Enjoy Your Meal!

Many countries have their own food guides. Food guides give guidelines for healthy eating: what you should eat and how much you should eat. Canada has just released a new food guide. Alexia Sabau takes a closer look.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• to drop something from the menu - to leave something out or not include it in the foods that are served at a meal
• a powerful resource - a very useful collection of information
• a static document - a document that is fixed, it is never changed
• dietary knowledge - knowledge about the kinds and amounts of food we eat
• veggies - vegetables
• pop - a sweet fizzy drink (= with bubbles), usually with a fruit flavour
• nutrients - substances that plants, animals, and people need to live and grow
• juice box - a small carton of fruit juice
• a beverage - a drink

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. Alexia is looking at some breakfast things. Which of these things are no longer thought to be healthy?


2. How is this food guide different from older food guides in Canada?


3. How many teaspoons of sugar are there in a juice box?


4. In which healthy foods can you find vitamin C?


5. Forget about milk for a moment. Which other foods contain calcium?


6. How many glasses of milk in a day is too much?

Extra speaking or writing assignment
 Answer the following question.
“Canada no longer recommends milk and juice and now the suggested beverage of choice is water.”
What is your reaction to that?

One Smart Cookie

The search is on for Canada's Smartest Person Junior. The new series Canada's Smartest Person Junior starts of next week. Contestants have made introduction videos. Meet Mateus Soto!

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• robotics - technology that is used to design, build, and operate robots
• nerd - a person who is very interested in technical subjects, computers, etc.
• proud - very happy and pleased about something
• to develop abilities - to do your best to become better at things
• title - the status or position of being the champion in a competition
• to tattoo - to make a picture on a part of someone's body by using a needle and ink

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How does Mateus feel about being a nerd?


2. At what age did Mateus learn to read?


3. What does Mateus want to be when he is older?


4. Why does Mateus love robotics?


5. What will Mateus do if he wins the title of Canada’s Smartest Person Junior?

Extra speaking assignment
1. Make an introduction video like Mateus.
2. Watch the video again first. Take notes: what things does Mateus tell?
3. Write down all the things that make you special.
4. Record your video.

Time to Come Clean

How often do you clean your phone? Is it even necessary? Katie wants to find out.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• bugs - very small insects; also: bacteria
• toilet seat - "wc-bril"
• to hang out - to spend time relaxing, talking or doing fun stuff
• manky - dirty
• special gadget - small, useful tool or machine
• gross - very disgusting; very unpleasant
• harmful - dangerous; causing damage
• squeaky-clean - completely clean

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. What do toilet seats have to do with phones?


2. Name 3 things many people do at the same time as using their phones.


3. Name the 3 categories of phone dirtiness.


4. Are all bugs on your phone harmful?


5. How many of the kids have clean phones?


6. Whose phone is dirtier: Katie’s or Mr O’Callahan’s?

Extra speaking assignment
Explain in your own words how Mr O’Callahan’s special gadget works.

2017 Word of the Year (One of Them)

Collins Dictionary have announced their 2017 Word of the Year.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• to reverse - to change the direction of something things so that they go the other way around
• fact check - a check that the facts of a story are correct
• to claim - to say that something is true even when you cannot prove it
• bat - a small animal like a mouse, but with wings; it flies at night
• truthful - telling or expressing the truth
• to go on strike - to stop work because you want things at work to change
• afraid of heights - afraid when you are in high places like a tower or mountains
• news anchor - someone who reads the news on a television broadcast

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. The news anchors start by practicing reading several headlines.
   Copy 3 of these headlines.


2. Explain what this sentence means:
   “The nation relies on me to read truthful facts.”


3. What is Collins Dictionary’s official 2017 word of the year?

Extra speaking (and writing) assignment
1. Work in groups.
2. Think of 3 other headlines for the video. Let your imagination run wild!
3. Write them down.

Extra extra speaking (and writing) assignment
1. Produce your own news show to announce Collins Dictionary’s word of the year.
2. Work in groups.
3. Write the script. Follow the format of the above video.
4. Practice your show.
5. Record your show.

The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge

Gitanjali Rao won the 2017 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• contaminated - dangerously dirty
• lead - a heavy and soft metal that has a gray color; chemical element: Pb
• to detect - to discover or notice something that is hidden
• detection - when you discover or identify something that is hidden
• to dip - to put something into water (or another liquid) and pull it out again quickly
• the whole manual part - the part that you do with your hands
• elevated levels of lead in his blood - more lead in his blood than is normal and healthy

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How old is Gitanjali Rao?


