Widgets Lesson Plans

A task-based course in practical English
Lesson plans
Version A
Version A consists of 30 90-minute
lessons. Version A is designed for
90-minute classes that meet twice
a week over one semester.
Marcos Benevides
Chris Valvona
Stage
Welcome aboard
Lesson 1: overview
This is the introductory lesson to the course. Today students will:
Learn about the course concept and objectives

Learn about Widgets Incorporated (the company)
Explore customs about business cards, name tags and handshaking
Meet and greet each other in a casual business setting
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Widgets Student Book, pages 26

DVD, Scene 1: Orientation
Paper or cards to write name tags and business cards on,
one of each per student
Paperclips or another way of attaching name tags to clothing, one per
student
Optional
Materials
Color business card and name tag templates downloaded and printed
from www.widgets-inc.com
Pearson Education Asia Limited 2008
Lesson plans, Version A
Stage
Lesson 1: lesson plan

Time
Page
Task
Directions
10
mins.
Youre hired!
1.
Learn about
course objectives
Learn Widgets
Incorporateds
background
Read Felixs message at the top of page 2 (in

the green box) aloud or have students read by
themselves. Next, read the letter aloud or have
students read by themselves. Depending on student
level and motivation, elicit or explain the who,
what, where and why of the course:
Who is Felix Day? Who are you going to
role-play?
Meet Felix Day,

director of human
resources
Felix Day is director of human resources. You are

going to role-play management trainees.
Read the letter of

employment
What is the purpose of the letter?

It explains that you have been accepted as a
management trainee and tells you the things you
will do at Widgets Incorporated.
Where are you?
You are at your Widgets orientation.
Why are you there?
You were just hired.
30
mins.
Widgets: bringing
ideas to life
1.
Have students look at the photos on page 3.

Explain that the students are new employees, so it
is important for them to find out more about the
company by watching the video.
2.
Play the video (Scene 1) for the first time.
3.
A Play Scene 1 a second time and have students
Watch the video

(Scene 1)
Learn about the
company
take notes. These notes should be detailed. But

students should not write full sentences, just enough
to help them build meaning later. Throughout this
course note-taking will be an important skill to
develop.
Take notes
Check facts with a
partner
4.
Have students compare notes with a partner. Have

them also discuss the video. Ask:
How much information did you catch?
What can you conclude about Widgets
Incorporated?
Lesson plans, Version A 2
Lesson 1
Time
Page
Task
Directions
5.
B Play Scene 1 a third time and then have

students answer the questions.
6.
Have students check their answers with a partner.

1 F
2 F
3 T
4 F
6 Bringing ideas to life
20
mins.
4&5
First impressions
Stage
5 F
7.
Follow up with the whole class for questions 16 plus

any additional information that students gathered.
1.
Have students read Felixs message at the top of

page 4. Explain that soon students will practice
meeting and greeting each other using business
cards and name tags.
2.
A Have students look at the example of a

business card and name tag on page 4. In pairs,
have them read the information and answer the
questions. [Answers will vary.]
3.
B Have students choose their favorite business
Make business
cards and name
tags
card and name tag on page 5.

4.
C Have students design their own business cards
and name tags.
25
mins.
5.
D Have students make their final copies. Teachers

may download and print business card and name
tag templates from the Widgets website or simply
hand out pre-cut pieces of paper, index cards, etc.
Shake on it
1.
Learn customs of
shaking hands

page 6.
2.
Meet and greet

co-workers in
a casual business
setting
Have students look at the photo of the two people

shaking hands at the top of page 6. Explain the
importance of shaking hands in the West and
compare it with other cultures.
3.
A Read the three points or have students read
by themselves. Then demonstrate each step in

turn. Finally, have students look at the photo story.
Demonstrate a proper handshake with a student.
Lesson 1
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
4.
B Have students put on their name tags. Explain

that they will now move around the classroom
shaking hands and meeting as many co-workers as
possible. They should:
shake hands
exchange business cards
have a short conversation using the interesting
fact on their name tags as a starting point
Since students only have one business card each,
remind them that they will need to get it back from
each partner before continuing. Move around the
classroom listening to as many pairs as possible
and facilitating where necessary.
5
mins.
End
Instruct students to shake your hand and turn in their

business cards on their way out of the classroom.
Stage
Welcome aboard
Lesson 2: overview
Today students will:
Chat with each other in their rst Water cooler chat

Learn about Victoria Vanderhoff
Familiarize themselves with appropriate conversation topics
Chat with each other in a casual work setting
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Widgets Student Book, pages 711, 90 & 91

DVD, Scene 2: Whos the boss?
DVD, Scene 3: Water cooler chat
Optional
Materials
Water cooler chat cards (pages 90 & 91)
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
20
mins.
Whos the boss?
1.
Watch the video

(Scene 2)
Who is the woman in the photo?
Listen for details

and take notes
Meet Victoria
Vanderhoff,
president
of Widgets
Incorporated
Read the title Whos the boss? at the top of

page 7 aloud. Depending on student level and
motivation, elicit or ask:
She is the president of Widgets Incorporated.
2.
Read Felixs message at the top of page 7 aloud or

have students read by themselves.
3.
A Play the video (Scene 2). Have students listen
and take notes. Then have them fill in the fact

file. Note that they do not need to understand
everything.
Name: Victoria Vanderhoff
Job title: President of Widgets Incorporated
Background: Not business. She studied law and
then was a lawyer for eight years. She took over
as president of Widgets when her father retired 10
years ago.
Likes: Challenges, meeting and talking with people
Dislikes: Waste: wasted time, wasted money,
wasted talent
Motto: Think outside the box.
4.
B Have students check their answers with a

partner. Sharing and putting together information
is very important and will be used regularly
throughout the course.
5.
C Read the instructions and the questions aloud
or have students read by themselves. Check that

students understand all of the questions.
6.
Play Scene 2 again. Have students work together to

answer the questions. Elicit answers from the class.
What did you learn about the Vanderhoff
family?
Victorias father was president of Widgets
Incorporated until he retired, 10 years ago.
Lesson 2
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
What did you learn about Widgets
Incorporated?
Every day is different. Teamwork is important.
What are Victoria Vanderhoffs plans for
the future?
She wants to work at Widgets for as long as
possible.
What kind of boss do you think she is?
[Answers will vary.]
20
mins.
8&9
A personal matter
1.
Read Felixs message on page 8 aloud or have

students read by themselves. Give them time to
do this and help them where necessary with any
vocabulary. Note that the word appropriate may
need to be explained, as it is an important term
which comes up often in the course.
2.
Explain to students that some topics of

conversation are OK in certain situations, but not
OK in others. As an optional warm-up, activate
students background knowledge by eliciting
examples of topics of conversation which they
think are taboo in English speaking countries. Does
the class agree on these?
3.
A Have students read the instructions and
Learn about
appropriateness
of conversation
topics
Decide whether
certain topics are
appropriate
Discuss whether
certain topics are
appropriate
questions 110. Check that they understand the

questions. Have students work alone and choose a
number value for each question.
4.
B Have students work in pairs and compare
their answers. If they have different answers, they

should discuss why they think so. If desired, point
out the model dialog at the bottom of page 9.
Please refer to Language models in Part 1 of the
Teachers Manual for a detailed explanation of this
feature.
Note
This is the first of many activities in the course for
which there are no right answers. It is important to
explain to students that the idea is to share opinion,
practice discussion/persuasion and not to find the
absolutely correct answers. In fact, the sharper
students may realize on their own that the answer
depends a lot on where these questions are asked,
thus setting up the activity which follows.
Lesson 2
Time
Page
Task
Directions
15
mins.
10
It really depends
1.
Read Felixs message at the top of page 10 aloud

or have students read by themselves. Check that
students understand the meaning. The term vice
versa may need to be explained.
2.
A Have students read the instructions, and
Continue
discussing
appropriateness
Learn the
importance of
context
Stage
then give them time to look at the pictures. Ask a

student to describe each picture.
A A young man is asking a young woman/vice versa
B A young woman is asking an older woman/vice
versa
C An older man is asking a young woman/vice versa
1 In a restaurant
2 At a bus stop
3 In a classroom
3.
B Have students work alone and answer the

questions. They must select the most appropriate
and least appropriate combinations from the
pictures for each question. For example, if a
student thinks that it is OK for two young people
of the same generation, in a classroom situation,
to ask How old are you?, they should choose
A-3 as the most appropriate for question 1. If they
think it is not appropriate for a young woman to
ask an older woman Do you believe in God? at
a bus stop, they should choose B-2 as the least
appropriate for question 2, and so on. Remember
that there is no absolutely correct answer!
4.
C Next, have students work together in pairs

and compare their answers. If they have different
answers, which is very likely, they should discuss
their reasons why.
5.
Elicit some answers from the class. Answers will vary,

but depending on student level, ask them to explain
their answers or simply discuss your own opinion.
However, do highlight that even your opinion is just
that, and there are no absolutely correct answers.
Lesson 2
Time
Page
Task
Directions
35
mins.
11, 90
& 91
Water cooler chat
1.

or have students read by themselves. Explain that
in many workplaces, people tend to take short
breaks before, during or after work, to get a drink
or eat a snack. In these situations, co-workers
often end up having short, casual conversations
about their weekend, the latest sports scores
or some event in the news. Activate students
background knowledge: In Japan, for example,
many offices have a tea room or a small kitchen, so
the concept is not strange. In many offices in the
West, this phenomenon happens around the coffee
maker or the water cooler. Thus, water cooler
talk has become synonymous with short, casual
conversation about recent events.
2.
A Have students read the instructions and then
Learn the
signicance of
small talk at the
water cooler
Watch the video
(Scene 3)
Learn about
follow-up
questions
Practice chatting
or small talk
Stage
look at the table. Make sure they all understand

the language in the table. Also, make sure they
understand that they have to complete the table by
watching the video. Then play the video (Scene 3).
3.
B Have students compare their answers with a

partner and then elicit answers from the class.
Name
Did what?
Rebecca had a cold,

stayed home,
ate chicken
soup, chatted
with her sister
Felix
made French
onion soup
Titus
went
bowling
with
grandson
4.
When?
Saturday
How
was it?
fun
yesterday
delicious
(or Sunday)
yesterday
terrible
(or Sunday)
C Play Scene 3 again and encourage students to
take notes on any follow-up questions they hear.

Explain that a follow-up question is a question you
ask somebody to keep the conversation going. The
ping-pong analogy is a good way to do this (i.e.,
A conversation is like a game of ping-pong, where
both players must hit the ballask and answer
questionsback and forth to keep it going). Elicit
these from the class.
Lesson 2
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
Follow-up questions:
Felix: Did you have a good weekend?
Felix: How did you catch it?
Felix: Chicken soup, huh?
Rebecca: Where did you get the recipe?
Felix: Oh, is he into bowling?
Rebecca: How about you?
Felix: Hey, did you finish up on that big project?
5.
D Have students read the instructions and then fill
in the table. They can use pages 90 & 91 for ideas.

6.
E Have students read the instructions. Students

then have their own Water cooler chat in groups of
three.
Note
This is an introduction to Water cooler chats. (See
Water cooler chats in Part 1 of the Teachers
Manual for more information on this activity.)
End
Note that students will be assigned to teams during

the next class (page 16 in the Student Book). Teachers
are strongly advised to read the sections Teams,
Projects and Project managers in Part 1 of the
Teachers Manual before the next lesson. It is absolutely
essential to the smooth instruction of this course that these
teams be carefully considered.
Stage
Welcome aboard
Lesson 3: overview

Learn about Widgets products and practice describing them
Practice asking and answering questions
Meet their team and share contact information
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Optional
Materials
11
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
20
mins.
90 &
91
Water cooler chat
1.
Remind students of the water cooler chat in the

video and in the speaking task in the last lesson
(page 11). Inform them that this will be a regular
warm-up at the beginning of most classes in the
future. Students may refer to the situation cards on
pages 90 & 91 if they wish, but it is not necessary.
They may talk about anything they choose, as long
as: a) it is in English and b) it is appropriate for the
context (i.e., a casual chat with co-workers).
2.
Circulate around the classroom, taking a few

moments to chat with students yourself, and if
necessary, to nudge along the shy students.
Note
Please refer to Water cooler chats in Part 1 of the

Teachers Manual for more information and tips.
Also, note that 20 minutes is allotted to this
activity in Lesson 3 and Lesson 4. This takes into
consideration that students may take some time to
get comfortable with the task, choose situation cards
and start speaking. After Lesson 4, this warm-up
should take up only the first 10 minutes of class.
45
mins.
1215
Sell, sell, sell!

