Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Coca Cola. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
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The Coca-Cola Company is a soft drinks giant that was established in 1886. Its mission is “to strive to refresh the world, inspire moments of optimism and happiness, create value and make a difference”. It often tops the list of being the world’s most recognizable brand. Its iconic Coca Cola drink, also known as Coke, started life as medicine. Today it is one of the biggest selling products on the planet. The company website says its 3,300+ beverages are sold in over 200 countries. It sells 1.6 billion drinks a day and employs close to 100,000 people. One secret to the company's phenomenal success is what it calls the 'Coca-Cola system' - the more than 300 worldwide bottling partners that work together to distribute its products. Another is its catchy advertising slogans, such as “Coke Is It”. Its biggest rival is Pepsi.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Coca-Cola on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. COCA-COLA MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Coca-Cola. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Coca-Cola. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Coca-Cola and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Coca-Cola. 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 Coca-Cola. 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
The Coca-Cola Company __________________ that was established in 1886. Its mission is “__________________ the world, inspire moments of optimism and happiness, create value and make a difference”. It __________________ of being the world’s most recognizable brand. Its iconic Coca Cola drink, also known as Coke, __________________ medicine. Today it is one of the biggest selling products on the planet. The company website says its 3,300+ __________________ over 200 countries. It sells 1.6 billion drinks a day and __________________ 100,000 people. One secret to the company's phenomenal success is what it calls the 'Coca-Cola system' - the more than 300 worldwide bottling partners that work together to ____________________. Another is its __________________ slogans, such as “Coke Is It”. Its biggest rival is Pepsi.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
The Coca-Cola Company is a soft drinks giant that was established in 1886. Its oisinsm is “to strive to refresh the world, inspire metosnm of optimism and happiness, create value and make a difference”. It often tops the list of being the world’s most recognizable brand. Its icocin Coca Cola drink, also known as Coke, started life as medicine. Today it is one of the biggest iglenls products on the planet. The company teweibs says its 3,300+ beverages are sold in over 200 countries. It sells 1.6 ibnllio drinks a day and oepslym close to 100,000 people. One secret to the company's phenomenal success is what it calls the 'Coca-Cola tssmye' - the more than 300 worldwide bottling partners that work together to tsriitdebu its products. Another is its ctachy advertising slogans, such as “Coke Is It”. Its biggest rival is Pepsi.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
The Coca-Cola Company a drinks that is soft giant was established in 1886. to strive to “ is mission Its refresh the world, inspire moments of optimism and happiness, create value and make a difference”. It often tops the list recognizable most world’s the being of brand. Its iconic Coca Cola drink, also known as Coke, started life as medicine. Today products selling biggest the of one is it on the planet. The company website says its 3,300+ beverages are sold in over 200 countries. It sells 1.6 billion drinks a day and employs close to 100,000 people. One phenomenal company's the to secret success is what it calls the 'Coca-Cola system' - the more than 300 partners worldwide that bottling work together to distribute its products. catchy is advertising its Another slogans, such as “Coke Is It”. Its biggest rival is Pepsi.
the coca-cola company is a soft drinks giant that was established in 1886 its mission is “to strive to refresh the world inspire moments of optimism and happiness create value and make a difference” it often tops the list of being the world’s most recognizable brand its iconic coca cola drink also known as coke started life as medicine today it is one of the biggest selling products on the planet the company website says its 3300+ beverages are sold in over 200 countries it sells 16 billion drinks a day and employs close to 100000 people one secret to the company's phenomenal success is what it calls the 'coca-cola system' - the more than 300 worldwide bottling partners that work together to distribute its products another is its catchy advertising slogans such as “coke is it” its biggest rival is pepsi
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
The Coca-Cola Company .......... (be) a soft drinks giant that was established in 1886. Its mission is “to .......... (strive) to .......... (refresh) the world, inspire moments of optimism and happiness, .......... (create) value and make a difference”. It often .......... (tops) the list of being the world’s most recognizable brand. Its iconic Coca Cola drink, also .......... (know) as Coke, started life as medicine. Today it is one of the biggest selling products on the planet. The company website .......... (say) its 3,300+ beverages are sold in over 200 countries. It .......... (sell) 1.6 billion drinks a day and employs close to 100,000 people. One secret to the company's phenomenal success .......... (be) what it calls the 'Coca-Cola system' - the more than 300 worldwide bottling partners that work together to .......... (distribute) its products. Another is its catchy advertising slogans, such as “Coke Is It”. Its biggest rival .......... (be) Pepsi.
The Coca-Cola Company is a soft drinks ____________ that was established in 1886. Its mission is “to strive to refresh the world, ____________ moments of optimism and happiness, create value and make a difference”. It often ____________ the list of being the world’s most recognizable brand. Its iconic Coca Cola drink, also ____________ as Coke, started life as medicine. Today it is one of the biggest selling products on the planet. The company website says its 3,300+ ____________ are sold in over 200 countries. It sells 1.6 billion drinks a day and employs ____________ to 100,000 people. One secret to the company's phenomenal ____________ is what it calls the 'Coca-Cola system' - the more than 300 worldwide bottling ____________ that work together to distribute its products. Another is its ____________ advertising slogans, such as “Coke Is It”. Its biggest ____________ is Pepsi.
tops
success
close
giant catchy beverages rival inspire partners known
PROJECT COCA-COLA
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Coca-Cola. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Coca Cola 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.
COCA-COLA – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Coca-Cola 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 – Coca-Cola 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 – Coca-Cola customer
You are a customer of Coca-Cola. 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 Coca-Cola. 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.
COCA-COLA – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Coca-Cola New Products Director
You have created a new product for Coca-Cola. 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 Coca-Cola.
Role B – Coca-Cola 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 – Coca-Cola 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 – Coca-Cola Shareholder
You know a lot about Coca-Cola’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 Coca-Cola. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Coca-Cola. 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. COCA-COLA POSTERMake a poster about Coca-Cola. 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 COCA-COLA LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Coca-Cola. 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 Coca-Cola. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