2. Gitanjali’s invention is called Tethys. What does Tethys do?


3. What gave Gitanjali the idea to make Tethys?


4. How long did it take Gitanjali to make Tethys?


5. What good advice does Gitanjali give at the end of the video (1:58)?

Extra speaking assignment
Watch the video once more.
1. Listen carefully to Gitanjali’s explanation of Tethys. (0:19 to 0:35)
2. Take notes of the main steps.
3. Explain in your own words how to use Tethys.

All's Well That Ends Well

Will Olsen had quite a week. Luckily, his friend Ian Brown was there to help him.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• choke - become unable to breathe because something gets stuck in your throat
• his buddy - his good friend
• Heimlich maneuver - a series of steps to help somebody who is choking
• abdomen - belly; the part of your body below the chest with you stomach and other organs
• thrust - a strong push
• abdominal thrust - a strong push in the belly
• dislodge - remove with great force

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. What happened? Tell the main points in your own words.


2. “Ian sprang into action.” What does “spring into action” mean?


3. What did Will’s parents tell him?


4. When did Ian know things were serious?


5. What is the most important thing when you do the Heimlich maneuver?

Extra writing or speaking assignment
1. Watch the video once more.
2. Listen carefully to the explanation of the Heimlich maneuver.
3. Take notes of the main steps.
4. Write an instruction sheet for the Heimlich maneuver.
5. Explain to your classmates how the Heimlich maneuver works.

Google Science Fair

The 2016 Google Science Fair is now open for entries. Google Science Fair is a global online competition. The competition is open to 13- to 18-year-old students around the globe, who formulate a hypothesis, perform an experiment, and present their results. You can submit projects as an invidual or as a team.
Last year’s Grand Prize winner was Olivia Hallisey. In the video, she introduces her project.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• encourage - to stimulate someone to do something, make it more likely that he/she will do something
• outbreak - a sudden start or increase of a disease
• silk - a smooth, soft, and shiny fiber that is produced by silkworms (zijderupsen)
• reagent - a substance that is used to test for the presence of another substance by causing a chemical reaction with it
• cocoon - a covering usually made of silk which some insects make around themselves to protect them while they grow
• assay - to test something to find out what it contains
• refrigeration - the process of keeping something in cold place to make sure it will not become bad
• imagination - the ability to think of new things
• optimism - a feeling or belief that good things can happen in the future
• innovation - the process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How did Olivia become intrigued by the Ebola crisis?


2. Which goal did Olivia set herself and why?


3. Why did Olivia experiment with silk?


4. What is the Ebola Assay Card?


5. Name the two main USPs of the Ebola Assay Card.


6. According to Olvia, which specific qualities do teenagers have that can help in this kind of research?


7. Which project would you like to submit to the Science Fair?

Extra speaking assignment

You will give a short speech to introduce your own project.

1. First, listen to Olivia once more to hear how to build up your speech. Olivia begins by telling some personal things about herself, next she explains how her research project started and how she proceeded and finally she lets us know her plans for the future.
2. Determine the subject of your speech: Think of something special you can do, have discovered or are working at.
3. Use Olivia’s structure for your own speech.
4. Write down the main points.
5. Include some key words to help you talk freely.
6. Practice your speech.
7. Now for the real thing, hold your speech for your classmates and/or record it.

Extra extra assignment
Would you like to find out more about the Science Fair?
You can:
- Check out the hashtag #howcanwe.
- Visit the Google Science Fair website here.
- Watch more finalists’ videos, for example some of last year’s competition here.

World Refugee Day

June 20 is World Refugee Day. Millions of families have fled their homes to escape war or human rights abuses.

The United Nations refugee agency is the UNHCR – the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. It coordinates events worldwide to protect refugees and improve their lives in their countries of refuge.

First read the assignment. Next watch the UNHCR video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.



Answer the questions in writing or discuss the answers in class.

1. How did Ahmad feel when he realized he wouldn't go back to Syria for a long time?


2. When and where did Cate Blanchett meet Ahmad?


3. What does Ahmad like to do in his spare time?


4. What happened when the refugee workers asked the 15 refugee kids: "Who goes to school?"


5. How many jobs has Ahmad had since he left Syria?


6. What does Ahmad want to do when he grows up?

Extra speaking assignment
Watch the shorter video below with Cate Blanchett. Listen carefully how she introduces Ahmad.

1. Your assignment is to introduce a friend or family member in a similar short video message.
2. Choose the person you want to introduce.
3. Note some things to tell about this person.
4. Practice your introduction. It should be about 30 seconds long.
5. Record your introduction.

Extra reading (and gaming) assignment
Experience what it is like to be a refugee.
Play Against all odds.