Learning English with CBC Calgary Monthly Feature Story: the Sutter

Learning English with CBC Calgary

Monthly feature story:

November 2012

Lesson plans created by Justine Light

www.alberta.ca http://www.cbc.ca/calgary/learning‐english/

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

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.

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

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______

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?

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

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. ______

Now listen to the audio again. Take notes using abbreviations where possible.

Building Speaking Skills

Pronunciation: plural endings

The plural endings of words sound different depending on which sound comes at the end of the word. Look at the chart below to see the different pronunciations of plural endings.

/s/ sound /z/ sound /iz/ sound tracks hands kisses* asks suns wishes tents clams judges tops wells entices baths files beaches cliffs labs

kings

fillers

Sutters

*Notice that with the /iz/ pronunciation, there is always an “e” before the “s” in the spelling.

Pronunciation: plural endings. (Cont’d)

The following words are all spoken in the podcast. Try to place the words in the correct category on the chart. Use the examples to help you. The first one is done for you.

1. Sutters 2. players 3. coaches 4. scouts 5. managers 6. secrets 7. boys 8. drugs 9. stories 10. groceries 11. trophies 12. banners 13. pictures 14. grandsons 15. grandkids

Grammar Activity – Possessive Pronouns English does not have a grammatical gender system. In English the gender of the possessive determiner agrees with the gender of the possessor rather than the gender (if it exists) of the noun that is possessed.

For example: The student lost her backpack and could not hand in her assignment.

In this sentence, the student who lost the bag is clearly female, as indicated by the possessive determiner (her) chosen. The fact that English does not have a grammatical gender system means that neither the backpack nor the assignment can be assigned ‘she’ as a pronoun. These items would be referred to as ‘it’.

There are some examples of this in the audio:

…when her seven sons were growing up…

…each son with his own section.

…through the basement of her modest bungalow.

It is the gender and number of the possessor that determine the pronoun.

Here are some other interesting examples from the audio:

the boys were helping their dad

that’s where they got their work ethic from.

a way to keep her boys on the right path

She’s a hardworking, Christian lady that loves her community, loves her family first.

Can you explain the possessive pronoun rule here to a classmate?

(Suggested responses are in the appendix.)

Reading Activity Pre‐reading vocabulary

The following vocabulary activity will help you to understand the reading below. Match each word to its correct definition.

The first one is done for you. (Answers can be found in the appendix.)

1. role B A. related to something where you meet and spend time with other people 2. moderate B. to be one important part of a process or operation 3. vigourous C. happening too soon or before planned

4. target D. strong and energetic rate of something

5. routine E. a regular part of everyday life

6. social F. average or medium rate of something

7. limit G. to direct an activity towards a certain thing

8. premature H. to stop or prevent an increase in something

9. self esteem I. strengthening the heart and lungs by making them work hard for several minutes or more 10. aerobic J. confidence in your own ability and skills

Reading text – Tips to get active

Excerpt from http://asrpwf.ca/media/259643/pag_guidelines_adults_en_alberta.pdfReading for meaning

Reading Strategies – Skimming and Scanning

The goal of the reading strategies section of the monthly feature lesson is to help you to become a better reader of all reading texts – not just this text. Give yourself a maximum of three minutes to read the Tips to get active sheet – you will have to skim over the words quickly and move on even when you don't quite understand. Look for the main ideas, focus on topic sentences and concentrate on the content key words. Try to answer these true‐false questions from your speed‐reading of the text. (Answers can be found in the appendix.)

True False Moderately intensive activity should make you feel different physically. You are working at a moderate level if you are not able to talk. The minimum recommended period of physical activity is 15 minutes. Exercise can help prevent serious diseases. You only need to do one type of activity to be healthy. Physical activity can help your mental health and physical health. These guidelines may be appropriate for pregnant women.

Reading for meaning

(Answers can be found in the appendix.)

Please circle the best answer for questions 1 and 2. 1. Which of the following is NOT true when planning to exercise? a. A routine helps with becoming physically active. b. Making your workouts social helps with becoming physically active. c. As little as five minutes of physical activity can help to become physically active. d. Limiting time spent on sedentary activities can help in developing a physically active lifestyle.

