‘Run for Your Lives’ Races Are Big Business…By Owen Fletcher,  The Wall Street Journal
ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key.

A racer faced off with a zombie near a hay maze obstacle. Photo- “Run for Your Lives' Races

Zombies are the rage this summer. New television series like “The Walking Dead” and movies such as “Night of the Living Dead” (in 3d this time) are back in season.

In keeping up with the Zombie craze, two young friends created the idea of live races called “Run For Your Lives”. The race is an obstacle course and the goal is to make it to the finish line, before the zombies get you!

Excerpt:

“Daniel Smith had run over hills, scrambled through streams and climbed over walls on a recent hot Saturday here, when he came face-to-face with his greatest obstacle yet: a field full of zombies.

Zombie! Photo: Run for Your Lives.

He dodged through about 20 groaning, glassy-eyed antagonists with oozing facial wounds and streaks of red splattered across their clothes. “I felt like it was just nonstop sprinting for my life,” said the 18-year-old from nearby Yorktown.  Mr. Smith, who runs high school track and cross-country, paid $87 for the privilege, while the zombies chasing him paid $25—and got a free makeup job and, for those over 21, a complimentary beer at the end of the race.

Obstacle-course races and zombie-themed events—from proms to marches to film festivals—have been spreading across the country like a flesh-eating bacteria. Now, a series of races called “Run For Your Lives” are bringing the two together. Runners wade through pools of fake blood, duck under electrified wires and try to avoid letting zombies steal their “health flags” worn on a belt around the waist. A runner with no flags left is ruled dead—or is it undead?—and isn’t eligible for awards at the end of the five-kilometer race. Crossing the finish line alive is no small feat: Only about 20% of racers make it with at least one of their three flags left… Reed Street Productions, a company based in White Marsh, Md., and formed by two friends in their 20s, is making a killing on the races.

Racers plunged into a 'blood' pit. Photo- “Run for Your Lives' Races.

It held its first race just last year near Baltimore and unexpectedly drew 12,000 people, the company said. It will hold a total of 13 similar events in cities from Boston to Los Angeles this year. The company said it expects revenue of $18.8 million this year, but declined to disclose its profits. Between 3,000 and 10,000 people participate in the races, with about 5,000 at the event here…Zombies in the “Run For Your Lives” races are split into two groups. “Chasers” run after racers to grab their flags, while “stumblers” are supposed to “crawl, shuffle, drag, or perform any other type of slow movement in order to horrify runners and take their flags,” according to instructions for zombies on the race website.

-Runners wade through pools of fake blood, duck under electrified wires and try to avoid letting zombies steal their 'health flags,' worn on a belt around the waist. Photo- “Run for Your Lives' Races

Mr. Packer, a 41-year-old software designer, was a chaser. He was resting in the shade when two men dressed as Elvis emerged on the path up ahead and began jogging toward him. He looked around as if sensing the presence of the Elvises, then reached out with his clawed hands and lurched toward them and two other runners, his back stiffly bent….Mr. Smith continued on to a maze, where he narrowly escaped a different chaser, and climbed over a cargo net. With the finish line in sight, the race had one more surprise for him—a low, electrified fence to crawl under. Mr. Smith dropped to his elbows and started pulling himself forward…”

This sounds like thrills, chills, and a good exercise workout, all rolled into one. Read the entire article for more of the adventure!

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

Level: Intermediate -Advanced

Language Skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: approximately 2 hours.

Materials: student handouts (from this lesson) access to news article, and video.

I. Pre-Reading Tasks

•  Prediction: Analyzing headings and photos

Directions: Have students read the title of the post, the title of the  article, and analyze the photos.  Next, have them  make a list of  words, and  ideas they might find in this article.

Tags: Run for Your Lives Races, The Wall Street Journal

Claressa Shields wins only gold medal for U.S. boxing at London Olympics, and the first by a woman, The  Washington Post

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post  with Answer Key

Claressa Shields celebrates her win on the podium in London.

17-year old Claressa Shields of Flint, Michigan, is the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport of boxing. Claressa also won the only gold medal for the United States in this Olympic event.
Here are excerpts from her victory:

“LONDON — The public address announcer blared, The gold medalist and Olympic champion . . .and that’s about the point that 17-year old Claressa Shields lost it. She started laughing uncontrollably before the announcer could even say her name. And once the medal was around her neck, she immediately clutched it, waving it from side to side and lifting it above her head. The excitement had taken over every nerve and every muscle…

Claessa Shields holds her gold medal. CBS news.

