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Teacher:
Good afternoon, dear students and our guests! I am glad to see you here at our educational event. As you have already guessed we shall speak about the United States of America. What do we know about it? A lot of everything including some geographical facts, the popular symbols of America such as Statue of Liberty, New York and Los Angeles and, of course, Hollywood. But preparing this program we decided to show this country from different sides.
Image of a computer presentation about USA.
Teacher:
Now let me introduce the participants of our event, the students who love and have a good command of English, and of course know much about this beautiful country and meeting with native speakers, a Peace Corps volunteer from the USA D.Vilyams. I hope we are ready to begin. So, meet Oleh and Julia.
Page №1. «The geographical position of the USA».
Oleh:
You
know that the USA is the richest and one of the most developed
countries of the world.
Julia:
The territory of the USA consists of three separate parts. The USA proper and Alaska are situated in North America. The Hawaii are situated in the central part of the Pacific Ocean.
Oleh:
The USA borders on two countries — Canada in the North and Mexico in the South.
Julia:
This country has a lot of mountains, rivers and lakes. The largest rivers of the USA are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Columbia, The Colorado and the Yukon. The Great Lakes are situated in the north-east of the country.
Oleh:
The USA has rich deposits of coal, oil, iron, copper, silver, phosphate rock, natural gas, uranium and non-ferrous metals.
Julia:
The USA is a country of highly developed industry and agriculture. The main industrial centers are Chicago and Detroit, with their greatest automobile company "General motors".
Oleh:
In the country there are many farms with various agricultural products. Grain, fruit and vegetables are grown on numerous fields especially in the South.
Julia:
New-York is the largest city of the USA, but the capital of the country is Washington DC. The other large cities are San Francisco, Los-Angeles, Detroit, Chicago and Dallas. The main cities are located on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
Oleh:
I know that it is a very green and peaceful city without much industry. Most of the people in Washington work for the government and there are a lot of government offices there.
Julia:
It's interesting that in Washington, the streets which go from east to west are named after the letters of the alphabet. And the streets that go from north and south are numbered. The longest and the biggest streets are named after Americans states.
Oleh:
One of the most beautiful places in Washington is the White House, where the President lives and works. There are 132 rooms there. Visitors can see the library, the Red Room, The Blue Room and The Green Room there. The old furniture there is fantastic!
Julia:
There are a lot of other beautiful places where you can relax and enjoy yourself, or learn about history.
Oleh:
There are some questions for you.
Julia:
They can help us to check your knowledge about the USA.
Oleh:
The student who will be the first to give the correct answer to the question will get present.
What sight can be seen both, in Canada and the USA? (Niagara Fall)
Who and when discovered America? (Columbus in 1492)
Who is the President of the USA now? (Barak Obama)
How do they call an American flag? (Stars and Stripes)
How many stripes are there on the US flag? (13)
What ocean doesn’t wash the USA? (The Indian Ocean)
Where is the Statue of Liberty situated? ( New York)
When is Thanksgiving Day celebrated in America? (4th Thursday in November)
Which state joined the USA last? ( Hawaii)
Which of the Kennedy brothers, John or Robert, became the US president? (John Kennedy)
Name the famous American writer, author of Tom Sawyer Adventures. (Mark Twain)
When did the United States declare its independence? (July, 4, 1776)
What is the tallest building in Washington? (The Capitol)
What state was named after American president? ( Washington)
What is the biggest state among 50 states in the USA? ( Alaska)
What mountains are not situated on the territory of the USA: the Cordilleras, the Rocky Mountains, the Cumbrian Mountains? (the Cumbrian Mountains)
What was the name of the famous ship which took first colonists from England to America in 1620? (“Mayflower”)
What is the Statue of Liberty by nationality? ( the French)
What is the population of the USA: about 300 mln, 250 mln, 52mln? (300mln)
What city is the biggest by population: Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington or Detroit? ( Los Angeles )
Julia:
The round is over. Thank you very much dear participants.
Video about USA.
