The Ark
Level: Intermediate +
Aim: a speaking activity with emphasis on oral fluency; students express their opinions
on a controversial topic
Language point: lexical chunks to give opinions
Note: On the surface, the lesson is a roleplay exercise. This should encourage the
students to express their opinions more freely as it is not a real situation. The subject
matter, especially within the list of possible survivors, is most definitely controversial.
Warmer
On the board write the following headline:
Major Environmental Disaster
Heralds End of the Human Race
Ask students to decide what the disaster is and
when might this happen. Write suggestions up
on the board. There are no correct answers to
this.
Stage One:
Tell the students to imagine that the headline is
a real headline from the future and that the
disaster they have predicted is actually going to
happen. Instruct them to brainstorm all the
possible causes and consequences of this
disaster. A secretary should be nominated to
take down notes. At the end report to the class.
They can do this in groups (or as a class, if the
class is not too big). Circulate and take notes,
especially of the way opinions are expressed.
Stage Two:
Take up any interesting points or use of
language you noticed during stage one. Write
some of them on the board. Then write one of
the ways a student expressed their opinion. This
will most likely be: “I think that…” Elicit other
ways of expressing opinions, agreeing and
disagreeing and put these on the board. Here is
an example of some language chunks you could
write up for an intermediate class.
In my opinion…
I really believe…
I honestly think/feel…
I strongly believe…
I’m convinced…
I’m positive…
I personally think…
I agree/disagree with you
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I don’t think that at all…
I don’t agree
I totally agree/disagree.
Ask students to rephrase some of their opinions
from stage one using the language they see. If
you are going to spread this lesson over two
class periods, now is the time to stop.
Stage Three (possibly in the next class):
Ask students if they can remember what the
disaster was that would bring an end to all
humankind. Tell them to imagine it is going to
happen, but that this time there is a possibility
that the human race will be saved. Read them
the following situation:
Scientists working for the United Nations have
discovered that a deserted island in the Pacific
will not be affected by the disaster. There is
enough vegetation and animal life on this island
to sustain human life. The United Nations has
decided to send a group of people to this island
before the disaster strikes. This group of people
will be all that’s left of the human race and will
have to start again. There is a helicopter
waiting to take them to the island. However,
time is running out and there has been a terrible
mistake. The helicopter can only take ten
people, including the pilot (male, 32 years old).
There are twelve people waiting to get on. The
United Nations has appointed YOU to decide
which nine people are saved and which three
must stay behind. You must come to an
agreement on this.
Ask students which of the sentence heads they
can remember from before and put them back
on the board. Tell them to try and include them
in their discussion. Distribute the list of possible
survivors (see next page). At the end, ask for
their final decision.
This page may be photocopied for use in class
 THE ARK
The following twelve people are all at the airport.

1. Dr. Ian Osborne (male, 40) is a British academic from London. He is a

very good diplomat and has helped make many peace agreements in
different parts of the world.

2. Francesca Ceppo (female, 39) is a linguist and interpreter. She speaks

twenty different languages.

3. John McDonnell (male, 33) is a New York fire fighter. He was one of the
only survivors of his division in the September 11 attacks in New York.

4. Dr. Hammed Bedrouni (male, 36) is a doctor from Paris. He is a leader in

his local Muslim community.

5. William Patween (male, 54) is an indigenous tribe leader from an island

near the one where the group is being sent. He is familiar with all the
flora and fauna of the island. He carries a knife and a spear. He has
cancer.

6. Jean Bains (female, 32) is an expert marine biologist from India and
knows all about the seas and the fish of the area. She is an alcoholic.

7. Sean Lucas (male, 35) is a British SAS officer. He is familiar with

surviving under extreme conditions and a good leader. He is
homosexual.

8. Kris McDonnell (female, 31) is John McDonnell’s wife. She is a police

officer and carries a gun. She is three months pregnant.

9. Robert Sisulu (male, 41) is a black South African judge and an

experienced hunter. He has a rifle.

10. Father Eugenio (male, 26) is a Catholic priest from Spain. He has a lot of
experience in agriculture and worked as a missionary in the South
Pacific.

11. Odette Bouchard (female, 23) is a top model from France.

12. Amanda Green (female, 24) is a telecommunications engineer from

Sydney Australia. She was the winner of the Australian television reality
show “Survivors”.

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