Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on McDonald's. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
McDonald’s is one of the most famous brands in the world. It is the world’s largest chain of hamburger restaurants with 31,000 eateries. It operates in 119 countries, serving 47 million customers a day. The company employs over 1.5 million people. The business began in 1940 when brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald opened their first restaurant. In 1948, they introduced the "Speedee Service System" which started the modern fast-food phenomenon. The golden arches trademark was introduced in 1962. McDonald’s has rarely been out of the headlines for controversies over its unhealthy menus and working conditions. The term "McJob" was added to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary in 2003, meaning "a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement".
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about McDonald’s on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. MCDONALD’S MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of McDonald’s. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about McDonald’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 McDonald’s and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about McDonald’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 McDonald’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
McDonald’s ___________________ famous brands in the world. It is the ___________________ of hamburger restaurants with 31,000 eateries. It operates in 119 countries, serving 47 million ___________________. The company employs over 1.5 million people. The business began in 1940 when brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald ______________________. In 1948, they introduced the "Speedee Service System" which started the modern ___________________. The golden arches trademark was introduced in 1962. McDonald’s ___________________ of the headlines for controversies ___________________ menus and working conditions. The term "McJob" was added to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary in 2003, meaning "a low-paying job that requires little skill ___________________ opportunity for advancement".
CORRECT THE SPELLING
McDonald’s is one of the most famous sandrb in the world. It is the world’s largest chain of hamburger restaurants with 31,000 esreatei. It roepaste in 119 countries, serving 47 million customers a day. The company oypmsel over 1.5 million people. The business began in 1940 when brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald nodpee their first restaurant. In 1948, they introduced the "Speedee Service System" which started the dnmreo fast-food phenomenon. The golden arches trademark was introduced in 1962. McDonald’s has raelry been out of the headlines for controversies over its unhealthy menus and working odoitcnsni. The term "McJob" was added to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary in 2003, meaning "a low-paying job that iurqsree little skill and rieopsvd little opportunity for advancement".
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
McDonald’s brands of in the the most is famous one world. It of world’s hamburger largest is chain the restaurants with 31,000 eateries. It operates in 119 countries, 47 serving day a customers million. The employs 5 company 1 people over million. The business began in 1940 when brothers Richard and Maurice opened restaurant their McDonald first. In 1948, they introduced the "Speedee Service System" which started the modern fast-food phenomenon. The golden arches trademark was introduced in 1962. McDonald’s has rarely headlines controversies out the for been of over its unhealthy menus and working conditions. The term "McJob" was added to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary in 2003, meaning "paying skill job a that low requires - littleand advancement for opportunity little provides".
mcdonald’s is one of the most famous brands in the world it is the world’s largest chain of hamburger restaurants with 31000 eateries it operates in 119 countries serving 47 million customers a day the company employs over 15 million people the business began in 1940 when brothers richard and maurice mcdonald opened their first restaurant in 1948 they introduced the "speedee service system" which started the modern fast-food phenomenon the golden arches trademark was introduced in 1962 mcdonald’s has rarely been out of the headlines for controversies over its unhealthy menus and working conditions the term "mcjob" was added to merriam-webster's dictionary in 2003 meaning "a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement"
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
McDonald’s .......... (be) one of the most famous brands in the world. It .......... (be) the world’s largest chain of hamburger restaurants with 31,000 eateries. It .......... (operate) in 119 countries, serving 47 million customers a day. The company .......... (employ) over 1.5 million people. The business .......... (begin) in 1940 when brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald .......... (open) their first restaurant. In 1948, they .......... (introduce) the "Speedee Service System" which .......... (start) the modern fast-food phenomenon. The golden arches trademark was .......... (introduce) in 1962. McDonald’s has rarely .......... (be) out of the headlines for controversies over its unhealthy menus and working conditions. The term "McJob" was .......... (add) to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary in 2003, meaning "a low-paying job that .......... (require) little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement".
McDonald’s is one of the most famous ____________ in the world. It is the world’s largest chain of hamburger restaurants with 31,000 ____________. It operates in 119 countries, serving 47 million customers a day. The company ____________ over 1.5 million people. The business began in 1940 when brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald ____________ their first restaurant. In 1948, they ____________ the "Speedee Service System" which started the modern fast-food phenomenon. The golden arches ____________ was introduced in 1962. McDonald’s has ____________ been out of the headlines for controversies over its unhealthy menus and ____________ conditions. The term "McJob" was added to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary in 2003, meaning "a low-____________ job that requires little skill and provides ____________ opportunity for advancement".
employs
trademark
brands
little eateries rarely introduced paying opened working
PROJECT MCDONALD’S
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of McDonald’s. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How McDonald’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.
MCDONALD’S – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – McDonald’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 – McDonald’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 – McDonald’s customer
You are a customer of McDonald’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 McDonald’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.
MCDONALD’S – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – McDonald’s New Products Director
You have created a new product for McDonald’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 McDonald’s.
Role B – McDonald’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 – McDonald’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 – McDonald’s Shareholder
You know a lot about McDonald’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 McDonald’s. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about McDonald’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. MCDONALD’S POSTERMake a poster about McDonald’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 MCDONALD’S LESSON:Make your own English lesson on McDonald’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 McDonald’s. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
