Learning English with CBCListening Lessons for Intermediate StudentsBased on CBC Manitoba Radio Broadcasts

February 16, 2010

Lesson 55: Self Study Edition

Level: CLB 7/8 and upTopic: Telling Stories About Human RightsLanguage Skills and Functions: Listening – listening to a short interview for detail;

listening to a video for inferenceSpeaking – participating in a group discussionReading – scanning a fact sheet for detailWriting – writing a personal story

Language Competencies: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Listening and Speaking Strategies, Socio-cultural/sociolinguistic Competence

Language Tasks: Answer questions about the meaning and significance of human rights

Listen for detail to a radio interview with Angela Cassie of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights on the Museum's search for stories

Listen to/View a video about the Museum for inference

Scan a fact sheet on the Museum construction for detail

Express opinions and give suggestions about what should be in the Museum exhibits

Pre-write/draft and revise a personal story on a human rights experience

Essential Skills: Reading text, thinking skills, oral communication, writing, numeracy

Appendices: Transcript of the podcastCanadian Museum of Human Rights Construction Facts and FiguresAnswers to Worksheets

Attention students: You will need to print the lesson to be able to complete the activities.

Manitoba Memo

Until the year 2000, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights was only an idea in the mind of Winnipeg businessman and philanthropist Dr. Izzy Asper.

Dr. Asper had been involved in human rights issues and human rights education for many years. He got the idea for a Canadian Museum of Human Rights from the Human Rights and Holocaust Education Program run by his family's Foundation. High school students from across Canada have participated in this education program since 1997. The program culminates with a trip to the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. Students who complete the program commit to not be indifferent to human rights issues and they promise to take personal responsibility for the advancement of human rights.

The program had such a powerful impact on the students who participated that Dr. Asper began to dream about a museum where students could be inspired by Canadian human rights heroes and heroines, by events in Canadian history and by the human rights stories of Canadians from all walks of life.

Dr. Asper, or Izzy as most people called him, succeeded in getting many people interested in his vision for the Museum. But when he died in 2003, the Museum was still a long way from being a reality. His daughter Gail Asper continued to work non-stop to see her father's dream come true. Today, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights is under construction at The Forks in Winnipeg and Canadians are being asked what kinds of stories the Museum should tell.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is a very unique project. It's Canada's first human rights museum. It's funded by three levels of government and the private sector. It's located in Western Canada. And its mandate is different from other Canadian museums. As the Museum brochure states:

Most museums celebrate the past. This museum will change the future.

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Background

1. Think about and the following questions

What is a human right? Can you think of some examples of human rights?

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt your human rights were being violated, or where you felt discriminated against? What was the situation?

Who do think has a stronger record in protecting human rights, your home country or Canada, or is there little difference? Why do you think that?

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights says that while most museums celebrate the past, this museum will change the future. What role do you think a Museum of Human Rights can play in promoting and protecting human rights? For example, do you think a Museum can make people more aware of times when human rights have not been respected?

2. Vocabulary

Before you listen, here is some of the vocabulary you need to know to further develop your background knowledge. If you need to, you can look up words you are less familiar with in an English Language Learners Dictionary.

VocabularyCanadian Museum of Human Rights Canada's newest national museum. The Museum

will open its doors in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 2010.

(to) take shape When a physical structure is developed or begins to be built and people are able to get a sense of what it will look like. For example: The Museum building at The Forks is beginning to take shape and we can see that it appears to be a very large structure.

The expression is also used to describe an idea. For example: When Museum staff heard people's human rights stories, they began to think about what should be featured in the exhibits. Ideas began to take shape or develop in their minds.

(to) grow in size and scope To become larger and take up more space or area.

crisscross To travel back and forth across something. For example: Museum staff crisscrossed or went back and forth across Canada looking for human rights stories.

museum galleries The rooms in a museum where there are exhibits that are open to the public.

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point of view Someone's opinion, perspective or attitude.

full range A wide variety. For example: Museum staff heard a wide variety or full range of human rights stories.

first person account A way of telling a story where the writer or speaker is involved with the story. A first person account uses pronouns such as I, me, we and us.

to treat something To deal with something in a particular way. For example: The Museum needs to be careful how it treats, handles or deals with the human rights issues of people who cannot speak for themselves.

roundtable discussions Informal discussions in small groups that often take place around a table.

(to be) moving To be emotionally powerful. For example: The story she told was so emotionally powerful it moved her audience to tears.

