Lesson plan: 2020

What were the important events of 2020 in your country, and for you?

Match these photos with the following captions:

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• Activists resist an attempt by police to detain them while gathering to support opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova, who had been reportedly detained by state security agents, in Minsk on Sept. 8.
• A fire-response volunteer pours water on a koala injured in a bushfire on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, on Jan. 16. It was quickly hustled to a nearby shelter, joining hundreds of other animals receiving care. 
• A woman plays music from her balcony in Milan on March 13. Italians remained essentially under house arrest as the nation—the European front in the global fight against coronavirus—had ordered extraordinary restrictions on their movement to prevent its spread. 
• Nour Saliba stands in her apartment in the Mar Mikhael area of Beirut on Aug. 6, two days after the deadly explosion at the city’s port, seen through her blown-out window. “Honestly, I had it easy. I only lost my home. I am one of the lucky ones who still have their family and friends by their side,” says the 27-year-old community manager and model. “Trauma is written all over the fumes of this explosion. Yes, we are all traumatized, but we are also burnt out.» 
• A missile that landed on a street is surrounded by barricade tape in Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh, on Oct. 16. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan reignited in late September, quickly escalating from the frontlines to populated towns and villages. 

What do you think will be included in Google’s «year in search»?

Watch and find out:

What would you add to include things from your country? Find out what people in your country were searching for here: https://trends.google.com/trends/yis/2020/CL/

Language

Put the following words in order to make questions from the video.

• Why I sleep can’t?
• Why Covid-19 it called is?
• Why red is Mars?
• Why postponed the NBA is?
• Why tired so I am?
• Why toilet is out paper sold?
• Why burning is Australia?
• Why people protesting are?
• Why important empathy is?
• Why important is democracy?
• Why people do dream?

Why did people ask those questions, do you think? Do you know the/an answer to any of them?

Part 2: Who do you think were the big winners and losers of 2020?

Listen to this podcast. Do you agree?

Listen: 0.00 – 7:19 What/ who were the winners of 2020? Why?

What were the following numbers referring to: 2.1%, 40 million, 8.2 million, 637 billion US dollars

Language

It’s hard to think of	filed for unemployment
They also managed	some exceptions to that.
40 million Americans	of other introverts.
Elon Musk had	a bigger winner than China
He’s just emblematic	to suppress Covid 19
There are obviously	a stunning year

Listen to 7.19-13.30

Language: Who were his winners?

Language

Use these words to complete the sentences below: declare, pretty, meant, turnouts, since, pull off,

We’ve had a ___________________ good year, in general.

What we’d managed to ______________ this year.

He has been above 60% ________________ April.

His government were very quick to _________________ a pandemic.

The Senate was ____________ to be flipped.

That’s one of the biggest ________________ in American history.

Listen to 13.30 – 17.30 Who were her biggest losers of 2020?

Listen to 17.30 – 22.18. Who are his biggest losers of 2020?

Part 3: Did you have any good news over the last year? What about any other people you know? Listen to this (0.00-4.45) and find out what other people say:

Match the following sentence halves:

I was able to ride	finish my scarf
I got a job	to take up the trumpet
I finally got to	my bicycle almost every day
I decided	I’ve been making art.
During quarantine	teaching English in Bali