UNIT 3A – INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENTS
PART 1 – WARM-UP (5 minutes)
Objective
Introduce the topic of athletes and sports achievements.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Tell students they're going to learn about athletes and athletic performance and learn different ways
to talk about sports and athletes' skills.
Have students look at the photo.
Read the caption aloud and explain that range of emotions refers to the variety of different emotions
shown on the faces of the people in the photo.
Call on students to name some of the emotions they can see.
Then ask the Warm-up questions.
Teacher Questions (Teacher's Book)
1. Do you feel emotions at sporting events? Which emotions?
2. Why do you think makes people so excited at sporting events?
3. Do you feel strong emotions when you watch sports alone?
4. Are you ever bored watching any sports? Why?
Transition
Today we're going to learn how to describe athletes and their achievements.
ACTIVITY 1
Estimated Time: 8–10 minutes
Objective
Activate students' background knowledge about sports and athletes.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Have students look at the photo on page 32.
Ask for a show of hands from students who would like to be in a crowd like this.
Choose one student to explain why.
Choose another student who wouldn't like to be there and ask why.
Put the class into groups.
Ask students to discuss the three questions.
Allow a few minutes for discussion.
When time is up, ask several groups to share their ideas with the class.
Teacher Questions (Student's Book)
1. Would you like to be in a crowd like this? Why?
2. Which sport do you think they are watching? Is it popular in your country?
3. Which are the most popular sports in your country? Do you like them? Why? Do you know
any famous people who take part in them?
ICQs
Will you discuss all three questions?
→ Yes.
Will everyone share an idea?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Discuss the three questions in groups.
Share one interesting idea with the class.
KEY (Teacher's Book)
Answers will vary.
Answer Check
Invite different groups to answer one question each.
Encourage students to respond to each other's ideas.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which sport would you most like to watch live?
Who is your favourite athlete?
Have you ever attended a sporting event?
ACTIVITY 2
Estimated Time: 12–15 minutes
Objective
Learn vocabulary used to describe athletes and sporting achievements.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Tell students they're going to learn words and phrases people use to talk about athletes and sporting
achievements.
Read the directions aloud.
Then read Item 1, pausing briefly after each option.
Say:
He has incredible awareness.
He has very energetic.
He has great technique.
He has a real passion for the game.
Ask:
Which option sounds wrong?
(Elicit very energetic.)
Put students into pairs.
Tell them to use a dictionary if necessary.
Monitor while students work.
Focus on the language rather than simply checking answers.
When students finish, have them compare answers with another pair.
Review the answers together.
Write the new vocabulary on the board.
Ask concept-checking questions where appropriate.
Examples from the Teacher's Book:
For example, ask: If you're a soccer player, what do you need to be aware of?
What's a great technique to learn for tennis?
For boxing?
Teacher Questions
Which option doesn't fit?
Why?
Can you explain the meaning of attitude?
What's the difference between captain and compete?
ICQs
Will you choose one incorrect option?
→ Yes.
Can you use a dictionary?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Work with a partner.
Choose the option that cannot complete each sentence.
KEY
1. very energetic
2. a really great attitude
3. a great goal
4. the race
5. He won the
6. She competed
Answer Check
Review each answer.
Ask students to explain why the incorrect option does not fit.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which new word is completely new to you?
Which collocation do you think is most useful?
Can you make a sentence using great technique?
ACTIVITY 3
Estimated Time: 8–10 minutes
Objective
Practise the vocabulary from Activity 2 in context.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Tell students they're going to check whether they paid attention to the language in Activity 2.
Ask students to cover Activity 2 with a piece of paper or a book.
Call on a student to read the first sentence aloud.
Tell the student to say blank whenever they reach the missing word.
Have the whole class call out the missing word.
Continue until all sentences have been completed.
Then ask students to complete the activity individually.
Finally, ask students to compare answers with a partner before checking together.
Teacher Questions
Which word fits best?
Can you remember it without looking?
ICQs
Should Activity 2 be covered?
→ Yes.
Will you complete the sentences individually?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Complete the sentences using words from Activity 2.
Compare your answers with a partner.
KEY
1. attitude
2. holds
3. medal
4. awareness
5. captained
6. for
7. competed/ silver
8. goal
Answer Check
Ask different students to read one sentence each.
Then ask additional vocabulary questions.
Examples from the Teacher's Book:
What other kinds of medals can you win?
What other kinds of goals can people score?
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which sentence was the most difficult?
Can you use captain and captained in two different sentences?
