12e Announcing an event

Writing an announcement
1 An announcement gives us information about an event. Which of these
announcements do you often read? Have you ever written one?
• an advert for a concert or film
• a poster for a charity event
• an invitation to a friend’s party
• an email from work or school about a meeting
• a notice at a gym about exercise classes

Students’ own answers

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2 Look at the announcement on the poster. Which of these questions does it
answer?
1 Who is organizing the event?
Newmarket Environmental and Conservation Group
2 What is it?
Earth Day celebration
3 Where is it?
Newmarket Park
4 What date is it on?
April 22
5 What time does it start and end?
-
6 How much does it cost?
free

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2 Look at the announcement on the poster. Which of these questions does it
answer?
7 What activities are there?
plant trees, theatre, music, art, environmental presentations
8 Is there car parking or transport?
-
9 Why is it happening?
– (it doesn’t say why but one could
infer that it is to celebrate and help
protect the earth’s environment)
10 What can you buy?
environmentally-friendly products
11 Is there food and drink?
Yes – hot and cold food
12 Where can you read more information?
on the website

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3 Writing skill important words and information
a We don’t normally write full sentences on announcements such as posters
or notices. Look at the highlighted words in these sentences. They are the
words and information on the poster. Which kind of words doesn’t the writer
use?
1 Everyone is welcome to our Earth Day celebration at Newmarket Park
on April 22.
2 We are going to plant 100 trees around Newmarket town centre.

The writer uses key words, e.g. nouns, verbs, numbers, times.
The writer doesn’t use grammatical words which carry little
meaning, e.g. prepositions, auxiliary verbs, pronouns, possessives,
articles.

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3 Writing skill important words and information
b Underline the key words in these sentences. Then compare your ideas with
the poster.
1 There will be presentations about how to help the environment.
2 You can watch theatre, listen to music and look at art by local performers
and artists.
3 Shops are going to be selling environmentally friendly products.
4 You can also buy hot and cold food.
5 Entrance to the event is free.
6 Visit our website at NECG.org/earthday for more information.

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4 Work in groups and choose one of these events. Discuss the details (1–9)
and plan your event.
• Earth Day in your local park
• a party at work or school
• a charity event to raise money

1 the name of the event

2 the reason for the event
3 the time and date
4 the place
5 the activities
6 the costs
7 food and drink
8 transport and parking
9 What else?

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5 Design and write an announcement for your event as a poster, notice or
advert.

6 Put your announcements on the wall in your classroom. Look at the posters,
notices or adverts by other groups. Do they include all the important
information? Do they use short sentences?

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 12f Earth University
Before you watch
1 Look at the photo and read the caption.
What type of food does your country
export?
Students’ own answers

Costa Rica exports its bananas

around the world

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2 Key vocabulary
Read the sentences. The words and phrases in bold are used in the video.
Match the words with the definitions (a–e).

e 1 I study agriculture at my university.

b 2 This hat protects me from the hot sun.
c 3 Plastic bags are not environmentally-friendly.
d 4 Humans need to be respectful to the environment.
a 5 My sister didn’t have any money but she got a scholarship to a
university.

a when a university pays for a student’s course

b stops someone or something from being hurt
c good for the natural world
d look after something because you think it is important
e the subject of farming

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While you watch
3 You are going to watch a video about the Earth University in Costa Rica.
Number these actions in the order you see them.

5 a Students are working on the banana farm.

3 b Students are talking and relaxing.
4 c A tractor is in a field.
1 d A teacher and his students are in a classroom.
2 e A cow is eating.

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4 Watch the video again and complete the information about the university.

The Earth University, Costa Rica

1 The principal: _______________
José Zaglul
2 Subject: _______________
Agriculture
3 Number of students: _______________
400
4 Where students come from: _______________
Latin America and _______________
Africa
5 Days a week for study and work: _______________
six
6 Months a year: _______________
eleven
7 Reason for the banana farm: _________________________________
to try out new ways of farming
_________________________________________________________
and to earn money
8 Which country buys their bananas: _______________
USA
9 Courses: Farming and _______________
business management

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 Videoscript Earth University
c = Gaspari Cordova, l = Robert Lechipan, r = Mathew Rogers
0.00–0.21 This is a class at Earth University. Earth University is in Costa Rica.
0.22–0.38 The school’s principal is José Zaglul and he says the university wants to give poor students an
education in agriculture and to teach them the skills to protect the environment.
0.39–0.52 C They teach us here how to be very respectful to our environment. Not only to the people
that we’re working with, but also to our environment.
0.53–1.09 The university has 400 students and most are from Latin America, but some students also
come from places further away, for example, Africa.
1.10–1.16 L Where we come from, the northern part of Kenya, Marsabit, is one of the poorest places we
have in Kenya.
1.17–1.26 Robert Lechipan says that Earth University teaches many useful skills and he can use these
skills in his country.
1.27–1.55 Students study and work six days a week. They are in the classroom and in the fields eleven
months a year. There’s even a banana farm where students and professors can try out new ways of
farming. The farm sells most of its bananas to the United States. Money from the bananas pays for some
of the poorer students to be at the university.
1.56–2.10 R The profits of the banana business support scholarships for students from poor
communities.
2.11–2.29 In addition to farming, Earth University students learn about business management.
2.30–end University president José Zaglul thinks the students at Earth University will become leaders
who can change farming in their own countries and communities.
After you watch
5 Vocabulary in context

Watch the clips from the video. Choose the correct meaning of the words
and phrases.

6 Work in pairs. Complete these sentences so they are true for you and tell
your partner. EXAMPLE ANSWERS
1 One of my skills is …
One of my skills is woodwork.
2 Once, I sold … and I made a profit.
Once, I sold a bike and I made a profit.
3 … is the leader of my country.
Students’ own answers

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 Videoscript Earth University
b 1 Not only to the people that we’re working with, but also to our environment.
a they are respectful to one thing
b they are respectful to more than one thing
a 2 Where we come from, the northern part of Kenya, Marsabit, is one of the poorest places we
have in Kenya.
a with very little money
b with a lot of money

a 3 Robert Lechipan says that Earth University teaches many useful skills.
a things you learn to do well
b things you know a lot about

b 4 The profits of the banana business support scholarships for students from poor communities.
a money you spend on something
b money you get from something

b 5 University president José Zaglul thinks the students at Earth University will become leaders.
a people who follow other people
b people who manage other people
7 Work in groups. Imagine you are going to
make a similar video about a school or
university you know well (it could also be
the school where you study English).

Discuss the video and make notes

about what you will film (e.g. students
working in a classroom) and what you
will say (e.g. the number of students,
the subjects they study).
As you discuss, write your ideas in this
table.

8 Join another group and explain your

ideas for the film.

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