PREPARE 3 - UNIT 5: SCHOOL

​A. biology
B. chemistry
C. drama
D. science
​E. geography

F. foreign languages
G. ICT
H. design and technology
I. PE​
J. history

K. maths
L. physics

​ In international tests of maths, science and reading, students in Finland do well. This is good news! But when you look more carefully at the schools, it's not easy to explain. Finnish students don't start school until they are seven years old. The school day is short, about five hours, and there are only three or four classes a day. Students don't have much homework and there are no exams. So, why don't they do badly in tests? Perhaps something else can explain it.

​ There is another unusual feature of schools in Finland. For most of us, the school timetable is a list of subjects, for example ICT, history, foreign languages, geography, with one lesson following another. But some experts believe our brains work in a different way. They say our brains don't divide our learning into subjects. Our brains learn better when they get new information in context. This is why some Finnish schools don't teach subjects separately. Instead, they give students a project, such as 'the weather', and then bring school subjects into the project.

​ So how do some experts believe we learn most easily? Here's an example of a project with a class of 12-year-olds. Students watch a video re-enactment of the end of the city of Pompeii. Then on their laptops they compare ancient Italy under the Romans with modern Finland. Groups look at different parts of the topic and then share their ideas. They also use 3D printers to make a tiny Roman building. Later, they use the pieces of the building for a game. This project includes history, ICT, and design and technology.

​1. At what age do Finnish students go to school?


2. How long are they at school every day?

3. Do students have any homework?

4. Do subject words appear on all school timetables?

5. How do some experts think our brains work?

6. In Finland, do students

a. complete a project at the same time as they learn school subjects, or

b. study school subjects and then complete a project?

7. What subjects do students learn when they do the project on Pompeii?

​1. At what age do Finnish students go to school?
-> They start at the age of 7.
2. How long are they at school every day?

-> For about five hours.
3. Do students have any homework?

-> They have a little.
4. Do subject words appear on all school timetables?
-> Yes, they do.

5. How do some experts think our brains work?

-> They think our brains understand better when knowledge is connected.

6. In Finland, do students

a. complete a project at the same time as they learn school subjects, or

7. What subjects do students learn when they do the project on Pompeii?
-> History, ICT, design and technology.

1. Which are your favourite subjects?

2. Which subjects don't you enjoy as much?

3. Which subjects are you best at?

1. In international tests of maths, science and reading, students in Finland do well.

2. When you look more carefully at the schools, it's not easy to explain.

3. So, why don't they do badly in tests?

4. Do students learn better when the school day is shorter?

5. When there is no exam, do students study hard?

6. Do students learn more efficiently when they study subjects or when they study a topic?

7. So, how do some experts believe we learn the most easily?

Answers

• Simple adverbs: well, badly, hard

• Comparative adverbs: more carefully, better, more efficiently

• Superlative adverbs: the most easily

​hard hard the hardest

​easier more easily the most easily

​efficient more efficiently the most efficiently

​careful carefully more carefully

​better

​well

​good

​badly

1. You speak English really good.


2. I made friends much easier at my new school.

3. Drama classes helped me speak clearer and better.

4. Catch this bus and you can get more quickly home.

5. My brother likes best the music class.

1. You speak English really good.
-> You speak English very well
2. I made friends much easier at my new school.

-> I made friends much more easily at my new school
3. Drama classes helped me speak clearer and better.

-> Drama classes helped me speak more clearly and better.
4. Catch this bus and you can get more quickly home.

-> Catch this bus and you can get home more quickly.
5. My brother likes best the music class.

-> My brother likes the music class the best.

​ 31 July 2018
A few years ago, I wasn't very happy at school and I wasn't doing well in tests. So, when I was eight, Mum and Dad decided to teach me at home.

Homeschooling - great, I thought! I could stay in bed all day! Well, it wasn't quite like that! My parents found out what I needed to learn. Sometimes I had lessons, but most of the time I studied things I liked and found interesting. That's how homeschooling works best.

My favourite hobby was playing computer games, so, with Dad's help, I began to write my own computer programs. But I liked making models too, and for that I needed... maths! At school, maths was boring, but now it was useful for making my models. I made a model boat and I needed to understand science and maths to do that-oh, and design and technology too!

So were there any bad things about homeschooling? Not really. I missed my friends, but I saw them at weekends and we talked about school! They told me about their week at school, and I told them about mine. Mine always seemed more fun to me. Some weeks I studied more than they did. Other weeks I didn't study much at all. And I never had homework!

I'm 15 now, and I'm back at school because I need to take exams. I don't mind. It's nice to study with my friends again.

​1. Read Clarissa's blog quickly. Where is she studying now, at home or at school?
Answers:
At school

​1. Why did Clarissa's parents teach her at home?