ACTIVITY 4
Estimated Time: 10–12 minutes
Objective
Describe people using new vocabulary.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Think of two or three people you could describe to the class.
Use words and phrases from Activity 2 to describe them.
Choose one person who doesn't play sports to show students that the vocabulary can describe many
different people.
Explain the task.
Highlight the expressions from Activity 2 on the board.
Give students time to choose people and prepare their descriptions.
Suggest making notes with the person's name and key words.
When students are ready, ask them to share their descriptions.
After each description, encourage classmates to guess the person.
Give feedback on vocabulary use.
Correct common errors.
(Teacher's Book note: You may tell students to save the notes because they can use them later for
Activity 15.)
Teacher Questions
Who are you describing?
What makes this person special?
Can we guess who it is?
ICQs
Should you say the person's name?
→ No.
Will your classmates guess?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Describe an athlete, a friend or a family member.
Use five expressions from Activity 2.
Let your classmates guess who the person is.
KEY (Teacher's Book)
Answers will vary.
Answer Check
Ask the class to identify each person and explain which clues helped them.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which description was the easiest to guess?
Which vocabulary item was used most effectively?
ACTIVITY 5
Estimated Time: 6–8 minutes
Objective
Discuss how sports and athletes have changed over time.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Tell students this activity introduces some of the unit themes.
Read the question and directions aloud.
Ask students to think about changes over the last several years or since they were younger.
Give students two minutes to think individually.
Then ask them to discuss the three categories with a partner.
Teacher Questions (Student's Book)
How do you think sports and athletes have changed in your lifetime?
Discuss these categories:
fame / celebrity status
equipment
achievements
ICQs
Will you think first?
→ Yes.
Will you discuss with your partner afterwards?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Discuss changes in sports and athletes using the three categories.
KEY (Teacher's Book)
Answers will vary.
Answer Check
Invite several pairs to share one idea from each category.
Encourage comparisons between different opinions.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which change has been the biggest?
Do you think athletes today have more pressure than before?
Why?
ACTIVITY 6
Estimated Time: 10–12 minutes
Objective
Listen for specific information about athletes, including where they are from and what they have
achieved.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Tell the class they're going to hear four people talking about their sports heroes.
Read the directions aloud.
Say:
Listen and find out where each athlete is from, and at least one thing each person has won.
Play the audio once without stopping while students listen and make notes.
Then have students compare their answers with a partner.
Review the answers as a class.
Where everyone agrees on an answer, write the athlete's name, nationality, and award on the
board.
Teacher Questions
Before listening:
What information are you listening for?
How many athletes will you hear about?
After listening:
Which athlete was the easiest to identify?
Which answer was the most difficult?
ICQs
Will you listen for names?
→ Yes.
Will you also listen for where they are from?
→ Yes.
Will you write at least one achievement?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Listen to the recording.
Identify:
where each athlete is from
at least one achievement.
Compare answers with your partner.
KEY (Teacher's Book)
Speaker Athlete From Achievement
1 Mia Hamm United States Olympic and World Cup medals
2 Valentino Rossi Italy Nine-time MotoGP World Champion
3 Joaquín Capilla Mexico Olympic diving medals
4 Susi Susanti Indonesia Olympic gold medal for badminton
Answer Check
Check one athlete at a time.
Write the completed information on the board.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which athlete had you heard of before?
Which achievement impressed you the most?
Which athlete would you like to know more about?
ACTIVITY 7
Estimated Time: 10–12 minutes
Objective
Listen for detailed information.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Read the directions aloud.
Ask students to read the words and phrases in the chart and make sure they understand them.
Tell students they are listening to discover what is said about each word or phrase.
Play the recording.
Students compare answers in pairs.
Review one question at a time.
If students disagree, encourage them to justify their answers.
If necessary, replay the relevant part of the recording.
If students still disagree, replay again and stop at key points.
Teacher Questions
Which speaker mentions...
goals?
celebrations?
videos?
introduced?
ICQs
Will you listen for the words in the chart?
→ Yes.
Should you write short notes?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Listen again.
Complete the chart.
Compare answers.
KEY (Teacher's Book – Suggested Answers)
1 Mia Hamm
played for her country 275 times
scored over 150 goals
was always an eight or nine out of ten performer
2 Valentino Rossi
made MotoGP more popular
is Italian
his celebrations are really entertaining
3 Joaquín Capilla
watched videos
overcame many personal problems
is a great lesson about what you can achieve
4 Susi Susanti
her future husband won the men's gold medal
badminton was introduced as a new Olympic sport in 1992
she always fought right to the end
Answer Check
Review one speaker at a time.
