My students, year 8, have invented jobs that they might have in the future!
Here are some examples:
Peace minister, AI-teacher, Climate architect, Space tourist guide, Space farmer, Robot caretaker, Memory augmentation specialist, Teleportation device worker, Sleep optimiser architect, Time travel guide, Karma auditor, AI-robot
How about a Karma Auditor that helps people who have done bad things to get their karma back in balance? Combine this with a Peace Minister and a Time Travel Guide that goes back and forth - from history to the future and learn from it!
The world will definitely become a better place!
The students seemed to enjoy the assignment:
It was very fun, I had many ideas, and this was an assignment you really could look forward to presenting to Sara. I learned that there will be many future jobs and that maybe I will be a peace minister...?
I learned a little more about neuroscience while researching and enjoyed the opportunity to express my creativity so openly and freely. This was very fun!
I think it was very funny to work with. And it was not that hard. I learned how to speak more English and how to make pictures with chat gpt.
It was really fun to be creative and learn about new things. We really use our best ideas and teach ourselves new fun words to use for our presentation.
If you would like to try it out with your students, you can find the theme here:
This task is inspired by Read English. You can find more via their Youtube channel.
We will watch the video above and while you are listening I want you to fill out the form below:
The different people in the video work with things like:
Match the name with the correct job and also note if it is his/her dream job or not?
Discussion!
Continue working in your groups.
Talk about the questions below:
- At what age do people usually begin to work in your country?
-At what age do they retire?
-Do you think it is more important to make a lot of money or to
enjoy your job?
-What are some prestigious occupations in your opinion? -What makes people work? (Why do we work?) - What is your dream job and why? Listening!
Listen to Cameron Diaz speaking about her profession as an actor.
Discuss the questions:
What does Cameron say is the meaning or purpose of her acting profession?
What aspects of being an actor seem especially important to her?
How does Cameron describe the challenges she faces in her personal life versus her public life? Give examples from the interview.
What values or beliefs does Cameron express regarding being true to herself)? How does she believe these affect her work or life choices?
According to the interview, what are some misconceptions (missuppfattningar) people might have about actors or celebrities? How does Cameron respond to these?
If you were in Cameron’s position, how might you handle the pressures of fame and still be yourself? What lessons from the interview could you apply to your own life?
The jobs we'll lose to machines -- and the ones we won't | A Ted Talk by Anthony Goldbloom:
The video is 9 years old. Do you agree or disagree with his opinions?
Invent a job that you think will exist in the future. Use your imagination!
* Work individually but it is okay to help and inspire each other.
* Create jobs that you think we will work with 2057.
* Open Google Presentations. Create one slide per headline and write a few sentences that answer the question:
What do they do?
How hard is it?
Do you earn a lot of money?
Do you need to study - if yes what and for how long?
Do you need a machine to help you? Describe it.
Why do you think this would be your future job? Explain why. Create pictures and add if you want to.
On Wednesday, October 8, you will present your idea to me and 3 - 4 friends.
All slides must be in English. You need to speak English when you are presenting your job. Supportive words are okay.
Inspiration:
Job Title: Memory Curator
What do they do?
A Memory Curator helps people organise, store, and even relive their memories. Using advanced technology, they can record important life moments directly from a person’s brain and place them in a digital "memory library." Families could re-experience birthdays, holidays, or special times together in full detail.
How hard is it?
It’s a very challenging job. The curator must understand both technology and human emotions. They have to handle people’s most private memories with great care.
Do you earn a lot of money?
Yes! Since this is a highly specialised service, Memory Curators are paid very well—similar to doctors or scientists.
Do you need to study?
Definitely. You would need to study neuroscience (the brain), computer science, and psychology. Training would probably take many years.
Machine needed: Memory Recorder
This machine looks like a soft, glowing helmet that safely scans the brain and copies chosen memories. It stores them in a digital crystal that can be replayed on a screen or in virtual reality.
