Reading Lesson 31

Turkish Soccer Fans Show Support for Earthquake Victims with Stuffed Animals.
July 31, 2023

Lesson Overview

Turkish Soccer Fans Show Support for Earthquake Victims with Stuffed Animals.

Turkish fans show their support.

Script:

In Turkey, a soccer game between Beşiktaş and Antalyaspor turned into a show of support for children impacted by the earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey on February 6. During the game at Vodafone Park on Sunday, fans stopped the match at four minutes and 17 seconds, the time the earthquake hit the region, to honor those affected by the disaster.Soccer fans threw stuffed animals onto the pitch during the break. Teddy bears and other stuffed toys of all colors and sizes rained down on the stadium, which will be sent by Beşiktaş to children impacted by the earthquake. The disaster has killed approximately 50,000 people across Turkey and Syria.

Players rushed to collect the stuffed animals, while the scoreboard screen displayed the license plate numbers of the eleven Turkish provinces impacted by the earthquake. However, some Besiktas fans also chanted “government resign” during the game in protest against the official response to the disaster. Many in Turkey view the government's response as slow and insufficient, with no organized relief efforts in some areas, and scores of bodies slow to be collected, causing the stench of death to spread.

"brought attention to the ongoing struggle."

Devlet Bahçeli, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) head, called for soccer games to be played without fans and ended his Beşiktaş membership in light of the anti-government chants. In addition, on Saturday, Fenerbahçe fans also chanted slogans calling for the government to resign.This soccer game has brought attention to the ongoing struggle of many affected by the earthquake, highlighting both the support and frustration felt by Turkish citizens in the face of this tragedy. We hope that this solidarity and public discourse will lead to improved government response and relief efforts for those still in need.

Questions:

Part 1: Comprehension

Read and summarize the article thinking of who, what, when, where & why.

Part 2: True or False Questions

a) The soccer game between Beşiktaş and Antalyaspor was held to raise funds for earthquake victims. T/F

b) True or False - The fans stopped the match at 17 seconds, the time the earthquake hit the region, to honor those affected by the disaster. T/F

c) The stuffed animals thrown onto the pitch during the break will be sent to children impacted by the earthquake. T/F

d) True or False - Devlet Bahçeli supported the anti-government chants made by the Besiktas fans. T/F

Part 3a: Guess the meaning of unknown vocabulary/phrases.

a) "Turned into"

b) "Chanted"

c) "Insufficient"

d) "Solidarity"

Part 3b: Vocabulary in Use - Write an example sentence using the words from 3a.

a) Turned into:

b) Chanted:

c) Insufficient:

d) Solidarity:

Part 5: Talking Points

  1. Why did some Besiktas fans chant "government resign" during the game?
  2. What is the view of many in Turkey on the government's response to the disaster?
  3. What role do sports events play in raising awareness about social issues in your country?
  4. Do you think public protests, including those at sports events, are an effective way to bring about political change?
  5. How important is it for governments to respond quickly and effectively to natural disasters?
  6. What are some ways individuals and communities can support relief efforts in the aftermath of a natural disaster?
  7. Do you think celebrities and sports figures have a responsibility to use their platforms to raise awareness about social issues?
  8. Have you ever participated in or witnessed a public demonstration or protest? How did it make you feel?
  9. How can we ensure that support and relief efforts are distributed fairly and reach those who need it most?
  10. What role do you think the media should play in raising awareness about natural disasters and other social issues?

Part 6: Role play Scenarios

  1. Soccer fan protest:

In this scenario, students will act as soccer fans protesting against the government's response to the earthquake. They can prepare protest slogans and chants to use during the roleplay.

  1. Relief effort volunteers:

In this scenario, students will act as volunteers who are helping with the relief efforts for the earthquake victims. They can discuss what kind of help is needed and how they can best support those affected.

