. 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. There are several reasons for this. One is so our eyes do not dry out. Another reason is to protect our eyes from dust. Scientists say they found a further reason. They say we blink less when we are listening to someone speak. Blinking less gives our brain more energy, so we can focus on listening.

The researchers did two experiments. In one, people listened to many sentences being read in a quiet room. In the other, there was background noise. The people in the room with background noise blinked a lot less. Another researcher explained that we blink less "when important information is coming".

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. our eyes do not
  4. protect our eyes from
  5. Scientists say they found a
  6. when we are
  7. Blinking less gives our brain
  8. we can focus
  1. for this
  2. more energy
  3. further reason
  4. times a minute
  5. on listening
  6. dry out
  7. listening
  8. dust
Paragraph 2
  1. The researchers did
  2. people listened
  3. in a quiet
  4. there was background
  5. The people
  6. the room with
  7. Another researcher
  8. when important information
  1. is coming
  2. noise
  3. to many sentences
  4. in the room
  5. explained that
  6. two experiments
  7. background noise
  8. room
Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

We all blink 15–20 (1) _________________________________________________. There are several reasons for this. One (2) _________________________________________________ eyes do not dry out. Another reason (3) _________________________________________________ our eyes from dust. Scientists say they (4) _________________________________________________ reason. They say we blink less when we (5) _________________________________________________ someone speak. Blinking less gives our brain more energy, so we can (6) _________________________________________________.

The researchers (7) _________________________________________________. In one, people listened to many sentences (8) _________________________________________________ a quiet room. In the other, there (9) _________________________________________________. The people (10) _________________________________________________ with background noise blinked (11) _________________________________________________. Another researcher explained that we blink less "when important (12) _________________________________________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Weallblink15–20timesaminute.Thereareseveralreasonsforthis.Onei ssooureyesdonotdryout.Anotherreasonistoprotectoureyesfromdust .Scientistssaytheyfoundafurtherreason.Theysayweblinklesswhenw earelisteningtosomeonespeak.Blinkinglessgivesourbrainmoreener gy,sowecanfocusonlistening.Theresearchersdidtwoexperiments.In one,peoplelistenedtomanysentencesbeingreadinaquietroom.Inthe other,therewasbackgroundnoise.Thepeopleintheroomwithbackgro undnoiseblinkedalotless.Anotherresearcherexplainedthatweblinkle ss"whenimportantinformationiscoming".

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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