Learn about
Widgets products
Practice
describing
Practice asking
and answering
questions
Important: Pages 12 & 13 and 14 & 15 are part of an

information gap activity. Please assign students to A-B
pairs before asking them to open their books!
1.
Assign students to A-B pairs. Instruct Person As

to open their books to page 12, and Person Bs to
open to page 14. Instruct them not to look at their
partners book.
2.
Have students look at their product on the facing

page. Note that Person A and Person B have
different products. Explain that this is a page from
the Widgets product catalog.
3.
Read Felixs message at the top of pages 12 and

14 aloud or have students read by themselves. The
message is the same on both pages.
Lesson 3
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
4.
Explain steps 1 to 4. Explain that after Person A has

finished describing and explaining their product,
and Person B has finished asking questions and
filling in information in their book, they will switch
roles and repeat the process for steps 5 to 7.
Note
Please refer to Widgets product catalog tasks in

Part 1 of the Teachers Manual for more information
and tips on managing this task.
This task is allotted 45 minutes this first time
because it takes some explaining and because
students may take some time to get going. In the
next two stages, the allotment will be only for
30 minutes of class time.
25
mins.
16
The dream team
1.
Read Felixs message at the top of page 16 aloud or

have students read by themselves. Make sure that
students understand that the teacher will assign
them to teams, and that they will work with this
team for several weeks.
2.
Assign students to their teams. The teacher should

already have prepared the teams before the class,
or have decided which method to use to divide up
the class (i.e., counting off, by student number, etc.)
3.
Have students introduce each other and meet

their team members. This is a good opportunity to
reinforce the previous lesson about meeting people
and making appropriate small talk.
4.
Have students exchange contact details.
5.
Have students think of a team name together (This

may be left for homework if time runs out.).
Move into teams

Meet other team
members
Share contact
details
Work together
to decide a team
name
End
Note
See Teams in Part 1 of the Teachers Manual for
a very important explanation of this concept in
Widgets.
As the course progresses it may become important
for team members to contact each other outside of
class time. If any student is unhappy sharing their
contact information, instruct them to set up a free
email account for the duration of this course.
Stage
Welcome aboard
Lesson 4: overview

Learn about the Widgets Incorporated departments
Think about their characteristics and decide on the most suitable department for themselves
Evaluate their performance in Stage 1
Time
90 minutes
Materials

DVD, Scene 4: Departments - Human Resources
DVD, Scene 5: Departments - Research and Development
DVD, Scene 6: Departments - Finance
DVD, Scene 7: Departments - Sales and Marketing
DVD, Scene 8: Departments - Full
Optional
Materials
Employee Evaluation Form, Stage 1 downloaded and printed from

www.widgets-inc.com, one copy per student
14
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
20
mins.
90 &
91
Water cooler chat
1.
Remind students that they are expected to find a

partner or two and begin chatting in English from
the moment they enter the classroom, until you
give the signal to stop (10 minutes after the official
class start time). Students may always refer to the
situation cards on pages 90 & 91 for ideas. Remind
them that they may talk about any topic, as long as:
a) they do it in English and b) it is appropriate to
the context (i.e., a casual chat with co-workers).
2.

necessary, to encourage the shy students.
Note

Teachers Manual for more information and tips
regarding this activity.
40
mins.
17
Thats my
department
Watch the video
(Scenes 48)
Learn about
the different
departments at
Widgets
Practice notetaking and
information
sharing
1.
Read aloud the title Thats my department at the

top of page 17. If desired, explain that this idiom
means Thats what I deal with. as well as Thats
where I work.
2.

or have students read by themselves. Make sure
students understand that they will be watching a
video presentation about the different departments
at Widgets.
3.
A Have students read the instructions, and then

watch the video. Play each scene (47) separately,
so that students have a break between each
department to take notes. Encourage them to write
on a separate piece of paper.
Note
This may be a new way for students to work with
listening or video. The idea is not for them to catch
everything. Instead, students are meant to take
notes, and then try to piece together as much of
the meaning as they can, through discussions with
other students. Again there are no absolutely correct
answers. Please see DVD video in Part 1 of the
Teachers Manual for a fuller explanation.
Lesson 4
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
4.
Have students compare their notes in pairs and

then fill in the table on page 17.
5.
B Play the video (Scene 8). Give students time to
work in their teams to fill in as much information

as possible. Elicit answers from the class. [Answers
will vary.]
Human Resources
Sometimes called HR, Felixs department, hire
new employees, train staff, fire employees, make
sure everybody is happy, do employee reviews,
people working in HR are friendly and outgoing
Research and Development
Sometimes called R & D, run by Dr. Hetty McPhee,
create new ideas for Widgets products, change
and improve ideas, people working there are
creative and productive
Finance
Run by Titus Pinsch, controls all of the money,
people in finance are good with numbers and
really organized
Sales and Marketing
Run by Rebecca Sneed, they do market research
(find out what people think of new products),
they advertise (infomercials, newspaper ads,
subway posters), people in sales and marketing
are energetic and confident, because they need to
speak to a lot of people
30
mins.
18
Where do I t in?
Reect on
personal
characteristics
6.
C In their new teams, have students discuss which

department looks the most interesting. The teacher
should move around and encourage discussion as
to why they think so.
1.

students need to think about what kind of person
they arewhat are their own characteristics?
Lesson 4
Time
Page
Task
Directions
Consider what
type of person
best ts each
department
2.
Stage
A Have students read the instructions and check
each word that they think describes themselves.

This will take some time and students may need
some help with the vocabulary. Encourage students
to guess the meanings of words or to ask their
team members or the teacher before checking the
Glossary on page 92 or using their dictionaries.
Decide which
department is
most suitable
3.
B Have students read the instructions and then
work in teams. They need to discuss and decide

which of the characteristics from A best fits
in with each department in B . This is another
activity where there are no right answers, but the
teams must work together so that all members are
happy with the final outcome. Make sure students
understand that a word can only be used one time,
and that each department should eventually have
five words beneath it.
4.
19
End
Based on what they have written for A and B ,

students must now make an individual decision
about which department would suit them best.
Have students write the department name in the
blue box at the bottom of page 18.
Assign homework: Have students complete the

Employee Evaluation Form on page 19. Also hand
out blank copies (downloaded and printed from
www.widgets-inc.com) of this form to the class.
Students must copy their information to the new form
and hand it in at the start of the next class.
Note
This assignment is important not only because
the teacher can use these self-evaluations to track
students progress, but also because it is a way to
impress upon students, at an early stage of the
course, the importance of completing assignments on
time. For this reason, we suggest that students who
fail to make a copy and bring it to the next class are
given a clear penalty. This should ensure that they
will not fail to do their homework in the later stages
of the course, when successful completion becomes
very important.
Please see Employee Evaluation Forms in Part 1 of
the Teachers Manual for a more detailed explanation
of this feature.
Stage
Eureka!
Lesson 5: overview

Learn about the Research and Development Department
Discuss the characteristics of a good leader and a poor leader
Vote on a project manager for Stage 2
Identify problems with some products
Time
90 minutes
Materials

DVD, Scene 9: Message from Victoria - Stage 2
DVD, Scene 10: Where did we go wrong?
Optional
Materials
18
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
10
mins.
90 &
91
Water cooler chat
1.
Remind students that they are expected to find a

partner or two and begin chatting in English from
the moment they enter the classroom, until you
give the signal to stop (10 minutes after the official
class start time). Students may always refer to the
situation cards on pages 90 & 91 for ideas. Remind
them that they may talk about any topic, as long
as: a) they do it in English b) it is appropriate to the
context (i.e., a casual chat with co-workers).
2.

necessary, to encourage the shy students.
Note
30
mins.
20 &
21
Put on your
thinking cap
Meet Dr. Hetty
McPhee, director
of R & D
Introduce students
to the Research
and Development
Department
Note
Before beginning the lesson, remember to collect
each students Employee Evaluation Form, assigned
as homework in Stage 1.
1.
What kind of work do you think is done in

research and development (R & D)?
Watch the video

(Scene 9)
It is where new ideas are created and perfected.
Take notes
Does R & D look interesting? Do you know

any companies famous for their R & D
departments?
Understand
some problems
within Widgets
Incorporated
Learn about the
rst assignment
Read Hettys message at the top of page 20

aloud or have students read by themselves. Have
students look at the photos. Ask the class the
following preparation questions:
Answers will vary, but examples could include

Sony, Xerox, IBM and Nintendo.
2.
Read Hettys message at the top of page 21 aloud

students understand that the video is a message
from Victoria. Ask students:
Lesson 5
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
Who is Victoria?
She is the president of Widgets Incorporated.
Why does she want to speak with you?
She has a very important message.
3.
A Play the video (Scene 9). Have students take

notes as they watch.
4.
B Play Scene 9 again. Have students answer the

questions from their notes or at least make guesses.
5.
C Have students work with a partner and answer

the questions together. If this seems too difficult,
allow the pairs to form groups of four.
6.
Elicit the answers from the class.

What is the problem?
Widgets is in financial trouble, sales are down 70
percent, Widgets is in the red
What caused this problem?
Some employees have become lazy, the great
ideas have stopped coming, people are not giving
their very best
What is your assignment from Victoria
Vanderhoff ?
Come up with ideas for new Widgets products
What should your team do first?
Choose a project manager
20
mins.
22 &
23
First among equals
1.
Discuss
characteristics of
a good leader and
a poor leader
Read the title First among equals at the top of

page 22 aloud. Explain that it means that although
everybody in a team is equal, there needs to be a
leader who can direct and organize.
2.
Read Hettys messages on page 22 aloud or have

students read by themselves. It is particularly
important that students understand all of the
responsibilities of the project manager and that
everyone will be project manager at least once.
3.
A Have students work with their team and

complete the lists on page 23. They may wish
to refer to page 18 for a list of characteristics.
Circulate, making comments and giving advice.
4.
B Have students explain to their team why

they should, or should not, be project manager.
Circulate, making comments and giving advice.
Learn the
importance of the
project manager in
the group
Select a project
manager for Stage 2
Lesson 5
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
5.
C Have students vote. You can have students just

raise their hands, cast secret ballots, etc. However,
it should be a choice based on their arguments
rather than just a random draw.
6.
Have students write the name of the new project

manager in the box.
Note
Please see Project manager in Part 1 of the

Teachers Manual for important information and tips.
30
mins.
24 &
25
Where did we go
wrong?
1.

or have students read by themselves.
Watch the video

(Scene 10)
2.
Explain that students will now watch a video of

Hetty describing some Widgets product ideas that
were never made.
3.
Have students look at page 25. Give them a minute

to look at the pictures and the product names. Ask:
What do you think the purpose of each product
is? Elicit ideas from the class.
4.
Take notes
Discuss possible
problems with the
ideas
Learn how some
ideas are better
than others
notes next to the products on page 25. Students

should compare their notes in pairs, then discuss
the purpose of the product ideas.
5.
B Have students read the questions on page 24.

