Content Frame

NorthStar

Second Edition
Listening and Speaking, Basic/Low Intermediate

Unit 1	Unit 2	Unit 3	Unit 4	Unit 5
Unit 6	Unit 7	Unit 8	Unit 9	Unit 10

Unit 1: Offbeat Jobs
Theme: Work Listening One: What's My Job? (A game show) Listening Two: More Offbeat Jobs (A report on an unusual website)
Critical Thinking Skills	Classify information Rank personal values and preferences in work Relate personal skills to job responsibilities Infer word meaning from context Infer situational context Support opinions with information from the interviews Assess a person's character and recommend a job
Listening Tasks	Listen and predict Listen for main ideas Listen for details Interpret speaker's tone and attitude Sort information from the interview Relate listenings to personal experience Synthesize information from both listenings
Speaking Tasks	Make predictions Express and defend opinions Act out a conversation Make small talk Interview a classmate Brainstorm offbeat jobs Report findings from research
Pronunciation	Stress patterns of nouns and adjectives
Vocabulary	Context clues Dictionary work Word definitions
Grammar	Descriptive adjectives

Unit 2: A Piece of the Country in the City
Theme: The Country and the City Listening One: Community Gardens (A radio interview) Listening Two: Let's Hear from Our Listeners (A radio call-in show)
Critical Thinking Skills	Classify information Compare and contrast city and country life Interpret a graph Infer word meaning from context Infer situational context Categorize sounds
Listening Tasks	Listen and predict Listen and identify main ideas Listen for details Interpret speaker's tone and attitude Relate listenings to own community Summarize information from the two listenings Listen to and take notes on student reports
Speaking Tasks	Make predictions Share opinions Role-play Express agreement with too and not either Make past tense statements Act out a scripted conversation and news report Talk about favorite places Report observations on local urban greening
Pronunciation	Regular verbs in the simple past tense
Vocabulary	Context clues Word definitions
Grammar	Simple past tense

Unit 3: A Penny Saved Is a Penny Earned
Theme: Money Listening One: A Barter Network (A community meeting) Listening Two: Saving Money (Three conversations)
Critical Thinking Skills	Interpret a cartoon Assess personal consumer habits Interpret a time-line on the history of money Compare and contrast money and bartering systems Infer word meaning from context Identify advantages and disadvantages Evaluate consumer behavior
Listening Tasks	Listen and predict Listen for main ideas Listen and take notes on details using an outline Interpret speaker's tone and emotions Relate listenings to personal experiences Listen and take notes using a chart Summarize information from the two listenings Listen to and take notes on student reports
Speaking Tasks	Make predictions Share opinions and experiences Role-play a group negotiation Make suggestions and come to an agreement Compare products Act out scripted conversations Ask and answer questions Simulate bartering Report on comparison shopping research
Pronunciation	Numbers and prices
Vocabulary	Context clues Word definitions
Grammar	Comparative adjectives

Unit 4: At Your Service: Service Animals
Theme: Animals Listening One: Kimba, the Hero Dog (A news report) Listening Two: Do People Help Animals Too? (A conversation)
Critical Thinking Skills	Interpret a bar graph Compare knowledge of service animals Infer word meaning from context Compare classmates' attitudes toward pets Interpret points of view Compare values about pets across cultures Evaluate appropriate language usage
Listening Tasks	Listen and predict Listen and identify main ideas Listen for details Interpret speaker's tone and attitude Relate listening to personal values Listen to and comment on student reports
Speaking Tasks	Make predictions Survey classmates Express opinions Construct and perform a dialogue Ask for more information Ask and answer information questions Conduct an interview Report interview results
Pronunciation	Intonation of wh- questions
Vocabulary	Context clues Word definitions Synonyms Appropriate word usage
Grammar	Simple present tense—wh- questions with do

Unit 5: "Celletiquette"
Theme: Cell phone etiquette Listening One: Everyone Has an Opinion (A radio call-in show) Listening Two: Our Listeners Write (A radio call-in show)
Critical Thinking Skills	Interpret a map and graphs Interpret rationales for cell phone use Summarize and analyze student responses Infer information not explicit in text Infer word meaning from context Classify information Propose solutions Hypothesize reasons for cell phone behavior
Listening Tasks	Listen and predict Listen and identify speakers' opinions Listen for supporting details Interpret speaker's tone and attitude Relate listening to personal etiquette standards Synthesize information from both listenings Listen to and comment on role-plays Listen to and take notes on students' reports
Speaking Tasks	Make predictions Survey classmates Share opinions Compare and discuss solutions Use new vocabulary to talk about experiences Express likes and dislikes Interview classmates Role-play Report research findings
Pronunciation	Unstressed to
Vocabulary	Word definitions Context clues Appropriate word usage
Grammar	Verbs plus gerunds and infinitives

