PREVIEW ACTIVITY Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2023. For use only with license.

Harvard Professor Makes The Case For Optimism (C1)

PAGE 1

Read each idiom below. What kind of person do these idioms describe? Would you
PART 1
consider yourself to be this kind of person? Why or why not?

To have a sunny To wear rose-colored To see the glass

disposition glasses as half full

Think of and write 3 positive/negative aspects about humanity and the state of
PART 2
the world today. Then compare/contrast your list with a classmate/your teacher.

POSITIVE NEGATIVE

1 1

2 2

3 3

Read each news headline below. Which do you think are the most gripping? What
PART 3
makes some of these headlines more gripping than others? Explain.

1 2 3 4 5

tion of Global L
Prolifera eapons Group of People Two Cou
n it
Rates Ste eracy
W
Nuclear s to
S u ffer Horr tries Countries that
ad
Escape from endou are at Peace Increasin ily
Lead Extreme Poverty Terrorist Attack s g
g War s
Crushin

Tick () and discuss whether you agree (A), disagree (D), or partially (P) agree /
PART 4
disagree with each statement below about the news and the world. Explain why.

1 A/D/P Bad news is psychologically stronger than good news.

2 A/D/P The news has been getting more negative over time.

3 A/D/P I sometimes feel like the world is spiraling out of control.

HARVARD PROFESSOR MAKES Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2023. For use only with license.
THE CASE FOR OPTIMISM Harvard Professor Makes The Case For Optimism (C1)
PAGE 2

PREVIEW DISCUSSION

What can people do individually and collectively

in order to be more optimistic and improve
humanity and the world?

VIEWING ACTIVITY
How does Steven Pinker describe each of the following topics? Match each topic to
PART 1
the description on the right. (0:33 - 1:21)

0:33 1 Reading negative news everyday can feel a. getting more negative.
0:49 2 When things go wrong in the world, it’s b. crushing.
0:54 3 When things go right in the world, often it’s c. nothing.

1:12 4 The major news outlets have been d. improving.
1:18 5 The objective state of the world has been e. gripping.

PART 2 Write at least 3 topics/facts we should be optimistic about based on data (1:21 - 2:01).

1 2 3

True or False: Having a sunny disposition, wearing rose-colored glasses, or seeing

PART 3
the glass as half full aren’t needed in order to acknowledge the world’s progress. (2:01)

Write the missing word endings Steven says in his tips on how we can improve the
PART 4
world. How similar were your ideas in the Preview Discussion?

2:34 1 First of all, be humble. None of us is in , none of us is

omniscient. We’ve got to learn from our mistakes.

2:41 2 Second, have some rational confidence. Many things have gotten better
thanks to the confidence of people in the past. That should em
us to try to solve the formidable problems facing us now.

2:54 3 Third, have a problem-solving mindset. Don’t begin by looking at who to

blame, who the evildoers are, whose fault it is. Things naturally fall apart.
Problems are in , but problems are solvable.
 VIEWING FOLLOW-UP Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2023. For use only with license.
Harvard Professor Makes The Case For Optimism (C1)
PAGE 3

PART 1 Discuss the questions below.

1 Does this video make you more optimistic about humanity? Why or why not?
2 Which news outlets do you follow and why? How optimistic are they?
3 How do you think news outlets can create stories that are optimistic, but also
gripping? How often do you read these types of stories?

Below are some adjectives that generally have optimistic or positive connotations.
PART 2
Match these adjectives in the box with their synonyms/short definitions below.

exhilarating | uplifting | emboldening | perplexing

groundbreaking | enlightening | heartwarming

1 making you feel cheerful, hopeful, or inspired

2 educational, informative, or instructional
3 innovative, revolutionary, or cutting-edge
4 lovable, sweet, or cute
5 making you feel brave, confident, or empowered
6 stimulating, intriguing, or piquing your curiosity
7 thrilling, exciting, or giving you adrenaline

Choose an adjective from Part 2 that could be used to describe each news story
PART 3
below. You may use each adjective more than once. Then compare/contrast your
choices with a classmate/your teacher.

1 Acrobatic Pilots Stun Crowds with Gravity-Defying Stunts

2 Tips for Mastering the Art of Productive Time Management
3 Global Efforts to Combat Climate Change Gain Momentum
4 Scientists Achieve Quantum Computing Milestone
5 Cancer Survivor Climbs Mount Everest, Defying the Odds
6 Adorable Therapy Dogs Bring Comfort to Hospital Patients
7 Giant Rubber Duck Mysteriously Appears in City Harbor

Discuss: Which news story above would you want to read the most? Why?
OPTIMISTIC NEWS HEADLINES Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2023. For use only with license.
Harvard Professor Makes The Case For Optimism (C1)
PAGE 4

STEP 1: WRITE NEWS HEADLINES

• Choose 3 adjectives below. Don’t show your classmate/teacher which ones you chose.
• Write optimistic and gripping news headlines that could be described by each
adjective you chose.

exhilarating | uplifting | emboldening | perplexing

groundbreaking | enlightening | heartwarming

ADJECTIVE: ADJECTIVE: ADJECTIVE:

1 2 3

STEP 2: READ OUT LOUD & GUESS

• Work with a classmate/your teacher.

• Take turns reading your news headlines out loud.
• Guess the adjectives your classmate/teacher chose to describe their headlines.
• Check your guesses with your classmate’s/teacher’s actual choices. Which did you
guess correctly/incorrectly?

STEP 3: MOST GRIPPING?

• Look at your classmate’s/teacher’s headlines and show yours.

• Which of your classmate’s/teacher’s headlines do you think is the most gripping?
Explain why.
QUIZ & REVIEW ACTIVITY Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2023. For use only with license.
Harvard Professor Makes The Case For Optimism (C1)
PAGE 5

PART 1 Finish each sentence below based on Steven Pinker’s ideas.

1 Reading negative news everyday can feel .

2 When things go wrong in the world, it’s .
3 When things go right in the world, often it’s .
4 The major news outlets have been .
5 The objective state of the world has beens .

PART 2 Answer the questions below about the video.

1 What are some topics/facts we should be optimistic about based on data?

2 What does Steven say about having a sunny disposition, wearing rose-colored
glasses, or seeing the glass as half full?

3 What tips does Steven give on how we can improve the world?

Discuss/Write at least 4 adjectives you studied in the lesson that convey optimistic/
PART 3
positive connotations. Then give some short definitions/synonyms for each one.

ADJECTIVES DEFINITIONS/SYNONYMS

LESSON REFLECTION:

Discuss the topics below about the lesson.

1 Did you learn or use any new vocabulary or phrases in this lesson? If so, what?
2 Did you learn anything new about the world, humanity, or the news?
3 What did you enjoy about the lesson?
4 Is there anything you found difficult about the lesson?