Famous People Lessons: English Lesson on Barack Obama

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America. The Senator for Illinois made history on November 4 when he won the presidential election. He is the first African American to win the race for the White House. Obama’s charisma, intelligence, and powerful speeches have made him extremely popular with many Americans. He has been very successful with his message for change.

Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961 to a black Kenyan father and white American mother. His parents divorced and his mother married an Indonesian man. Barack’s family moved to Indonesia in 1967. He attended schools in Jakarta until he was ten years old, when he returned to Hawaii. Obama majored in political science and international relations at Columbia University in New York.

After four years in New York, Obama moved to Chicago. There, he worked as the director of a community project from 1985 to 1988. He entered Harvard Law School and became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. Obama taught law at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years. He became an Illinois Senator in 1996.

Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. He became the fifth African-American Senator in U.S. history. He supported legislation on conservation, energy, immigration and honest leadership. In November 2008, he defeated John McCain in a very hard-fought battle. Obama is currently battling with serious issues such as the economy, the global credit crisis and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

250 words

SYNONYM MATCH

Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?

Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.	United States of America	a.	very
2	charisma	b.	relocated
3.	extremely	c.	charm
4.	divorced	d.	went to
5.	moved	e.	the States
6.	attended	f.	separated
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	project	g.	lectured in
8.	entered	h.	laws
9.	taught	i.	programme
10.	legislation	j.	presently
11	defeated	k	enrolled in
12	currently	l	beat

PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article.

1.	Barack Obama is the 44^th President	a.	him extremely popular
2	the first African American to win the	b.	hard-fought battle
3.	powerful speeches have made	c.	in U.S. history
4.	Barack’s family moved	d.	of the United States
5.	Obama majored in political science	e.	with serious issues
6.	he worked as the director	f.	race for the White House
7.	the first black president of the	g.	to Indonesia in 1967
8.	the fifth African-American Senator	h.	Harvard Law Review
9.	He defeated John McCain in a very	i.	and international relations
10.	Obama is currently battling	j.	of a community project

LISTENING GAP FILL

Barack Obama is ___________________ the United States of America. The Senator for Illinois made history on November 4 when he won the presidential election. He is the first African American to win the race for the White House. Obama’s ___________________, and powerful speeches have ___________________ popular with many Americans. He has been very successful with ___________________.

Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961 to a black Kenyan father and white American mother. ___________________ and his mother married an Indonesian man. Barack’s ________________ Indonesia in 1967. He ___________________ Jakarta until he was ten years old, when he returned to Hawaii. Obama ___________________ science and international relations at Columbia University in New York.

___________________ New York, Obama moved to Chicago. There, he worked as the director of ___________________ from 1985 to 1988. He entered Harvard Law School and became the first ___________________ the Harvard Law Review. Obama ___________________ University of Chicago Law School for twelve years. He became an Illinois Senator in 1996.

Obama ___________________ U.S. Senate in 2004. He became the fifth African-American Senator in U.S. history. He supported legislation on conservation, energy, immigration ___________________. In November 2008, he defeated John McCain in ____________________ battle. Obama is currently battling with serious issues such as the economy, ____________________ and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs in italics.

Barack Obama is the 44^th President of / in the United States of America. The Senator for Illinois made historian / history on November 4 when he won the presidential election. He is the first African American to win / beat the race for the White House. Obama’s charisma, intelligence, and powerful speeches have made him extremely popular with many Americans. He has been very successful with his message for change / chance.

Obama was birth / born in Hawaii in 1961 to a black Kenyan father and white American mother. His parents divorce / divorced and his mother married an Indonesian man. Barack’s family moved to Indonesia in 1967. He attended schools in Jakarta until / then he was ten years old, when he returned to Hawaii. Obama majored in political science / scientists and international relations at Columbia University in New York.

After four years in New York, Obama moved to Chicago. Where, / There, he worked as the director of a community project from 1985 to 1988. He entered / entering Harvard Law School and became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. Obama taught lawyer / law at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years. He became an Illinois Senator at / in 1996.