Check that they understand. Play Scene 10 again.
Have students discuss the questions and possible
answers with their team. Answers will vary, but the
idea is to get students discussing and realizing that
some ideas are simply better than others. Possible
problems include:
Heli-car
Possibly dangerous, probably very expensive,
impractical, difficult to get a license, Why not just
buy a helicopter?
Instant TV translator
Impossible to make using current technology
Flying remote
Possibly dangerous, impractical, unnecessary, ugly
Vibration pillow
Not original, this product already exists
Lesson 5
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
Note
This is an excellent opportunity to stress the active

role of the project manager. If the team is silent,
tell the project manager to start the discussion. If
the team is not speaking in English, ask the project
manager why they are not speaking in English.
Directing your attention at the project manager, and
only the project manager, can be a very effective way
of ensuring that the other team members take notice.
6.
C Have each team discuss and decide on the best

product and the worst product. [Answers will vary.]
7.
D Have project managers stand up and report
what their team thought was the best and worst

ideas. Have them explain why.
End
This is a good time to call all the project managers to

the front of the class for a pep talk. Explain to them that
they have an important responsibility, and that it will
affect their grade in the class.
Make plans to meet each project manager individually
for an interview after the end of Stage 2 and preferably
before the start of Stage 3 (i.e., between Lessons 8 and
9). This should ideally be done outside of class time.
See Project manager, Debriefing interviews in Part 1
of the Teachers Manual for more details.
Stage
Eureka!
Lesson 6: overview

Brainstorm everyday problems
Brainstorm (in groups) solutions to these problems
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Optional
Materials
23
Stage

Time
Page
10
mins.
40
mins.
2629
Task
Directions
Water cooler chat

Sell, sell, sell!

Learn about
Widgets products
Practice
describing skills
Practice asking
and answering
questions
1.

partners book.
2.

3.
Read Hettys message at the top of pages 26 and 28

aloud or have students read by themselves. The
4.
Explain steps 1 to 5. Explain that, after Person A has

Note
40
mins.
30 &
31
Brainstorm
Brainstorm
problems in their
everyday lives
Work together
to nd solutions
to everyday
problems
1.

or have students read by themselves. Stress that
new ideas should be original, possible, useful,
interesting, safe and attractive. Give relevant
examples of groundbreaking inventions from real
life if possible (e.g., Apples iPod, the Nintendo
Wiis remote control unit, etc.). It is good to show
illustrations from books, magazines or printed out
from the Internet. Good resources include the
Unuseless Inventions series by Kenji Kawakami
24
Lesson 6
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
Think of possible
Widgets products
(Harper Collins), or the website Totally Absurd

Inventions, at www.totallyabsurd.com.
2.
Have students look at the photo story of Hetty.

Give them a minute to read it. It highlights the
brainstorming process, and is therefore very
important.
3.
Read the photo story aloud or ask for volunteer

students to read aloud. Stress that the process
Hetty uses is to think of a real-life problem first,
and then to think of a possible solution.
4.
A Ask students, What do you think of the Sticky
Cell Phone idea? Have students work alone and

decide which boxes to check.
5.
Next, have students compare their ideas with a

partner: Is the idea safe? Is it original? There are
no right or wrong answers here, although it is likely
that the students will come to the conclusion that it
is an OK idea, but not a great one.
6.
Have students read the message at the top of page 31.

Tell them that now it is their turn.
7.
B Have students work alone and brainstorm some
problems they, or someone they know, have in their

everyday lives. This is open-ended, and according
to your discretion. For example, you may want to
restrict low-level students to immediate, concrete
problems in their lives (such as I always wake up
late.). For high-level students, you might decide
that any kind of problem is OK or even insist on
big problems (e.g., a housing shortage in a foreign
country). Students should not write down solutions
yet.
Note
Stress to students that they work alone at this point,

even though they are sitting in teams. They can, and
should, talk to and assist each other, but each student
must come up with several different problems. They
are not preparing a combined team list.
8.
C Next, have students work with a partner or

with their whole team. Have them tell each other
their problems, and then help each other to think
of possible solutions, in the form of a Widgets
product, of course.
25
Lesson 6
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
Note
Allow students plenty of time to discuss this. The
ideas that they have at this stage will be important
for the rest of the course. The better the ideas, the
more successful the course can be. Move around
the classroom and give comments on the students
suggested solutions. Sometimes students can be too
kind and say, Yes, that is a good solution. However,
the teacher should be more critical, telling students if
an idea is not original, impossible and so on.
End
Assign homework: Have students each complete the

table on page 31, if they did not do so in class already.
Each student must have a minimum of four problems
with corresponding solutions. In fact, encourage
students to think of six to eight problems, even if this
means that they extend over the allotted writing space.
The more problems/solutions they have, the better
their eventual final choices will be. Note that team
members must have different ideas from each other.
That is, they may have some of the same problems, but
must at least have different possible solutions.
26
Stage
Eureka!
Lesson 7: overview

Select the best product ideas
Describe their product ideas to their team
Vote on their team members best product idea
Select their one best product idea
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Optional
Materials
27
Stage

Time
Page
10
mins.
15
mins.
31
Task
Directions
Water cooler chat

Brainstorm
1.
Arrange students into their teams, and check page 31

to see that each individual student has completed the
chart and has at least four problems/solutions. If
some students did not do this, direct their teams to
assist them now.
Note
Completing short assignments outside of class is

crucial to this course. This is a good time to again
impress this upon the students. This can be done by
noting that they are being evaluated as a team as well
as individually. This means that when they do not
do their homework, or otherwise do not participate
in activities, they are bringing down their team
members grades as well as their own.
30
mins.
32
On the drawing
board
1.

Select the three

best ideas for new
Widgets products
2.
A Have each student complete the three product
idea forms, based on the chart on page 31. Of

course, if a student has a sudden inspiration for a
different idea, that is fine as well. Stress that they
are still in the planning stage, so these do not need
to be perfect, but that the more time and thought
they put into this task, the better their final idea
will be. Note that each idea must fulfill all of the six
requirements on the checklist. That is, the product
ideas must be original and possible to make (These
criteria are the most importantno time machines,
teleportation devices, etc.), relatively safe to use,
useful, interesting and attractive (The last three are
easily debatable, of courseand will be debated in
the next lessonbut here they should at least be
considered.).
28
Lesson 7
Time
35
mins.
Page
33
Task
Directions
3.
Move around the classroom and monitor

students work and progress. If an idea is clearly
substandard, do not hesitate to question it, based
on the six criteria. You could, for instance, gently
ask, Are you sure that is possible to make? How
does it work?
What do you think?
1.
Describe product
ideas to team
members

2.
A Have students read the instructions. Explain
Discuss which
ideas are better
than others
Vote on the best
ideas
Stage
that project managers must go first. The project

manager describes his/her three product ideas
from page 32. The other team members listen and
take notes in the space provided.
3.
B When the project manager has finished
describing, the other team members must discuss

the three ideas. Have students look at Hettys
message. Stress that students need to be honest,
but polite. Have students read the model dialog at
the bottom of page 33. In each example, the person
says something positive first, then something
negative. Also stress to students that they can make
suggestions to help improve the ideas.
4.
After the project managers ideas have been

discussed, have the team members vote on the idea
they think is best. Tell the class that the project
manager makes the final decision on his/her best
idea, but that a good team player always listens to
advice.
5.
C Have students repeat the same process for each

member of the team, one by one. That is, a team of
four will have chosen four different product ideas
by the end of this activity, one per student.
Note
This activity should not be hurried. Feel free to
extend it into the next lesson if required. It is
important that decisions are made during class time,
when the groups are together to discuss and vote, and
not as homework.
End
Encourage students to continue thinking about their

product idea(s): How does it work? Can it be improved?
Point out to students that this kind of activity is perfect
for the train or bus ride on the way home!
29
Stage
Eureka!
Lesson 8: overview

Identify important points from a sample Product Proposal Form
Complete their own Product Proposal Form
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Optional
Materials
Product Proposal Form downloaded and printed from

30
Stage

Time
Page
10
mins.
Task
Directions
Water cooler chat

n/a
33
What do you think?
If students did not complete this activity in the last

lesson, you may give them some time to complete it
now.
80
mins.
3436
Now theres an
idea
1.

or have students read by themselves. Stress that
only the best ideas will become Widgets products.
2.
With their teams, have students read the example

product proposal on page 35. Explain that they will
each fill out the same Product Proposal Form for
their product idea.
3.
Ask the teams some comprehension questions

about the product proposal on page 35:
What is the name of the product?
Guilt Jar
What is it?
A cookie jar that helps with diets
How does it work?
Every time you open the jar you hear a message.
The message makes you feel guilty for eating
cookies.
How much does it cost?
$35
Are there any other features?
Yes. It counts the number of cookies inside.
4.
A Have students read the explanations on page 34.

Give students time to discuss number 2 (product
name). The best answer is Car Bar. Briefly
discuss with the whole class why this is so. Possible
answers:
It is short, catchy and easy to remember. The

other options are too long, not interesting and too
difficult.
31
Lesson 8
Time
Page
Task
The big idea

Write an ofcial
form (the Product
Proposal Form)
Stage
Directions
5.
B Have students read Hettys explanation at the

bottom of page 34. Stress that they need to make
their product seem interesting and exciting so that
people will be interested. Have students look back
at the Widgets product catalog pages (pages 1215
and 2629) for ideas on how to write a product
description.
6.
Have students begin filling out their Product

Proposal Form. Each student must submit their own
Product Proposal Form at the beginning of the next
class.
Note
This is the main task in Stage 2 and should count
as a small, but important, part of each students
overall grade in the course. Remind students that
this assignment must be handed in on time and
in an appropriate manner. (See Appropriateness
in Part 1 of the Teachers Manual.) It is effective
to be relatively strict at this point in the course.
For example, late Product Proposal Forms are not
accepted and receive a zero, grades are deducted
if the form is not neat enough (e.g., too wrinkled,
damaged or covered with doodles), grades are
deducted for careless language mistakes (e.g.,
misspelling the name of the product, making careless
grammar mistakes), all members lose participation
points if the team does not submit one form per team
member.
Also, it is very important for the next stage that you
have a separate, loose copy of each students Product
Proposal Form, as these will be passed on to other
groups later. We suggest two options:
a) Page 36 in the textbook is used as a rough draft.
The teacher downloads and prints the Product
Proposal Form from the Widgets website and
photocopies one form per student. Students
must then complete a final copy of their
proposal before the next lesson.
or
b) Have students complete the Product Proposal
Form on page 36 and then make a photocopy
of it as homework. Students must submit this to
you at the beginning of the next class.
32
Lesson 8
Time
Stage
Page
Task
Directions
37
End
1.
Assign homework: Have students finish their

Product Proposal Form, if they have not already
done so. Remind students that it is extremely
important for them, and their team, that they
complete this assignment.
2.
Have students also complete the Employee

Evaluation Form on page 37. Also hand out
blank copies (downloaded and printed from
Students must copy their information to the new
form and hand it in at the start of the next class.
3.
Project manager interviews: Have each project

manager arrange to meet the teacher for a
one-on-one debriefing outside of class time,
preferably before the next class. This is a combined
peer-assessment (project manager assesses team
members) and oral interview (of project). (See
Project manager, Debriefing interviews in Part 1
of the Teachers Manual.)
33
Stage
Decisions, decisions
Lesson 9: overview

Learn about their new assignment
Give reasons for or against being the next project manager
Think about everyday decisions that they make
Analyze the pros and cons of air conditioners
Time
90 minutes
Materials

DVD, Scene 11: Message from Titus
Optional
Materials
34
Stage

Time
Page
10
mins.
20
mins.
38
Task
Directions
Water cooler chat

Note
as homework in Stage 2. Collect and evaluate each
teams completed Product Proposal Forms. These will
be the start of the product portfolios. Hold onto the
Product Proposal Forms until Lesson 11, when you
will redistribute them to new teams.
The movers and

the shakers
Meet Titus Pinsch,
director of nance
Watch the video
(Scene 11)
Practice notetaking
Answer
comprehension
questions
1.
Read Tituss message at the top of page 38 aloud

2.

notes on the notepaper as they watch. Remind
them that it is not necessary that they catch
everything at first.
3.
B Have students discuss what they heard with their

teams. At this stage they should compare notes and
check how much they could understand as a team.
4.
C Play Scene 11 again. Have students answer
the questions on their own and then compare their

answers with the team. Then elicit answers from
the class.
By what percentage must Widgets increase
sales this year?
50 percent
What is your teams new assignment?
To decide which product proposals will go into
production (will actually be made)
What does Titus Pinsch think about your
new assignment?
He thinks it is a bad idea. He thinks you are too
young, not ready for the responsibility.
What kind of person do you think he is?
[Answers will vary.] Hopefully students will
pick up that he is a bit moody, strict and not
too friendly.
35
Lesson 9
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
Note
It is important that students understand exactly what

their next assignment is. They will soon be given a set
of four Product Proposal Forms, which were written
by another team. As a group they are going to make a
decision about which one is the best.
10
mins.
39
First among equals

Explain why they
should or should
not be project
manager for this
stage
Choose a new
project manager
30
mins.
4043
Sell, sell, sell!