(to) shoot video To use a video camera to film something.

exhibits Displays in public places. For example, art galleries and museums have exhibits or displays of their collections.

(to) document To write about, film or photograph something so there will a record of it for others to see and/or read.

(to) capture To describe or show a situation or event using pictures. For example: The exhibit on the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike captured or showed the emotion of the people who participated.

tools and resources at our disposal To have the things you need to do a job nearby and available for use. For example: The Museum had note takers, photographers and videographers at the round tables to ensure they could record and document what was said.

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3. Practice Vocabulary

The word or phrase in italics gives the meaning of the vocabulary listed below. Find the appropriate vocabulary word or phrase and complete the sentence. The first one is completed for you as an example.

1. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CHMR) building is beginning to take shape (become visible for everyone to see).

2. Museum personnel are _________________ (crossing back and forth) the country to hear what stories Canadians think should be told in the Museum _____________ (rooms where exhibits are displayed).

3. Canadians are participating in ______________________ (small discussion groups). Many are sharing ______________ (personal stories) of their own human rights experiences.

4. The Museum has heard a __________ (a wide variety of stories) of stories. Some of the stories are personal, but other stories are told from a different __________________ (a different perspective or viewpoint).

5. Some of the stories are really ________ (so emotionally powerful they could move someone to tears).

6. The Museum is _________ (recording what's happening using a video camera) a video /videos to ___________ (to preserve or keep a record or account of what happened) the stories people tell at the roundtable discussions.

roundtable discussions to take shape moving

document crisscrossing personal accounts

shooting Galleries point of view full range

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4. Predict what the podcast is about

In this interview, Marcy Markusa interviews Angela Cassie, Director of Communications for the Canadian Museum of Human Rights about the roundtable discussions the Museum is holding. The Museum is asking Manitobans what kinds of human rights stories should be in its galleries and exhibits. Ask students what kinds of stories they think the Museum might want people to share.

I think they'll want people to share ...personal stories. They may want people to share... stories about human rights experiences

in their home country.Perhaps they'll want to hear...stories about discrimination. Maybe they're interested in...stories about human rights heroes and heroines.I don't know what kinds of stories they'll want people to share.

5. Get ready to listen In this podcast, you will hear two speakers. They are:

Marcy Markusa – host and interviewerAngela Cassie – Director of Communications, Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Play the podcast for the first time.

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6. Listen for detail

Sometimes when we listen we are listening for the main ideas and for inference. Other times we are listening for detail so that we can understand specific points that are being made. Read the following questions. When you listen to the interview this time, listen for detail and underline or circle the correct answer. The first one is completed for you as an example.

1. The new Canadian Museum for Human Rights is being built at The Forks in Winnipeg.

True False

2. Canadians are being asked for input on what kinds of human rights stories the Museum should tell.

True False

3. The Museum is only interested in first person accounts and personal stories.

True False

4. All of the stories people tell will be used in the Museum exhibits.

True False

5. The stories people tell will also help inform the Museum's educational programming.

True False

6. The Museum exhibits will take up 4,700 square feet of space.

True False

7. To make sure it doesn't miss what people have to say, the Museum is using all of the tools and resources at its disposal to document the roundtable discussions.

True False

7. Listen for reductions

Reductions are spontaneous pronunciation changes in words or sounds. They are particularly common in English when people are speaking quickly. Two words or three words may sound like one word.

Angela Cassie uses a number of common reductions when she speaks, including the following:

Written English: What You See Spoken English - What You Hear

want to wannahave to haftayou know y'know

Reductions are used in spoken English but not in formal written English. Everyone uses them. Listen to the podcast again. Can you hear these reductions? You can use the transcript to help you find them.

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After you listen

a) Review your pre-listening predictions

Were you able to correctly predict the kinds of stories the Museum is looking for?

b) Listen to/View a Video about the Museum

The Friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights website has a video called Forever Changed. It's about 15 minutes and length. The video will give you an idea of what the Museum will look like and examples of how human rights stories will be told. Don't worry if you cannot understand everything said in the video!

The video can be found at: http://www.friendsofcmhr.com/media_gallery/Select full screen.

After viewing the video, think about following questions:

What do you think the title of the video means? Do you think it is an appropriate title?

What do you think the purpose of the video is? Who is the target audience? What kinds of emotions is the video hoping viewers and listeners will feel when

they watch it? Is there a particular image or story that you recall from the video? What is it?

Why do you think it had an impact or effect on you?

c) Scan a fact sheet for detail

What is scanning?