Obama was / has elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. He became the five / fifth African-American Senator in U.S. history. He supported legislation on conservation, energy / energetic, immigration and honest leadership. In November 2008, he defeated John McCain in a very hard-fought / -fight campaign battle. Obama is currently battling with serious issues such as the economy, the global credit / debit crisis and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

SPELLING:

These jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	the ersnedtPi of the United States
2.	presidential noeeltci
3.	Obama’s rsaamhci, intelligence, and powerful speeches
4.	his sseeamg for change
Paragraph 2
5.	His parents iddrvoec
6.	He enadettd schools in Jakarta
7.	he eretndur to Hawaii
8.	international iaentosrl
Paragraph 3
9.	drceitro of a community project
10.	He neteerd Harvard Law School
11.	Obama tgauht law
12.	ltewev years
Paragraph 4
13.	U.S. iyosrht
14.	esnhot leadership
15.	a very hard-fought tabtel
16.	battling with serious esuiss

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	science and international relations at Columbia University in New York.
( )	Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961 to a black Kenyan father and white American mother. His parents divorced and
( )	taught law at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years. He became an Illinois Senator in 1996.
( 1 )	Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America. The Senator for Illinois made history on
( )	November 4 when he won the presidential election. He is the first African American to win the race for the White House. Obama’s
( )	his mother married an Indonesian man. Barack’s family moved to Indonesia in 1967. He attended schools in Jakarta
( )	charisma, intelligence, and powerful speeches have made him extremely popular
( )	history. He supported legislation on conservation, energy, immigration and honest leadership. In November 2008,
( )	battling with serious issues such as the global credit crunch and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
( )	until he was ten years old, when he returned to Hawaii. Obama majored in political
( )	Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. He became the fifth African-American Senator in U.S.
( )	with many Americans. He has been very successful with his message for change.
( )	1985 to 1988. He entered Harvard Law School and became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. Obama
( )	After four years in New York, Obama moved to Chicago. There, he worked as the director of a community project from
( )	he defeated John McCain in a very hard-fought battle. Obama is currently

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With your partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	is States the President America of the Obama United of 44th
2.	to the the the African-American for race House win White first
3.	his with successful very been has He message
4.	family to in Barack’s moved Indonesia 1967
5.	Obama political majored science in
6.	as community the project director he of worked a
7.	He an Senator 1996 became Illinois in
8.	2004 in Senate U.S. the to elected was Obama
9.	legislation conservation on supported He
10.	a defeated hard- in John fought battle very he McCain

BARACK OBAMA DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	What do you know about Barack Obama?
2.	Would you like to meet Barack Obama?
3.	What would you like to know about Barack Obama and why?
4.	___________________________________________________
5.	___________________________________________________
6.	___________________________________________________
7.	___________________________________________________
8.	___________________________________________________

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STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	What did you learn from this text about Barack Obama?
2.	What questions would you like to ask Barack Obama?
3.	What would his answers be to those questions?
4.	___________________________________________________
5.	___________________________________________________
6.	___________________________________________________
7.	___________________________________________________
8.	___________________________________________________

BARACK OBAMA SURVEY

Write five questions about Barack Obama in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out. Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about Barack Obama for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Barack Obama. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. BARACK OBAMA POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of Barack Obama. Show your poster to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Barack Obama. Include an imaginary interview with him. Write about what he does every day and what he thinks about.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Barack Obama. Ask him three questions about his life. Give him three suggestions on what he should do in his future. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your “Barack Obama expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH:

Paragraphs 1 and 2

1.	United States of America	a.	the States
2	charisma	b.	charm
3.	extremely	c.	very
4.	divorced	d.	separated
5.	moved	e.	relocated
6.	attended	f.	went to

Paragraphs 3 and 4

7.	project	g.	programme
8.	entered	h.	enrolled in
9.	taught	i.	lectured in
10.	legislation	j.	laws
11	defeated	k	beat
12	currently	l	presently

PHRASE MATCH:

1.	Barack Obama is the 44^th President	a.	of the United States
2	the first African American to win the	b.	race for the White House
3.	powerful speeches have made	c.	him extremely popular
4.	Barack’s family moved	d.	to Indonesia in 1967
5.	Obama majored in political science	e.	and international relations
6.	he worked as the director	f.	of a community project
7.	the first black president of the	g.	Harvard Law Review
8.	the fifth African-American Senator	h.	in U.S. history
9.	He defeated John McCain in a very	i.	hard-fought battle
10.	Obama is currently battling	j.	with serious issues

ALL OTHER EXERCISES

Look at the text on page 2.

Famous People Lessons.com English Lesson Plan on Barack Obama