Free Printable Lessons for English Teachers
Today let’s talk about music legend David Bowie. The singer died in New York on the 10th January 2016 at the age of 69 following an 18 month battle with liver cancer.
Bowie had kept his illness a secret from his fans; only his family and a few close friends actually knew. He told them that he wanted to be remembered for the good times and his music. Shortly after his death he was secretly cremated in New York without any of his family or friends present ‘without fuss’ – no big show, no fan-fare.
Bowie’s new album Blackstar was released just days before his death. It has been described as a memorial for his fans. The song ‘Blackstar’ is now widely interpreted as a premonition of his impending death with the haunting lyrics, ‘Look up here, I’m in heaven’.
Speaking/Understanding: Students should look through the article with the teacher. 1) What is the article about? 2) What do you think about the article? 3) Was this an easy or difficult article to understand? 4) Was this a boring or interesting article? 5) Discuss the article. ---- Article quiz: Students quiz each other in pairs. Score a point for each correct answer. Score half a point each time you have to look at the article for help. See who can get the highest score! Student A questions: 1) What was David Bowie’s real name? 2) Name three of Bowie’s hits. 3) Who was Major Tom? 4) Name the 1963 band. 5) Name the new album. --- Writing/Speaking: Think of three things about David Bowie – Personal Life. Write them below and discuss. --- Roleplay; Discussion; etc.