child abuse sex J

K

the increase in temperature of the earth’s atmosphere, that is caused by the increase of particular gases, especially carbon dioxide marriage between two men or two women



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Teenage binge drinking is when young people between the ages of thirteen and nineteen drink a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time, usually in bars, on the street or at home.

When we write a definition of something, we should clearly and concisely state its meaning.

1.2 Definitions of social issues

The definition of a social issue usually contains information about the following four aspects: l what (e.g. details of the issue, its effects) l who (e.g. people who caused the issues and people who are affected by it) l when (e.g. now/current, at a certain time of year, at a certain time in history) l where (e.g. local or international, in poor or rich countries, at school/work/home) Read the following definition of teen binge drinking. Complete the mind map below

using the information from the definition.

Yes. The kids take care of themselves when I work.

Social issue

____________

Who?

Where? When?

What?

Now



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Read the lyrics below and complete the mind map below.

Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins

She calls out to the man on the street

‘Sir can you help me?

It’s cold and I’ve nowhere to sleep

Is there somewhere you can tell me?’

She walks on, doesn’t look back

He pretends he can’t hear her

Starts to whistle as he crosses the street

Seems embarrassed to be there

Oh, think twice, it’s just another day for you and me in Paradise

Oh, think twice, it’s just another day for you, you and me in Paradise

Watch the music

video to know more

about the song.

Social issue

____________

Who?

Where? When?

What?

developing

countries

the shortage of common things, such as food, clothing, shelter, etc

Video Clip 2 You can access the video at

http://www.youtube.com/watch

?v=DfZqXLnBYb4



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Global Warming Global warming is the increase in the temperature of the earth’s near-surface air and oceans. It is caused by the build-up of carbon dioxide and other pollutants in the air, which traps the sun’s heat and warms up the planet.

Global warming is already causing a wide range of problems. Sea levels are rising due to the melting of polar ice sheets. Countries around the world are facing extreme weather. Such changes threaten the lives of both wildlife and humans.

What is the definition of global warming? Read the passage and then complete the following paragraph with suitable words and phrases.

occurs when the amounts of (1) and

other pollutants in the air (2) the sun’s heat near the

earth’s surface. This results in (3) temperatures of the

earth’s air and (4) . The lives of

and (5) are under threats.



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Activity 3

Work in groups. Discuss with your members and choose a social issue. You may refer to p.3. Complete the mind map below. Writing task

After completing the mind map, write a definition of the social issue. Use a separate sheet of paper.

Social issue

_______________

Simple description People caused the issue

What? Who?

When? Where?

People are affected by

the issue

Useful expressions

l …means…

l …can be generally defined as…

l …is described as…

l …is a problem because …

Source:



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Unit 2 – Causes, effects of social issues and their solutions

2.1 Childhood obesity

Rising trend of obesity among primary school students

Source: The Department of Health

Is obesity a serious problem in Hong Kong? Why or why not?

I’m 1.53m tall and I weigh 58kg. Am I overweight?

To find out whether your weight is proportional to your height, use the Body Mass Index (BMI).

BMI = 2)()(

mheightkgweight

BMI Status Below 18.5 Underweight 18.5 – 22.9 Normal 23 – 24.9 Overweight 25 – 29.9 Obese Over 30 Extremely obese



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Activity 1

Children are obese partly because of a busy lifestyle. Many parents are working full-time and long hours. They are very tired after work. So, they buy fast foods instead of home cooked healthy dishes.

Dr. David Lee Paediatrician

Children can easily buy high-calorie foods, like junk snacks and sweets. And the foods are relatively cheap. Also, most children spend too much time watching TV, surfing the Internet and playing video games. Mrs. Rebecca Li

Principal

Now, read the comments from different specialists and then identify the common causes of obesity.

These are designed speech bubbles.

Children tend to eat more meat and less vegetable at home in the evening. Besides eating junk food, most overweight children do not exercise regularly.

Chinese culture affects people’s health. Some foods are traditionally prepared with a lot of fat, salt or sugar. They often feature big feasts in special occasions or big family gatherings. Parents do not guide their children to eat, so they consume more they usually have.

Ms. Angela Pitt Sociologist

Dr. Matthew Fan Dietitian



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Complete the spider map showing major causes of obesity.

