London Riots Upper-Intermediate ESL Lesson Plan: Warm-up

1)What comes to mind when you think of London? Have you been there?

2)Have their been riots in your town or city recently? If so, why?

3)Do you trust the police to help you when you’re in need? Why or why not?

4)Have you ever had to use violence to protect yourself?

Citizens Fight Back in London Riots (August 10th, 2011)

London police and citizens are struggling to cope with the rioting and looting that has been taking place over the past four days. Riots broke out a day after the fatal shooting of 29-year old man by police officers in Tottenham, a neighborhood with a large number of ethnic minorities and a history of racial tension. Many London residents say the riots were spurred by anger over the gloomy economic situation in north London, including high unemployment and cuts in public services.The circumstances surrounding the shooting are still unclear.

London now has 16,000 police officers patrolling the streets. Meanwhile, fresh violence is spreading to other cities, including Manchester and Birmingham. On August 10th, three men who reportedly were trying to protect their community from looters were struck by a car and killed. The police have a suspect in custody.

Amidst criticism that police are not doing enough to protect communities, shopkeepers and local residents are forming vigilante groups to protect their property. Stephen Lennon, leader of the far-right English Defense League, states, “We’re going to stop the riots – police obviously can’t handle it.” London police have told the public “as a general rule, the more extreme the circumstances and the fear felt, the more force you can lawfully use in self-defense.” The police also fear that vigilantes, especially those who have been drinking, may worsen the problem by provoking more violence.

The current security crisis has raised questions about London’s ability to safely host the 2012 Summer Olympics. (249)

[Sources:

London Riots ESL Lesson Plan: Comprehension Questions

1)True or False: Police shot a 29-year old man during the riots.

2)True or False: Rioters are unhappy about the Olympics being hosted in London.

3)Why did the police arrest a man on August 10th?

4)What does Stephen Lennon think of local policing efforts?

5)Are police for or against the formation of vigilante groups?

Match the words with their meaning as used in the article.

cope (verb)
loot (verb)
break out (verb)
fatal
tension
spur (verb)
gloomy
circumstance
custody
vigilante
provoke (verb) / steal during or after a riot
condition, situation
stimulate, motivate
in prison, under the care of the police
dark, cheerless
give rise to, arouse, generate
member of an unofficial crime-fighting group
deal with, manage
deadly
strain, ill feeling
start suddenly, arise

* note: spur and provoke are quite similar in meaning

Master the language: Connect the below ideas to make a sentence.

government / crush / uprising / e.g. The government planned to crush the uprising.
looting / break out
fatal / shooting / custody
tension / increase
riots / spur / anger
circumstance / unknown
gloomy / future
provoke / violence / vigilante

London Riots ESL Lesson Plan: Role-play (each student reads his/her role to him/herself)

Student A: / You are a shop owner. Last night, your shop was badly damaged and many goods were stolen. Tonight, you and your cousins have decided to stand in front of your shop to protect it since the police apparently can’t. You and your cousins are carrying baseball bats and some other weapons.
Student B: / You are a London police officer. You see a group of people standing in front of a shop carrying weapons. They say they are there to protect it. Some of them look like they have been drinking alcohol. You are worried that if they cause violence, it will only cause more work for the police. Try to get them to go back into their homes.

London Riots ESL Lesson Plan: Reasonable Suspicion Debate

Reasonable suspicion is a standard that allows police to stop and question a person if they suspect the person has been, is, or is about to be involved in a crime. This standard is controversial because it can seem like discrimination when the police stop and question people simply because of their race or social background.

Youths from poor neighborhoods involved in the London riots have complained of frequently being stopped by the police for no reason and searched. They consider this harassment.

Student A: / You are the London police chief. You believe the police must be able to use reasonable suspicion to do their job and prevent crime. Spend a minute to think of reasons to support your argument. Your partner will start the debate.
Student B: / You believe that reasonable suspicion is a vague (unclear) standard used by police to harass minorities. You are a educated minority with no criminal record, yet the police often stop and search you. You are against this. Spend a minute thinking of reasons to support your position. Start the debate when ready.

London Riots ESL Lesson Plan: Discussion Questions

1)How much force should the police use against rioting youths?

2)Do you believe the rioters are justified?

3)Should 12-year old rioters be punished? If so, how?

4)Turning Vigilante: Would you become a vigilante to protect your property?

Morality

5)Why do people seem to enjoy rioting and looting?

6)What does this say about human nature?

7)Do we only feel guilty about things because we’ve been taught to feel guilty?

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Lesson plan copyright Matthew Barton of Englishcurrent.com

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