Level II – Unit 2: BIOGRAPHIES

Task 3: Notable People

Time: 4 hours.

In this task, you are going to describe the legacy and achievements of an influential person in the world history.

Pre-task:
1. Match the verbs in A to the phrases in B to form expressions related with personal achievements and
contributions to society.
A B
1. learn to space
2. become your own media network
3. earn a company
4. overcome a foreign language
5. win a theory
6. create a book
7. develop a scholarship
8. found an award or medal
9. fly the richest person in the world
10. write difficulties in life

2. Look at these pictures of famous people. What do you know about them? Tell a partner. To learn more
about them, click on each image.

Bill Gates Gabriel García M. Oprah Winfrey Stephen Hawking Valentina Thereshkova

Answer these questions about the personalities on the pictures. You can use vocabulary from exercise 1.
a. What are these people’s achievements? __________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

b. What is their legacy to society? __________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

c. In your opinion, which achievement or contribution is the most important? Why?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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While-task:

1. Watch this video with the sound off about a notable person in our city. What would you like to know about
him? Write two questions and share them with your class. Watch the video again with the sound on. Which
questions were answered?

2. Now read an edited version of Jason Aristizabal’s conversation with CNN's Laura Klairmont in 2016. Commented [NV1]: Noté que en el texto están
subrayadas algunos conectores y expresiones de tiempo.
As a young man with cerebral palsy, Jeison Aristizábal has fought his entire life to overcome the obstacles in his way. Sería bueno que los estudiantes fueran los que resaltaran
estas categorías de palabra.
In spite of growing up in one of the poorest areas in Cali, Colombia, his family provided the support he needed to live
an independent life. Early on, he realized there were thousands of children with physical and cognitive disabilities in
his community who were not as lucky. For the last 15 years, Aristizábal has been working to change perceptions and
give young people with disabilities a brighter future. His nonprofit, ASODISVALLE (an acronym that translates to
Association of Disabled People of the Valley), offers a range of services that have helped transform the lives of more
than 1,000 young people and their families --- all for free.
CNN: What struggles did you experience growing up?

J.A.: I had a difficult childhood that was full of doctor's appointments and surgeries. On some occasions, my parents
didn't have enough money to pay for surgery, so we had to wait. My mom started fighting against that initial diagnosis.
She took me to physical therapy and I received many different kinds of treatments. In addition, I went to a regular
school. When I was in a wheelchair, I would watch other kids running, playing and riding bicycles. I think it was one of
my biggest motivations — I had to be able to be like them.

CNN: What inspired you to help other children with disabilities?

J.A.: Once, I met a child in a very poor house, a boy who grew up on a bed for eight years. That boy really touched
my heart, because he reminded me of the time when I was in that same situation. I started collecting and donating
wheelchairs so that boy and many other children could at least move.
My next goal was to provide physical therapy. I asked my parents if we could work from their garage. I got a ball, a
mat, and I found a girl who was finishing her last year of physical therapy. We started off with 20 kids, but children
kept coming and coming. Eventually, we literally took over my parents' house. Now we have our own center.

CNN: What are the different programs that your foundation offers?
J.A: We work with children who have a range of complex disabilities, including autism, Down syndrome and cerebral
palsy. The foundation runs a school. We have a medical clinic and give speech, physical and occupational therapy.
We realized that many of the kids who came to the center were malnourished, so we provide healthy meals, too. We
also have a job-training program for the older kids.
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 CNN: You also strive to change the way society views people with disabilities.
J.A.: Around the world, when families have a kid with a disability, they think the child won't be capable of much. We
have to change that idea completely. We have to tell those families that their child may have a disability, but that
doesn't mean the person doesn't have talents that will enable them to succeed in life.
Sometimes families are the first ones to get in the way of their kid's progress. For that reason, we educate these
families through psychologists and through each of our own personal stories. Fifteen years ago, in Aguablanca,
disabled children were kept hidden because their families didn't know how to take care of them. Today, they go
outside. They study. They are becoming independent.
CNN: What are your future goals?
J.A.: I am in law school right now. My greatest hope is to change laws and the way in which the government treats
people with disabilities. I'm trying to learn as much as I can about the legal system in Colombia in order to help many
more families and children.
Every day there is someone waiting for our help. I have made an effort for many people to be able to study, to have
a family, to go for a walk, to have fun, to move forward and, most importantly, to dream.

3. Complete the chart with the information provided in both the video and the interview about Jason Aristizábal.

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIETY

4. Circle the correct connector or time expression.

a. Jason Aristizábal was born with cerebral palsy. (However / Moreover), he overcame his difficulties and
moved on.
b. His foundation offers different services to children with disabilities. (Besides / Despite), he educates their
families to change their mentality towards disability.
c. He not only wants to provide rehabilitation to those children. He (too / also) hopes to change laws in
Colombia related to disabled people.
d. Jason Aristizábal started transforming the lives of many people 15 years (nowadays / ago).

Post-task:

Pair work. Prepare an oral presentation in which the two students ask and answer questions to each other about
the life of a notable person giving biographical information and mentioning his /her achievements and legacy. You
must include a minimum of 10 questions using different verb tenses (simple present, present continuous, simple
past), time expressions, sequence adverbs, and connectors of addition and contrast. You can use visuals (slides,
posters) to complement the presentation.
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You can find the personality of your preference on these websites:

https://www.kidinfo.com/american_history/historical_world_leaders.html
https://www.factmonster.com/people/biographies
https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-important-leaders-in-world-history
https://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-minds-of-all-time/walter-graves
https://www.biographyonline.net/