This unit and the next two units (‘Analysing the Causes and Impact’ and ‘Suggesting Solutions’) aim at helping students to see how a social issue can be discussed in four steps:
definition, causes, impact and solutions. A sample essay, ‘Internet Addiction’, which follows this four-step approach, is provided in the Supplementary Materials Section for students’
reference. It is, however, up to individual teachers whether students should produce a written text like the sample essay or whether other forms of writing practice are more appropriate.
Learning Activity 1 10 minutes (pair work)
Since some students may have little knowledge about issues like ‘cyber-bullying’ and
‘consumerism’, teachers can ask students to conduct an Internet search of the issues at home beforehand.
Students explain to each other what the given social issues mean to them. Teachers can point out to students that it is a good idea for students to set a common ground before discussing any issue because of possible reasons like:
The reader has little knowledge about the issue The reader’s perception may differ from the writer’s
The issue may be technical (e.g. medical terms) and therefore requires explanation
To set such a common ground, a definition is often provided by the writer, usually at the beginning of the text.
Learning Activity 2 30 minutes (pair work)
Teachers can introduce the use of the four question words what, who, where, when in definitions before students do this learning activity. Teachers can explain that other questions words like why and how, which usually involve more in-depth analysis, are usually discussed in the later sections of a text that discusses a social issue. It is also important for students to understand that these question words are just prompts that they can use to brainstorm ideas for the definition or are tools they can use to analyse the structure of definitions. In reality, very often, the answers to these questions are implied, rather than explicitly provided.
Catering for Learner Diversity
For less advanced students:
For Learning Activity (b), instead of the given text on obesity, you may ask students to read the simplified text below and ask them to fill out the blanks with the suitable question
their height. According to Professor Woo of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, (Who?) the population classified as obese in Hong Kong has increased from 3.5% to 9% (When?) in the period 1989 to 1998, and the figure is still increasing.
For more advanced students:
You can ask students to bring their own articles about social issues to class. Students can be grouped and assigned to identify different question words. In other words, there should be several What groups, several Who groups, several When groups and several Where groups.
After one group has underlined and labelled the parts in their articles that are about their question word, they pass the articles to the next group. When the articles return to the first group, they discuss the structure of the definition.
Suggested answers: (Accept any reasonable answer) Obesity
Obesity is a growing public health problem (Where?) in all developed countries, where lifestyle is often marked by a high-calorie diet and insufficient exercise. (What?) A person is defined to be obese most commonly by their body mass index (BMI), which is a simple calculation of the person’s weight in proportion to their height. (BMI = kg/m2) According to Professor Woo Kam-sang, Professor of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, (Who?) the population classified as overweight in Hong Kong increased from 25% to 40% (When?) in the period 1989 to 1998, the obesity prevalence (according to more conservative criteria) increased from 3.5% to 9%, and this figure keeps on increasing.
Poverty
(What?) Poverty generally refers to the condition when a person does not have the money to sustain their basic human needs like food, shelter, clothing, safe drinking water. (What?) Poverty is also characterised by the lack of access to education, information and health care.
(Where?) Unlike what many think, the issue of poverty is not confined to developing countries. Even in developed parts of the world, a fraction of the population often lives in poverty. (What?) In today’s world, with a widening gap between the wealthy and the poor, this fraction is expanding at an increasing speed. (Where?) In Hong Kong, for example, (When?) from 1996 to 2006, (Who?) the number of people under (What?) the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme drastically increased from 223,384 to 521,611.
Learning Activity 3
10 minutes (individual work / pair work)
Teachers can go over the example from the ‘Consumerism’ passage as demonstration first before students work on their own or in pairs on the questions that follow.
Answers:
(a) 1. is defined as 2. refers to (b) ‘Obesity’ passage:
‘… is often marked by …’
‘… is defined to be …’
‘Poverty’ passage:
‘… refers to …’
‘ … is also characterised by …’
column 2: means
column 3: a condition, is known as, is also called, a phenomenon (d) Students’ own answers.
Additional practice with the use of words or phrases useful for defining social issues can be done with the first paragraph of the Internet Addiction article (Supplementary Materials 3a-b).
The language notes below can be distributed to students as reference as the teacher sees fit.
Language Notes
How are phrases used to define social issues?
1. Subject + + noun phrase
e.g. Abortion is defined to be the removal of a foetus to end a pregnancy.
2. Subject + + noun phrase or gerund phrase
e.g. Abortion refers to the removal of a foetus to end a pregnancy. OR Abortion refers to removing a foetus to end a pregnancy.
3. Subject (noun phrase) + + noun
e.g. The removal of a foetus to end a pregnancy is known as abortion.
4. ‘Condition’ and ‘phenomenon’ are nouns. Like any other noun, they can be used as a subject, an object or in a complement of the sentence.
e.g. This phenomenon is especially common in big cities like Hong Kong.
Did you watch the TV programme on global warming last night? It took a very in-depth look at the phenomenon.
means refers to is related to
is characterised by is defined to be
is known as
Learning Activity 4
30 minutes (individual work / pair work)
1. Teachers hand out the information sheets on the next two pages.
2. Students choose an information sheet and write their own short definition paragraph with the help of the language / phrases given below the chart. They can be asked to work on their own or in pairs.
3. Optional follow-up: students can be asked to write definitions of social issues they are interested in as homework.
Suggested answers:
Product Counterfeiting
Product counterfeiting is defined as the unlawful copying of original products, such as DVDs, software and toys. This phenomenon is particularly serious in developing countries but it is also a serious problem in the developed parts of the world. Designers and producers of the original products are the ones that suffer most. In recent years, however, there has been more pressure on governments in various countries to enforce the law to try and stop the problem.
Food Safety
Food safety refers to the proper handling, preparation and storage of food to prevent health hazards. In Hong Kong, the hygiene of food premises is getting better but people are concerned about the many incidents happening in mainland China. For example, fake milk powder, soy sauce made from human hair and Sudan 1 Red Dye have been discovered in the past few years. As a result of this, the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department was set up to ensure the standards.
Catering for Learner Diversity
For less advanced students:
Before students start writing the definition, get students to label each bullet point with what, who, where and when.
The students can write the definition as a whole class with the teacher providing support where necessary. This can be done with the use of an OHP or a computer with a projector.
For more advanced students:
Ask students to write their definitions by just referring to the information sheets without the help of the language / phrases. They should also be encouraged to include information from the graph / pie chart in their paragraph.
Information Sheet A Product Counterfeiting
Percentage of people buying pirated or counterfeit goods
Never 15%
Often 60%
Seldom 25%
Never Seldom Often
• Unlawful imitation (i.e. copying) of original products
• Common goods imitated: DVDs, software, clothing, watches, toys, medicine
• Particularly serious in non-third-world developing countries, but can also be found in many developed parts of the world
• Designers and producers of the original products suffer most
• People from all walks of life buy such products
• In recent years, more pressure on enforcing the law to stop the problem
Information Sheet B Food Safety
Unhygienic operation of food premises
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Year
No. of convicted cases ('000) Fine (HK$M)
• Proper handling, preparation, storage of food to prevent health hazards
• In Hong Kong, hygiene of food premises is getting better
• People are concerned about the many incidents happening in mainland China
• Fake milk powder, soy sauce made from human hair, Sudan I Red Dye discovered in the past few years
• The Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department was set up to ensure the standards