Learn about
Widgets products
Practice
describing
Practice asking
and answering
questions
1.

or have students read by themselves. Suggest that
a decisive project manager would do well at this
stage.
2.
A Have team members, except for the Stage 2

project manager, take turns explaining why they
should, or should not, be the next project manager.
3.
B The Stage 2 project manager then chooses the

Stage 3 project manager, explaining why he/she
has made that decision. For example, I choose
___, because he/she is organized and decisive.
Have students write the name of the new project
manager in the box.

1.

partners book.
2.

3.
Read Tituss message at the top of pages 40 and 42

4.
Explain steps 1 to 4. Explain that after Person A has

5.
For step 8, have the pairs debate the pros and cons
of their products.
36
Lesson 9
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
Note

20
mins.
44 &
45
The choice is yours
1.
Think about
everyday
decisions

2.
Have students look at the picture of the man on the

flip chart. He is thinking about normal everyday
decisions. Ask students:
Start thinking
about good and
bad points (pros
and cons) of items
What decisions does this man need to

make?
Should he have coffee or tea?
Should he have a hamburger or pizza?
Which tie should he wear?
3.
Give students some examples of decisions that you

have already made today or this week. These can
be simple everyday decisions or more important
ones. For example:
I decided to wear a blue shirt to work.
I decided to have toast for breakfast.
I decided to visit my parents for Christmas.
4.
Have students think of their own decisions.

Students should work alone and write down some
of the ideas they have on page 44.
5.
Have students discuss their decisions with their

team.
6.
Read the message at the bottom of page 44 aloud

7.
Read the message at the top of page 45 aloud or

have students read by themselves. Make sure that
students understand that pros are good points of
something and cons are bad points of something.
8.
A Have students look at the picture on page 45.
Tell them that they need to think about pros and

cons of air conditioners. They can brainstorm
these with their team.
37
Stage
Lesson 9
Time
Page
Task
Directions
Note
This activity should not be hurried. It is best to let
students use the rest of the class time to think of
various pros and cons. The discussion activity which
follows from this will be a good warm-up for the next
lesson.
End
Assign homework: Have students fill in the answers

on page 45, writing down as many pros and cons as
possible for air conditioners.
This is a good time to call all the new project managers
to the front of the class for a pep talk. Explain to them
that they have an important responsibility, and that it
will affect their grade in the class.
Also, make plans to meet each project manager
individually for an interview after the end of Stage 3
and preferably before the start of Stage 4 (i.e., between
Lessons 13 and 14). This should ideally be done
outside of class time. See Project manager, Debriefing
interviews in Part 1 of the Teachers Manual for more
details.
38
Stage
Lesson 10: overview
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of pros and cons

Reach a consensus on a team decision
Learn about disagreeing politely
Practice listening for details
Determine if speakers are speaking politely or not
Think of pros and cons
Time
90 minutes
Materials

DVD, Scene 12: The company party - Part 1
DVD, Scene 13: The company party - Part 2
Optional
Materials
39
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
20
mins.
45
The choice is yours

(continued)
1.
Students have prepared their list of pros and cons

on page 45 for homework. Have them get into their
teams.
2.
Have students compare and discuss their pros

and cons for air conditioners. Move around the
classroom and spot check students answers. Give
comments and feedback.
3.
Elicit some pros and cons from the class, and write
these on the board. Explain that some arguments
are stronger than others. For example, They are
bad for our health. may be stronger than They
are not attractive.
4.
B Have students discuss their pros and cons,
Debate and
discuss
while considering the importance of each point.
30
mins.
46 &
47
5.
As a team, have students make a decision about

whether air conditioners are a good thing or a
bad thing. Each team must make a choice. If they
cannot agree, the project manager makes the final
decision.
6.
Elicit answers for each team from the project

managers. See if the class, as a whole, thinks
that air conditioners are good or bad. Opinions
are usually very divided on this issue, which of
course is the point. We must sometimes agree to
disagree and make a group decision regardless of
whether everybody absolutely agrees or not.
Agree to disagree
1.
Learn to disagree
politely

2.
Emphasize that disagreement can be a positive,

constructive element in debate and discussion.
3.
A Have students read each of the phrases by
Practice
disagreeing
politely
themselves. Depending on their level, explain any

vocabulary as needed.
4.
Have students place each phrase in one of the

three columns, either Agree, Disagree or
Disagree politely. Explain that there needs to be
exactly five phrases in each column. Students can
work alone or with a partner.
40
Lesson 10
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
5.
Have students who finish early think of more

examples.
6.
B Have students work with a partner and answer
the questions. Elicit the answers as a class.

The difference is that simply disagreeing is very
direct, and therefore it feels a bit negative. That is
why people often try to soften their disagreement
by first saying something positive, or partly
supportive, before disagreeing.
7.
C Have students work with a partner. Have them

read the instructions. Give students time to read
the example opening sentences and the model
dialog. Stress that this is just a guide, and students
do not need to follow the model exactly. Model
a conversation with one of the more confident
students. Say something the student should
disagree with, and encourage them to disagree with
you politely.
Note
Depending on how confident you are with the class,

and how mature the students are, it can be fun to
choose mildly teasing statements on purpose. For
example, if you know that a particular student loves
baseball, make them disagree with the statement, I
think baseball is a great sport.
25
mins.
48 &
49
8.
Have students perform the task with their partner.

Move around and give feedback on whether they
are being appropriately polite.
9.
D Have students change partners and try again.
Wheres the party?
1.
Watch the video

(Scenes 12 & 13)

2.
Have students look at the picture from the video.

Ask the following questions:
Determine if
speakers are
speaking politely
or not
Who is in the picture?

Felix Day
What is he doing?
He is explaining the three choices for the company
party.
41
Lesson 10
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
3.
A Have students read the instructions. Check that

all students understand what to do.
4.
Play the video (Scene 12). Then have students fill in

the table.
5.
B Have students check their answers with their

partner. Go over the answers with the class.
Felix
Rebecca
Titus
Hetty
Beach
Park
Restaurant
6.
C Read the instructions aloud or have students

read by themselves.
7.
Play Scene 12 again. Then have students fill in the

table.
8.
D Have students check their answers with their
partner. Elicit answers from the class.

Sentence
No way. Not the
beach.
Wait a minute, Hettys
right. The park is
peaceful.
Youre kidding!
A restaurant, Titus?
We did that last year
and its a good

idea, but lets do
something different
this year.
Why dont we put this
to a vote?
9.
Who says
it?
Polite or
impolite?
Titus
impolite
Rebecca
polite
Hetty
Hetty
impolite
impolite
Rebecca
polite
Felix
polite
E Have students read the instructions. Then have
them work in teams and discuss the questions.

Elicit ideas about where they should have the party
and why. [Answers will vary.]
10. F Play Scene 13. Discuss or clarify if needed.
42
Lesson 10
Time
Page
Task
Directions
15
mins.
50
In the crossre
1.
Have students begin this exercise in class and

then finish as homework. It is preparation for a
mini-debate in the following lesson. Read Tituss
message at the top of page 50 aloud or have
students read by themselves.
2.
A Tell students that they must think of pros and

cons for each of the items A, B, C and D. This will
take some time, but explain to students that they
have class time and can finish it as homework.
Stress that this must be finished by next class.
3.
Move around the classroom and give students

comments and advice as they are working on their
pros and cons.
Think of pros and

cons for various
items
50
End
Stage
Assign homework: Have students finish writing pros

and cons for each item on page 50. This must be done
in time for the next class.
43
Stage
Lesson 11: overview

Debate pros and cons
Judge a debate and decide a winner
Consider the pros and cons of a product idea
Report the pros and cons of the product idea to their team
Debate the pros and cons of the product ideas in their team
Reach a consensus about the best product to produce
Time
90 minutes
Materials

Sets of Product Proposal Forms, collected from each team in Lesson 9
Optional
Materials
44
Stage

Time
Page
10
mins.
30
mins.
50 &
51
Task
Directions
Water cooler chat

In the crossre
(continued)
1.
Students prepared their list of pros and cons for

homework. Now have them get in their teams.
Debate and
discuss
2.
B In each team have students form two pairs,
Pair AB and Pair CD. In teams with five members,

two students can share one role. For example, two
students could be A at the same time and work
together.
3.
Read the instructions aloud or have students read

by themselves. Have students read the model
dialog, but stress that this is just a guide and
students do not have to follow it. If possible, have
two students model the dialog for the class.
4.
Have Pair AB debate which is better, a bicycle or

a scooter. Person A must be in favor of bicycles,
Person B must be in favor of scooters. Have
Persons C and D listen and take notes. They will
decide later which student won the debate.
5.
Move around the classroom and monitor the

students debates, checking that they are being
polite, but also persuasive.
6.
C After Pair AB finishes, have the pairs switch roles.
Now Pair CD has a debate about personal music

players and home stereos, while Pair AB listens,
takes notes and decides who does a better job.
50
mins.
52 &
53
Its your call
1.
Present a new
product idea to
the team

2.
Distribute the sets of Product Proposal Forms,

collected in Lesson 9, to one of the other teams.
(Please see Product rotation in Part 1 of the
Teachers Manual.) Students will naturally be
curious to see the product ideas. You can choose
to: a) give students a moment to look them over
together with their team or b) instruct them to take
one form each and not look at their team members.
Take notes on
other team
members product
ideas
45
Lesson 11
Time
Page
Task
Directions
Consider the pros

and cons of the
product ideas
3.
Debate and
discuss which
product is the best
Stage
A Have project managers assign a Product

Proposal Form to each team member. Students then
consider the proposal carefully, noting as many pros
and cons as possible. Give students a lot of time
and, if necessary, support for this.
Note
Be prepared for the possibility that the number of
Product Proposal Forms may not match the number
of students. Ideally, there will be one per student,
but if the teams in your class are of different sizes
or if one or more student did not hand in a Product
Proposal Form, you will need to supplement with
other forms. For the purpose of this assignment, you
can use the Guilt Jar on page 35, any of the Sell, sell,
sell! product catalog page products or download one
of the product proposal samples from the Widgets
website. However, keep in mind that these products
should not be selected to go on to the next stage!
Make a group
decision about
which product is
the best
4.
B Have students read the instructions. The project
manager should report first. They need to give a

report on the product proposal they were given.
This should include their opinions about the pros
and cons of the product. Stress that they should
speak to their group, not just read from their notes.
Students cannot just show the Product Proposal
Form to the team, they need to explain it.
5.
Other students listen and take notes on the

notepads at the bottom of page 52. Tell students
that they can write other pros and cons if they think
of some. Encourage them to ask questions.
6.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each team member.
7.
C When all students have finished, have teams
discuss the products: Which do they like best?