She laughed throughout the medal ceremony, after her 19-12 victory over Russian Nadezda Torlopova made Shields, a middleweight, the only American boxer at these Olympics — and the first U.S. woman — to win boxing gold. The whole time she kept grabbing at the shiny disc, making sure it was real and that it was really hers…Her new prize, she said, is something she’ll wear every single day because it represents so much… Just a teenager — 165 pounds packed with personality, strength and charm — Shields has a lot of life experience behind her. Too much of it, really. She’s from Flint, Mich., a hard-luck town where every victory is a big one.

Claressa Shields of U.S. wins Gold Medal!

Working daily with Crutchfield, Shields became the youngest boxer to make the U.S. team. Her family couldn’t afford to come to London, but her coach did. He helped guide her through the tough bracket… After disappointing performances by the U.S. men’s boxers, Shields performance was one of the few bright spots at these Olympics, the first in which women’s boxing was considered a medal sport…She tried to guess how life might be different now: History will remember her, she figures, and people will see her as an inspiration…”

(L-R) Silver medalist Nadezda Torlopova of Russia, Gold medalist Claressa Shields of the United States, bronze medalist Marina Volnova of Kazakhstan and bronze medalist Jinzi Li of China. Photo: AJC

Our Congratulations to Claressa and to all of the  women who participated in this historical Olympic event!

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

Level: Low – High Intermediate

Language Skills: Reading, writing, speaking. Vocabulary activities are included.

Time: Approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Materials: Student handouts (from this lesson) and access to news article.

Objective: Students will read and share their thoughts about the article through discussions. They will learn new vocabulary, and express their views on the topic by writing.

I. Pre-Reading Tasks

• Prediction: Analyzing headings and photos

Directions: Have students read the title of the post, and of the actual article. Then, have them analyze the photos. Based on these sources,  have students create a list of  words and ideas that they think might be in this article.
Students might use this pre-reading organizer by Scholastic to assist them in finding the main ideas from the reading.

II. While Reading Tasks

• Vocabulary-Word Inference

Directions: Students are to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. They may use a dictionary or thesaurus for assistance.

1. The public address announcer blared…
2. She started laughing uncontrollably before the announcer could even say her name.
3. “I thought I was gonna have a seizure,” Shields said later.
4. Just a teenager — 165 pounds packed with personality, strength and charm…
5. At age 11, she wandered into a gym and met Jason Crutchfield, a journeyman fighter …
6. In Flint, hope is a precious commodity.
7. Shields cruised the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds…
8. At the arena Thursday, she didn’t even notice one of the loudest, most raucous crowds at these Olympics…
9. Shields remained the aggressor and added to her lead.
10. Shields closed out the victory with a decisive final round…

• Questions for Reading Comprehension: True / False

Directions:  The following statements were taken from the article.  If  a statement is true, students write (T) if  a statement is false they  write (F)  and  provide the correct answer from the article.

1. Shields, a middleweight, was the only American boxer at these Olympics — and the first U.S. woman — to win boxing gold.
2. Claressa cried throughout the medal ceremony.
3. Claressa said that her new prize is something she’ll wear every single day because it represents so much.
4. She’s from Flint, Missouri, a hard-luck town where every victory is a big one.
5. Her father served time in prison for breaking and entering.
6. Working daily with Crutchfield, Shields became the second youngest boxer to make the U.S. team.
7. Before the fight, Shields phoned her family.
8. The U.S. men’s boxers had disappointing performances.
9. Claressa stated, “I might have 10,000 followers when I get back on Twitter,”.
10. Shields will begin her senior year of high school soon and says she she’ll try to defend her Olympic title in 2016.

•  Grammar Focus: Identifying Parts of Speech

Directions: Have students identify the verbs in the following paragraphs, then use the words to write a short paragraph  concerning female professional boxing.

“I earned this,” she said. “This is my medal. I worked too hard. I worked really hard for this medal. I can’t even explain all the pain that I had went through, all the people I had to deal with. And just life, period.”…Working daily with Crutchfield, Shields became the youngest boxer to make the U.S. team. Her family couldn’t afford to come to London, but her coach did. He helped guide her through the tough bracket.

III. Post Reading Tasks

•  Reading Comprehension Check

Directions: Have students use the WH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article.

