Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Levis. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Levi’s have been the most famous brand of jeans and denim clothing for decades. Levi Strauss & Co. was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss emigrated from Germany to San Francisco to help with his brothers’ dry goods business. The company began producing denim overalls in the 1870s but did not start making jeans until the 1920s. Strauss and his partner Jacob Davis patented the copper rivet to reinforce clothing in 1873. It was to become a key part of their jeans design. The demand for their jeans skyrocketed in WWII. This saw their sales staff grow from 15 before the War to 22,000 in 35 countries just after it. Levi's jeans became popular with young people in the 1950s and ‘60s. The 501 was then, and is today, their biggest-selling product. The company leads the fashion industry in the number of trademark infringement cases.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Levi’s on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. LEVI’S MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Levi’s. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Levi’s. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Levi’s and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Levi’s. They write these down and add the same number of things about the company that are false. Students test each other on which of their points are true or false.
6. FACTS:In groups, students write down as many facts as they can about Levi’s. The winner is the group with the most facts. Teacher may wish to have groups share their facts to make sure they are real.
LISTENING / READING GAP FILL
Levi’s have been the ______________________ jeans and denim ______________________. Levi Strauss & Co. was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss emigrated from Germany to San Francisco to help with his brothers’ ______________________. The company began producing denim overalls in the 1870s but did not start making jeans until the 1920s. Strauss and his partner Jacob Davis ______________________ rivet to reinforce clothing in 1873. It was to become a key part of their jeans design. The demand for ______________________ in WWII. This saw their sales staff grow from 15 before the War to 22,000 in 35 countries just after it. Levi's ______________________ with young people in the 1950s and ‘60s. The 501 was then, and is today, their biggest-selling product. The company ______________________ industry in the number ______________________ cases.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Levi’s have been the most famous brand of jeans and denim clothing for aedsdce. Levi Strauss & Co. was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss grtiamede from Germany to San Francisco to help with his brothers’ dry goods business. The company began producing denim salevlor in the 1870s but did not start making jeans until the 1920s. Strauss and his raenptr Jacob Davis patented the copper rivet to reinforce chglinot in 1873. It was to become a key part of their jeans design. The nmedad for their jeans skyrocketed in WWII. This saw their sales staff grow from 15 before the War to 22,000 in 35 countries just after it. Levi's jeans became urpapol with young people in the 1950s and ‘60s. The 501 was then, and is today, their biggest-selling uctprdo. The company leads the fashion tnuiydsr in the number of tkredaarm infringement cases.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Levi’s famous of been most brand have the jeans and denim clothing for decades. Levi Strauss & Co. was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss emigrated from Germany to San Francisco to help with his brothers’ dry goods business. The producing company denim began overalls in the making 1870s did start jeans but not until the 1920s. Strauss and his partner Jacob Davis patented clothing reinforce to rivet copper the 1873 in. It was to jeans design become a key part of their. The demand for their jeans skyrocketed in WWII. This saw their sales before 15 from grow staff to War the 22,000 in 35 countries just after it. Levi's jeans became popular with young people in the 1950s and ‘60s. The 501 was then, biggest , is product - their today and selling. The company of number the in industry fashion the leads trademark infringement cases.
levi’s have been the most famous brand of jeans and denim clothing for decades levi strauss & co was founded in 1853 when levi strauss emigrated from germany to san francisco to help with his brothers’ dry goods business the company began producing denim overalls in the 1870s but did not start making jeans until the 1920s strauss and his partner jacob davis patented the copper rivet to reinforce clothing in 1873 it was to become a key part of their jeans design the demand for their jeans skyrocketed in wwii this saw their sales staff grow from 15 before the war to 22000 in 35 countries just after it levi's jeans became popular with young people in the 1950s and ‘60s the 501 was then and is today their biggest-selling product the company leads the fashion industry in the number of trademark infringement cases
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Levi’s have .......... (be) the most famous brand of jeans and denim clothing for decades. Levi Strauss & Co. .......... (be) founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss emigrated from Germany to San Francisco to .......... (help) with his brothers’ dry goods business. The company .......... (begin) producing denim overalls in the 1870s but did not start .......... (make) jeans until the 1920s. Strauss and his partner Jacob Davis .......... (patent) the copper rivet to reinforce clothing in 1873. It was to .......... (become) a key part of their jeans design. The demand for their jeans skyrocketed in WWII. This saw their sales staff .......... (grow) from 15 before the War to 22,000 in 35 countries just after it. Levi's jeans .......... (become) popular with young people in the 1950s and ‘60s. The 501 .......... (be) then, and .......... (be) today, their biggest-selling product. The company .......... (lead) the fashion industry in the number of trademark infringement cases.
