. Blinking - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Blinking - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Blinking - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson

Breaking News English Lesson: Blinking

We all blink 15–20 times a minute, automatically, without thinking. There are several reasons why we blink. One is to stop our eyes from becoming dry. This helps us see. Another reason is to protect our eyes from dust and insect attacks. Scientists think they have found a further reason. Researchers from Concordia University in Canada found that we blink less when we are listening to someone speak. This happens more when there is background noise. The lead researcher said blinking less gives our brain more energy. This allows us to focus on what someone is saying.

The researchers carried out two experiments on 49 participants. The participants listened to sentences being read aloud. In one experiment, there was no background noise. In the other, there was background noise. The people in the test with background noise blinked a lot less. When the background noise increased, blink rates dropped even more. Another researcher said we blink less "when important information is coming". The lead researcher agreed. She said: "We don't just blink randomly. In fact, we blink…less when important information is presented."

Try the same news story at these levels:

  • https://www.sciencealert.com/want-to-know-if-somebody-is-truly-listening-count-their-blinks
  • https://www.earth.com/news/people-automatically-blink-less-while-listening-carefully/
  • https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1109190

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

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News

"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."

The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)

"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and. history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."

Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)

"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels. In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."

Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.

Phrase Matching Paragraph 1
  1. We all blink 15–20
  2. There are several reasons
  3. stop our eyes from
  4. This helps
  5. protect our
  6. Scientists think they have found
  7. when there is background
  8. This allows us to focus on what
  1. someone is saying
  2. us see
  3. a further reason
  4. why we blink
  5. noise
  6. becoming dry
  7. eyes from dust
  8. times a minute
Paragraph 2
  1. researchers carried out
  2. The participants listened
  3. being read
  4. When the background noise
  5. blink rates dropped
  6. Another researcher said we blink
  7. We don't just blink
  8. when important information
  1. randomly
  2. aloud
  3. is presented
  4. less
  5. two experiments
  6. even more
  7. to sentences
  8. increased
Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

We all blink 15–20 (1) _________________________________________________, automatically, without thinking. There are (2) _________________________________________________ we blink. One is to stop our eyes from becoming dry. This helps us see. Another reason (3) _________________________________________________ our eyes from dust and insect attacks. Scientists think they have (4) _________________________________________________ reason. Researchers from Concordia University in Canada found that we blink less when we are listening (5) _________________________________________________. This happens more when there is background noise. The lead researcher said blinking less gives our brain more energy. This allows us (6) _________________________________________________ what someone is saying.

The researchers (7) _________________________________________________ experiments on 49 participants. The participants listened to sentences being read aloud. (8) _________________________________________________, there was no background noise. In the other, there was background noise. The people in the test with background noise blinked (9) _________________________________________________. When the background noise increased, blink rates (10) _________________________________________________. Another researcher said we blink less "when important information is coming". The lead researcher agreed. She said: "We don't (11) _________________________________________________. In fact, we blink. less when important (12) _________________________________________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Weallblink15–20timesaminute,automatically,withoutthinking.Ther eareseveralreasonswhyweblink.Oneistostopoureyesfrombecoming dry.Thishelpsussee.Anotherreasonistoprotectoureyesfromdustandi nsectattacks.Scientiststhinktheyhavefoundafurtherreason.Researc hersfromConcordiaUniversityinCanadafoundthatweblinklesswhenw earelisteningtosomeonespeak.Thishappensmorewhenthereisbackg roundnoise.Theleadresearchersaidblinkinglessgivesourbrainmoree nergy.Thisallowsustofocusonwhatsomeoneissaying.Theresearcher scarriedouttwoexperimentson49participants.Theparticipantslisten edtosentencesbeingreadaloud.Inoneexperiment,therewasnobackg roundnoise.Intheother,therewasbackgroundnoise.Thepeopleinthet estwithbackgroundnoiseblinkedalotless.Whenthebackgroundnoisei ncreased,blinkratesdroppedevenmore.Anotherresearchersaidwebli nkless"whenimportantinformationiscoming".Theleadresearcheragr eed.Shesaid:"Wedon'tjustblinkrandomly.Infact,weblink. lesswhen importantinformationispresented."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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