Life Stories

This lesson is designed to build your critical-thinking skills in English as you read, listen, and answer different types of comprehension and discussion questions.

Although these questions are related to classroom instruction, independent learners can reflect on the ideas and topic to prepare for the listening portion of the lesson.

1. Brainstorming: Ask students to brainstorm different reasons why people might dress in a certain way, and what those clothes could communicate about a person.

2. Vocabulary Building: Introduce vocabulary words that are relevant to the story, such as “individuality,” “acceptance,” “insecurities,” and “confidence.” Ask students to use these words in a sentence or in a discussion.

3. Prediction: Ask students to predict what the story could be about based on the title and any visual aids, such as the picture below, or a short video clip.

4. Discussion: Engage students in a discussion about standing out versus fitting in, and the impact that these concepts could have on a person’s happiness and confidence.

5. Writing Prompts: Provide writing prompts that encourage students to reflect on their own experiences with standing out or fitting in, and how it has affected their own confidence and self-esteem.

Listen and read the story and answer the questions. Key vocabulary words are marked in bold.

One day, two high school friends, Sarah and Lisa, decided to go clothing shopping on the spur of the moment. They entered the store and immediately got excited by all the beautiful clothes.

Sarah looked at Lisa and said, “We need to get decked out for the formal dance next month. Let’s pick up some fancy dresses.”

Lisa nodded eagerly, and they both started looking through the clothes. Suddenly, Sarah pulled out a bright yellow dress and exclaimed, “This is it! I’m going to wear this to the dance.”

Lisa looked at her doubtfully and said, “Are you sure? You’ll look like a BANANA in that.”
Sarah laughed and replied, “That’s the point! I want to stand out.”

They continued shopping and finally found the perfect dresses. As they were checking out, Lisa said to Sarah, “You know, on second thought, I think I might also wear something yellow. Why don’t we be two bananas at the dance?

“Isn’t that a great idea?”

Sarah burst out laughing, and they walked out of the store, excited about the upcoming event.

When that day came, they received a lot of attention and compliments on their outfits as they made their way through the crowd. Some people even came up to them and asked where they got their dresses.

Sarah and Lisa felt proud of their choice to stand out, and it made them feel confident and happy. Later in the evening, they overheard a group of people talking about them, saying that they looked ridiculous in their bright yellow dresses. At first, Sarah and Lisa felt hurt, but then they felt that the group was just expressing their own insecurities about standing out and being different. Sarah and Lisa started a spirited conversation with the group, telling them that they chose to wear something unique and bright because it allowed them to show up just as they are.

“Hey. Don’t worry about what people think,” declared Sarah.

She continued: “Just express your own individuality through clothing choices, and don’t worry about fitting in or pleasing others.”

Actually, the conversation started a deeper discussion about the idea of standing out versus fitting in, and how it can affect our confidence and happiness. Sarah and Lisa felt proud that they had inspired others to embrace their individuality, and they realized that standing out doesn’t have to mean being alone.

It can actually bring people together and create a sense of unity in celebrating our differences.

So, with the ideas of the story in mind, ask yourself this question: how can people encourage a culture of acceptance and individuality—in this case, clothing—rather than pressuring others to be like everyone else?

1. What did Sarah and Lisa decide to do on a whim?
A) Go grocery shopping
B) Go clothing shopping
C) Go on a road trip
D) Go to the movies

2. Sarah and Lisa were buying fancy dresses for ____.
A) a graduation ceremony
B) a wedding
C) a club party
D) a formal dance

3.  Sarah wanted to wear a bright yellow dress because ____.
A)  it was on sale
B) she wanted to blend in
C) she wanted to stand out
D) Lisa told her to

4. How did Sarah and Lisa feel when they received compliments on their outfits at the dance?
A) Nervous
B) Embarrassed
C) Proud
D) Confused

5. What did Sarah and Lisa tell the group of people who were criticizing their yellow dresses?
A) To stop talking about them.
B) That they were wrong.
C) To express their own individuality.
D) To conform to the norm.

1. B – Sarah and Lisa wanted to find fancy dresses to wear to a formal dance, which was taking place the following month.
Explanation: The story states that Sarah and Lisa went shopping for clothing on the spur of the moment and that they wanted to find something fancy to wear to a formal dance that was happening the next month.

2. D – Sarah wanted to stand out by wearing a bright yellow dress to the dance.
Explanation: When Sarah found a bright yellow dress, she said “This is it! I’m going to wear this to the dance.” When Lisa expressed doubt about the dress, Sarah replied, “That’s the point! I want to stand out.”