Levi’s have been the most famous brand of jeans and denim ____________ for decades. Levi Strauss & Co. was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss ____________ from Germany to San Francisco to help with his brothers’ dry goods ____________. The company began producing denim ____________ in the 1870s but did not start making jeans until the 1920s. Strauss and his partner Jacob Davis patented the copper ____________ to reinforce clothing in 1873. It was to become a key part of their jeans ____________. The demand for their jeans ____________ in WWII. This saw their sales staff grow from 15 before the War to 22,000 in 35 countries just after it. Levi's jeans ____________ popular with young people in the 1950s and ‘60s. The 501 was then, and is today, their biggest-selling product. The company ____________ the fashion industry in the number of trademark infringement ____________.
business
overalls
became design clothing cases rivet emigrated leads skyrocketed
PROJECT LEVI’S
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Levi’s. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Levi’s is better than the competition
How to beat the competition
Part 2. Change partners and look at their project. Suggest improvements. Ask for advice on your project:
Part 3. Make a presentation on your project. Give it to the class. Vote the best projects.
LEVI’S – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Levi’s CEO
You believe your company is the best in the world. It pays its workers very well and working conditions are great. Your company is very green – it cares about the environment. You think your levels of customer service are great. Disagree with person B, C and D.
Role B – Levi’s worker
You think it’s a bad company to work for. You’re very unhappy with pay, raises and bonuses. You are very unhappy with the working environment. You don’t like the company’s policy on the environment. You keep hearing profits are more important than customers. Disagree with A and C. Tell D the truth.
Role C – Levi’s customer
You are a customer of Levi’s. You used to think it was great, but not now. Its workers are always very rude. No one ever answers the phone. You are shocked about its policy on the environment. You think all staff should get less pay. You disagree with person A and B. Tell D the truth.
Role D – A journalist
You keep hearing bad things about Levi’s. You want to tell the world in your newspaper. You heard the CEO gets a huge bonus every year. You found a company memo saying profits are more important than the environment. You want to know why so many staff are ill. Find the truth.
LEVI’S – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Levi’s New Products Director
You have created a new product for Levi’s. You believe the new product will be the company’s best ever. It will be a bestseller. There are people who do not agree with you. You need B, C and D on your side. Tell them why this is a product that will bring great things to Levi’s.
Role B – Levi’s Marketing Director
You think the company’s new product is a really bad idea. It will give your company a really bad name. You think the New Products Director is trying to destroy the company. Try to get him/her to understand there’s no way the new product will sell. Try to get person C and D on your side.
Role C – Levi’s Market Researcher
You have interviewed thousands of people about the new product. They don’t like it or hate it. You think it will be successful if they make many changes. Tell the New Products Director he/she needs to change the product. You neither like nor trust person B. Disagree will him/her.
Role D – Levi’s Shareholder
You know a lot about Levi’s new product. You are worried it will not sell and share prices will go down. You think A is crazy and must find a new job. You agree with everything B says. You don’t agree with C. The new product should not go on the market.
Write a letter of apology to the customer. Explain why you cannot give a refund. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other’s work.
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HOMEWORK
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about Levi’s. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Levi’s. What have they done recently? What are their plans? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. LEVI’S POSTERMake a poster about Levi’s. Make sure you sell the company to the public. Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.
5. MY LEVI’S LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Levi’s. Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Teach the class / another group when you have finished.
6. ONLINE SHARING:Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, MySpace page, Twitter stream, Del-icio-us / StumbleUpon account, or any other social media tool to get opinions on Levi’s. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