The book we will work with for the next few weeks is called: "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and the author is Stephen Chbosky.
Week 39 Tuesday
When you have watched the trailer above - discuss with your neighbour what you think
the book will be about.
Have you ever heard the word "Wallflower"? What do you think the word means?
1. Speaking
Take a look at the statements below. Talk to your neighbour about them and take notes if you
agree or disagree with the statement. You need to be able to tell the rest of the class about your opinions. - Feeling like you are alone in the world with nowhere to turn to for support is a normal part of being a teenager.
- Learning how to make friends is more difficult in secondary school than it is in
primary school.
- The dangers of drug use by teenagers are exaggerated.
- Your first serious kiss should be with someone you truly love.
- If adults really knew what happened among teenagers on Snapchat and the internet they would be shocked.
- Getting involved sexually as a teenager can only make your life more confusing and difficult.
- Having sex before being married is not okay, or?
- Brothers and sisters are closer to one another than parents and their children.
You will read the text on the computer and you will also be able to listen to the text.
It is important to read and follow the text while you listen. If you choose to listen and follow the speed at 100 the whole book will take 6 hours to listen to.
Together, we will decide how many pages you will read every week.
If you are absent, you need to read at home!
Music plays a very important role in this book. Here is a playlist with all the songs:
2. Open Trelson and answer the questions below. It is okay to just write a few sentences per question.
1)Who do you think Charlie is
writing to?
2)How did Charlie react to
Michael’s suicide?
3)Describe Charlie’s family. What is his relationship with the various
people in his family?
4)Who is Susan?
5)Describe the incident with
Sean.
6)Describe the relationship
between Charlie’s sister and her boyfriend.
Is this a healthy relationship?
7)Who is Nothing? What do you think the significance of this
name is to Charlie?
8)Who is Sam? What is Charlie’s immediate reaction to her?
9)What do we learn about Charlie
during his last letter?
Together, we will read pages 30-42.
Discussion after reading the pages:
Charlie's parents went away from home and his brother decided to "use the opportunity to throw a big party with beer and everything".
What happened at the party?
What did Charlie see?
What would you have done if you were Charlie?
Was the girl raped or not? Yes or no - answer in Menti.com
We will watch the videos below together in class. After watching the films I want you to, individually, write two sentences inmenti.comthat came to your mind when watching. You are anonymous!
Tea and Consent
Dear Daddy,
Music!
* Discussion
- How important is music in your life?
- Do you have a favourite band or artist that you listen to a lot? How is it and what kind of music is it?
- Have you seen a tape before?
In the book they create mix-tapes for persons they care about. So did we when I was young!
Below is an example of a mix tape that I created for my daughter: Mix-tape
Create your own mix-tape
Creating mixtapes is a big thing in the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Today I want you to create your own mixtape. During the lesson, I will show you how you create a mixtape on https://kaseta.co/
1. Read the instructions in picture number 2. 2. Who would you like to give your mixtape? (Remember that you are going to show your friends and talk about your mixtape so don't make it too personal if you aren't comfortable with it.) 3. Create your mixtape! I will help you log in and show you how to work with Kaseta.
4. Deadline! You need to be finished by XXX. During that lesson, you will present your mix-tape and tell your friends about it. Who would you like to give it to? Why did you choose the songs and artists?
Week XXX
Monday
Today you will present your mix tapes in groups.
Who did you dedicate your mixtape to?
What kind of music did you choose and why?
While a group is presenting, the rest of the class will continue reading chapters 5 and 6.
2. Take a look at the chart below and write a few sentences per column. You have a copy of your own in Google Classroom. Reading Log
3. Prepare to write!
On Wednesday, you will write in Trelson so please prepare today by creating a mind-map to support your memory on Wednesday.
Imagine that you are Charlie, the girl or Dave and that you are 25 years old now.
You think back to what happened in the room at the party.
Write a blog post where you would like to draw attention to your blog.