WH-How Questions
Who or What is the article about?
Where does the action/event take place?
When does the action/event take place?
Why did the action/event occur?
How did the action/event occur?

• Essay Writing

Directions:  Have students choose a topic and write an essay.
Review ESL Voices Modes of Essay Writing.

1. The article states that “Shields, a middleweight, the only American boxer at these Olympics — and the first U.S. woman — to win boxing gold.” In your opinion, do you think this is too much responsibility for a 17-year-old? Write an essay in which you explain your views.
2. Write an essay in which you state reasons for supporting professional female boxing, or oppose this sport.
3. The article states, “Shields will begin her senior year of high school soon and says she doesn’t know whether she’ll try to defend her Olympic title in 2016. There has never before been a U.S. female gold-winning boxer, and she doesn’t know what opportunities might come along.” Write an essay in which you provide Claressa with advice as to what she should do in the future.

• Group Activity: Role Play

Directions: Within your group create a list of questions you would like to ask Claressa Shields. Then have each member take turns playing the roles of Claressa, and a sports interviewer.

ANSWER Key: Claressa Shields wins Gold.

Straight Out Of Flint: Girl Boxer Aims For Olympics By Radio Diaries, NPR

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key.

U.S. Olympic Boxing Contender & Champ Claressa Shields. Photo- Corbis blog

Recently Clarissa Shields was selected as a member of the USA Boxing Team for the 2012 London Olympic Games. She is just 17-years-old,  the youngest boxing contender in four decades.  This year will be the first time Female Boxing will be introduced as an Olympic event. The US has three women on its team, one for each division.

This NPR article is an older one that provides more information about Claressa, and her life before winning a place on the USA Olympic team.  This was when she was known as the “Girl Boxer”.

Excerpt:

“Sixteen-year-old Claressa Shields has a dream. She’s in London, at the Olympic finals for women’s boxing, when the announcer calls out, “The first woman Olympian at 165 pounds — Claressa Shields!”

Claressa, a high school student and middleweight boxer from Flint, Mich., is the youngest fighter competing for a place on the U.S. Olympic women’s boxing team…Claressa is undefeated — she has a 19-0 record — but in Spokane, at the biggest matches of her life, she faced women almost a decade older and much more experienced.

Claressa Shields with her coach. Photo- WNYC

 

But Claressa Shields has beaten the odds before.  Claressa attributes her start in boxing to her father, Clarence Shields, an amateur underground boxer who was nicknamed “Cannonball” because of his fast, hard punches. Clarence went to prison when Claressa was 2 and didn’t come out until she was 9…

 

When Claressa first asked Clarence if she could box, he told her that boxing was a man’s sport. “That made me so mad,” Claressa recalls. But she wouldn’t give up on the idea, and when she was 11 years old, her father finally brought her to the gym.

Claressa Shields USA Olympic Team!

“I’m going to be honest, my first thought was you would get beat up and quit,” her father tells her. But Claressa proved him wrong.I’m still proving people wrong,” she says… Claressa’s coach, Jason Crutchfield, says he first noticed her determination and aggressive, fast punches a week after she came to his gym… A coach always wants a champion; I just never thought it was going to be a girl… It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing for Claressa and for Flint, a town infamous for poverty, staggering unemployment and violent crime…Crutchfield says he sees Claressa’s success as a chance for Flint to turn that reputation around and boost morale. “This will show them that, through all that, something good came out of Flint: Claressa Shields.”

 

The US Olympic Female Boxing Team- (from left) Marlen Esparza, Claressa Shields, Queen Underwood. Photo- GirlBoxing

Read the article and watch our U.S. Female Boxing team bring home the Gold!

2012 Olympics Boxing Schedule

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

Level: Intermediate -Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, speaking and listening. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 2 hours.

Materials: Student handouts (from this lesson) access to news article, and video.

Objective: Students will read and share their thoughts about the article through discussions. They will learn new vocabulary, and  express their views on the topic by writing.

I. Pre-Reading Tasks

•  Prediction:  Creating Vocabulary & Ideas  from headings and photos

Directions: Have students read the title of the post, and of the actual article. Then, have them analyze the photos. Based on these sources,  have students create a list of  words and  ideas  that they think might be in this article.

•    Organizer

Directions:  Have students use this pre-reading organizer by Scholastic to assist them in finding the main ideas from the reading.

 

• Pre-reading Discussion Questions

Directions: Have students discuss the following questions regarding female boxing in their countries.