Make sentences using the following expressions

Causes of obesity

Unhealthy lifestyle

u ____________ lifestyle

u Lack of regular __________

_____________

u Buy _____________ instead

of _____________________

Cultural background u Chinese food are prepared

with ____________________ u Feature _________________

_______________________

Others u Lack of parental guidance u Fast food, junk snacks and

sweets are

Poor eating habits / diets u Eat ___________________

at school u Junk foods are __________ u Eat ___________________

________________ at home

Expressions to signal the cause (of a problem) l …… because / as / since + clause (cause) l …… because of / due to / owing to + noun phrase (cause) l …… is caused by ……(cause) l (cause) is the main cause of …… l The main reason is ……(cause) l Another reason is ……(cause)



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Activity 2

Below is an interview script between a reporter and Dr. Lee.

Obese People Suffer

According to Dr. Wilson, overweight and obese people can be affected psychologically. They are often teased and isolated by their peers because of their appearance, leading to low confidence and low self-esteem and even depression. Dr. Johns also pointed out that obese people are often stereotyped as lazy, awkward, ugly, or spoiled. As a result, they often face prejudice, discrimination at school and in social situations. This could affect their self-esteem and even personality development.

We’re participating in an inter-quiz organised by the Health Society. We’re given part of an interview script and two texts. Work in groups. Read the information and then complete the mind map that follows.

Impacts on the Economy The economic consequences are as serious as the impacts on health. The more people who have become obese, more medical expenditure have to be gone to provide treatments for them. It then increases the financial burden on government who has to pay extra to treat all these obesity-related conditions. Besides that, more and more overweight young people and children have health diseases such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. The police forces, the fire department and other businesses foresee that it will be increasingly difficult to hire suitable persons who are physically fit.

Reporter: What are the health problems of being obese? Dr. Lee: Obesity can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease,

high blood pressure and stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Reporter: How serious are the health problems? Dr. Lee: These conditions could cause disability and even death.



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Complete the mind map.

Effects of obesity

Physical Effects

Effects

Economical Effects

u

u

u

u

u

u u u u Effects on

__________________________

u More ________ _____________

u Greater ______ _____________ _____________

u More difficult to _______________________________________

Expressions to signal the effects / consequences (of a problem) l One of the effects is ……(effect) l The consequences are / include ……(effect) l …… lead to ……(effect) l …… result in ……(effect) l …… trigger ……(effect) l (effect) …… is the result of …… l (effect) …… because / since ……



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Activity 3

Video clip 3

You can access this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-zEDbl04NY

A poster from the Department of Health

Different sectors of society should do something for the social problem. So, what should each party do to solve the problem of childhood obesity? Let’s find it out!

u

The movement aims to cultivate healthy eating practices so that children can grow

healthily and learn effectively.

The Department of Health has co-organised a series of activities

with other departments and associations to promote and enhance

healthy eating in schools.

The Department of Health has invited a number of schools to take part in the school

‘NutriAgent’ Project, helping them create a healthy environment.

It has also released newsletters or has held workshops

and sharing sessions to the public to promote health

eating.

Source: The Department of Health



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Refer to Unit 2 of Thematic Anthology. Work in group and write down what each party could do in order to improve the problem of childhood obesity in Hong Kong.

Schools

u u u u

Parents

u u u u

Children

u u u

Government

u Promote and enhance u Hold

Can you think of some other examples?



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Writing task

You are Chris Wong. You are asked to write a letter to the Editor to express your opinions after reading Simon Chan’s letter in Unit 2 TA. Before you do the writing task, watch Video Clip 4 to get some ideas from Liza Hark, a lecturer from the University of Pennsylvania. The suggested writing guidelines may help you. Dear __________________, I am writing in response to _____________ letter about _________________. I (agree / disagree) with the writer. This is because …… In the letter, it is suggested what schools and parents should do in order to solve the problem. Besides that, I suggest that children should…… (What can children do so that they can avoid being overweight?) In addition, the government should …… (What can the government do in order to solve the problem?) In conclusion, …… Yours ______________, Signature Useful expressions of giving suggestions to solve the social problem l To stop the situation from getting worse, we could … l To overcome the problem, we could … l In order to solve the problems, we could … l One solution is … l Another solution is … l It is possible to solve the problem. First, we need to … l The best way is to … l …… can / could / should / have to / must ……