2. Which statement about physical activity most accurately reflects the reading? a. Physical activity is the single most important part of a healthy lifestyle. b. Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. c. Physical activity is the only consideration for a healthy lifestyle. d. Physical activity is important for a healthy lifestyle but is not important for everyone.

Answer the questions below.

3. Give three examples of diseases that can be prevented by having an active lifestyle.

4. Explain the difference between the two different types of strengthening activities.

5. Explain the benefits of being social when doing physical activities.

Food for thought

6.Why do you think that with all the evidence about the benefits of exercise, many people still are not active enough?

Writing Activity

You are a volunteer at the local YMCA. Lately, the manager has been talking to you about the need to encourage more English language learners and immigrants to get active. Using the information in the text above write a one‐paragraph text using plain English to explain the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to your classmates. A sample paragraph can be found in the appendix.

The benefits of healthy lifestyle

______

Links Links to the community

Learn more about opportunities to become physically fit from the Edmonton area YMCA: http://www.edmonton.ymca.ca/

Interested in the National Hockey League? You can find out more about the Edmonton Oilers here: http://oilers.nhl.com/

You can see an update feature about the Sutter family at this CBC feature page: http://www.cbc.ca/edmonton/features/sutters/

Language Learning Links

This is an excellent online dictionary for English language learners from Merriam Webster: http://www.learnersdictionary.com/

Check out these examples of persuasive essays to help you write your own: http://eslbee.com/persuasion_essays_models.htm

This is an excellent free resource from the BBC. It is a comprehensive site with a wide variety or resources, news stories, blogs, quizzes, etc. all designed for English language learners. Of course, being from the BBC, these materials use British English: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/

Appendix – Answer Key

Listening for meaning

1. How many sons does Grace Sutter have?

Seven

2. Where does Grace live?

Viking Alberta – Central Alberta

3. What kind of farm did her family run?

A dairy farm

4. Explain how the Sutter children learned to develop a positive work ethic?

By working hard on a tight schedule on the dairy farm

5. Why did Grace encourage her boys to play hockey?

To keep them busy and away from trouble, like drugs

6. What job did Grace have for twenty years?

She worked bagging groceries in the supermarket

7. What decorates Grace’s basement?

Trophies, pictures and other souvenirs from her sons hockey careers

8. What challenges has Grace Sutter faced over the years? Her husband passed away seven years ago and she has fought breast cancer

9. How many people are now part of the Sutter clan? Forty two

Listening strategies – Using abbreviations when note‐taking

1. The Viking Alberta family spawned 6 NHL players.

VK AB fam 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.

& those yrs you kept them busy . . busy = no 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.

I thought when you’re done w/ CHLDN no worries – but now = GCHLDN & G‐G‐

CHLDN

Building Speaking Skills

Pronunciation: plural endings.

/s/ sound /z/ sound /iz/ sound scouts Sutters coaches secrets grandsons scouts drugs grandkids Players

managers

boys

stories

groceries

trophies

banners

pictures

Grammar Activity – Possessive Pronouns the boys were helping their dad

Here the possessor is a group of brothers with one father. The possessive pronoun reflects the plural group by using ‘their’ even though there is only one dad.

that’s where they got their work ethic from.

Here the possessor is plural – the same group of brothers– even though the noun is non‐ count and therefore appears singular – it is still possessed by more than one person so ‘their’ is used.

a way to keep her boys on the right path

Here the possessor is the mother – singular and female – the number and gender of the noun that is possessed (boys) does not affect the choice of pronoun.

She’s a hardworking, Christian lady that loves her community, loves her family first.

Here the possessor is the mother – singular and female – the number and gender of the possessed does not affect the choice of pronoun.