Ask students to explain how they found each answer.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which athlete inspired you the most?
Which story surprised you?
Which achievement would be the hardest to accomplish?
ACTIVITY 8
Estimated Time: 6–8 minutes
Objective
Express and justify opinions about athletes.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Before putting students into groups, tell them to think about which of the four athletes has achieved
the most.
Give students time to think individually.
Then put them into groups to discuss and decide on the best athlete.
Alternative (Teacher's Book):
Take a class vote.
Ask:
Who would vote for Mia Hamm as the greatest of the four?
After each vote, ask individual students to explain why they chose that person.
Then ask another student to explain why they didn't.
Teacher Questions
Which athlete achieved the most?
Why?
Which achievement impressed you the most?
Who would you choose as your sports hero?
ICQs
Will you think first?
→ Yes.
Will you explain your opinion?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Discuss which athlete achieved the most.
Support your opinion with reasons.
KEY (Teacher's Book)
Answers will vary.
Answer Check
Invite different groups to explain their decisions.
Encourage respectful disagreement.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Did anyone change your opinion?
Which athlete had the biggest impact on sport?
Would you like to meet any of these athletes?
ACTIVITY 9
Estimated Time: 8–10 minutes
Objective
Identify the functions of determiners.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Give students one minute to complete the four blanks using the words in parentheses.
Then review the answers together.
Explain that determiners have two main functions.
Highlight the completed grammar box before moving to Activity 10.
Teacher Questions
What comes before nouns?
How many functions do determiners have?
Which determiners show quantity?
ICQs
Will you complete the grammar box?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Complete the grammar information.
KEY (Teacher's Book)
1. articles
2. demonstratives
3. possessives
4. quantifiers
Answer Check
Review the completed grammar box together.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Can you give another example of a demonstrative?
Can you think of another quantifier?
ACTIVITY 10
Estimated Time: 6–8 minutes
Objective
Recognise determiners in authentic sentences.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Students may work individually or in pairs.
Ask them to underline every determiner in the five sentences.
Review the activity together by reading each sentence aloud.
Call on different students to identify the determiners.
After checking, tell students to complete Grammar Reference Activities 1–3 on page 133 for
additional practice or assign them as homework.
Teacher Questions
Which word is the determiner?
Why is it a determiner?
ICQs
Will you underline only the determiners?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Underline the determiners.
KEY (Teacher's Book)
No answers necessary.
(Students underline the determiners in the sentences; the Teacher's Book does not provide an answer
key for this activity.)
Answer Check
Read each sentence aloud.
Invite students to identify the determiners and briefly explain their function.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which type of determiner appears most often?
Which sentence contains more than one determiner?
How do determiners help make the meaning clearer?
ACTIVITY 11
Estimated Time: 10–12 minutes
Objective
Complete sentences with appropriate determiners and explain why each determiner is used.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Read the first sentence aloud and pause at each blank to elicit the missing word.
Ask students how they know which determiner to use.
Then ask students to complete the remaining sentences individually.
Review the answers as a class.
As you check each answer, ask students to explain the function of the determiner.
For example:
In sentence 2, how does her help you understand what country is meant?
Does her show possession or close relationship?
Does one point to a particular place, or does it show quantity?
Teacher Questions
Which determiner shows possession?
Which determiner shows quantity?
Why can't we use the here?
Which noun is countable? Which is uncountable?
ICQs
Will you complete the sentences individually?
→ Yes.
Will you explain your answers afterwards?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Complete the sentences using appropriate determiners.
Compare your answers before class feedback.
KEY (Teacher's Book)
1. a / the
2. her / No
3. many / their
4. no/ a
5. My / his
6. the / no/little
Answer Check
Review each sentence.
Ask students to explain why each determiner is correct.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which sentence was the most difficult?
Which determiner was new to you?
Can you make another sentence using their?
ACTIVITY 12
Estimated Time: 10–12 minutes
Objective
Correct mistakes involving determiners.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Explain the task.
Read Sentence 1 aloud.
First read it with no, then read it with any.
Ask students which one sounds correct.
Remind students:
When you have a negative sentence beginning with don't like, you can't use no. You have to use
any.
Put students into pairs.
Monitor while students work.
When most pairs have finished, ask them to change partners and compare answers.
Review the answers together.
Teacher Questions
Why is this determiner incorrect?
Is the noun countable or uncountable?
Is the sentence affirmative or negative?
ICQs
Will you correct every sentence?
→ Yes.
Should you explain your corrections?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Correct the sentences.
Discuss your answers with your partner.