1. Is female boxing prevalent in your country? Explain why or why not.
2. Are there any Females representing your country in the 2012 London Olympics? If yes, how do you feel about them? If no, would you have wanted you country to compete in this area? Why or why not?

II. While Reading Tasks

• Vocabulary-Word Inference

Directions: Students are to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. They may use a dictionary or thesaurus for assistance.

1. Claressa, a high school student and middleweight boxer from Flint…
2. Earlier this month, Claressa joined 23 of the country’s best amateur female boxers…
3. Claressa is undefeated — she has a 19-0 record…
4. …she faced women almost a decade older and much more experienced.
5. Claressa attributes her start in boxing to her father…
6. “That made me so mad,” Claressa recalls.
7. …But she wouldn’t give up on the idea…
8. Stepping inside the ring, meanwhile, is like entering a different dimension.
9. … Jason Crutchfield, says he…noticed her determination…
10. Sure, Claressa is a fierce competitor, confident and determined…

• Questions  for Reading Comprehension: True / False

Directions:  The following statements were taken from the article.  If  a statement is true, students write (T) if  a statement is false they  write (F)  and  provide the correct answer from the article.

1. Claressa Shields is sixteen-years-old.
2. Claressa is  from Flint, Missouri
3. Earlier this month, Claressa joined 23 female boxers at the Olympic team trials in  Washington, D.C.
4. Claressa is undefeated.
5.  For Claressa, the gym is a beautiful place.
6. Clarence went to prison when Claressa was 2 and didn’t come out until she was 9.
7.  When Claressa first asked Clarence if she could box, he told her that she should give boxing a try.
8. Her father thought  she would get beat up and quit.
9. Claressa  was beaten in her first fight.
10. Claressa and Crutchfield have an almost father-daughter relationship.

Directions:  Have students choose a topic and write an essay.

1. The article states, “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing for Claressa and for Flint, a town infamous for poverty, staggering unemployment and violent crime.” Using this statement as a starting point, write an essay in which you describe the ways professional boxing might help young females.
2. Clarissa began boxing when she was 11-years-old, and some claim this young experience helped her to get to the Olympics. In some areas children begin boxing as young as 8-years-old. Write an essay in which you explain why allowing children to box at a young age is a good or bad idea.
3. Write an essay in which you defend a female’s right to become a professional boxer if she so chooses.

IV. Listening Activity:   Video Clip: Claressa Shields Interview with NBC Fox

Watch an interview with Us boxing Olympic team member Claressa Shields.

Claressa Shields interview at Fox-video News

• While Listening Tasks   

  Sentence  Fill-ins

Directions: Students listen for the correct word or phrase to complete the sentences taken from the video.   They are to select the terms from the choices provided.

1-The 2012 summer Olympics will be starting in London in

a. July

b. September

c. June

2-Claressa  is

a. 17

b. 18

c-16

3-She’s the___ female qualified in this  Olympic event.

a. oldest

b. youngest

c. almost youngest

4-Claressa fights other females between the ages of

a.16-30

b.17-35

c. 17-34

5-The school she attends is

a. Michigan western

b. Northwestern

c. Southwestern

6-She doesn’t get a lot of fights in Michigan because of her

a. reputation and skills

b.knowledge

c. grades

7-Claressa’s goal is to

a. finish school

b. win the bronze medal

c. win the gold medal

8- Claressa  was on her way to the trails in the state of

a. Washington

b. Michigan

c. Wyoming

9- The fundraiser was in held in downtown___.

a. Manhattan

b. Newark

c. Flint

10-Claressa’s philosophy is

a. fight until you win

b. no pain no gain,no guts no glory

c. no pain, no glory

• Post-Listening Tasks

Questions for Discussion

Directions:Place students in groups and  have them discuss the following questions.

1. After listening to this video has your personal view of Claressa Shields changed in any way?   If yes, describe in what way.  If no, describe your original opinion of  Claressa.

2. In your opinion, after viewing this video of Claressa, do you think she can win the  gold medal in the 2012 Boxing Olympics?

3. With your group members, make up questions that you would like to ask Claressa Shields .

 

ANSWER KEY: Charissa Shields, Boxing.

Related Articles:

A RING OF ONE’S OWN  by  Ariel Levy, The New Yorker

Olympic Contender  By Sarah Deming , Columbia University

Schedule for Overall Olympic Boxing

 

Tags: 2012 Olympics, Clarissa Shields, Professional Boxing