- Use a headline that makes people want to read. - Describe: what happened, where you were, who was there, how you felt then, and how you feel now? - Give advice: What would you like to tell young people to help them out of situations like the one you were in? -What could you have done differently? -What do you think society can do to help young people?
When you think your text is finished, go through this checklist and take a look at your text again: * Use your headphones and listen to what you have written. The computer is your proofreading friend! * Capital I? * are the verb forms correct? Past tense? * is/are or was/were? * has/have? * paragraphs? * Does the reader get to know the answers to the questions you find in the instructions? * Does the headline draw your attention?
* Do you think you would have read your own text if you saw it published?
Week xxx
Monday
Write your blog post!
Homework: talk about the characters in the book. Which of the characters do you like the most? Which annoys you? Motivate your opinions.
During class, you will get your username so you can log in to Flip.com and record yourself.
Week 45
During this week I would like you to finish reading chapters 9 to 13.
While reading, please choose a quote from each chapter.
Write in which chapter you found the quote, who said it and what you think the quote means.
In Google Classroom you will find a document in which you write your own quotes.
Week xxx
After reading chapters 9-13
Today we will discuss:
In your groups around your tables. Discuss the questions below.
Take short notes so you remember what you talked about.
Everyone in the group should be able to summarise their discussions and tell the whole class.
- What did Brad call Patrick during the fight? - What did Patrick do when Brad called him a faggot? - Why do you think Brad acted the way he did? - Why do you think Brad ignored Patrick after the incident? - What do you think you could have done to help Brad and Patrick rebuild their friendship?
- What do you think would have happened if the fight had happened at our school? - Do you think it is okay to be yourself at our school?
Continue reading chapters 14, 15 and 16.
Write down quotes, context and meaning while you are reading, just as you did for the other chapters.
Minimum 5 quotes.
Finish reading chapter 16 plus writing quotes and hand them in at the latest on xxx
Week xxx
You have now finished reading the whole book and today you will discuss the book:
1. In your groups...
- One of you opens Trelson and starts the audio recording. Remember to save every 5 minutes and then click record again. Remember to say your names before you start talking so I can recognise your voices.
- The one in the group that lives closest to the school will start the discussion. Click on Deal the card and read the question. Say your own opinion and then ask the others about their opinions.
- Make sure that everyone in the group gets time to talk.
- Let the person to the right of the first person click on the next card, read it, say his or her opinion and then let the rest of the group discuss the question.
- Continue like this until you have talked about all of the cards.
When my daughter was in the 7th grade, she went with me to Los Angeles. We did a lot of things, but one thing that she keeps talking about is that we visited Universal Studios. We went there during late October so it was a Halloween theme in the park. There were monsters and scary stuff everywhere. The most terrifying was: The Walking Dead!
Would you have dared to go in there?
Halloween is soon here, and we are going to read, listen, discuss and write about scary stories!
Do you know when and why Halloween is celebrated?
Watch this video and find out:
Discussion:
1. In your groups, discuss the questions.
- The person who has the most letters in his or her first name will start choosing one of the questions.
- Express your own opinion and ask one group member about his or her opinion.
- Go clockwise. The next student chooses a question, expresses his/her opinion and asks a group member about his/her opinion.
- Continue until you have talked about all 7 questions.
- Make sure everyone participates and that you speak English all the time.
Listening:
You will get a worksheet with the words and questions.
1. Do you understand the words?
Do you understand the questions?
I will help you understand them before we start listening.
Underline important words so you know what to listen for in the story.
2. Listen to the story about Emma, Jack and Mia who decide to explore a haunted house.
3. Answer the questions individually.
Reading:
The Yellow Ribbon The Yellow Ribbon is a folktale that has been told in the U.S. for many years. Like other pieces of American folklore, it has been passed down by word of mouth and retold in different versions. It’s not a “true” historical story, but more of a legend or spooky tale. Just like ghost stories, tall tales, and local legends, it is part of American folklore.