(Writer’s name)



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2.2 Global Warming

Activity 4 - Interview Work in pairs. Each of you takes turn to interview your partner to find out his/her living habit. You may begin like this:

Interview Sheet

Always Sometimes Seldom Never 1. How often do you switch on � � � �

the air-conditioner? 2. How often do you buy new goods � � � �

(clothes, IT products)? Yes No

3. Do you switch off all appliances when you go out? � � 4. Do you usually sort and recycle your rubbish? � �

Please save us! You can access the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRZ-3Y6H2cc

Before we save the polar bears, we need to know the causes. Well, should we be responsible for the problem of global warming? Let’s do a small survey to find out the answer.

May I ask you a few questions? Sure. / No problem.

Firstly, how often do you switch on…? Secondly, how often do you…? Thirdly, … Lastly, …

Thank you for your time. You’re welcome.

Video Clip 5

The HKSYC & IA Chan Nam Chong Memorial College S.4 Elective Course – Learning English through Social Issues


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Do an individual project. Follow the steps:

1. Search the related information of the topic that you have chosen.

(newspapers, magazines, internet, etc.)

2. Explore the causes and effects of the social problem and solutions to it.

When you do the project, you should write in paragraphs. So, you need to learn some useful verbal signposts of showing causes (C), effects (E) and solutions (S). Work in groups. Underline the verbal signposts and write the appropriate letter in brackets.

Activity 5

Refer to Unit 17 of Thematic Anthology. Read the article and explore the causes and effects of global warming and the solutions to it.

Activity 6

Project Work

Human activities are one of the main reasons leading to global warming. How do we affect the environment? What are the effects of the climate change? So, what should we do to save our planet?

e.g. Obesity is caused by overeating and a lack of activity. ( C )

1. In order to tackle the problem, smoking in indoor areas should be banned. ( )

2. One solution would be to introduce a tax on alcohol. ( )

3. Teenage pregnancy results from the lack of sex education. ( )

4. Eating disorder results in low self-esteem and depression. ( )

5. The global temperature is increasing because of / due to human activities, for

example, industrial revolution, overuse of fossil fuels, overgrazing and so on. ( )

6. If the government wants to encourage children to do more exercise, the charges

should be lower and the opening hours of the public recreational and sports

facilities and activities should be longer. ( )

7. We can/should/must dispose of less waste in landfills. ( )

8. Drug abuse is a severe problem in Hong Kong. The consequences include an

increase in crime rate, health problems and even deaths. ( )

Video clips 6 & 7



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Preparing for a final display In this part, you will:

4. learn about how to write a letter to the editor for your display.

5. learn about using visual aids in presentations.

6. reflect on what you have learnt and prepare your display.

Good morning, everyone. Today, my presentation is about…



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Unit 3 – A letter to the Editor

3.1 Writing a letter to the Editor

We usually write letters to the Editor for the following reasons: n to respond to an article n to express opinions about a topic n to complain about something n to respond to another letter When writing a letter to the editor, we should: n make our purpose obvious in the opening paragraph. n state our viewpoint concisely (in one or two sentences). Activity 1

Work in pairs. Read the opening paragraph of the four letters to the editor below. What is the purpose of each letter?

In this unit, you will: Ø learn how to write a letter to the Editor. Ø write a letter to the editor about the social issue.

I refer to the letter by Nora Lam (‘Urgent need for tax on plastic bags’, March 30). I also support a tax on plastic bags because plastic bags cause tremendous damage to the environment.

I am writing in response to the article ‘Vicious whispers’ (Young Post, May 22). I strongly agree that gossip and backstabbing can make one’s life miserable and destroy friendships. It is time to stop verbal abuse.

I’m writing to complain about the deteriorating air quality in Hong Kong.

It is evident that childhood obesity is on the rise in Hong Kong. However, unhealthy snacks and drinks are still freely available for sale in schools. Something should be done to stop this.