Which do they not like? Why? If they disagree,
remind them to do so politely. Move around the
classroom and give comments and feedback, and
also ask students questions to help the discussion
along.
8.
D Have students read the instructions. Then give
them time to complete the table for each product

idea their team received. Note that each student
must fill out the survey according to their own
opinions. If necessary, explain the vocabulary to
students before starting.
46
Lesson 11
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
9.
Have students total their scores for each of the

product ideas.
10. E Have students work as a team and compare

their total scores. Stress that they do not have to
choose the highest scoring product. For example, a
product idea could have a very high score, but not
actually be anyones favorite choice. In that case,
students may agree to choose a different product
idea.
11. Have each team make their final decision and write
the name of the product in the box. The chosen
product will be produced and sold by the company.
Note that students should use the debate and
discussion skills that they have been practicing.
Note
Sometimes students want to change the product
ideas to make them better. This is fine, as long as
the general purpose and function of the product are
still reasonably unchanged. Indeed, this can be an
extension activity for any group which finishes the
decision-making task early. Changes should be made
on a separate sheet, to be stapled to the original
Product Proposal Form and added to the product
portfolio. (See Product portfolio in Part 1 of the
Teachers Manual.)
End
Remind project managers that they must always bring

their product portfolios to class.
Note
In the next class, teams will prepare their poster
presentations. Please read the Lesson 12 lesson plan
carefully before proceeding.
47
Stage
Lesson 12: overview
Prepare a clear poster and presentation explaining the teams decision-making process
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Widgets Student Book, page 54
Optional
Materials
Poster-making supplies, such as poster paper, colored pencils, markers,

colored paper, ip chart
48
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
90
mins.
54
Explain yourself
1.
Have students read Tituss message at the top of

page 54. Explain to students what they need to do
for their poster presentations. (See Projects in
Part 1 of the Teachers Manual for explanations and
tips.)
2.
Have students look at the picture. Explain that this

is what a poster presentation looks like.
3.
Have students read Step 1: Make a poster.

Note that students should include all of the
product ideas they considered, while focusing on
the chosen product. (This is not clear from the
illustration.)
4.
The rest of this class should be spent preparing for

the poster presentation, which will take place in
the following class. Students may prepare a script
for practice, but they should be discouraged from
reading during the poster presentation itself. The
poster should look nice and must clearly explain
why the team chose the product they did, and not
the others.
5.
While teams are working on their posters, pull

project managers aside and explain all of the
points in Steps 1 and 2 on page 54. Remind them
that it is their responsibility to make sure their team
understands and follows all of the instructions.
Prepare a poster
presentation
Note
You may also need to reinforce the purpose of this
presentation. Teams are explaining why they chose
a particular idea and not others. They are explaining
the pros and cons of the various ideas. Students are
sometimes confused into thinking that they must
make an advertising poster.
Examples of posters and videos of poster
presentations in action are available from the Widgets
website.
49
Lesson 12
Time
Page
Task
End
Stage
Directions
Note
All students must be present at the next class for the
poster presentation. And each team must remember
to bring their poster. Stress this point again to the
project managers!
For a detailed explanation of implementing and
managing this project, please see Projects, Poster
presentation in Part 1 of the Teachers Manual.
50
Stage
Lesson 13: overview
Give a poster presentation with a partner

Answer questions about the products which their team reviewed
Listen to other students presentations and ask questions
Evaluate the performance of each of the other teams
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Widgets Student Book, pages 54 & 55

Peer Evaluation Form, Stage 3: Poster presentation downloaded and
printed from www.widgets-inc.com, one copy per student
Tape, magnets, clips as required to fasten posters to walls or boards
Posters, as prepared by students
Optional
Materials

51
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
90
mins.
54
Explain yourself
1.
Review Step 2: Present. on page 54 with the

class. Ensure that students understand the rules of
the poster presentation.
2.
Hand out the Peer Evaluation Form for Stage 3

before the presentations. It is recommended that
students complete these as they view the poster
presentations.
3.
Begin the poster presentation. Explain that each

teams poster will be graded, but that you are
also checking students ability to explain and ask
questions in English.
Give a poster
presentation
Note
For a detailed explanation of how to implement and
manage this project, please see Projects, Poster
presentation in Part 1 of the Teachers Manual.
55
End
4.
Collect all Peer Evaluation Forms at the end of

class.
1.

2.

manager arrange to meet the teacher for a oneon-one debriefing outside of class time, preferably
before the next class. This is a combined peerassessment (project manager assesses team
members) and oral interview (of the project
manager). (See Project managers, Debriefing
interviews in Part 1 of the Teachers Manual.)
Stage
The customer is always right

Lesson 14: overview

Learn about their new assignment
Practice listening for main ideas
Choose a new project manager for Stage 4
Learn about a new product and the market research that needs to be done on it
Time
90 minutes
Materials

Four photocopies of each chosen product proposal from Stage 3, with
copies of any appended sheets (suggesting improvements)
Optional
Materials
53
Stage

Time
Page
10
mins.
30
mins.
56
Task
Directions
Water cooler chat

Will it y?
Note
Meet Rebecca
Sneed, director
of sales and
marketing

as homework in Stage 3. Also collect the product
portfolios from each team. You will redistribute these
to new teams shortly.
Watch the video

(Scene 14)
1.
Learn about
Widgets progress
and the next
assignment
Read Rebeccas message at the top of page 56

aloud or have students read by themselves.
Depending on the level of the class, they may need
some help with the vocabulary and explanation.
Ask a few questions to check comprehension:
Who is this woman? (Point to the picture.)
Take notes
Learn to select the
most important
points
Rebecca Sneed
What is her position?
Director of sales and marketing
What is everyone talking about? (What is
the real buzz around the water cooler?)
The new employees have been doing excellent
work.
What will you do next?
Listen to a message from the boss (Victoria
Vanderhoff)
2.

notes on the notepaper as they watch.
3.
B With their teams, have students discuss what
they heard. They should compare notes and check

how much they caught.
4.
C Play Scene 14 again. Then elicit answers for

the three most important points from the class.
Note that answers will vary, because what is most
important depends on the students point of view.
But some important points are:
54
Lesson 14
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
There is good news and some bad news.
Senior management thinks the ideas are great.
People are investing in Widgets.
Widgets has stopped losing money.
Widgets is still not making money.
The teams have shown that they can make difficult
decisions.
Victoria will give the new employees more
responsibility.
The teams will carry out market research for a new
product.
Rebecca Sneed will help the teams with this project.
10
mins.
40
mins.
57
First among equals
1.

aloud or have students read by themselves. Note
that an outgoing and productive project manager
would do well at this stage.
2.
This time the team must decide how to choose the

project manager. They can vote, they can debate
and discuss or the previous project manager
can choose. Note that it must be a new project
manager.
Sleep on it
1.
Learn more
about their next
assignment
Explain the meaning of the phrase sleep on it. It

means to take some time to reflect on something,
usually overnight.
2.

aloud or have students read by themselves. This
may take some time, as there is a lot of information
and some new vocabulary. Students can work in
pairs to help each other understand. It is important
to stress to students Rebeccas final line: Its easier
than you think! Students can be a little intimidated
by the Stage 4 task at first, but the pages that follow
will give them a clear step-by-step outline of what
they need to do.
3.
Give each team their new product portfolio. Each

team should be given a product which they have
not worked on yet. In other words, the product was
created by one group, decided on by a different
group and now is presented to yet another group to
work on.
Choose a new
project manager
58
Think about their

new product
Start thinking of
ways to perform
market research
on the new
product
55
Lesson 14
Time
Page
Task
Directions
4.
End
Stage
Have teams discuss their new product. Each

student should fill in the form at the bottom of
page 58. Team members should discuss each of
the sections on the form together, as they fill in the
information in their own books. Remember that this
is a discussion exercise. Watch out for groups where
one person is dictating and the others are filling in
the form!
Call all the new project managers to the front of the

class for a pep talk. Explain to them that they have an
important responsibility, and that it will affect their
grade in the class.
details.
56
Stage

Lesson 15: overview

Practice listening for details
Learn the difference between personal questions and opinion questions
Write personal questions and opinion questions
Time
90 minutes
Materials

DVD, Scene 15: Rebeccas presentation - Introduction
DVD, Scene 16: Rebeccas presentation - Findings
DVD, Scene 17: Rebeccas presentation - Conclusion
DVD, Scene 18: Rebeccas presentation - Full
Optional
Materials
57
Stage

Time
Page
10
mins.
60
mins.
5961
Task
Directions
Water cooler chat

The word on the

street
Important: Please see Projects, Market research

presentation in Part 1 of the Teachers Manual for
more detailed instructions on managing the upcoming
project.
Watch an example
presentation video
(Scenes 1518)
1.

aloud or have students read by themselves. Make
sure students understand that they will be watching
a video of a market research presentation, and that
they themselves will be giving such a presentation
later with their team members.
2.
A Have students read the instructions. Before
Get ideas for

their own market
research
Understand the
importance of a
handout
starting, have students look at the Introduction of

the Guilt Jar handout. Give them time to check any
words they are not familiar with.
Note
Complete short
comprehension
exercises
The handout on page 59 (together with pages 60

and 61) are meant to be sections of Rebeccas actual
handout. Later, students can refer to these pages as a
model for their own handouts.
3.
Play the video (Scene 15). Then have students fill in

the blanks.
4.
B Give students time to check their answers with

their team. Then, as an option, check them as a
class.
The Guilt Jar is a dieting product. Its

a cookie jar with built-in speakers. The jar
helps you stick to your diet by repeating
motivational messages each time you open it.
Messages include, Youre hungry again?
and Its just food, not love! The jar also
counts the number of cookies inside. And
the suggested retail price is $35.
We started off by asking each respondent
four personal questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is your gender?

What is your occupation?
What is your age range?
Have you dieted in the past six months?
58
Lesson 15
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
5.
C Read the instructions aloud or have students

read by themselves. Explain that the pie charts
in the handout are the Findings for the personal
questions. The opinion questions on the notepaper
are to find out what people think about the product.
Check that students understand the opinion
questions. Have them take notes on what Rebecca
says about each opinion question. Play the video
(Scene 16).
Do you like the product?

Many younger males didnt like it (83 percent of
men age 20 and under).
Comments: This is ridiculous. and It seems
useless.
85 percent of men and women age 21 to 40
liked it.
Many young males said they did not want
to diet.
Older men and women said that it might help
them to lose weight, and it might stop their
children from stealing cookies.
Would you buy this product?
Most young males said no (67 percent of males
age 20 and younger).
Some said they might buy it as a joke present
for friends.
Many young women were also uninterested.
Older men and women really thought theyd
buy the product.
Would you use this product?
100 percent of males age 20 and under said they
would never use it.
95 percent of men and women age 21 to 40 said
they would use it.
What would be a good price?
81 percent said that $35 was too expensive.
65 percent of men and women age 21 to 40 said
they would buy it if the price was $20.
What would you do to make this product
better?
Suggestions: make it really loud so that you feel
embarrassed when you open it and put famous
cartoon characters on the front
59
Lesson 15
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
Note
Students answers will probably be incomplete, as

there is a lot of information. Remind students that
their job is to discuss with each other and try to
reconstruct as much as possible.
6.
D Next, have students work with their team and

answer the questions. They should use their notes
from the bottom of page 60.
Which group liked the Guilt Jar the most?

