Round the world travellers

Introduction

This lesson offers a variety of activities based on three round the world travellers: a cyclist, a runner and a teenage sailor. The lesson begins with a warm-up activity that introduces the topic and revises country names. Task 1 presents vocabulary that appears in three texts about the travellers. In Tasks 2 and 3, students read the texts for specific information. Task 4 is a role-play in which students interview each other in pairs, taking turns to be a round the world traveller and a journalist. The lesson ends with two optional activities. Task 5 asks students to compare ideas on advice to world travellers. Task 6 is a more open discussion about young people, travel and world records.

Teachers can use either a student worksheet or a presentation in this lesson, along with copies of the reading texts. However, an alternative is provided for teachers to use just the presentation in this lesson for a no-printing option. 

Learning outcomes

• Use vocabulary related to different ways of travelling (cycling, running, sailing)
• Read three short texts about round the world travellers and identify specific information
• Take part in a role play interview with a round the world traveller
• Optional: Take part in a discussion and give opinions, express agreement / disagreement

Age and level

13-17, Adults (B1+)

Time

Approximately 55-65 minutes + 20-minute optional activities

Materials

Materials can be downloaded below. 

• Lesson plan
• Presentation
• Student worksheet
• Reading texts

Lead-in (10 mins)

• Ask students to work in pairs to write as many countries as possible in one minute. Ask the pair with the longest list to write their countries on the board. Now invite other students to add any other countries to the list. 
• Tell the students to imagine that they are going to travel around the world starting from the country they live in. Ask them which of the countries listed on the board they would cross. A world map or atlas would be handy here.
• Ask the students to tell you about news stories they have seen or read about people who have travelled around the world. Tell them that they are going to read about three round the world travellers but that first they need to look at some vocabulary.

Task 1: Vocabulary (10 mins)

• Show slide 2 of the presentation or refer students to Task 1 in the student worksheet. 
• Have students categorise the vocabulary. With a lower level, start the activity with the class to show students what to do, checking that they understand the categories. 
• Have dictionaries available if possible or walk around the class and help students. Any that finish very quickly can add more words to each category.
• Check answers by saying each item and having students shout out the correct column title. Now have students repeat each word after you to practise pronunciation. 
  Answers: 
  Weather – storm, freezing temperatures, blizzard, wind 
  Travel nouns – voyage, trip, journey 
  Geographical features – mountain, desert, river, sea, ocean 
  Cycling – brakes, punctures, to cycle, to pedal 
  Running – running shoes, to run 
  Sailing – yacht, rudder, autopilot, to sail 
  Animals - wombat 
• Optional: Explain that the vocabulary is from three different stories about people travelling around the world. In pairs / groups or as a whole group students discuss: How do the three people travel? What do you think happens to them?

Task 2: Reading (15-20 mins)

Option 1 (with copies of the Reading Texts)

• Divide the class into three groups: A, B, C. Give students in each group one of the Reading Texts (i.e. give Text A to everyone in Group A and so on.). 
• Give the students a time limit of five minutes to read the text and complete the appropriate column in the table (i.e. students reading Text A complete column A). You can offer support with vocabulary as students read. 
• Students can now compare their notes with others in the same groups. 
• Re-group the students into groups of three: one student A, one B and one C (have one or two groups of four if necessary, depending on student numbers) and ask the students to take turns explaining their text to the others, using the notes they have written on their tables. With a lower level, demonstrate how to start this activity with three students at the front of the class. 
• Students can now share their information to complete all columns of the table.
   

Option 2 (using the presentation without copies of the Reading Texts) 

• Show slide 3 of the presentation. Explain that students are going to read three texts about round the world travellers. Ask them to copy the table in their notebooks. 
• Show slides 4, 5, 6. Give students a few minutes to read each text quickly and to complete the table. Give them time to compare their notes in pairs. 

Option 1 and Option 2

• With a lower-level class, copy the table on the board and have students write up the missing information to check comprehension. With higher level students, walk round the class checking that the groups have completed their charts. 
• Give the pairs / groups three minutes to decide which person’s trip was most difficult and why. Ask one or two groups to explain their answer to the class. 

Task 3: Sharing information (10 mins)

• Show slide 7 of the presentation or refer students to Task 3 in the student worksheet. 
• In the same pairs or groups as before, students read and answer the questions. Point out that the questions can be answered with one, two or three names. 
• If students read the texts on the presentation, they could either note the questions quickly, or they could try to answer them from memory. Show slides 4-6 again for students ot look for / check answers. 
• Walk around the class and offer help with vocabulary as the students read. Pairs can compare with another pair before checking answers as a class. 
  Answers: 
  1 James (176 days) 
  2 Mike (28,000 miles) 
  3 James (by a British newspaper) 
  4 Rosie, James (Rosie – for a Russion orphanage, James – for research into Parkinson’s disease) 
  5 James, Rosie (James – Thailand, three days in bed, Rosie – pneumonia) 
  6 Mike (fell overboard) 
  7 James, Mike, Rosie (James –brake, punctures, Mike – rudder, autopilot, Rosie – running shoes) 
  8 Rosie (because she had 29 marriage proposals) 
  9 James (Lance Armstrong, Tour de France cyclist) 

Task 4: Interviews (10-15 mins)

• Show slide 8 of the presentation or refer students to Task 4 in the student worksheet. 
• Ask them to complete the questions with the words in the box and then check answers as a class. Have the students repeat the questions after you to practise correct intonation. 
  Answers: 1. How, 2. How, 3. What, 4. What, 5. Who
• Demonstrate the interview activity to the class with two stronger students. Student A can choose to be either the cyclist, the runner or the sailor, student B is a journalist. B asks questions and A responds using the appropriate text and his/her imagination.
• Students carry out the interviews in pairs. If you like, listen as students do the activity and make notes of good examples of language use / errors. You could review these at the end of the activity. You may also like to invite a different pair to perform each interview in front of the class. 
• With a stronger class, have the students think of more questions and write them on the board. E.g., Were you ever scared? How did you feel when you finished? Did you break a record? What are your plans for the future?
• Optional / Homework: Students can write up one of their interviews. 

Task 5: Advice for round the world travellers (10 mins) (Optional)

• Show slide 9 of the presentation or refer students to Task 5 in the student worksheet. 
• Read the first statement and have a class vote. Ask some students to justify their opinions. 
• Give students a couple of minutes to read the rest of the advice and tick agree / disagree / not sure for each statement. 
• Put students into groups of three or four to discuss their ideas. 
• Ask two or three students to tell the class which statements their group agreed or disagreed with and why. Encourage them to give reasons for their opinions. 
• Early finishers can write two more pieces of advice in pairs

Task 6: Discussion (10 mins) (Optional)

These questions are more suitable for a higher-level class. 

• Show slide 10 of the presentation or refer students to Task 6 in the student worksheet. 
• Give everyone a few minutes to read the questions and make notes of their answers. 
• Students then discuss the questions in pairs or as a whole class (if you have a small group). Ask some students to tell the class what their partner said about one or two questions.