KEY (Teacher's Book – Suggested Answers)
1. When you have a negative sentence beginning I don't like, you can't use no. You have to
use any.
2. Hardly any is followed by a plural countable noun, not a singular noun.
3. Junk food is uncountable, so we have to use (very) little. We only use (very) few with plural
countable nouns, like new burgers.
4. Places is a plural countable noun, so we have to use (not) many. With (not) much, we use
uncountable nouns.
5. People is the plural of person, so we have to use (quite) a few. We use (a) little with
uncountable nouns.
6. Money here is uncountable, so we have to use (so) much. We use (so) many with plural
countable nouns.
7. We only use of if the noun that follows is used with the, so we could say most of the
people I know—or just most people I know.
8. Every is followed by a singular countable noun—every minute of every day, etc.
Answer Check
Check each sentence carefully.
Ask students to explain the grammar rule behind each correction.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which grammar rule do you think is the easiest?
Which determiner do you often confuse?
Can you write another sentence using hardly any?
ACTIVITY 13
Estimated Time: 8–10 minutes
Objective
Use determiners accurately in meaningful spoken sentences.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Read the directions aloud.
Ask one student to model corrected Sentence 1 from Activity 12.
Then ask another student to model the blue example.
Put students into groups.
Students take turns reading one sentence and responding by either agreeing or giving a new
sentence that is true for them.
Continue until everyone has spoken.
Teacher Questions
Do you agree?
Why?
Can you change the sentence so it is true for you?
ICQs
Will you read one sentence?
→ Yes.
Will your partner respond?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Discuss each sentence.
Agree or change it so it becomes true for you.
KEY (Teacher's Book)
Answers will vary.
Answer Check
Invite several students to share interesting responses.
Focus on correct use of determiners.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which sentence produced the most interesting discussion?
Which determiner did you use most today?
ACTIVITY 14
Estimated Time: 8–10 minutes
Objective
Complete a biography using determiners.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Tell students they're going to read about another sports hero.
Ask students to look at the blanks.
Do not fill them in yet.
Tell students to read through the biography first and answer these three questions:
Who is the person?
What sport did he play?
What is his greatest achievement?
Only after discussing these questions should students complete the blanks.
Finally, review the answers together.
Teacher Questions
Who is the biography about?
What sport did he play?
What achievement made him famous?
ICQs
Should you fill the blanks immediately?
→ No.
Should you read the whole text first?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Read the biography.
Answer the three questions.
Complete the blanks.
KEY
1. a
2. few
3. the
4. lot / number
5. many / several
6. no
7. any
8. most
9. every
10. lot / number
Answer Check
Review each blank one at a time.
Ask students why each determiner fits.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which blank was the most difficult?
Why is every correct in Blank 9?
ACTIVITY 15
Estimated Time: 8–10 minutes
Objective
Plan a short presentation about a sports hero.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Tell students they are going to plan a short presentation.
Ask them to think about the people they described in Activity 4.
They may also choose someone different.
Students make notes about:
the person's life
achievements
reasons they admire him or her
Allow students time to prepare.
Walk around and help if necessary.
Teacher Questions
Who are you going to talk about?
Why do you admire this person?
What achievements will you include?
ICQs
Will you write full sentences?
→ No.
Will you make notes?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Prepare notes for your presentation.
KEY (Teacher's Book)
Answers will vary.
Answer Check
Monitor students' notes.
Check that they include all required information.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which achievement is the most impressive?
What makes this person different from others?
ACTIVITY 16
Estimated Time: 10–12 minutes
Objective
Present information about a sports hero and ask follow-up questions.
Teacher Script
(Based closely on Teacher's Book)
Model the activity by presenting one of your own sports heroes.
Ask students to ask you three follow-up questions.
Then put students into groups.
Students take turns presenting the person they prepared in Activity 15.
Remind listeners to ask one another questions after every presentation.
As students talk, note examples of good language use, pronunciation and useful expressions.
After each presentation, encourage classmates to ask questions and give polite, constructive
comments.
Teacher Questions
After each presentation:
Why do you admire this athlete?
What achievement impressed you most?
What can we learn from this person?
Would you like to meet him or her? Why?
ICQs
Will everyone present?
→ Yes.
Will everyone ask questions?
→ Yes.
Student Task
Give your presentation.
Answer your classmates' questions.
KEY (Teacher's Book)
Answers will vary.
Answer Check
Praise effective use of new vocabulary and determiners.
Provide brief corrective feedback on common language errors.
Teacher Follow-up Questions
Which presentation did you enjoy the most?
Who inspired you today?
Which new expression will you remember?