Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Puma. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Puma is a German manufacturer of sports shoes, and lifestyle and other sportswear. It was founded in 1924 by brothers Rudolf and Adolf Dassler. They became famous at the 1936 Olympic Games in Munich. Adolf persuaded U.S. sprinter Jesse Owens to wear the athletics spikes he designed. Owens won four gold medals and the Dasslers’ shoes became famous among the world's sportsmen. Many top athletes have preferred Puma shoes, from footballers Pele and Maradona to the sprinter Usain Bolt and most Formula One drivers. Puma employs around 9,500 staff and generates around $3 billion in annual revenues. Its products are sold in nearly one hundred countries. Its website says: “Puma has the long-term mission of becoming the most desirable and sustainable sports lifestyle company.”
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Puma on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. PUMA MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Puma. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Puma. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Puma and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Puma. 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 Puma. 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
Puma is a German ________________________, and lifestyle ________________________. It was founded in 1924 by brothers Rudolf and Adolf Dassler. They became famous at the 1936 ________________________. Adolf persuaded U.S. sprinter Jesse Owens to wear the ________________________. Owens won four gold medals and the Dasslers’ shoes became famous among the world's sportsmen. Many top ________________________ Puma shoes, from footballers Pele and Maradona to the sprinter Usain Bolt and most Formula One drivers. Puma employs around 9,500 ________________________ $3 billion in annual revenues. Its products ________________________ hundred countries. Its website says: “Puma has the long-term mission of becoming the most ________________________ sports lifestyle company.”
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Puma is a German manufacturer of sports shoes, and itelsyefl and other sportswear. It was founded in 1924 by brothers Rudolf and Adolf Dassler. They became famous at the 1936 Olympic Games in Munich. Adolf duerseapd U.S. sprinter Jesse Owens to wear the ttesilahc spikes he designed. Owens won four gold saldme and the Dasslers’ shoes became famous among the world's sportsmen. Many top athletes have rdfeperre Puma shoes, from footballers Pele and Maradona to the rtpinrse Usain Bolt and most Formula One dvsrrie. Puma employs around 9,500 staff and generates around $3 billion in annual neesvuer. Its products are sold in nearly one hundred countries. Its website says: “Puma has the long-term ssnmioi of becoming the most ebldsaier and sustainable sports lifestyle company.”
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Puma sports is German of shoes a manufacturer, and lifestyle and other sportswear. It was founded in 1924 by brothers Rudolf and Adolf Dassler. They became famous at the 1936 Olympic Games in Munich. Adolf persuaded U.S. sprinter Jesse spikes Owens wear athletics he to the designed. won gold and Owens four medals the Dasslers’ became shoes world's the among famous sportsmen. Many athletes top shoes Puma preferred have, from footballers Pele and Maradona to the sprinter Usain Bolt and most Formula One drivers. Puma employs around 9,500 around generates and staff in billion 3 $ annual revenues. products Its hundred one nearly in sold are countries. Its website says: “Puma has the long-term mission of becoming sustainable and desirable most the sports lifestyle company.”
puma is a german manufacturer of sports shoes and lifestyle and other sportswear it was founded in 1924 by brothers rudolf and adolf dassler they became famous at the 1936 olympic games in munich adolf persuaded us sprinter jesse owens to wear the athletics spikes he designed owens won four gold medals and the dasslers’ shoes became famous among the world's sportsmen many top athletes have preferred puma shoes from footballers pele and maradona to the sprinter usain bolt and most formula one drivers puma employs around 9500 staff and generates around $3 billion in annual revenues its products are sold in nearly one hundred countries its website says “puma has the long-term mission of becoming the most desirable and sustainable sports lifestyle company”
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Puma .......... (be) a German manufacturer of sports shoes, and lifestyle and other sportswear. It was .......... (found) in 1924 by brothers Rudolf and Adolf Dassler. They .......... (become) famous at the 1936 Olympic Games in Munich. Adolf .......... (persuade) U.S. sprinter Jesse Owens to .......... (wear) the athletics spikes he .......... (design). Owens .......... (win) four gold medals and the Dasslers’ shoes .......... (become) famous among the world's sportsmen. Many top athletes have .......... (prefer) Puma shoes, from footballers Pele and Maradona to the sprinter Usain Bolt and most Formula One drivers. Puma .......... (employ) around 9,500 staff and .......... (generate) around $3 billion in annual revenues. Its products are .......... (sell) in nearly one hundred countries. Its website .......... (say): “Puma has the long-term mission of .......... (become) the most desirable and sustainable sports lifestyle company.”
Puma is a German manufacturer of sports shoes, and ____________ and other sportswear. It was founded in 1924 by brothers Rudolf and Adolf Dassler. They became famous at the 1936 Olympic Games in Munich. Adolf ____________ U.S. sprinter Jesse Owens to wear the athletics spikes he ____________. Owens won four gold medals and the Dasslers’ shoes became famous ____________ the world's sportsmen. Many top athletes have ____________ Puma shoes, from footballers Pele and Maradona to the sprinter Usain Bolt and most Formula One ____________. Puma employs around 9,500 staff and ____________ around $3 billion in ____________ revenues. Its products are sold in nearly one hundred countries. Its website says: “Puma has the long-term ____________ of becoming the most ____________ and sustainable sports lifestyle company.”
preferred
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PROJECT PUMA
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Puma. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Puma 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.
PUMA – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Puma 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 – Puma 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 – Puma customer
You are a customer of Puma. 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 Puma. 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.
PUMA – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Puma New Products Director
You have created a new product for Puma. 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 Puma.
Role B – Puma 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 – Puma 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 – Puma Shareholder
You know a lot about Puma’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 Puma. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Puma. 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. PUMA POSTERMake a poster about Puma. 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 PUMA LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Puma. 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 Puma. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