Pre‐reading vocabulary

1. role B A. related to something where you meet and spend time with other people

2. moderate F B. to be one important part of a process or operation 3. vigourous D C. happening too soon or before planned

4. target G D. strong and energetic rate of something

5. routine E E. a regular part of everyday life

6. social A F. average or medium rate of something

7. limit H G. direct activity towards a certain thing

8. premature C H. to stop or prevent an increase in something

9. self esteem J I. strengthening the heart and lungs by making them work hard for several minutes or more 10. aerobic I J. confidence in your own ability and skills

Reading Strategies

True False Moderately intensive activity should make x you feel different physically. You are working at a moderate level if you x are not able to talk. The minimum recommended period of x physical activity is 15 minutes. Exercise can help prevent serious diseases. x You only need to do one type of activity to x be healthy. Physical activity can help your mental x health and physical health. These guidelines may be appropriate for x pregnant women.

Reading for meaning

1. Which of the following is NOT true when planning to exercise? a. A routine helps with becoming physically active. b. Making your workouts social helps with becoming physically active. c. As little as five minutes of physical activity can help to become physically active. d. Limiting time spent on sedentary activities can help in developing a physically active lifestyle.

2.Which statement about physical activity most accurately reflects the reading?

a. Physical activity is the single most important part of a healthy lifestyle. b. Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. c. Physical activity is the only consideration for a healthy lifestyle. d. Physical activity is important for a healthy lifestyle but is not important for everyone. Answer the questions below.

3. Give three examples of diseases that can be prevented by having an active lifestyle.

Coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, colon cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis 4. Explain the difference between strengthening types of activities.

Muscle strengthening builds muscles, ex: push ups and digging in the garden Bone strengthening pushes and pulls against your bones making them stronger ex: running, walking, yoga 5. Explain the benefits of being social when doing physical activities.

I think it would motivate you because you are having fun and making friends as well as exercising.

6.Why do you think that with all the evidence about the benefits of exercise, many people still are not active enough?

Answers may vary – could include too busy, not enough time, children’s activities come first,

two jobs, not enough money.

Writing activity

The benefits of a healthy lifestyle

Are you suffering from stress, low energy and an overall feeling of poor health? Have you had a hard time getting enough exercise since you came to Canada? If this sounds like your situation, perhaps you need to think about how regular physical activity might help you. Adding any physical activity can benefit your physical health. Did you know that you could prevent disease and decrease the chance of premature death by working out? Not only will you feel better physically but also exercise can improve your stress levels and mental health. Also, if you are feeling fitter you will feel better about yourself and your self-esteem could rise. Finally, if you make your exercise and activity a social event you could also make friends and get to know your community. There are so many potential benefits from physical activity, contact your local YMCA to find out how to make a start.

SPEAKER TITLE: THE SUTTER FAMILY OF ALBERTA 0:00 Nirmala The Sutters are hockey in Alberta. The Viking Alberta family spawned 6 Naidoo 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 Adrienne Lamb. 0:24 Adrienne Grace Sutter pulls down on a heavy, steel chain. It opens the door to a Lamb big, red barn. She wants to show me her riding lawn mower. 0:33 Grace Sutter It’s a fifty‐two inch cut, so it does a heck of a lot more work than a thirty‐eight. 0:39 Adrienne It looks brand new. Lamb 0:41 Grace Sutter Some people think that it’s not used, I said I clean it off after every use. I use it‐ I have an air compressor and I clean it off and then I run it up and wash it with the hose. Then I bring it back and wipe it down. 0:54 Adrienne You still run a pretty tight ship. Lamb 0:56 Grace Sutter Well I try to, I try to, I try to. 1:00 Adrienne Grace Sutter’s brown eyes twinkle. She’s not very tall, maybe 5’2’’, and Lamb she never stands still for long. Now Grace wants to tour me around the rest of the place. 1:11 Grace Sutter The potatoes are starting to come up over there 1:14 Adrienne She’s been tending this land most of her life, a patch of rolling green in Lamb Central Alberta. And cattle, when her seven sons were growing up, dairy cattle. 1:24 Grace Sutter When you dairy, you’re 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Then there was still a big garden and if the boys were helping their dad in the fields. And that’s I guess that’s where they got their work ethic from. They knew what work was. 1:40 Adrienne And that’s what they put on the ice. Grinders who got it done. Lamb 1:45 Commentato There’s Wayne Sutter, hitting Brett Sutter… r 1:53 Adrienne Brian, Daryl, Dwayne, Brett, Ron and Rich, all played the same style of Lamb hockey. It was about character, and hockey was the outlet, a way to keep her boys on the right path.