Unit 6: Is It Women's Work?
Theme: Male and Female Roles Listening One: Who's Taking Care of the Children? (A TV talk show) Listening Two: Who Is Right for the Job? (Three conversations)
Critical Thinking Skills	Identify assumptions about family roles Interpret a graph and a chart Identify personal assumptions Infer word meaning from context Rank child-care solutions Support opinions with reasoning Compare gender roles across cultures
Listening Tasks	Listen and predict Listen and identify chronology in a text Listen for details Interpret speaker's tone and attitude Listen and take notes using a chart Relate listenings to personal values Synthesize information from both listenings Listen to and comment on student reports
Speaking Tasks	Make predictions Survey classmates Express opinions Act out scripted conversations Use new vocabulary in open conversation Use intonation to denote attitude Agree and disagree Ask and answer questions about daily habits Report on observation of gender roles
Pronunciation	Rising and falling intonation patterns
Vocabulary	Context clues Word definitions Idiomatic expressions
Grammar	Adverbs and expression of frequency

Unit 7: Good-Mood Foods
Theme: Food Listening One: Would You Like to Be on the Radio? (A radio show) Listening Two: What's the Matter? (Four cases)
Critical Thinking Skills	Identify personal attitudes toward food Interpret a chart Infer word meaning from context Categorize words and sounds Propose solutions Compare and contrast sounds Rank student findings
Listening Tasks	Listen and predict Listen for main ideas Listen and identify details Interpret speaker's tone and reaction Relate listening to personal experiences Listen and take notes using a chart Integrate information from both listenings in discussion Listen to and comment on student reports and reviews
Speaking Tasks	Make predictions Survey classmates Express opinions Compare and discuss solutions Politely express wants Role-play Discuss a shopping list Plan a dinner and report to class Present a restaurant review
Pronunciation	Vowels [] and [uw]
Vocabulary	Word definitions Synonyms Vocabulary classification Context clues Word association
Grammar	Count and non-count nouns

Unit 8: An Ice Place to Stay
Theme: Travel Listening One: An Unusual Vacation (A travel hotline) Listening Two: Vacations Around the World (Three vacation packages)
Critical Thinking Skills	Infer situational context Interpret a map Rank personal preferences in travel Categorize information Compare and contrast sounds Evaluate vacation places according to different criteria
Listening Tasks	Listen and predict Listen for main ideas Listen and categorize details Interpret speaker's tone and attitude Relate listenings to personal interests Listen and take notes on student information Connect themes between two listenings Take dictation Talk to travel agents to research a vacation place
Speaking Tasks	Make predictions Express opinions Make polite requests Role-play a conversation at an information desk Conduct an interview Agree and disagree Ask and answer travel questions Use new vocabulary in an open conversation Report research findings
Pronunciation	Can and can't
Vocabulary	Context clues Dictionary work Vocabulary classification
Grammar	Can and can't

Unit 9: Staying Healthy
Theme: Health and Illness Listening One: Thin-Fast (A radio commercial) Listening Two: Health Problems and Remedies (Two conversations)
Critical Thinking Skills	Interpret a cartoon Assess personal health practices Infer word meaning from context Distinguish between opinion and fact Rank student findings
Listening Tasks	Listen and predict Listen and identify main ideas Listen for supporting details Characterize speaker's tone Listen to and take notes on conversations Compare and contrast information from both listenings Listen to and take notes on student commercials Listen to and comment on student reports
Speaking Tasks	Brainstorm healthy practices Make predictions Express opinions Use new vocabulary in an open conversation Express concern about health problems Give and receive advice Role-play a radio commercial Interview people on health practices Report research findings
Pronunciation	Rhythm: content words and highlighting
Vocabulary	Word definitions Context clues
Grammar	Should, ought to, and have to

Unit 10: Endangered Languages
Theme: Endangered languages Listening One: Language Loss (A class session) Listening Two: My Life, My Language (An autobiographical account)
Critical Thinking Skills	Infer information not explicit in the text Support opinion with reasoning Hypothesize reasons Correlate specific examples to broad themes Summarize main ideas Summarize and evaluate student findings
Listening Tasks	Listen and predict Listen and identify main ideas Listen for details Interpret speaker's tone Link information from two texts using a graphic organizer Relate listening to personal values Listen to and take notes on student explanations
Speaking Tasks	Share background information Make predictions Express opinions Give examples to explain a general statement Survey classmates Interpret statistics Report findings on an endangered language
Pronunciation	Using contractions with will
Vocabulary	Word definitions Context clues Editing inaccurate definitions
Grammar	Future with will