A. Her parents didn't like her school.

B. She was too old for her school.

C. She was having problems at school.

2. What does Clarissa say about homeschooling in the second paragraph?

A. She only learned what her parents told her to.

B. She chose what she wanted to learn.

C. She studied in bed a lot of the time.

3. Clarissa preferred doing maths at home because

A. her dad was able to explain it to her.

B. it helped her do things she enjoyed.

C. she had more time to spend on it.

4. What was the difference between Clarissa's and her friends' school experiences?

A. Clarissa didn't have to do any homework.

B. Clarissa always had more work to do than they did.

C. Her friends enjoyed themselves more.

5. What does Clarissa say about homeschooling in her blog?

A. It's important to have daily lessons.

B. It's hard to find time to see friends.

C. Learning doesn't always have to come from books.

​1. Why did Clarissa's parents teach her at home?

A. Her parents didn't like her school.

B. She was too old for her school.

C. She was having problems at school.

2. What does Clarissa say about homeschooling in the second paragraph?

A. She only learned what her parents told her to.

B. She chose what she wanted to learn.

C. She studied in bed a lot of the time.

Answers
3. Clarissa preferred doing maths at home because

A. her dad was able to explain it to her.

B. it helped her do things she enjoyed.

C. she had more time to spend on it.

4. What was the difference between Clarissa's and her friends' school experiences?

A. Clarissa didn't have to do any homework.

B. Clarissa always had more work to do than they did.

C. Her friends enjoyed themselves more.

5. What does Clarissa say about homeschooling in her blog?

A. It's important to have daily lessons.

B. It's hard to find time to see friends.

C. Learning doesn't always have to come from books.

​a. carry
b. make
c. do
d. study
​e. go along
f. use
g. catch

​a. take an umbrella

b. take photos or pictures

c. take exams

d. take a subject

e. take the second turning

f. take medicine

g. take a train

2. Which ............................................ do I need take to get to the park from here? The one on the left or the one on the right?

3. What extra ............................................ would you like to take at school?

4. Have you taken any ............................................ today with your new camera? How many?

5. When was the first time you took a ............................................ to go somewhere? Were you on holiday?

6. Do you usually take ............................................ when you are ill?

7. How do you feel when you take an .............................................. at the end of the school year?

2. Which ......turning...... do I need take to get to the park from here? The one on the left or the one on the right?

3. What extra ........subject......... would you like to take at school?

4. Have you taken any .......photos........... today with your new camera? How many?

5. When was the first time you took a .......train........... to go somewhere? Were you on holiday?

6. Do you usually take ........medicine........... when you are ill?

7. How do you feel when you take an ........exam........ at the end of the school year?

A boy called Ethan is talking about his experience of schooling.
What phrase does Ethan use for the education he had on the trip?

A boy called Ethan is talking about his experience of schooling.
What phrase does Ethan use for the education he had on the trip?

2. Ethan's mum left her job because she wanted to see the world.

3. Ruth and Ethan were homeschooled before they went travelling.

4. Ethan's parents didn't tell anyone else about their plans.

6. Ruth and Ethan do a lot of different things when they are travelling.

7. Ethan's parents wanted him to go back to school.

8. Ethan says he works harder at school than he did when he was world schooled.

2. Ethan's mum left her job because she wanted to see the world. ✗

-> Ethan's mum lost her job

3. Ruth and Ethan were homeschooled before they went travelling. ✗

-> Ruth and Ethan went to an ordinary school before they went travelling.

4. Ethan's parents didn't tell anyone else about their plans. ✗
-> Their family and neighbours thought Ethan's mum and dad were mad so they must have told them.

6. Ruth and Ethan do a lot of different things when they are travelling. ✓

7. Ethan's parents wanted him to go back to school. ✗

-> Ethan wanted to go back to school.

8. Ethan says he works harder at school than he did when he was world schooled. ✗
-> Ethan says he worked much harder when he was travelling

1. Would you like to be 'world schooled?

2. Would your parents be good teachers?

3. Which parts of the world would you like to visit?

4. What would you miss about your school?

​1. Where is the school?

2. What lessons do you have?

3. How many students are there?

4. Who are the teachers?

5. Do you have homework?

​6. How many lessons do you have in a day/week?

7. How long are the school days/holidays?

8. Do you wear a uniform?

9. What's the food like?

10. Do you sleep there?

11. What makes your school better than other schools?

​1. Where is the school?

2. What lessons do you have?

3. How many students are there?

4. Who are the teachers?

5. Do you have homework?

​4. Put the words in the correct order to make sentences.

​5. Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

​5. Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

​ Brooklyn Free School has one part for students aged 11-18 and one for students aged 4-11. Students in both parts choose the subjects they take, never do homework and don't have to take exams or tests. And if they're not enjoying a chemistry lesson, for example, they can walk out, or go to the students' room and read a book. Three younger kids were doing this when I went in there on my visit. Other examples of subjects on the timetable are writing films and building design - a very popular subject.

​ Some people think this kind of school is a bad idea. They don't think it teaches students the things they'll need when they grow up. They also think the school's only for people who have lots of money. But actually, only 20% of the students pay the whole cost of being at the school.

​ But Marlon found it hard when he started at the school. It took more than a year for him to feel comfortable there. He played computer games in the students' room for most of that first year. Now he enjoys classes and says he wouldn't like to go to school anywhere else.

​ 2. For each question, choose the correct answer.

​ 2. For each question, choose the correct answer.

​ 2. For each question, choose the correct answer.