Age range: 13 - adult
Theme: Smoking and smoking bans.
Lexical area: Smoking, health.
Cross curricular links: Health awareness.
Instructions for language assistants in Italics
Classroom materials
Introduction
This lesson is about smoking and smoking bans. This is a topic which most people have strong feelings about so it normally gets people talking. Ireland banned smoking in all public places in March 2004, Scotland in March 2006, Northern Ireland and Wales in April 2007, and in July 2007 England followed suit. Smoking is now banned in all enclosed spaces all over the UK. ‘No Smoking Day’ is held in the UK every year on the second Wednesday in March. You may like to do this lesson to tie it in to this event. If so, you’ll be able to find lots of information on the internet about events in the UK to celebrate this day.
Task 1 is for all levels and is a way to get vocabulary connected to the topic up on the board so students will be able to use it in the other tasks. If you are going to do task five (for higher levels) this is a good chance to pre-teach the vocab you will need.
Task 2 is a quiz that should get students talking. Encourage discussion if they are surprised by any of the facts and figures.
Task 3 will be useful depending on the situation and acceptance level of smoking where you are based. If the attitude to smoking where you are is very different to the UK it will be more interesting. If it is similar you may want to skip this task.
Task 4 could be used on its own or as a lead in to Task 5.
The final task is aimed at younger students and could be a basis for a whole project.
1. Smoking vocabulary
Draw a simple picture of a cigarette on the board line by line and ask students to guess what you’re drawing. When they have guessed, write the word SMOKING underneath and draw a circle around it. From there, invite students to contribute any smoking related vocabulary they know and add it on to make a mind-map. Give clues to elicit vocab. E.g. “Where do you put the finished cigarette if you’re inside?” to get the word ‘ashtray’
Words that may come out are: smoke, ash, inhale, breathe, cough, cancer, relax, lungs, give up / quit, lighter, cigar, butt etc. etc.
Task 1 Smoking vocabulary
How many words do you know connected to smoking? Write them below. If you want to draw pictures or write the words in your own language too it may help you to remember them.
2. Smoking – facts and figures
With lower levels check they can say the large numbers before starting the activity. They should work in pairs or groups to try and put the correct figures into the sentences. If they find it difficult, encourage guesswork. Tell them you don’t expect them to know all the answers. If they are interested in the topic they could find out about the facts and figures of their country for homework to tell you in a later class.
Answers: 1) C 2) A 3) B 4) B 5) B 6) B 7) A 8) C
Task 2 Smoking – facts and figures
How much do you know about the facts and figures of smoking? Read the following sentences and see if you can complete them with the correct number.
|
1) One cigarette contains more than _________ chemical substances. |
Do you know any facts and figures for your country about smoking? Why don’t you find out some of the statistics to tell your class about in the next lesson. Then you can compare your country with the UK.
3. Excuse me! Can I smoke here?
This task could be used as a lead in to the topic of smoking bans. Students complete the table with the information for their country. You can encourage discussion about whether or not they agree with the smoking regulations in their country. Add some more places to the blank rows below
Task 3 Excuse me! Can I smoke here?
Add some more places to the empty rows below. Write yes or no in the second column and then ask your teacher about the UK to complete the third column. In the comments column you can put any extra information or your opinion.
| Place | Allowed to smoke in your country? |
Allowed to smoke in UK? |
Comments |
| Schools |
|||
| Banks |
|||
| Public |
|||
| transport | |||
| Restaurants |
|||
| Hospitals |
|||
| Universities |
|||
- Are the smoking restrictions in your country very different to those in the UK?
- Would you like smoking to be banned in more places in your country?
4. Smoking Bans
Draw a no smoking sign on the board. Check students’ understanding of the word ‘ban’. If you have done task three the students will already be thinking of smoking bans. If you haven’t done task 3 ask students some questions about where it is forbidden to smoke in their city. Ask them if they agree with the restrictions or if they think there should be more places where smoking is banned. Ask students to go through the questions in pairs or if you have a small group you could discuss them altogether.
(For question 3 – New York City and several other US states have banned smoking in all work places. Smoking is forbidden within 6 metres of the work building in some places. The idea of the bans is to protect the people who work in typically smoky atmospheres like bars and pubs. In March 04 Ireland banned smoking in all work places including pubs, restaurants and recently, Norway, Tanzania and South Africa have followed suit.)
Depending on where you are in the world, the idea of banning smoking in bars and pubs will cause different reactions. Try to exploit your students’ opinions on the topic and help them with new language that they need to express their views effectively.
Task 4 Smoking Bans
Did you know that it is now illegal to smoke in all work places including bars, pubs and restaurants in Ireland, Norway, Tanzania, South Africa and New York City amongst other places? The new laws are to protect the health of the people working in these places.
- What do you understand by passive smoking?
- Who do you think can suffer from passive smoking?
- Which cities or countries in the world have very strict smoking regulations?
- Which countries have banned smoking in bars, pubs and restaurants?
- Do you think these bans will help to reduce the number of smokers?
- Do you think smokers have a right to smoke where they want?
5. Smoking bans - Opinions
This task is for higher levels. The language is quite colloquial so be prepared to assist even higher levels with the texts. Pre-teach some words or phrases if you feel it is necessary. You could also stress that it is a ‘gist’ reading task and students don’t need to understand every word to get the idea and complete the task.
- After the first reading students should decide if the person is a smoker, non-smoker or if we don’t know.
- The second task is for students to match the text to the character below.
- An extension task is for students to write a text to the newspaper imagining they are in a city with a recent smoking ban in all public places. This could be given for homework.
- (To save on photocopies, print out one copy and cut the texts into strips. Write the ‘people’ on the board. Students read their text and then pass it on. Decide as a class who wrote each text to the newspaper.)