  1. Government officials' meeting:

In this scenario, students will act as government officials discussing the response to the earthquake. They can debate the effectiveness of current relief efforts and come up with plans for how to improve them.

  1. Stuffed animal donation drive:

In this scenario, students will act as organizers of a stuffed animal donation drive for the children impacted by the earthquake. They can discuss logistics such as where to collect and store the donations and how to distribute them to those in need.

Part 7: Writing Activity

Past Tense Practice - Tell me about the last time you attended a sporting or music event/concert. What was it like? where was it?  what did you do there?

Part 8: Critical Thinking - Politics in Sport

The governing body of world football states that: "Football equipment must not have any political, religious, or personal slogans, statements or images".

Do you agree with this statement? Work in groups and think of reasons to support it and reasons against it.

Come back and discuss it as a class with team A supporting the statement and team B against it.

Answers:

Part 1: Comprehension

The main idea of the article is that a soccer game between Beşiktaş and Antalyaspor in Turkey turned into a show of support for children impacted by the earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey on February 6. The fans stopped the match at the time the earthquake hit the region to honor those affected by the disaster and threw stuffed animals onto the pitch during the break, which will be sent to children impacted by the earthquake. The article also highlights the frustration felt by some Turkish citizens towards the government's response to the disaster, which is seen as slow and insufficient, and how this soccer game has brought attention to the ongoing struggle of those affected by the earthquake. The article was likely written to inform readers about the show of support for earthquake victims by Turkish soccer fans and to raise awareness about the situation in Turkey.

Part 2: True or False

A: False B: False C: True D: False

Part 3a: Guess the meaning of unknown vocabulary or phrases.

a) "Turned into" Answer: This word means to change or transform from one state or condition into another. It implies a significant or noticeable change. In the article they talk about how the game turned from a standard football game into a show of support for the children affected by the earthquake.

b) "Chanted" Answer: This is a repeated a slogan or phrase, typically in unison, as a form of protest or demonstration. In context, the article mentions how some Besiktas fans chanted "government resign" during the game to protest against the official response to the earthquake disaster.

c) "Insufficient" Answer: I think this means not enough or inadequate because in the article they talk about how the relief efforts were no slow and not effective.

d) "Solidarity" Answer: This means unity or agreement of a feeling or an action, especially among individuals with a common interest. In context, the article highlights the solidarity and support shown by the soccer fans who stopped the game to honor those affected by the earthquake and threw stuffed animals onto the pitch, which will be sent to children impacted by the disaster.

Part 3b: Vocabulary in Use: Write an example sentence using the words from 3a. (examples)

a) Turned into: The caterpillar turned into a beautiful butterfly.

b) Chanted: The fans chanted the team's name loudly during the game.

c) Insufficient: His savings were insufficient to cover the unexpected medical expenses.

d) Solidarity: The community showed great solidarity in helping those affected by the natural disaster.

Part 7: Writing (example)

I can still remember the last time I went to see a Boston Celtics basketball game. It was a few years ago at the famous TD Garden in Boston. When I got there, I felt the excitement right away. There were so many fans wearing green Celtics jerseys, and the energy was amazing. I had some classic stadium food like hotdogs and nachos before I found my seat. Before the game started, there was a lot of fun stuff happening. There was a mascot named Lucky the Leprechaun who made everyone laugh. During the game, the fans kept shouting, "Let's go, Celtics!" The game was very close, and it made everyone in the arena really nervous and excited. Sometimes, when there was a break in the game, there were fun things to watch and games for the fans. Even though the Celtics didn't win that night, I'll always remember how much fun it was to be there and share the excitement with other Celtics fans.

Turkish Soccer Fans Show Support for Earthquake Victims with Stuffed Animals.

Download Full PDF Lesson
Lesson Reinforcement links (further reading/viewing)
Teddy bears rain onto football pitch in support of children affected by Türkiye earthquakes
Soccer fans shower stadium with teddy bears for Turkey’s earthquake victims

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