Lesson 4

The lesson plan

1. Lead-in (7 min.)

2. Lexical exercise (5 min)

3. Reading, reading comprehension, discussion (20 min)

4. On/offline activity (25 min)

5. Writing. Online activity. Work in pairs (20min)

6. Homework.

LEAD-IN

Students aren’t expected to know these dates, the idea is for them to speculate and try to guess.

telephone – 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell in the USA

dishwasher – 1886by Josephine Cochrane in Shelbyville, USA: she

wanted a mashine to wash dishes faster than her

servants could!

ballpoint pen -1938 by Ladislo Biro in Hungary

colour TV -1940 by Peter Goldmark in the USA

CD – 1965by James Russell in Columbus, USA, but the first

CDs were marketed by Philips in 1980

e-mail – 1971by Ray Tomlinson in Cambridge, USA

video-recorder – 1975by Sony in Japan: the first Betamax VCR cost 2295!

personal computer -1976The Apple I was realised on April 1st by Steve Jobs

and Wozniak in the USA.

mobile phone - 1979by Motorolla in the USA: this was the first cellular

network.

DVD - 1995by Philips, Sony, Matsushita and Toshiba

Leo Jones, Making Progress, Cambridge University Press.

LEXICAL EXERCISE

Ask students to find suitable words to the following definitions (to refresh new words from the previous lesson).

research – the detailed study of something in order to discover new facts (исследование);

invention – something that someone has made, designed or created, that did not exist before (изобретение);

inspiration – the condition of creative rise, inflow of a creative power (вдохновение);

closet – subsidiary room in an apartment house (шкаф, кабинет, подсобная комната);

bulb –the lighting or heating device of a various kind and the device (лампочка);

nap (to take a nap) – to be in a condition of a light slumber (дремота, вздремнуть);

wax – solid substance that becomes liquid when it is heated. Wax is used, for example, to make candles (воск);

phonograph (US, gramophone) - the first device for mechanical record and reproduction of a sound (граммофон, патефон);

genius – outstanding abilities, talent, talent in the certain field of activity (гений);

perspiration – the liquid allocated during physical activities, or during excitement (пот).

New words

We offer to give the explanation in English; students try to guess the meaning in Russian:

Priest – someone who performs religious duties and ceremonies in some religions;

pendulum – a long stick with a weight at the end of it that hangs down and swings from side to side, especially in a large clock;

steam – the hot wet substance that is produced when water is heated;

engine – the part of a vehicle that produces power to make it move;

patient – someone who is patient, is able to wait for a long time or deal with a difficult situation without becoming angry or upset;

bulb – a glass object with a very thin wire inside, that produces light, when it is connected to an electricity supply.

Longman Exams Dictionary

SPEAKING PRACTICE

Reading

According to Edison’s main idea about success, inspiration, “the idea that a genius works only by inspiration was absurd. “Genius is 2 percent inspiration and 98 percent perspiration,” – he often said.

Reading comprehension

simply – not difficult, not complicated, easy; quickly – fast, rapidly, speedily; actually – used to emphasize that something is true, especially when it is a little surprising or unexpected; finally – at last, lastly; nearly – almost, but not completely or exactly;

II. Answer the following questions in pairs:

1. Despite the excellent quality of Caselli’s “fax machine” his invention quickly died a commercial death.

2. The Frenchman Denis Papin (1647 — 1712) designed the first steam engine.

3. Scotsman James Watt built the first steam engine.

4. Elisha Gray developed plans for a telephone, but Alexander Graham Bell was the first who patented it.

Ask students to discuss the following questions in pairs, using new words.

On/offline activity

Divide students into groups of 3 or 4 people. Each group is given the task to find the information about one invention, but they get the same websites.

Online activity

Writing an e-mail (to a friend)

Work in pairs.

Ask everyone to look at the e-mail together, imagining it came from their friend.

The same pairs decide how they will answer Alex’s questions. Encourage them to think what questions they can ask Alex.

Students read their partner’s e-mail and write a short reply to it. Then they reply to the reply.

So you may prefer to set this task as homework.

Homework

Writing (to a friend)

There are no fixed rules about composing e-mails, especially to friends. But a friend will be surprised if you write in a formal style. An e-mail is rather like a conversation without the pauses and hesitations.

Ask everyone to look at the e-mail together, imagining it came from their friend (who could be female or male, as they prefer).

Students in pairs decide how they will answer Alex’s questions. Encourage them to think what questions they can ask Alex.

This task could be done in class or you may prefer to set this as homework.

The Model version is just a model to show to students.