1. Read the text in pairs.
2. Answer the questions (write in your notebooks)
Why does Johnny keep asking Jane about the yellow ribbon?
What is Johnny curious about?
What happens when Johnny finally unties the ribbon at the end?
Why do you think Jane chooses never to explain the ribbon until her deathbed?
What might be her reasons?
Writing:
I choose your groups!
Follow the instructions:
✍️ Creative Writing Assignment: The Beginning of a Scary Story
Goal: Practise writing with show, don’t tell and build suspense in the opening of a scary story.
Step 1: Choose a Picture
Look at the four images that are in front of you. Pick one picture as the setting or starting point of your story.
Step 2: Show, Don’t Tell
Examples for “Show, Don’t Tell” (Scary Beginnings)
Haunted House (Picture 1)
❌ Don’t tell: The house was scary. ✅ Show: The windows were broken, and the door moved by itself. Cold air came from inside, and I felt my hands shake.
Dark Forest (Picture 2)
❌ Don’t tell: I was afraid in the forest.
✅ Show: The forest was dark. I could not see the end of the path. My heart beat fast when I heard a branch crack behind me.
Use sounds, smells, textures, and small details to show fear.
Step 3: Write Your Beginning
In groups of three:
👉 Your Task: Write your own beginning. Choose a picture, use “show, don’t tell,” and make the reader want to keep reading!
Write one strong paragraph (6–10 sentences) that could be the opening of a scary story.
Tips to include:
Start in the middle of something happening (don’t introduce too much at once).
Use senses (sight, sound, touch, smell).
Build mystery (what is hidden, what might happen next).
End your paragraph with a small cliffhanger.
Example Openings (short)
The forest was too quiet. No birds, no rustle of branches—only my own footsteps crunching on the frozen leaves. Each step seemed louder than it should, and every shadow stretched too far, as if something was moving just beyond the trees.
Monday October 6
Within the first 20 minutes, you will have the opportunity to complete your own text.
Then you will change texts with another pair.
When you think you are finished, use the checklist below and go through your own text:
✅ Show, Don’t Tell – Self-Check List
🔍 Step 1: Setting and Action
☐ Did I start in the middle of something happening (not just describing)?
☐ Can the reader imagine the place (what it looks, sounds, smells, or feels like)?
☐ Did I avoid long sentences?
👀 Step 2: Using the Five Senses
☐ Did I use what the character sees (light, shadows, details)?
☐ Did I include sounds (creaking doors, footsteps, wind)?
☐ Did I use touch or feeling (cold air, shaking hands, rough wood)?
☐ Did I mention smells or tastes if they fit (dust, blood, damp leaves)?
💬 Step 3: Feelings and Emotions
☐ Did I show emotions through actions or body language (heart racing, hands shaking, whispering)?
☐ Did I avoid telling words like “scared,” “angry,” or “happy”?
☐ Can the reader feel what the character feels without me saying it directly?
🕵️ Step 4: Mystery and Mood
☐ Did I build tension or curiosity (something unknown, strange sounds, half-seen shapes)?
☐ Does the reader want to know what happens next?
☐ Did I end with a small cliffhanger or something left unexplained?
✏️ Step 5: Sentence Flow and Word Choice
☐ Did I use varied sentences (some short for suspense)?
☐ Did I pick strong verbs and adjectives (crept, slammed, flickered, icy, sharp)? ☐ Did I use correct interpunctuation? (.,?!) ☐ Did I use paragraphs? ☐ Did I write I with a capital letter?
⭐ Bonus Check
☐ If I read it aloud, can my partner picture it like a movie in their head?
☐ Would my paragraph fit as the opening scene of a scary story?
NEXT STEP
* When you think you are done, tell Sara.
* You will now change texts with another group and give the group feedback.
* I will tell you who to change texts with. When you receive a text, share it with each other.
* Write comments on the checklist (you will get it on paper) and give feedback to help your classmates improve their writing.
BE NICE! Remember that you, too, will receive feedback.