Men and women age 21 to 40
Which group liked it the least?
Men age 20 and younger
What were some of the comments people
gave?
This is ridiculous.
It seems useless.
I dont want to diet.
It might help me lose weight.
It might stop my children from stealing
cookies.
I might buy it as a joke present for my friends.
Make it really loud so you feel embarrassed
when you open it.
Put famous cartoon characters on the front.
Based on the survey results, what do you

think Rebeccas suggestions will be?
[Answers will vary.] Elicit students ideas and
write them on the board.
7.
Elicit answers to question 3 from the class and

write some of the predictions on the board.
8.
E Have students read the instructions. Make sure

they understand that they will be watching the
conclusion and that they need to fill in the blanks.
Play the video (Scene 17).
9.
Have students work with their team to fill in the

blanks of the Conclusion. Then elicit answers from
the class.
In conclusion, based on the data, we think
that the Guilt Jar would be successful if
targeted at men and women age 21 to 40. We
60
Stage
Lesson 15
Time
Page
Task
Directions
also think it should be sold at supermarkets
and department stores, and the price should be
around $20. The Guilt Jar should also come
in different styles and colors, for example, in
cute animal shapes.
10. F Play Rebeccas full presentation (Scene 18).
Have students watch and listen. Then answer any
additional questions.
20
mins.
62
Step 1: prepare a
questionnaire
Learn about how
to make good
survey questions
Work as a
team to make
a questionnaire
about their new
product
1.

aloud or have students read by themselves. Ensure
that students understand they will be writing
survey questions about the new product given to
them in the last class.
2.

that personal questions refer to the respondents
personal information. Questions about the product
will be asked later. Have students read the three
personal questions provided and then work as a
team to think of one more personal question.
Note
The last personal question should be related in some

way to the product. For example, with the Guilt Jar
the fourth question was Have you dieted in the past
six months? This is an important question if you
want to know whether someone would be interested
in a dieting product. Students should think of a
similar type of question.
3.
Have students read Rebeccas second message

on page 62. Check that students understand the
difference between personal questions and opinion
questions. The latter refer to questions specifically
about the product. For example, what does the
respondent think of the color or the price?
4.
B Have students work with a partner and write
as many opinion questions as they can think

of. Students have some of Rebeccas suggested
questions to help them get started (see the green
box) or they could just think of their own. If they
do not finish in class, they must complete this
section for homework.
End
61
Stage

Lesson 16: overview

Write a questionnaire for a Widgets product
Think of a time and place to conduct their surveys
Practice surveying classmates with the nal questionnaire
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Optional
Materials
62
Stage

Time
Page
10
mins.
20
mins.
62 &
63
Task
Directions
Water cooler chat

Step 1: prepare
a questionnaire
(continued)
1.
C Have students read the instructions. Students

now work with their team and review the lists
of opinion questions on page 62. Have students
decide on the teams six best opinion questions.
2.
Have each team make a questionnaire using the

personal and opinion questions they have decided
on. The form provided on page 63 is an example of
what the questionnaire should look like. Students
will use it as a rough draft.
Learn how to
write survey
questions
Work as a
team to write a
questionnaire
about the new
product
Note
Students could use this example for their final
questionnaire, but note that it only allows for
responses on a 1-2-3-4 scale. Students may have
yes/no questions, open-ended questions or questions
that require a different set of choices. In these cases
students should create their own questionnaires
entirely.
3.
Have students make a final copy of their

questionnaire. Only one copy per team is
necessary, as they will later make photocopies of it.
4.
Read Rebeccas message at the bottom of page 63

aloud. Make sure that project managers understand
that they must make enough copies of the final
questionnaire. (40 questionnaires is an ideal
number, but any number over 20 respondents
should be enough for the purposes of the project).
Each survey taker should also have a sketch of the
product to show respondents.
Note
See Projects, Market research presentation in Part 1
of the Teachers Manual for more information and tips
on organizing this project.
63
Lesson 16
Time
Page
Task
Directions
60
mins.
64 &
65
Step 2: conduct
surveys
1.

Plan when and

where to conduct
surveys
2.
A Have students work with a partner and
Learn surveying
etiquette
3.
complete the table. Students should think of at

least one more location to conduct their surveys.
B Have students work with their team and
compare their pros and cons. They then discuss

which they think will be the best location and
decide on a time and place to conduct the surveys.
Stress to students that they can work alone, in pairs
or in teams when conducting the surveys. They
can ask the survey questions to strangers, friends,
family members, anyone. Of course, it would be
ideal if they could do this in English, but that will
depend on their EFL context.
Practice asking
questionnaire
questions with
classmates
End
Stage
4.
C Have students read the instructions and look at

the Widgets Incorporated handbook on page 65. Give
students time to read and think about the advice
given. Demonstrate, perhaps with a volunteer
student, each of the three pieces of advice.
5.
D With the remaining class time, have students

practice surveying their classmates (from different
teams). They may use the answers from these
practice surveys towards their final data.
Assign homework: Have students conduct their surveys

outside of class, and bring all completed questionnaires
to the next class for the following lesson.
Note
Depending on how much time there is between
lessons, you could assign the data gathering entirely
as homework, or give students a full class period
during which to hold interviews. See Projects,
Market research presentation in Part 1 of the
Teachers Manual for more details.
Also, the project manager must ensure that all
students have enough copies of the questionnaire
and that they know how many people they must
interview.
64
Stage

Lesson 17: overview

Collate market research data
Analyze market research data
Search for patterns in market research data
Draw conclusions in market research data
Suggest improvements to the product idea
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Optional
Materials

Blank notepaper for students
65
Stage

Time
Page
10
mins.
80
mins.
6668
Task
Directions
Water cooler chat

Step 3: analyze
your data

more detailed instructions on managing this project.
Collate data from

all team members
1.

sure that students understand the meaning of the
word analyze, and that they understand they now
must examine all of the data collected by the team.
2.
Have students look at the flowchart on page 66.

This is a very basic overview of what they must
now do.
3.

to students that they must write down the overall
totals for each question. This will take some
organization, since there are several members in
each team and everybody should be performing a
role. It is the project managers job to assign roles
and ensure that everybody is working. This will
take some time.
Analyze data
Search for
patterns in data
Draw conclusions
Suggest
improvements
Note
The notepaper at the top of page 67 is just a guide. It

may be useful to have students note down the result
totals and any comments on a separate piece of
notepaper.
4.
B As the results become clearer, have students

make some rough pie charts in the space provided
at the bottom of page 67. Students can refer to
examples from Rebeccas presentation on page 60.
66
Stage
Lesson 17
Time
Page
Task
Directions
5.
C Have students separate the questionnaires by

different factors (age, gender, occupation, etc.),
and have them examine the results of the opinion
questions this way. For example, now that students
know how many respondents were men and how
many were women, they will look at how many men
liked the product, versus how many women liked it.
It is the project managers job to assign roles to the
team.
6.
D Have students read the instructions. Students

discuss their results and findings with each other,
compare them with the rest of the team and then
complete the table. Each team member should be
taking notes in their own book.
7.
E Have students read the instructions and then

note any possible improvements that could be
made to the product. These changes need to be
based on their findings.
Note
Teams will complete the above tasks at different
speeds. For this reason, it is important for the
teacher to be constantly moving around the teams
and monitoring their progress. The teacher should
not only give advice, feedback and suggestions, but
should also gauge when it is a good time for students
to move on to the next step in the analysis.
End
Note
It is absolutely essential that students bring their
results and findings, as well as their raw data, to the
next class. It is the project managers responsibility to
make sure that the team has this information.
In the next class, the teams will begin to prepare their
market research presentation and make handouts.
Students who are proficient with computers should be
encouraged to bring a laptop, if they have one. This
is, of course, not compulsory.
If you have access to a computer lab, it could be
useful to hold the following class there.
67
Stage

Lesson 18: overview
Outline the information to include in the market research presentation handout

Write a nal copy of the market research presentation handout
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Optional
Materials
68
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
90
mins.
69
Step 4: summarize
your ndings and
prepare handouts

Prepare a handout
to accompany the
presentation
1.

sure students understand all of the message,
especially what a handout is.
2.
A Have students read the instructions, and
then work with a partner, taking notes on the

information to include in their handout. Move
around the classroom and check that all students
are clear about what they need to do for each
section.
3.
B Have students work in teams and compare their

notes. At this point, they should have some general
conclusions about their product, as well as possible
recommendations to make it better.
4.
Have students continue working on the handout

and presentation until the class ends.
Note
Remember, page 69 is only a rough draft. The teams
will produce one final copy of their handout, which
will be photocopied by the teams for each person
in the class. If the handout is not finished during
class time, it should be completed for homework.
Make sure that students understand that this is a
professional document, and that using a computer is
preferable.
End
69
Stage

Lesson 19: overview
Note
Lesson 19 can be extended into the following lesson, Lesson 20, in order to give students sufficient
time to prepare. This is optional, depending on how much preparation time the teacher feels the
students need.
Learn about good presentation techniques

Prepare for the market research presentation
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Optional
Materials
70
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
90
mins.
70
Step 5: give a short

presentation

Prepare a formal
presentation,
including
handouts and
visual aids
1.
Read Rebeccas advice at the top of page 70 aloud.
2.
A Have students read the advice tips 15 in
teams, and discuss. They should take turns reading,

with each student explaining at least one point.
Encourage them to ask and try to answer questions
regarding this advice. Do they agree? Can they give
examples? Finally, each team must come up with at
least one more tip to share with the class. Reinforce
their comprehension of these points and stress
that their presentation grade will depend partly on
these conventions.
Note
Tip 2, Use visual aids. is especially important.
Students should be encouraged to prepare a
PowerPoint presentation, make posters or use the
board during their presentations. It is a good idea for
the project manager to delegate some duties to each
team member.
3.
End
Use the rest of the class for preparation for the

presentation.
Note
This project is not allotted any more class time for
preparation according to this lesson plan. Based
on the needs of your class, you may choose to give
students more time to prepare, but if you do so,
please consider carefully how much time you will
have left for Stages 5 and 6.
Remind project managers that it is now their

responsibility to ensure that their teams are ready to
present in the next class. This includes making sure
all team members are accounted for, all visual aids are
ready and handouts are available.
Extra time: If your students need more preparation
time, please refer to Lesson 20.
71
Stage

Lesson 20: overview
Note
Think of this Lesson 20 as extra time. It is meant to help you adapt the course to your teaching
situation. Different classes need a different amount of time to prepare and/or to present,
particularly in Stages 4 and 5. Also, holidays and other cancellations can often affect the number of
classes in any given semester.
Therefore, please use Lesson 20 to balance out your schedule. Note that this is not filler. Our
classroom trials have shown that it is very useful to have a margin for error, especially in Stages 4
and 5.
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Optional
Materials
72
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
90
mins.
End
73
Stage

Lesson 21: overview
Give their market research presentation

Give out handouts explaining their data and conclusions
Ask and answer questions to other teams
Time
90 minutes
Materials

Presentation materials such as a computer and a projector (if using
PowerPoint), blackboard magnets or tape (if using posters)
Handouts as prepared by each team
Peer Evaluation Form, Stage 4: Market research presentation
downloaded and printed from www.widgets-inc.com, one copy per
student
Optional
Materials

74
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
90
mins.
70
Step 5: give a
short presentation
(continued)
1.
C This is the presentation lesson. Repeat the

advice on page 70 at the start of class. Hand
out the Peer Evaluation Form for Stage 4 before
the presentations. Also, encourage students in
other teams to ask questions at the end of each
presentation (perhaps for bonus points).
2.
After each presentation, have students in other

teams complete the Peer Evaluation Form.
3.

class.
1.