Teacher:
There are a lot of holidays in the USA. Many of them are associated with the history of the nation. There are also some holidays that have come from the old colonial days. The main holidays of the USA are New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. Listening some of them.
Page №2. «Holidays of the USA».
Student 1.
July 4th — Independence Day
On July, 4, 1776, a group of Americans representing the thirteen British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America signed a document stating that these colonies had the right to be free and independent.
This document is known as the Declaration of Independence.
July 4 is celebrated by Americans as a national holiday — Independence Day.
There is a building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is called Independence Hall.
Here the Declaration was signed. On the building there is the famous Liberty Bell which rang to tell people in the streets that a new country had been born.
But Britain did not recognise this fact until 1783, when the American colonists were victorious in the war of Independence with Britain. June, 14 is Flag Day in the USA. On that day in 1777, the Americans adopted their own flag. No one really knows who sewed the American flag but many Americans believe that it was made by Betsy Ross in her own home. You can see Betsy Ross sewing the flag on an American stamp.
Student 2.
Thanksgiving Day
Eight other holidays are uniquely American.
For
most Americans, two of those sand out above the others as occasions
to cherish national origins:
Thanksgiving Day and the 4th of July, Thanksgiving Day is the fourth
Thursday in November, but many Americans take a day of vacation on the following Friday to make a four-day weekend, during which they may travel long distances to visit family Rand friends.
The holiday dates back to 1621, the year after the Puritans arrived in Massachusetts, determined to practise their dissenting religion without interference.
After a rough winter, іn which about half of them died, they turned for help to neighbouring Indians, who taught I them how to plant com and other crops.
The next fall's bountiful harvest inspired the Pilgrims to gіve thanks by holding a feast. The Thanksgiving feast became a national tradition — not only because so many other Americans have found prosperity but also because the Pilgrims' sacrifices for their freedom still captivate the imagination. To this day, Thanksgiving dinner almost always includes some of the foods served at the first feast: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, pumpkin pie.
Before the meal begins, families or friends usually pause to give thanks for their blessings, including the joy of being united for the occasion.
Student 3.
Mother's Day
Mother's Day comes on the second Sunday In May.
It is a day when Americans honour their mothers.
It is not a national holiday.
Mothers Day is an American national observance in honour of motherhood. The holiday, suggested by Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, was set by an act of Congress in 1914 for annual celebration.
It is also observed in England and Germany.
In 1907, the day was celebrated in a church in Philadelphia, Pensylvania.
A member of that church planned the Sunday morning service to honour her own mother.
More and more churches in cities and states set aside the day to honour mothers.
Since 1914, the whole country has observed Mother's day.
Most mothers like to celebrate the day with family reunions.
Many people send their mothers a card or a gift.
Some people take their mothers to a restaurant for dinner. It is a custom to wear a red or pink flower if one's mother is living. It is the custom to wear a white flower if one's mother is dead.
Student 4.
Memorial Day
Memorial
Day is observed on the last Monday of May. It was formally known as
Decoration Day and commemorates all men and women, who have died in
military service for the United States. Many people visit cemeteries
and memorials on Memorial Day and it is traditionally seen as the
start of the summer season.
Memorial Day remembers those who died serving the United States military.
It is traditional to fly the flag of the United States at half mast from dawn until noon. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries. Memorial Day is combined with Jefferson Davis' Birthday in Mississippi.
Memorial Day has become less of an occasion of remembrance. Many people choose to hold picnics, sports events and family gatherings on this weekend. This day is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season for cultural events. For the fashion conscious, it is seen as acceptable to wear white clothing, particularly shoes from Memorial Day until Labor Day. However, fewer and fewer people follow this rule and many wear white clothing throughout the year.
Memorial Day is a federal holiday. All non-essential Government offices are closed, as are schools, businesses and other organizations. Most public transit systems do not run on their regular schedule. Many people see Memorial Day weekend as an opportunity to go on a short vacation or visit family or friends. This can cause some congestion on highways and at airports.
Memorial Day started as an event to honor Union soldiers, who had died during the American Civil War. It was inspired by the way people in the Southern states honored their dead. After World War I, it was extended to include all men and women, who died in any war or military action.
