Beyond Just One Day (Celebrating International Women's Day)
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Beyond Just One Day (Celebrating International Women's Day)
I. Read and practise the following conversation between:
Samir: The father
Ali: His 14-year-old son
Setting: The kitchen on a Saturday morning. Samir is making coffee, and Ali is looking at his phone.
Samir: Ali, put your phone down for a minute. Do you know what today's date is?
Ali: It’s March 8th. Why? Is it someone's birthday?
Samir: No, it’s International Women’s Day. It’s a very important global event.
Ali: Oh, right. We saw a poster about it at school. But Dad, why do we need a specific day just for women?
Samir: Because historically, and even today, women face many obstacles that men don't. This day is about two things: celebrating the achievements of women, and recognizing that we still need to work toward true equality.
Ali: Equality? Like having the same rights?
Samir: Exactly. It means women should have the same opportunities, the same pay for the same work, and the same respect everywhere—in politics, at jobs, and especially at home. Think about our own family. Think about the roles Mom and your sister Aisha play.
Ali: Well, Mom works full-time at the clinic, and she handles most of the cooking and scheduling for us. And Aisha is studying engineering, which she says is really tough because there aren't many women in her classes.
Samir: Yes, and that's exactly why we need to talk about our duties as men. It is our responsibility to appreciate them, but words are not enough. We have to support their dreams. For Aisha, it means encouraging her to break into a male-dominated field. For Mom, it means reducing her burden at home.
Ali: You mean doing more chores?
Samir: It's more than just "helping out," Ali. Helping implies that the house is solely Mom's responsibility, and we are just doing her a favor. A family is a partnership. We need to contribute equally to the daily housework because we all live here.
Ali: I never thought about it that way. I guess she does carry a lot of the mental stress for the family.
Samir: She does. Society often places a heavy expectation on women to care for everyone else while ignoring their own needs. Our duty to our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters is to ensure they feel valued and have the freedom to pursue their own goals.
Ali: So, how do we show that today?
Samir: Let's start with an action. We will prepare breakfast, clean up, and handle all the house chores today so Mom and Aisha can focus entirely on what they want to do. But remember, the real goal is to make this a daily habit, not just a once-a-year gesture.
Ali: Deal. I'll start by chopping the vegetables for the omelet. Let's make sure they get a proper break today.
II. Vocabulary:
Global (adjective): Relating to the whole world; international.
Obstacle (noun): Something that blocks your way or makes it difficult to do something.
Achievement (noun): Something very good and difficult that you succeed in doing.
Equality (noun): The state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities.
Opportunity (noun): A chance to do something, like get a job or go to university.
Role (noun): The position or purpose that someone has in a situation, organization, or family.
Appreciate (verb): To recognize the full worth of someone; to be grateful for them.
Support (verb): To help someone succeed by giving them encouragement or practical assistance.
Burden (noun): A heavy load or a difficult responsibility that causes worry or hard work.
Imply (verb): To suggest something without saying it directly.
Solely (adverb): Only; completely.
Contribute (verb): To give your time, effort, or money to help achieve something together.
Expectation (noun): A belief or hope about how someone should behave or what should happen.
Pursue (verb): To try to achieve something over a period of time (e.g., pursue a career, pursue a dream).
Gesture (noun): An action that you take to show your feelings or intentions (e.g., buying flowers is a kind gesture).
III. Answer the following questions:
Part 1: Fill in the blanks using the correct word from the box below.
achievements - equality - role - duties - burden
International Women's Day is a time to celebrate the wonderful _______________ of women around the world.
Every person in the family should share the housework so the _______________ does not fall only on one person.
As a son and a brother, Ali learned about his _______________ to respect and support the women in his life.
Men and women should have true _______________, meaning they get the same pay and opportunities for the same work.
Aisha plays an important _______________ in the family by helping her brother practice soccer and studying hard.
Part 2: Rearrange the words to create a meaningful sentence. Capitalize the first word and end with a period.
women / lives / our / thank / let’s / the / important / in
a / partnership / family / happy / is / a / true
chores / we / daily / contribute / to / need / the / to
dreams / support / should / her / we / engineering / to / study
not / just / respect / a / once-a-year / gesture / is
Part 3: Read the definition and find the matching word from the dialogue's vocabulary list.
Find a word that means: To recognize the full worth of someone; to be grateful for them. Answer: ____________________
Find a word that means: Something that blocks your way or makes a task difficult. Answer: ____________________
Find a word that means: To give your time, effort, or help to achieve something together with others. Answer: ____________________
Find a word that means: To try to achieve a goal or a dream over a long period of time. Answer: ____________________
Find a word that means: Relating to the whole world; international. Answer: ____________________
Part 4: Read each sentence based on the conversation between Samir and Ali. Circle True or False.