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3.2 Developing arguments in a letter to the Editor

There are different ways we can organize our arguments in a letter to the Editor. For example, if we want to argue that the government should make everyone recycle their domestic waste, we can organize our arguments using the following methods: Model 1 Model 2

Conclusion Conclusion

Activity 2

Work in groups. Read the letter to the Editor and try to complete the mind map on the next page.

Dear Editor, It is evident that childhood obesity is on the rise in Hong Kong. However, unhealthy snacks and drinks are still freely available for sale in schools. Something should be done to stop this. In Hong Kong, it is common for schools to have a canteen or a tuck shop or even both. In addition, many also have vending machines, like selling snacks and soft drinks. It is no doubt that these food and drinks are convenient for students. However, they often provide snacks and drinks with extraordinarily high in fat and sugar content, resulting in the lack of sufficient nutrients that are need for a healthy diet. Obviously, consuming such high levels of sugary and fatty food regularly leads to gain weight. Besides that, overweight and obese children are more likely to have severe medical problems, for example, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.

Introduction Present the problem you want to write about: the problem of what to do with

Hong Kong’s rubbish

Body Causes of landfills becoming full

Effects of full landfills

Solutions / opinions: make everyone recycle

their domestic waste

Introduction

Body –

Causes of

childhood

obesity

Body –

Effects of

overweight

Introduction State your opinion: the government should make everyone recycle their

domestic waste

Body Reason 1: landfills will last longer

Reason 2: saves energy

Reason 3: creates jobs



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Both parents and schools are responsible for guiding young people to make good choices. Parents should help their children develop good eating habits from an early age. Therefore, it is important for them to be good role models by eating healthily themselves. School should closely monitor the food and drink available to students. They should not only provide fewer soft drinks, but also encourage students to choose healthier options, such as water or fresh fruit juices. I sincerely hope that both parents and school will take more responsibility in helping our children to maintain healthy eating and drinking habits. Yours faithfully,

Karen Leung Karen Leung

Body –

Solutions to

childhood

obesity

Conclusion

encourage both parents and schools ______________ ___________________________________________

Causes - Students can buy _______________ in schools easily

- Snacks and drinks contain _________

_______________

Solutions Parents: - help their children ________________

- act as ___________ Schools: - provide __________ ________________

- encourage _______ ________________

Introduction

Purpose To express opinion about _________________________

Writer’s viewpoint Something should be done to stop ______________________

Body

Effects - _______________ - lead to_ ________ _______________

Conclusion



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Writing task

Write a letter to the Editor about the social issue you look at for your final display. To help you, note down your ideas on the mind map below.

Introduction

Purpose Your viewpoint

Conclusion

Begin by introducing the issue and your viewpoint.

Use 1 paragraph for each argument. Include a topic sentence for each argument and provide supporting details.

Conclude by doing one ore more of the following: - repeating your

point of view - summarizing

your arguments - calling for

action

Body



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Unit 4 – Presentation

4.1 Making a slide show

______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

In this unit, you will: Ø make a slide show for a presentation. Ø practise giving a presentation.

At the end of this course, you need to give a 3-5-minute presentation with slides about the social issue you wrote about previously. Below is a printout of some slides. Discuss with your group members and number the slides (1 – 6) with an appropriate order.



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4.2 Giving a presentation

Writing task Plan your presentation and then write it on a separate sheet.

Before you design your slides, you should plan your presentation.

Introduction Good morning / Good afternoon, everyone. As you can see from this slide, firstly I’ll talk about… Then I’ll… Body According to the survey, the graph on this slide shows...

If you look at this slide, you’ll see… Secondly, I would like to talk about... Conclusion

That’s the end I want to share with you today.

Thank you for listening.

Greet the audience and say

what social issue you are

going to talk about.

Define the issue. Then

present some information

using facts and figures.

Remember to acknowledge

sources of information.

Tell the audience your

feelings on the issue. Then

thank the audience and

invite questions.

Turn-taking skills In a group presentation, you need to take turns to present your part. Below are some examples. ² Now, I’ll handover the time to ________ to talk about …… ² ________ will continue to talk about …… ² Now, I pass my turn to ________ to talk about …… ² ________ will tell you …… ² Let’s ________ to tell you……

Documents

Exploring social issues»¶長假期-階段3-Eng-S.4...who take drugs do not only affect their health, but also cause other problems, like an increase on crime rates. I think social