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. The current name for this day did not come into use until after World War II. Decoration Day and then Memorial Day used to be held on May 30, regardless of the day of the week, on which it fell. In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed as part of a move to use federal holidays to create three-day weekends. This meant that that, from 1971, Memorial Day holiday has been officially observed on the last Monday in May. However, it took a longer period for all American states to recognize the new date.
Student 5.
Halloween
On October 31, Halloween (the evening before All Saints), American children dress up in funny or scary costumes and go "trick or treating": knocking at doors in their neighbourhood.
The neighbours are expected to respond by giving them small gifts of candies or money.
Adults may also dress in costumes for Halloween parties.
People usually put pumpkins on the window-sills.
They cut nose, eyes and mouth on the pumpkin and put the candles into them.
Video about USA.
Teacher:
You know what in the USA there many famous people are and now will listen to some pieces of information about them. Are you ready to start? Good luck then!
Page №3. «Famous people of the USA».
Student 1.
Lincoln
was
born in the family of a poor farmer and had to work much. He become a
lawyer and always tried to use the law to defend people. In 1846 he
was elected to Congress.
In 1860 he became the president of the USA. In 1864 he was elected the President again. But a year later he was killed by his enemies in a theatre in Washington. This name was given to a brand of Motor Company. It had a long history of providing official state limousines for the U.S. President. The first car specially built for Presidential use was called the "Sunshine Special" used by Franklin Roosevelt.
Student 2.
Einstein is one of the brilliant and the most famous physicists. He was born in Germany. He attended a Munich elementary school where he showed an interest in science and mathematics but did bad in other subjects. He finished high school and Technical College in Switzerland. In 1940 he became an American citizen.
In 1916 he published his general theory of relativity. Television and other inventions are practical applications of his discoveries. In 1922 he was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics.
He published over 300 scientific works and over 150 non-scientific works.
He
presented his famous formula E=m
,
known as the energy-mass relation.
Student 3.
Britney
Spears
was
only 17 when she reached #1 on the U.S. pop music charts with her
1999 debut album. She is one of America's biggest pop stars, and she
became a near-constant presence on MTV, radio broadcasts and magazine
covers around the world.
She married Kevin Federline, a professional dancer. They had two sons. But she filed for divorce in November of 2006. During 2007 she was in the gossip columns on a weekly basis and made headlines by shaving her head, entering rehab and, after repeated missteps with the courts.
Her second album, Oops...I Did It Again, was released in May of 2000 and went gold in its first week.
Student 4.
Angelina Jolly was born in the family of actors. And in 1999 she won an Oscar for her supporting role as a troubled mental patient.
She has become famous for her charitable impulses: she was named a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees in 2001. She adopted a Cambodian boy, Maddox (in 2002), a daughter born in Ethiopia (in 2005), and a boy from Vietnam, (in 2007).
She sealed her international fame by playing the video game heroine Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (2001) and Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life (2003). She and Brad Pitt starred in the action film Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2005.
Student 5.
Michael Jordan is a famous sportsman. His deal with Nike led to the creation of the popular athletic shoes…He starred with Bugs Bunny in the 1996 feature film Space Jam... In October of 1993 he stunned his fans by retiring from basketball and beginning a professional baseball career.
He wore uniform number 23... With him, the Chicago Bulls won three more championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998. He retired and returned to basketball several times.
He was the dominant basketball player in the world during the 1990s. He won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award five times, and six times led the Chicago Bulls to the league championship.
Teacher:
Now you meeting with native speakers, a Peace Corps volunteer from the USA D.Vilyams.
Volunteer’s story about her country.
Video about USA.
Teacher:
And now let's spend the visual guided tour of USA, visit the points of interest of the country.
Page №4. «The points of interest of the USA».
Student stories about the points of interest.
The United States Capitol, Golden Gate Bridge, The White House, The Washington Monument, The Lincoln Memorial, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Niagara Fall, Disneyland Park
Teacher:
Thank all of you! Good-buy!
Додаток №3.