Learning English with CBC Calgary Monthly feature story: The Sutter family of Alberta November 2012 Lesson plans created by Justine Light www.alberta.ca http://www.cbc.ca/calgary/learning‐english/ © CBC 2012 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 1 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ Feature Story The Sutter family of Alberta Objectives CLB competency L: Identify factual details and some implied meanings in extended narration outcomes R: Demonstrate comprehension of a two page moderately Listening: complex tip sheet on a familiar topic Reading: R: Develop skimming and scanning skills Speaking: S: (Global Descriptor) Pronunciation errors rarely impede Writing: communication. W: Create a one paragraph text to encourage healthy living Language skills Vocabulary: Use vocabulary words in context Grammar: Understand possessive pronouns Pronunciation: Identifying correct pronunciation patterns for plural word endings Language Activities (in order of appearance in materials) Answering comprehension questions and discussion questions about a short background text on the Sutter family Completing pre‐listening activities to build vocabulary and prepare learners for audio Listening to the audio to identify facts and details Listening to audio to develop listening transfer skills Identifying thought groups in speech Identifying patterns for pronunciation in plural word endings Completing pre‐ reading vocabulary activity Skimming and scanning a reading text Identifying details & inferred meaning in a reading activity Develop suasion writing skills by encouraging classmates to become physically active © CBC 2012 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 2 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ Introduction Background Reading: Before you read, think about the following question. Do you believe that professional athletes are successful because of natural talent that is based more on their genes, or is that talent developed by parents and their upbringing? Salute to the Sutters The Sutters are hockey in Alberta. No other family has had six NHL playing brothers. They all played the game the same way: hard‐nosed, forechecking, muckers and grinders1. Collectively the Sutter brothers have put in more than five thousand games and captured six Stanley Cups. And that success started with the down home work ethic of the family dairy farm. The roots of this family tree are firmly planted in Viking, Alta., the town of a thousand people an hour and a half southeast of Edmonton. We spent some time with the matriarch of the Sutter Clan, Grace, on the family farm near Viking. She spoke of the secret to the Sutter success — hard work. Food for thought In your home country, is there a family of athletes similar to the Sutter family? http://www.cbc.ca/edmonton/features/sutters/ 1 grinders = a player who is successful because of hard work rather than exceptional skill or talent © CBC 2012 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 3 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ The Audio In this audio, you will hear CBC journalist Adrienne Lamb visiting rural town of Viking, Alberta and speaking to the mother of a large family of famous brothers. CBC file photo Before you listen: Have you ever been to a hockey game in Alberta? Have you watched the game on TV? SPEAKER TITLE: THE SUTTER FAMILY OF ALBERTA Rick Harp The Sutters are hockey in Alberta. The Viking Alberta family spawned 6 NHL players, not to mention coaches, scouts, and general managers. And the woman who raised them all, family matriarch Grace Sutter, she shares her secrets for creating a hockey dynasty with the CBC’s Adrianne Lamb. Adrienne Grace Sutter pulls down on a heavy, steel chain. It opens the door to a big red Lamb barn. She wants to show me her riding lawn mower. © CBC 2012 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 4 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ Vocabulary The words below are from the audio. The definitions are next to the words. Read the definitions then complete the sentences on the next page. WORD DEFINITION 1. spawned (verb) To produce young in large numbers 2. matriarch (noun) A woman who is the head of her family or group 3. dynasty (noun) A series of leaders who are from the same family 4. run a tight ship To control a business or family group firmly (idiom) 5. twinkle (verb) To shine with light 6. tending (verb) To take care of something 7. patch (noun) an area that is different from what is around it 8. work ethic (noun) A belief that hard work is a good thing 9. vouch for (verb) to say that you know from experience that something is true 10. (Customer) A business program to show customers that you value appreciation (noun) them and encourage loyalty 11. encased (adjective) To cover or surround something completely 12. donated (verb) To give money or goods to someone or an organization for free 13. touring (verb) to travel around somewhere looking at various points along the way 14. clan (noun) A large group of people often from the same family © CBC 2012 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 5 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ Use the vocabulary words (# 1 – 14 ) above to complete the sentences. (Answers can be found in the appendix.) 1. My teenagers seem to have no ______________________ and spend the whole day watching TV. 2. The first Tuesday of each month is customer ______________________ day at the local supermarket. You can save 10% on your groceries. 3. We went on vacation in Nova Scotia and spent two weeks ______________________ in our camper van. 4. I have ______________________ two bags of old clothes to the thrift store. 5. My grandmother is the ______________________ of our family and we all love spending time with her. 6. We have a vegetable ______________________ in our backyard with carrots, onions and potatoes in it. 7. I can ______________________ that girl; she was my children’s babysitter for two years and she is very reliable.. 8. I have been ____________________ my vegetables very carefully this year to be sure I get a good harvest. 9. I love sitting by the campfire and looking at the stars ______________________ in the night sky. 10. Our teacher ______________________ so she expects us to be organized with our assignments, too. 11. My sister keeps her medals from doing gymnastics ______________________ in a glass case. 12. There is a large ______________________ of people from our hometown in Scotland who immigrated to Canada over a hundred years ago. 13. My neighbor’s cat has ______________________ hundreds of kittens in our neighborhood over the years.. 14. With six brothers who have played professional hockey, the Sutter family is a true sporting______________________ © CBC 2012 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 6 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ Listening for meaning Read and answer the following questions. 1. How many sons does Grace Sutter have? 2. Where does Grace live? 3. What kind of farm did her family run? 4. Explain how the Sutter children learned to develop a positive work ethic? 5. Why did Grace encourage her boys to play hockey? 6. What job did Grace have for twenty years? 7. What decorates Grace’s basement? 8. What challenges has Grace Sutter faced over the years? 9. How many people are now part of the Sutter clan? © CBC 2012 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 7 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ Listening strategies – Using abbreviations when note‐taking The goal of the listening strategies section of the monthly feature lesson is to help you to improve your listening skills for all listening situations– not just this audio. Taking notes from a lecture or while listening can help you to identify and remember the main points and ideas. It is impossible to write down everything you hear – you can only record the main ideas. Sometimes when you review your notes you might find they are just a jumble of words and points. Using abbreviations can help you to speed up the rate of note taking that you can achieve. It is important to develop a systematic approach to abbreviations so that you are able to understand the notes a few weeks or months after the day of the lecture. Here are some suggestions from this story: Word Possible abbreviation Grace Sutter/ Sutter family GS/SF Alberta AB Hockey H Family FAM Viking V Children CHLDN grandchildren GCHLDN © CBC 2012 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 8 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ Standard abbreviations for common words word Possible abbreviation with w/ because . therefore . is = and & more + less ‐ decrease increase number # money $$ Practice writing abbreviations using these sentences from the audio – rewrite them in an abbreviated form. (Answers can be found in the appendix). 1. The Viking Alberta family spawned 6 NHL players. __________________________________________________________ ___________ 2. And those years, you kept them busy, because as long as they were busy then they weren’t getting into trouble. __________________________________________________________ ___________ 3. I thought that when you were done raising your children you didn’t worry anymore, but now there’s grandchildren and there’s great grandchildren. __________________________________________________________ ___________ © CBC 2012 Permission is granted reproduction of these pages for educational purposes only. 9 For more information on copyright please see http://www.cbc.ca/permissions/ Now listen to the audio again.