2:05 Grace Sutter And those years, you kept them busy, because as long as they were busy then they weren’t getting into trouble. This is when the drugs started coming to Viking, I remember lining up all 7 of them in the front room at the old house, and saying you guys, you are not! You’re going to be kept busy so you’re not fooling around with all that stuff. I think they could vouch for that, they’d probably tell you yeah oh mother did that to us! 2:37 Adrienne Today, a free barbecue on the main drag of Viking. Its customer Lamb appreciation day at the local auto body shop, and Sutter stories are always the talk of this town. 2:50 Customer #1 They all grew up as good kids, and they’re Vikings, they’ve got heart and soul. That’s what makes them good people. 2:56 Customer # 2 The Sutters never lost a hockey game in their life. They simply ran out of time once in a while a while. If it went far enough, they were going to win. 3:04 Customer #3 Do you know, this is the most interesting town of all, because I don’t think anywhere else the mother of the NHL‐ers would be bagging your groceries. 3:14 Adrienne That’s right. For more than 20 years, Grace also worked at the local IGA. Lamb Mayor Marlene Grandenetti walks through the arena in Viking. 3:28 Marlene Okay, this is the wall of fame here. Grandenetti 3:31 Adrienne She points to 6 jerseys, encased in glass. Lamb 3:34 Marlene Sutter, Sutter, Sutter, Sutter, Sutter, Sutter, and they’ve all been Grandenetti donated. 3:39 Adrienne Grace still comes here. She drops the puck for games and talks about Lamb her boys. 3:44 Marlene Very proud mother, and so she should be. She’s a hardworking, Grandenetti Christian lady that loves her community, loves her family first. 3:55 Grace Sutter Mckenzie, Daryl’s little granddaughter loves to come down here 4:06 Adrienne Back on the Sutter Farm, Grace is touring me through the basement of Lamb her modest bungalow. It’s like the hockey hall of fame exploded here. 4:08 Grace Sutter Here’s Ronny, Richard, Brent, Dwayne… 4:11 Adrienne Pictures, banners, and a wall of trophies, each son with his own section. Lamb 4:17 Grace Sutter One boy, another boy, another boy, let me tell you, they’re dust collectors. Adrienne This is also where the TV is. Lamb

4:22 Grace Sutter We don’t go too far from the TV come game nights. On Saturday morning my TV is turned on at 11 o’clock and it doesn’t go off until 11 o’clock nighttime after the West coast games are finished. I guess it’s almost like a disease. 4:44 Adrienne But her mood changes when she glances up at another photo on the Lamb basement wall, one of the whole family. You see, Grace Sutter has had her share of heartache. Her husband Louis died seven years ago, she herself battled back from breast cancer, and now, instead of worrying about 7 sons, Grace Sutter has a clan of 42 5:07 Grace Sutter 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. I’m a true believer in prayer. Mighty works in the power of prayer. 5:27 Adrienne Now she prays for her son Daryl, and his LA Kings, and for her son Lamb Brent, who many here think should be the next coach of the Edmonton Oilers. And her grandsons, Brett, Brandon and Brody, the next generation now playing in the NHL. And, the rest of the coaches, general managers, and scouts who bear the Sutter family name. 5:49 Grace Sutter And then, there’s a whole collection here of pictures of the teams that the boys played for. 5:54 Adrienne In Viking Alberta, I’m Adrienne Lamb. Lamb 5:57 Grace Sutter When the grandkids come, they figure sometimes I go down and I say what are you kids doing? We’re playing for some team or whatever. I said put them back please, so that’s why they’re probably mixed up and I haven’t had time to go through them.