Answers: A – Smoker – chef B – Smoker – pub customer (old) C – Don’t know – health minister D – Non – smoker - singer E – Don’t know – pub landlord F – Smoker – pub customer (young) G – Non – smoker – road sweeper H – Non – smoker - barman
Task 5 Smoking bans - Opinions
A local newspaper carried out a report asking people in Dublin how they feel about the new law banning smoking in all work places including pubs and restaurants. Read the comments below. After the first reading, decide if you think the person is a smoker, a non-smoker or if you don’t know. After the second reading, try to match the comments with the characters below.
| A - Restaurants have definitely changed for the better. Customers can
now enjoy their food in a clean, fresh environment. The tables here are
close together here so sometimes people would light up an after-dinner
cigarette when others are just starting their meal. It really puts some
people off. I must admit though, I still pop outside for a quick fag at
the end of a busy evening shift in the kitchen. |
| B - I can’t believe what has happened. I’ve lived in Dublin all my
life. After a hard day at work me and my mates always come to the pub
for a couple of pints and a few ciggies. It’s the only way to finish a
day! Now we’re forced to go outside to smoke. It’s madness. I’m
dreading the winter. We’ll freeze out there! I reckon they’re taking
away my basic human right to smoke. I mean it’s not illegal is it? |
| C - Since the ban on March 29th 2004, 7,000 people have given up
smoking. In the years to come the government will see the benefits in
reduced healthcare costs. Workers are happier and Irish people continue
to go out and enjoy a drink. The world has not collapsed! |
| D – As I work in pubs every evening, I was really worried about the
effects that passive smoking was having on my voice. Sometimes after
singing for the evening in a crowded bar my throat felt as if I’d
smoked a pack of twenty myself. I’m sure it wasn’t good for my vocal
chords. When I got home my clothes and hair used to stink of smoke. Now
it’s great. I don’t have to jump straight in the shower when I get back
home. There are still lots of people in the pubs and bars here. People
have got used to the idea really quickly. I’m sure more countries will
follow suit. |
| E – I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard about the smoking ban. I
mean it’s all part of the Irish pub culture; a pint and a cigarette is
a basic human right here! Well, anyway I’ve had no option but to
enforce the new law here in my pub. The fine if you get caught is
€2,000 so it’s just not worth the risk. I must admit I was really
worried about taking less money and having fewer customers, but it
hasn’t happened yet. I’ve noticed more women in the pub and more
families in the beer garden. We’ll have to wait and see what happens in
the winter. I think the smokers won’t like standing out in the cold and
in the rain. |
| F – It was strange at first but I’ve got used to popping outside for a
smoke. In fact I’ve met lots of people and made a few friends standing
outside the pub having a smoke! It’s really quite a sociable event.
There’s one pub that has parked a big red bus outside for smokers to go
in and enjoy a cigarette! I haven’t been there yet but friends say it’s
great fun. I’m thinking about giving up now anyway. I’m going to try to
give up in the new year. |
| G – Since the smoking ban I go out much more. I’ve got asthma and
before I just couldn’t sit in the pub for long without having to go
outside for a breath of fresh air. At work we’ve all noticed there are
many more cigarette butts on the floor to pick up. Pub doorways are the
worst but all over the streets there are hundreds! Let’s see when they
put a ban on throwing the butt on the ground! |
| H – I feel healthier already since the smoking ban. I used to get lots
of colds and coughs and since the ban I haven’t had any. Sometimes I
work for eight hours a day, so that was eight hours of breathing the
customers’ smoke. The whole bar smells different now when you walk in.
It doesn’t smell very nice though, instead of the smoke it smells of
old carpets! I think the landlord may have to get some new ones soon.
My job is definitely more pleasant now. |
- Singer
- Barman
- Pub customer (old)
- Pub landlord
- Chef 6
- Road sweeper
- Health minister
- Pub customer (young)
Now, imagine your city has introduced a smoking ban for all public places. Write to your local newspaper to express your views.
6. Give Up smoking campaign
Time will be a major factor as to how much you can develop this task as a group project. Maybe students could finish it for homework if class time is short. You will have to explain what a slogan is. Give some examples of slogans to help students get the idea. For example “Kiss a non-smoker and taste the difference” is one I remember from my youth! “Don’t give up giving up” is one that is being used these days.
If time is available and students do make a poster, try to display their work in the classroom or around the school. Young students especially love to see their work on display. If you have lots of time, students could make radio adverts or TV adverts to use as part of the campaign. You could record the radio adverts for the whole class to listen to at the end. If you have access to a video camera you could film the students’ TV adverts. Younger students usually like to hear themselves on tape or see themselves on the TV speaking English. It can be really motivating.
Task 6 Give up smoking campaign
Imagine you work for the health department in your country. You have been asked to work on a campaign to encourage smokers to give up. First of all think of five reasons why people should stop smoking. Write them here:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
- Now work in small groups and think of a slogan. It should be a short phrase that people will remember.
- Write your slogan for the campaign here:
If you have time, design a poster for your campaign. You could have a competition in the class to design the best poster. If you have space, put the posters up in the classroom or around the school.
Internet link.
The Smoke Free England website.
http://www.smokefreeengland.co.uk/
Information about when the ban came into place in each of the countries making up the UK.
http://www.nosmokinglaw.co.uk/
Information about No Smoking Day, which is held annually on the second Wednesday of March.
http://www.nosmokingday.org.uk/facts_figures.htm
Ash = Action on smoking and health is a public anti-tobacco charity.|
http://www.ash.org.uk
Pro-smoking group (Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Tobacco).
http://www.forestonline.org/output/Page1.asp
By Jo Budden
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| smoking.pdf | 84.64 KB |