2.
Project manager interviews: Each project manager

must arrange to meet the teacher for a one-on-one
debriefing outside of class time, preferably before
the next class. This is a combined peer assessment
(project manager assesses team members) and
oral interview (of project manager). (See Project
managers, Debriefing interviews in Part 1 of the
Teachers Manual.)
Give the market

research
presentation
71
End
Note
Students have now completed a very challenging
task, possibly more challenging than anything
they have done before in English. Assuming
they performed well, they should certainly be
congratulated. Students should leave with a real
feeling of satisfaction at what they have achieved.
75
Stage
As seen on TV
Lesson 22: overview

Assign the nal project manager and give him/her advice
Brainstorm marketing ideas for a new product
Time
90 minutes
Materials

Optional
Materials
76
Stage

Time
Page
10
mins.
40
mins.
72
Task
Directions
Water cooler chat

A star is born
Note
Watch the video

(Scene 19)

as homework in Stage 4. Also collect the product
portfolios from each team. You will redistribute these
to new teams shortly.
Take notes
Confer with
partners
Decide on the
most important
points of a
message
1.

aloud or have students read by themselves. Explain
the meaning and significance of the expression
pop the champagne. It means to open a bottle
of champagne, because the cork makes a pop
sound. Champagne is commonly used as a drink
of celebration, so Rebecca is really saying, Dont
start celebrating just yet.
2.

play the video (Scene 19). Students should take
notes on the notepaper provided.
3.
B Have students write down what they feel are

the three most important points.
4.
C Have students compare their answers with a
partner.
5.
Elicit answers from the class and write their ideas

on the board.
6.
D Play Scene 19 again. Have students discuss

again and allow them to change their answers.
7.
Elicit answers again. Answers will vary, but some

important points are:
Ive been talking with customers and theres a lot
of interest in your new ideas.
Your ideas could soon be in stores all over the
world.
I am very impressed.
77
Lesson 22
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
I think you all have a very bright future ahead of
you at Widgets.
I want you to create an infomercial.
Use your imagination and be creative.
Youll have Rebecca Sneed to support you and
assist you.
20
mins.
73
First among equals

Assign the nal
project manager
Give advice to
the new project
manager
8.
Ensure that students understand their next

assignment: They will make and perform a
television infomercial. An infomercial (a mixture
of the words information and commercial)
is a long commercial which appears to inform or
instruct, but is really just a way to sell a product.
Infomercials can often be seen on late night
television and shopping channels. They are often
created to look like a talk show, with an audience
of extras to add applause and excitement.
Infomercials are usually loud and high energy,
with acting to match. See Projects, Infomercial
in Part 1 of the Teachers Manual for more
information and tips regarding this project.
1.
Have teams assign their final project manager.

However, the choice should already be clear,
since there should be only one student who has
not yet done it. So, within each group, have each
former project manager take turns giving the new
project manager some friendly advice about their
experience. Students may read the instructions
beneath the photo on page 73, using questions 1
and 2 as starting points for the discussion.
Note
This will be the last time a project manager is needed,
so if there is in fact more than one student in a team
who has not yet done it, then the team will have two
co-managers this time. (See Project manager in
Part 1 of the Teachers Manual for more information.)
78
Stage
Lesson 22
Time
Page
Task
Directions
20
mins.
72
Assignment
Brieng
1.
Read Rebeccas message at the bottom of page 72

teacher should now give each team a new product
portfolioone that this team has not worked on
before.
2.
Give teams time to discuss the new product and

how it might be marketed (i.e., Who are the target
customers? How much will it cost?). Students
should refer to the market research results
included in the product portfolio and, of course, be
encouraged to add any ideas of their own.
Examine the new

product portfolio
Brainstorm initial
ideas
End
Call all the new project managers to the front of the

class for a pep talk. Explain to them that they have an
important responsibility, and that it will affect their
grade in the class.
details.
79
Stage
As seen on TV
Lesson 23: overview

Draw conclusions based on video scenes
Get familiar with the infomercial style
Brainstorm ideas for their new products infomercial
Time
90 minutes
Materials

DVD, Scene 20: Amazing Inventions
DVD, Scene 21: Amazing Inventions - Brian Part 1
DVD, Scene 22: Amazing Inventions - Brian Part 2
Optional
Materials
80
Stage

Time
Page
10
mins.
40
mins.
74
Task
Directions
Water cooler chat

You know you

want it
Note
See Projects, Infomercial in Part 1 of the Teachers

Manual for more information and tips regarding this
project.
Watch the video

(Scenes 2022)
Answer questions
about the
infomercial
Learn the
infomercial style
1.

2.
A Play the video (Scene 20). This is the full

infomercial. In this video students will watch an
example of a Widgets Incorporated infomercial.
This is very important, because at this point
students may be unsure exactly how they will
advertise their product. The video will give them
content ideas and highlight the infomercial style.
Get ideas for the

teams infomercial
Have students discuss the question with their team,

then answer the question. Elicit answers as a class.
[Answers will vary.]
What is the purpose of the infomercial?
To sell the product
To show how life is difficult without the
product
To show how life is better with the product
To entertain the audience
3.
B Have students read the instructions. Then play
the video (Scene 21). Have students work with their

teams and answer the questions. Elicit answers
from the class. [Answers will vary.]
Why did Brian lose his job?
Because he kept falling asleep at work
How does this make the viewer feel?
Sad, sympathetic, depressed, angry, worried
What is the purpose of this scene?
To make viewers feel that falling asleep at
work is dangerous
81
Lesson 23
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
To make viewers feel sorry for Brian
To make viewers feel the need for the product
4.
C Have students read the instructions. Then play
the video (Scene 22). Have students work with their

teams to answer the questions. Elicit answers from
the class. [Answers will vary.]
Why is Mr. Carter happy?
Because Brian stayed awake and completed his
work
How does this make the viewer feel?
Happy, excited, relieved
What is the purpose of this scene?
To show how the Widgets Shock Watch works
To show that the Widgets Shock Watch does
work
To show how life is better with the Widgets Shock
Watch
5.
D Play Scene 20 again. Have students think about
their own infomercials while they watch.

40
mins.
75
Whats your story?
1.

aloud or have students read by themselves. Remind
students of the Cell Phone Shaver. If necessary,
have students look back at page 15.
2.
Have students look at the cartoon strip under

Rebeccas message. Explain that these are all
situations that could happen if one does not have
the Cell Phone Shaver. In fact, these are the worst
possible situations, like the infomercial scene in
which Brian loses his job. They are not very likely
to happen, but they could happen, and so might
make us worry just a little bit. Therefore, point out
to students that these are exaggerations, and that
for the purpose of infomercials, exaggerating is
perfectly acceptable. Ask students some questions
about the pictures:
Learn the format

of an infomercial
Plan the outline
of the teams own
infomercial
What happens to the man who did not

shave for work?
He loses his job.
shave at immigration?
He is not allowed to enter the country.
82
Lesson 23
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
Why not?
Because he does not look like his passport photo.
shave for his big date?
His girlfriend thinks he looks disgusting.
3.

work with their teams. They need to think of
possible problem situations for people who do not
have the new product. This will take time. Move
around the classroom helping teams and giving
suggestions.
Note
The more preparation time that is given to the

infomercials, the better they will be. For this reason,
these lessons should not be hurried. Allow students
plenty of time to brainstorm ideas and to change
them if they want to. If necessary, it is always
useful to give a gentle, but public reminder to
project managers that they should be managing all
discussions, which includes making sure everyone is
participating and speaking in English.
End
Assign homework: Have students finish A , if they have

not yet. They do not need to choose the best idea yet.
83
Stage
As seen on TV
Lesson 24: overview

Answer questions based on cartoon strips
Plan an infomercial story using cartoon strips
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Optional
Materials
84
Stage

Time
Page
10
mins.
Task
Directions
Water cooler chat

1.
10
mins.
75
Whats your story?

(continued)
70
mins.
76 &
77
Whats your story?

(continued)
Note
See Projects, Infomercial in Part 1 of the Teachers
Manual for more information and tips regarding this
project.
Learn the format

of an infomercial
Outline the teams
infomercial
B Have each team discuss their answers for A ,

which they should have finished in the last class
or for homework. They must now decide on the
most interesting situation and write it in the box
provided.
1.
Have students read Rebeccas message at the top

of page 76. Explain her comment that advertising
often scares people into buying a product. The
Shock Watch scene in the Widgets infomercial is a
good example.
2.
Give students time to read the cartoon strip and

then ask some questions about it:
What is the mans problem?
He is late, and he did not shave.
How does his girlfriend feel?
She is angry.
Why does she ask the other man to go on a
date?
Because he is clean-shaven
How does the unshaved man feel at the
end?
Sad and lonely
3.
Next, have students read the message from

Rebecca at the top of page 77. You may need to
check that they know the meaning of the word
depressed (very unhappy), and that the reason
the audience is depressed is because of the terrible
outcome of the last story.
85
Stage
Lesson 24
Time
Page
Task
Directions
4.
Have students read the cartoon strip on page 77.

Ask questions to check comprehension:
Does the man have the Cell Phone Shaver?
Yes, he does.
Is his girlfriend angry with him?
No, she is not angry with him.
Why not?
Because he called her to say he would be late and
because he is clean-shaven
What does the woman do in the end?
She proposes to the man.
5.
C E Have students read the instructions and then
think of the worst and best possible outcomes for

their chosen problem situation on page 75. Have
students take notes on their own and then compare
their notes with their team. Each student should
present their idea, and the team should discuss and
decide which is the best to use in their infomercial.
Remind students that exaggeration and humor are
encouraged.
6.
D F Have students make a simple cartoon strip,
like the ones

at the top of page
76 and page 77, to describe their story. Stress that
this is just to help them visualize their infomercial,
and that the drawings do not need to be good.
(This is, in fact, a storyboard, which is used in all
television and film productions to outline scenes.)
Note
Teams will inevitably move at a different pace
through these preparations and discussions.
Therefore, the teacher should spend the class moving
around and checking on teams progress, while giving
advice and suggestions. When the teacher feels that
a team is ready to move on to the next stage, the
teacher can give the next instructions to each team
individually. This will be less confusing than trying
to organize the class all together, and it allows the
teacher to monitor closely each teams progress.
End
86
Stage
As seen on TV
Lesson 25: overview
Plan the details of an infomercial presentation

Rehearse for the infomercial
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Optional
Materials
87
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
20
mins.
78 &
79
Lights, camera
Note
Plan the
infomercial
Pages 78 and 79 contain step-by-step tips on

organizing the infomercial. It is useful to have
students fill in these sections, but it may not be
necessary to do so. Depending on your situation,
students may be able to just go ahead and work on
their own at this point.
Make a script for

the infomercial
Rehearse the
infomercial
1.

aloud or have students read by themselves. Explain
to students that they will now be given a list of
steps to follow and these will help them in their
preparation for the infomercial.
2.
A Have students read the instructions and
the message. Explain that students need an

introduction that will capture the interest and
excitement of the audience. Students need to think
of an interesting and captivating way to start the
infomercial. Have students take notes on their ideas
and then share the ideas with their team. Note that
infomercials are often structured like a talk show.
There is a host who introduces and speaks to the
audience and a guest who acts as a salesperson. At
the end, there is often a closing scene where the
guest gives information on how to order, how much
the product costs and answers questions from the
audience.
3.
B Have students read the instructions and the

message. Here, students should take notes on the
rest of the infomercial, including details such as
the best and worst situation scenes (which they
have partly prepared in the previous class) and
the ending. The ending is especially important.
Students often have a very strong and interesting
infomercial which becomes boring at the end
because they did not think of a way to end
strongly. Often, the audience is not aware that the
infomercial has ended. For this reason, teams must
think of a clear and positive ending. Have students
take notes and then share their ideas with the team.
Move around the classroom, giving comments and
advice.
88
Lesson 25
Time
Page
Task
Stage
Directions
4.
C Have students read the instructions and the

message. Here the team decides the roles of each
team member. The project manager must take
charge if students want to play the same role or no
students want to play a role. Stress that every team
member must have a speaking role.
5.
D Have students read the instructions and the
message. Make sure students understand that

props and costumes can make the infomercial more
fun and exciting. Again, the project manager is
expected to manage this aspect of the preparation.
Remind students that props can also include music
and video clips.
6.
E Have students read the instructions and
the message. Stress to students that the best

infomercials are those that have been well-rehearsed
and therefore seem the most professional. Students
should be given a lot of class time to rehearse, but
they should also organize times outside of class to
practice. It is the project managers job to organize
these rehearsal times.
Note
If your situation allows, we encourage you to
consider actually breaking the class up at this point,
with each group given a generous amount of physical
space to practice in. For instance, if there are several
empty classrooms around you, make use of them.
70
mins.
79
Rehearse the
infomercial
1.
Have teams prepare and rehearse their

infomercials. Encourage students to run through
their entire infomercial over and over again, as
many times as possible.
Note
We recommend a minimum of one full 90-minute
class period in which to have students rehearse. We
also recommend that students arrange to prepare and
rehearse on their own time.
89
Lesson 25
Time
Page
Stage
Task
Directions
End
Make sure teams understand when they will be

performing their infomercial, and that they must be
prepared. Stress that this means that all students should
have their lines learnedreading from a script during
the infomercial is not acceptable.
If a member knows that he/she will be absent, they must
tell the project manager well in advance, and they should
also inform the teacher. Any groups not prepared to give
their infomercial should automatically fail Stage 5.
90
Stage
As seen on TV
Lesson 26: overview
Note
Lesson 26 can be extended into the following lesson, Lesson 27, in order to give students sufficient
time to prepare. This is optional, depending on how much preparation time the teacher feels the
students need.
Rehearse for the infomercial
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Optional
Materials
91
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
90
mins.
79
Rehearse the
infomercial
(continued)
1.
Teams continue to rehearse their infomercials.