Scanning is a technique we often use when we are looking up a word in the telephone book or the dictionary. Scanning involves moving your eyes quickly down the page looking for specific words and phrases.

When you scan, certain features in the text or on a chart can sometimes help you find the information you are looking for. These features include:

Headings, titles and subtitles. Organizers such as bullets, numbers, letters, steps, or the words, first, second, or

next. Words that are bold faced, in italics, or in a different font size, style, or color.

Scanning can help you decide if a document has the information you are looking for. It can also help you find the information you need quickly, without having to read the entire document.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights has a fact sheet on their website that provides information on the construction of the building. Scan this fact sheet

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(Appendix 2) and see how quickly you can find the information you need to complete the chart below. The first item on the chart is completed as an example.

Fast Facts on the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Date construction began Spring 2009

Date construction will be completed

Number of floors

Height of the Tower of Hope

Two kinds of building materials or products that come from Canada

1.

2.

Total number of person years of employment created (one year jobs)

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d) Make suggestions to the Museum about what could be in the exhibits

Imagine the Canadian Museum for Human Rights is asking you for suggestions about what to include in their exhibits. Can you answer the following questions and give suggestions? These questions are similar to those developed by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights for their roundtable discussions.1

Each of the questions has suggestions of ways to begin your answer. You can use these sentence starters to help you. 1. What kinds of stories do you think need to be in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights?

Please give examples.

I think there should be... I'd like to see...There should be... The museum should address/incorporate..

2. What are your own human rights experiences? When have you felt that your human rights been violated? When have they been protected?

My own human rights experiences include...I felt my human rights were violated/protected when...The rights of my family/friends were violated/protected when...

3. If you were designing some of the museum exhibits, what would they be like? Would you want exhibits that are interactive, like computer games? Would you want to see lots of photos and video? Would there be art and music? What do think has to be part of the exhibits so that people remember their visit to the Museum?

I think the exhibits need to incorporate... My own view is that the exhibits should have...I'd like the exhibits to be... I think people will remember their visit if...

1 Adapted from the actual discussion guide used for the roundtables in Winnipeg.

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e) Read about the stages of writing a story

Now it's time for you to write your story about a human rights experience you, a family member or friend has had. Imagine you are writing this story for the Canadian Museum of Human Rights to include in one of their exhibits.

We usually write a story in a series of stages. Here is a description of how you could approach writing your story. Read through the steps before you begin.

Pre-writing stageFirstBrainstorm ideas on things you could write about.SecondDecide what you will write about. Think about the purpose of your story. What do you want people to think about after they have read your story?ThirdJot down a few ideas that could be included in your story.Draft stageMake some decisionsWhat information should be in the first paragraph to grab the attention of your reader? What additional details will you put in the middle paragraphs? What will you say at the end?Organize your ideasThink about how to best organize your ideas. Make an outline in point form. Write a first draftFocus on getting your ideas down on the paper. You can edit for spelling and grammar later.Revise your draftRead your draft aloudThis is a good way to get a sense of how well your story is working. It will help you decide if your story flows or reads well, or if you need to revise it. It may also help you find errors in sentence structure and grammar. Reflect on what you have written Ask yourself what you like best about your story. Is that part clear? Ask yourself what you could improve. Can you see a way to improve it?Ask a friend to read your draft Tell your friend what you like best about your story. Does he/she have any suggestions on how to make this part even better? Tell your friend what part you'd like to improve. Does he/she have any suggestions to help you improve it? Does your friend have any other suggestions for you?Write your final copy

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f) Write your story using this outline Paragraph 1Opening/topic sentence (this is your chance to interest the reader in your story)

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Supporting sentence/sentences________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Paragraphs 2 and 3 (provide additional information and details)________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Closing paragraph (summarize and conclude)________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

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Want to know more…

Want to know more… The official Canadian Museum for Human Rights website is: http://humanrightsmuseum.ca/

The website for Friends of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights can be found at : http://www.friendsofcmhr.com/ The Manitoba Human Rights Commission website is:http://www.gov.mb.ca/hrc/english/aboutus.html

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights is at:http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/The declaration is available in many languages.There is also a great animated version of the UN declaration on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTlrSYbCbHE

The Holocaust Memorial Museum website is: http://www.ushmm.org/museum/

If you are interested in more lessons on human rights and related topics, see the following Learning English with CBC lessons on our website at:http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/eal

Lesson 9 November 10, 2007A Church for the Eritrean Community

Lesson 11 November 24, 2007Hijabs and Sports

Lesson 40 February 5, 2009Religious Beliefs and Human Rights

Lesson 47 May 22, 2009The Pope Apologizes

Lesson 51 November 27, 2009

Where Have All the Children Gone?

Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external websites

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Appendix 1: Transcript

Jan 25, 2010 (broadcast date) Speaker Podcast Line

Marcy Hi I'm Marcy Markusa and you're listening to Learning English

with CBC. Well the Canadian Museum for Human Rights is

really beginning to take shape. You can see the building

growing in size and scope at The Forks in Winnipeg. Now,

Museum staff and board members are crisscrossing the

country to hear stories from Canadians on what they think

should be in the Museum's galleries and it's Manitoba's turn to

tell our stories. Angela Cassie is the Museum's Director of

Communications and she joins me in this interview to tell us

more about the kinds of stories the Museum is looking for and

how the information they collect will be used.

5

10

Marcy So what kind of stories are you looking for? Are they all

personal like the one we heard from Karen2, or or could they be

from a different point of view?

Angela Yeah, well we've heard the full range and I mean definitely um

like the one that we've just heard is extremely personal and

powerful in that you know it's a first person account and we are

looking for a lot of that but as we've been travelling across the

country we've also had people who say, I don't necessarily

have a story but I wanna be the voice for someone who might

not have a voice, and point out topics or stories or issues that

we need to treat that don't necessarily relate to their own

personal experience either.

15

20

2 At the beginning of this interview, CBC played one of the stories which is on the Museum's website. It is the story of Karen Chaboyer and her experience in residential school. You can listen to Karen's story at: http://www.humanrightsmuseum.ca/share-your-story/view-submitted-stories

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Marcy Now if I show up at a roundtable and the discussion becomes

something really um moving, personal, I mean are you

shooting this in any way, I mean on video, is this going to be

part of the museum? Like what should people expect gets

done with this information?

25

Angela Yeah, well this information is being used to help inform um our

research, it's being used to be incorporated in terms of our

archives and help us not only develop the exhibits, which is

you know, an important 47,000 square feet of space, ah but

also to help us um determine what kind of learning and

programming needs we need. So we do do some shooting,

more to document the process during the roundtables than to

capture stories and sometimes we'll be able to capture a table

in the midst of a fantastic conversation. We audio record the

conversations so that we don't miss anything, we bring in um

note takers so that everything is captured so people don't hafta

feel that it's, y'know, we're really listening, we're listening

carefully and we're using all the tools and resources at our

disposal to make sure that all of this is captured.

30

35

40

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Appendix 2: Fast Facts3

Canadian Human Rights Museum Construction Facts and Figures

Milestone Dates Construction begins: Spring 2009 Construction duration: 3 years Construction completion: Spring 2012

Building Facts Total area of site: 24,166 M2 (260,123 square feet) Total area of building: 24,154 M2 (260,000 square feet) Number of floors: 12 Average floor-to-floor height: 5.2 M (17 feet) Height of the Tower of Hope: 100 M (328 feet) Number of concrete caissons: 134 Number of pre‐cast piles: 378

Material and Equipment (Produced in Canada) Cement Reinforcing steel Lumber Products Stone Products Gypsum Products Aluminum Products

Material and Equipment (Produced Internationally) Steel (structural steel, pipe, steel studs, hollow metal, prefinished metal, etc.) Major equipment (air handling units, generators, elevators, electrical equipment, etc.) Glazing Stone products

Employment Needs

Project employment needs in Person‐Years (i.e., one person employed for a period of one year)

Project direct: 2,040 (250 tradespersons) Other direct: 450 Indirect and induced: 1,050 Total employment: 3,540

Appendix 3: Answers to Worksheets

Vocabulary Gap Fill

3 From the Canadian Museum for Human Rights website.

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1. to take shape2. crisscrossing: Galleries3. roundtables; personal accounts4. full range; point of view5. moving6. shooting; document

Listen for Detail

1. T2. T3. F4. F5. T6. F7. T

Scan a Construction Fact Sheet for Detail

Date construction began Spring 2009

Date construction will be completed Spring 2012

Number of floors 12

Height of the Tower of Hope100 meters / 328 feet

Two kinds of building materials or products that come from Canada

Any two of these: Cement Reinforcing steel Lumber Products Stone Products Gypsum Products Aluminum Products

Total number of person years of employment created (one year jobs)

3,540

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