3. C – They felt proud and confident.
Explanation: The story states that Sarah and Lisa received a lot of attention and compliments on their outfits, which made them feel proud of their choice to stand out and be confident.

4. C – They encouraged the group to express their individuality.
Explanation: After overhearing a group of people talking about their outfits, Sarah and Lisa started a conversation with the group. They told the group that they chose to wear something unique and bright because it allowed them to show up just as they are. They then encouraged the group to express their own individuality through their clothing choices and not worry about fitting in or pleasing others.

5. C – By encouraging others to embrace their individuality through their clothing choices and not pressuring them to conform.
Explanation: The story’s message is about encouraging a culture of acceptance and individuality, specifically with clothing choices. The answer suggests a solution to achieving this by encouraging others to embrace their individuality through their clothing choices and not pressuring them to conform.

Easy (Recall and Comprehend):

1. What was the story about?
2. Why did Sarah and Lisa decide to go shopping?
3. What did Sarah and Lisa want to buy for the formal dance?

Intermediate (Analyze and Interpret):

1. What did the group of people say about Sarah and Lisa’s dresses at the dance?
2. How did Sarah and Lisa respond to the group’s comments?
3. What did Sarah and Lisa learn about standing out and being different?

Difficult (Analyze and Interpret):

1. What motivates people to stand out, and how does this impact their sense of self-worth?
2. Why do people often feel pressure to fit in with the expectations of others, and how can this be harmful to their well-being?
3. How do our clothing choices and personal style reflect our personality, values, and cultural background?
4. What are some of the challenges and benefits of standing out from the crowd, and how can we balance these in our own lives?
5. How can we encourage a culture of acceptance and individuality, rather than pressuring others to conform to our own expectations?
   
   

These post-listening activities add visual (seeing), auditory (listening), kinesthetic (moving), and tactile (touching) elements to engage students in meaningful ways based on their learning styles.

Visual (Seeing):

1. Ask students to create a comic strip or storyboard depicting the story’s key events. They can use visuals and captions to convey the story’s main points.
2. Provide students with magazines, scissors, and glue. Ask them to create a collage showcasing different outfits representing individuality and self-expression.

Auditory (Hearing):

1. Divide students into small groups and assign each group a different scene from the story. Instruct them to create a short radio play or podcast episode based on their assigned scene, using sound effects and dialogue to bring it to life.
2. Play a short audio clip of a conversation about the story’s theme. Ask students to listen carefully and discuss how it connects to the ideas of acceptance and individuality.

Kinesthetic (Doing):

1. Conduct a role-play activity where students take on the roles of Sarah, Lisa, and the group of people at the dance. Students can express their thoughts and emotions about standing out versus fitting in through improvisation and dialogue.
2. Organize a fashion show activity where students design and model their own unique outfits. Encourage them to explain the inspiration behind their choices and how it represents their individuality.

Tactile (Touching):

1. Set up a “Texture Exploration” station with various fabrics and materials commonly used in clothing. Students can touch and describe the textures, relating them to the story’s theme of embracing individuality.
2. Provide students with various clothing items (real or pictures) and ask them to create a tactile display by arranging and categorizing the items based on their uniqueness and personal style.

Here’s a possible classroom language game based on the story and topic:

Title: “Stand Out and Be Proud”

Objective: To encourage students to embrace their individuality and feel confident expressing themselves through clothing choices.

Materials: A list of adjectives describing different clothing styles, such as “casual,” “elegant,” “edgy,” “quirky,” “vintage,” etc. (one per student), a bag or container to hold the adjectives, a timer.

Gameplay:

1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.

2. Explain to the students that they will take turns drawing an adjective from the bag and describing a clothing item or style that fits that adjective.

3. The other student(s) in the group must then try to guess what the item/style is, based on the description given.

4. The student who guessed correctly gets to keep the adjective and earns a point for their team. If nobody guesses correctly within 30 seconds, the adjective goes back in the bag and nobody earns a point.

5. Continue playing until all adjectives have been drawn and described.

6. At the end of the game, the student or team with the most points is declared the winner.

Extension: After the game, have a class discussion about the importance of embracing individuality and expressing oneself through clothing choices. Ask students to share examples of times when they felt proud to stand out or be different, and how it made them feel. Encourage them to keep being true to themselves and expressing their unique personalities and styles.