International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on March 8th.
( True / False )
Samir believes that house chores are solely the mother's responsibility.
( True / False )
Ali’s sister, Aisha, is studying to become a professional soccer player.
( True / False )
Doing a kind gesture for women should happen every day, not just once a year.
( True / False )
Samir and Ali decide to surprise Mom and Aisha by making breakfast and cleaning up.
( True / False )
IV. Re-arrange the following conversations:
Conversation 1:
Marcus: Happy International Women's Day, Maya! You can achieve absolutely anything you set your mind to.
Maya: Wow, really? I want to be an astronaut and go to Mars one day!
Marcus: Then I will support you every step of the way. Today is all about reminding girls like you that your potential has no limits.
Maya: Thanks, Dad! My teacher told us today is a day to celebrate women's achievements.
Conversation 2:
Leo: That’s a beautiful idea. She worked so hard to raise you and Aunt Sarah, didn't she?
David: She did, and she faced many obstacles as a newcomer to Canada. Let's call her together to tell her how much we appreciate her.
David: Leo, do you know who we should make sure to thank on International Women's Day?
Leo: Hmm, Mom and my sister Chloe? Who else are you thinking of, Dad?
David: Your Grandma Elena.
Conversation 3:
Kevin: I remember Mom saying she had to fight really hard to get her promotion at the bank.
Robert: Exactly. International Women's Day reminds us that women deserve the same opportunities and pay as men.
Kevin: Dad, why do people talk so much about "equality" on March 8th?
Robert: Because historically, women haven't always been treated fairly in the workplace, Kevin.
Conversation 4:
Amir: I’m organizing the family calendar and planning the meals for the upcoming week.
Tariq: Oh, usually Mom does all the planning. Are you doing it because it's International Women's Day?
Tariq: What are you working on at the computer, Dad?
Amir: Yes, but also because managing a household is a heavy burden. True partnership means sharing the planning, not just the physical chores.
Conversation 5:
Mateo: Good idea! Should we buy some flowers for Mom and a nice book for my sister Sophia?
Luis: Mateo, let's stop by the market before we head home this afternoon.
Luis: Yes, those are wonderful gestures to show them that we see their hard work and value them every single day.
Mateo: Sure, Dad. What do we need to buy?
Luis: I want to get some small gifts to celebrate the women in our family for International Women's Day.
V. Parts of Speech.
Part 1: Choose the correct word form to complete each sentence.
Samir wants to buy a gift for his wife to show his _________ for everything she does.
A) appreciate (verb)
B) appreciative (adjective)
C) appreciation (noun)
D) appreciatively (adverb)
Aisha was very _________ when her father encouraged her to study engineering.
A) excite (verb)
B) excited (adjective)
C) excitement (noun)
D) excitedly (adverb)
Many communities hold a big _________ on March 8th to honor women.
A) celebrate (verb)
B) celebratory (adjective)
C) celebration (noun)
D) celebrated (adjective)
It is important to treat all family members _________, regardless of their gender.
A) equal (adjective)
B) equality (noun)
C) equally (adverb)
D) equalize (verb)
Marcus gave words of _________ to his daughter before her big soccer game.
A) encourage (verb)
B) encouraging (adjective)
C) encouragement (noun)
D) encouragingly (adverb)
Part 2: Each sentence below has one part of speech mistake. Find the mistake and write the corrected sentence on the line.
The family had a beautiful celebrate at home on International Women's Day.
Corrected sentence: ___________________________________________________
It is important to share household responsibilities equal among family members.
Corrected sentence: ___________________________________________________
Maya felt very excitement when her dad said she could be an astronaut one day.
Corrected sentence: ____________________________________________________________
Samir spoke to his son about the importance of showing appreciate to women.
Corrected sentence: ____________________________________________________________
Aisha is working hard because she wants to be a success engineer in the future.
Corrected sentence: ____________________________________________________________
Part 3: Identify the part of speech requested in the brackets, then choose the correct word from the word bank to complete the sentence.
Encourage - equally - equality - her - important
International Women’s Day is an _______________ [adjective] event celebrated globally.
Fathers and sons should _______________ [verb] girls to pursue their biggest dreams.
True partnership means that family members share the household chores _______________ [adverb].
We called Grandma Elena to tell _______________ [pronoun] how much we love and appreciate her.
Many people march in parades to demand justice and _______________ [noun] for all women.
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