Encourage students to run through their entire
infomercial over and over again, as many times as
possible.
Note
We recommend a minimum of one full 90-minute
class period in which to have students rehearse. We
also recommend that students arrange to prepare and
rehearse on their own time.
End
Make sure teams understand that they will be

performing their infomercial soon, and they must
therefore be prepared. Stress that this means that all
students should have their roles and lines learned.
Reading from a script during the infomercial is not
acceptable.
Extra time: If your students need more preparation
time, please refer to Lesson 27.
92
Stage
As seen on TV
Lesson 27: overview
Note
Think of this lesson as extra time. It is meant to help you adapt the course to your teaching
situation. Different classes need a different amount of time to prepare and/or to present,
particularly in Stages 4 and 5. Also, holidays and other cancellations can often affect the number of
classes in any given semester.
Therefore, please use Lesson 27 to balance out your schedule. Note that this is not a filler. Our
classroom trials have shown that it is very useful to have a margin for error, especially in Stages 4
and 5.
Time
90 minutes
Materials
Optional
Materials
93
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
90
mins.
End
94
Stage
As seen on TV
Lesson 28: overview
Perform their infomercials for the class

Watch other teams infomercials, participate and ask/answer questions
Time
90 minutes
Materials

Peer Evaluation Form, Stage 5: Infomercial downloaded and printed
from www.widgets-inc.com, one copy per student
Props and/or costumes as prepared by students
Optional
Materials

95
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
90
mins.
80
Action!
1.
Perform the
infomercial
Have students read Rebeccas message at the top

of page 80. The expression Break a leg! may be
confusing. Explanation:
Actors are often very superstitious. They believe
that it is bad luck to say good luck before a
performance. For this reason, it has become a
common tradition to say break a leg to actors,
instead of good luck. The meaning is the same
though.
Watch and
evaluate the other
infomercials
2.
A Have students present their infomercials team
by team.
3.
B After each infomercial, allow students a

moment to fill in the simple assessment form on
page 80.
4.
After all of the infomercials have been given, have

team members discuss their ratings.
5.
Hand out the Peer Evaluation Form for Stage 5, one

copy per team. The project manager, with input
from all team members, should fill this out for each
infomercial.
6.

class.
Note
Collect the product portfolios from each team. Use
these to assist you in grading.
81
End
1.

2.

manager arrange to meet the teacher for a oneon-one debriefing outside of class time, preferably
before the next class. This is a combined peer
assessment (project manager assesses team
96
Stage
Time
Page
Task
Directions
members) and oral interview (of project manager).
(See Project managers, Debriefing interviews in
Part 1 of the Teachers Manual.)
Note
As in the last stage, students will most likely feel
an enormous sense of satisfaction at finishing this
project. Be sure to give them the praise they deserve!
97
Stage
Youll go far, kid

Lesson 29: overview

Reect on their experience at Widgets Incorporated
Learn how to write and format a resume
Time
90 minutes
Materials

DVD, Scene 23: Board of directors meeting
Optional
Materials
98
Stage

Time
Page
10
mins.
20
mins.
82
Task
Directions
Water cooler chat

You made it
Note
Watch the video

(Scene 23)
Students are no longer in teams. Before beginning the

lesson, remember to collect each students Employee
Evaluation Form, assigned as homework in Stage 5.
Take notes
Identify each
speakers main
point
Discuss answers
with a partner
1.
Have students look at the picture of Felix Day. Ask

if they can remember who he is.
This is Felix Day. He is the director of human
resources.
2.

students understand that they have successfully
completed their training. The infomercial was their
last major training task.
3.
A Have students read the instructions. Then play
the video (Scene 23). Students should take notes as

they watch. [Answers will vary.]
Victoria
Good newsWidgets is saved!
Your products are selling all over the world.
Very happy with your hard work.
We want you to apply for a junior management
position. Felix will help.
Titus
Sales are through the roof. Sales have increased by
200 percent.
During the management decision phase, you were
persuasive and decisive.
Felix
Its been a pleasure.
During orientation, you got to know each other
quickly.
You were outgoing, talkative and friendlythe best
type of person for human resources.
99
Stage
Lesson 29
Time
Page
Task
Directions
Hetty
You have been creative and dedicated.
Your ideas were excellent.
I was getting short of ideas, but you have renewed
my imagination and energy.
Rebecca
Your energy, ideas and humor made selling these
products very easy.
You did excellent work.
4.
B Have students work with a partner and
compare their answers.

5.
Elicit answers from the class and write some ideas

on the board.
6.
C Play Scene 23 one more time.
Note
Make sure that students understand that in Stage 6

they must apply for a junior management position
within the company.
30
mins.
83
Oh, the memories
1.
Read the message at the top of page 83 aloud

or have students read by themselves. Explain to
students that they need to think about all they
have done since they started working at Widgets
Incorporated.
2.
A Have students read the instructions and the
Reect on
experiences
at Widgets
Incorporated
Discuss those
experiences with a
partner
questions. Ensure that all students understand the

questions. Give them time to write down notes for
each question. Move around the classroom and
give help and comments to students.
3.
B Have students read the instructions. Check that
students remember what a follow-up question

means. Then have students work with a partner
and discuss their answers to the questions. When
they have finished, have students work in larger
groups and discuss their answers.
30
mins.
8486
Sell yourself
Learn the contents
and format of a
resume
1.

page 84. Make sure students understand that a
resume (/4rezW3me/), or CV (short for curriculum
vitae), is something that must be submitted along
with any job application.
100
Stage
Lesson 29
Time
Page
Task
Your resume
Write a draft
resume
End
Directions
2.
Have students read the steps next to Felix. Have

students also read the example resume on page 85.
Give students some time to read these and discuss
together if necessary. Explain to students that they
will be making their own resumes, so it is important
to understand the details and format. Move around
the classroom giving help. Point out to students
that when they list their employment or education,
the more recent experience should go first. Their
resume, like Jane Does example, should include
their Widgets experience first.
3.

to them that they are going to use the blank form
on page 86 to write their own draft resumes. They
can use page 85 as an example. Move around the
classroom and check that students understand
what they should be doing, and also give any help
and advice where necessary.
Assign homework: Have students write a final copy of

their resumes and bring it to the next class. As desired,
require that the resume be typed and follow other
appropriate conventions (i.e., no photo attached, neat).
101
Stage
Youll go far, kid

Lesson 30: overview
This is the nal lesson of the course. Today students will:
Listen for main ideas

Participate in a mock job interview
Time
90 minutes
Materials

DVD, Scene 24: Interview
Optional
Materials

102
Stage

Time
Page
Task
Directions
30
mins.
87
Face to face
1.

Jane Doe is the woman in the picture, and she
is having an interview with Felix Day. Explain to
students that they will be interviewing each other
soon, in much the same way.
2.
A Have students read the instructions. Then play
Watch a realistic
job interview
(Scene 24)
Take notes
Decide whether
the interviewee
performs well in
the interview
the video (Scene 24). Students should take notes as

they watch the video.
3.
B Have students read the instructions and then
play the video again. Make sure that students

understand that they do not need to write down
Janes complete repliesjust take notes on what
she says.
4.
C Have students read the instructions and
then work together to check their answers. Elicit

answers from the class. [Answers will vary.]
1. Called the Guilt Jar, very simple, cookie jar that
says things, counter, helps people diet
2. The Cell Phone Shaver sold well, learned a lot
from co-workers and supervisors, become more
of a team player
3. Absolutely, deal with staff problems, gained
leadership skills, helped when she was project
manager
4. Sensible, organized, hard-working, studied
economics, loves to work with numbers, good at
languages, good public speaker
5.
D Have students work in small groups and discuss
whether they think Jane did well in the interview.

Elicit answers from the class, but ask students to
justify their answers. Answers will vary.
50
mins.
88
The interview
Read a resume
Participate in
a mock job
interview
1.
A Have students read the instructions. Have

students exchange the final copy of their resumes
with a partner and give them 10 minutes to write
interview questions. These should be written on a
separate piece of paper.
103
Lesson 30
Time
Page
Stage
Task
Directions
Give constructive
feedback
2.
B Have students read the instructions and give

them time to look at the criteria on the Interview
Evaluation Form. Make sure that all students
understand the criteria.
3.
Have students exchange books, so that they will be

writing their comments in this partners book. Then
have each pair take turns interviewing each other.
4.
C If time permits, pairs can be switched around
and students can interview another classmate.

10
mins.
89
Paperwork
1.
Have students complete the final Employee

Evaluation Form on page 89. Also hand out blank
copies (downloaded and printed from www.
widgets-inc.com) of this form to the class. Students
must copy their information to the new form and
hand it in. Collect them.
2.
Have students read Victorias final message.

Explain to students that they have done it,
meaning that they have finished Widgets and
successfully completed the course. Congratulations
are in order!
Evaluate their own

performance
End
104

Widgets Lesson Plans

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Widgets Lesson Plans

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A task-based course in practical English

Learn about the course concept and objectives

Widgets Student Book, pages 26

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2008

Lesson plans, Version A

Lesson 1: lesson plan

Read Felixs message at the top of page 2 (in

Meet Felix Day,

Felix Day is director of human resources. You are

Read the letter of

What is the purpose of the letter?

Have students look at the photos on page 3.

Play the video (Scene 1) for the first time.

A Play Scene 1 a second time and have students

Watch the video

take notes. These notes should be detailed. But

Have students compare notes with a partner. Have

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2008

Lesson plans, Version A 2

B Play Scene 1 a third time and then have

Have students check their answers with a partner.

Follow up with the whole class for questions 16 plus

Have students read Felixs message at the top of

A Have students look at the example of a

B Have students choose their favorite business

card and name tag on page 5.

C Have students design their own business cards

and name tags.

D Have students make their final copies. Teachers

Have students read Felixs message at the top of

Meet and greet

Have students look at the photo of the two people

A Read the three points or have students read

by themselves. Then demonstrate each step in

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2008

Lesson plans, Version A 3

B Have students put on their name tags. Explain

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2008

Instruct students to shake your hand and turn in their

Lesson plans, Version A 4

Chat with each other in their rst Water cooler chat

Widgets Student Book, pages 711, 90 & 91

Water cooler chat cards (pages 90 & 91)

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2008

Lesson plans, Version A

Lesson 2: lesson plan

Whos the boss?

Watch the video

Who is the woman in the photo?

Listen for details

Read the title Whos the boss? at the top of

Read Felixs message at the top of page 7 aloud or

A Play the video (Scene 2). Have students listen

and take notes. Then have them fill in the fact

B Have students check their answers with a

C Read the instructions and the questions aloud

or have students read by themselves. Check that

Play Scene 2 again. Have students work together to

Pearson Education Asia Limited 2008

Lesson plans, Version A 6

Read Felixs message on page 8 aloud or have

Explain to students that some topics of

A Have students read the instructions and

questions 110. Check that they understand the