Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Wrigley. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
The full name of the Wrigley chewing gum maker is the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. It was founded in 1891 as a trading company that sold soap and baking powder. In 1892, William Wrigley, Jr. discovered the free chewing gum he gave away with the baking powder was so popular he decided to produce and sell gum. The rest is history. The website says: “Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company is a recognized leader in confections with a wide range of product offerings including gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, lollipops, and chocolate. The company has operations in more than 40 countries and distributes its world-famous brands in more than 180 countries.” Its famous products include Juicy Fruit gum, Skittles, Lockets, and Tunes. The company turns over $6 billion a year in revenues. The company was sold to Mars in 2008 for $23 billion.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Wrigley on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. WRIGLEY MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Wrigley. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Wrigley. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Wrigley and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Wrigley. 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 Wrigley. 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
____________________ Wrigley chewing gum maker is the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. It was founded in 1891 as ____________________ sold soap and baking powder. In 1892, William Wrigley, Jr. discovered the free chewing gum ____________________ the baking powder was so popular he ____________________ sell gum. The rest is history. The website says: “Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company is ____________________ in confections with a wide ____________________ including gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, lollipops, and chocolate. The company has ____________________ 40 countries and distributes its world-famous brands in more than 180 countries.” Its famous products include Juicy Fruit gum, Skittles, Lockets, and Tunes. The ____________________ $6 billion a year in revenues. The company was sold to Mars in 2008 for $23 billion.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
The full name of the Wrigley chewing gum maker is the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. It was edundof in 1891 as a trading company that sold soap and baking powder. In 1892, William Wrigley, Jr. idedecrvos the free chewing gum he gave away with the baking powder was so popular he ieedddc to produce and sell gum. The rest is history. The website says: “Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company is a recognized ldeaer in confections with a wide aregn of product offerings cuiindgln gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, lollipops, and chocolate. The company has seoiatponr in more than 40 countries and udsresiittb its world-famous brands in more than 180 countries.” Its famous puosctdr include Juicy Fruit gum, Skittles, Lockets, and Tunes. The company turns over $6 billion a year in erseneuv. The company was sold to Mars in 2008 for $23 billion.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
name full The gum chewing Wrigley the of maker is the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. It was founded in 1891 as a company sold and trading that soap baking powder. In 1892, William Wrigley, Jr. discovered the free chewing gum gave with baking he away the powder was so popular decided produce sell he to and gum. The rest is history. The website says: “Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company is a confections a recognized in with wide leader range of product offerings including gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, lollipops, and chocolate. The company has operations more 40 and in than countries distributes its world-famous than more in brands countries 180.” Its famous products include Juicy Fruit gum, Skittles, Lockets, and Tunes. The company turns over $6 billion a year in revenues. The 2008 in Mars to sold was company for $23 billion.
the full name of the wrigley chewing gum maker is the wm wrigley jr company it was founded in 1891 as a trading company that sold soap and baking powder in 1892 william wrigley jr discovered the free chewing gum he gave away with the baking powder was so popular he decided to produce and sell gum the rest is history the website says “wm wrigley jr company is a recognized leader in confections with a wide range of product offerings including gum mints hard and chewy candies lollipops and chocolate the company has operations in more than 40 countries and distributes its world-famous brands in more than 180 countries” its famous products include juicy fruit gum skittles lockets and tunes the company turns over $6 billion a year in revenues the company was sold to mars in 2008 for $23 billion
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
The full name of the Wrigley chewing gum maker .......... (be) the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. It was .......... (found) in 1891 as a trading company that .......... (sell) soap and baking powder. In 1892, William Wrigley, Jr. .......... (discover) the free chewing gum he .......... (give) away with the baking powder was so popular he .......... (decide) to .......... (produce) and sell gum. The rest .......... (be) history. The website .......... (say): “Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company .......... (be) a recognized leader in confections with a wide range of product offerings .......... (include) gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, lollipops, and chocolate. The company .......... (have) operations in more than 40 countries and .......... (distribute) its world-famous brands in more than 180 countries.” Its famous products .......... (include) Juicy Fruit gum, Skittles, Lockets, and Tunes. The company .......... (turn) over $6 billion a year in revenues. The company was .......... (sell) to Mars in 2008 for $23 billion.
The full name of the Wrigley chewing gum ____________ is the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. It was founded in 1891 as a ____________ company that sold soap and baking powder. In 1892, William Wrigley, Jr. ____________ the free chewing gum he gave away with the baking powder was so popular he ____________ to produce and sell gum. The rest is history. The website says: “Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company is a recognized ____________ in confections with a wide range of product offerings ____________ gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, lollipops, and chocolate. The company has ____________ in more than 40 countries and ____________ its world-famous brands in more than 180 countries.” Its famous products include Juicy Fruit gum, Skittles, Lockets, and Tunes. The company ____________ over $6 billion a year in revenues. The company was ____________ to Mars in 2008 for $23 billion.
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PROJECT WRIGLEY
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Wrigley. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Wrigley 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.
WRIGLEY – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Wrigley 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 – Wrigley 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 – Wrigley customer
You are a customer of Wrigley. 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 Wrigley. 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.
WRIGLEY – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Wrigley New Products Director
You have created a new product for Wrigley. 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 Wrigley.
Role B – Wrigley 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 – Wrigley 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 – Wrigley Shareholder
You know a lot about Wrigley’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 Wrigley. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Wrigley. 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. WRIGLEY POSTERMake a poster about Wrigley. 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 WRIGLEY LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Wrigley. 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 Wrigley. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
