When I'm 64 The Beatles
Lesson Plan sent in by Ishbel Saxton, Manchester.
stage 1
Ask the students to work in pairs or small groups and to make two lists under the two headings below:
positive aspects of being retired negative aspects of being retired
stage 2
Collect their ideas on the black/whiteboard
stage 3
With a multi-cultural group, give the students the following discussion questions.
Work with a partner, or in a group of three, and ask each other these questions.
- What is the retirement age for men and women in your country?
- Does the government pay them a pension? Is it enough to live on?
- Is it usual for people in your country to have a private pension/a company pension?
- Do most families live near enough each other for them to visit grandparents regularly? What about your family?
With a mono-cultural group, give the students the following questions.
With a partner, or in a group of three, discuss these questions.
- Should men and women retire at the same age? Why?/Why not?
- In your opinion, what is the best to retire?
- Why do you think some people want to go on working until 70, or even older?
- Do you think 55 is too young to retire? Why?/Why not?
- When do you want to retire?
stage 4
Give the students the matching exercise below. Tell them that they are going to listen to the song "When I'm 64", in order to match the beginnings and endings in the two columns. Ask them to work in pairs to try to match them before they listen; then play through the song, and check the answers. If it seems appropriate, play the song again, with or without the complete lyrics.
When I'm 64 - The Beatles
When I get older losing my hair,
Many years from now.
Will you still sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine.
If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.
You will be older too,
And if you say the word,
I could stay with you.
I could be handy, mending a fuse.
When your lights have gone.
You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday morning go for a ride,
Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
Who could ask for more.
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.
Every summer we can rent a cottage,
In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera Chuck & Dave
Send me a postcard, drop me a line,
Stating point of view
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, wasting away.
Give me your answer, fill in a form
Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.
As you listen to the song, match the halves of the sentences in the table below.
| Will you still need me, will you still feed me, | Mine for evermore |
| Every summer we can rent a cottage, | Will you still be sending me a Valentine, Birthday greetings, bottle of wine? |
| Send me a postcard, drop me a line, Stating point of view. | I could stay with you. |
| Give me your answer, fill in a form | In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear |
| I could be handy, mending a fuse, | Indicate precisely what you mean to say Yours sincerely, wasting away. |
| And if you say the word | Would you lock the door? |
| If I'd been out till quarter to three | When your lights have gone |
| When I get older, losing my hair,Many years from now, | When I'm sixty-four? |
stage 5
Give each student the following worksheet. When they have constructed questions for the blank spaces, ask them to work in pairs and take it in turns to ask and answer the questions.
You are going to imagine you are your grandmother or grandfather. Below are questions you are going to ask each other (answering as one of your grandparents.) Write four more questions in the empty spaces. When you have written your questions, take it in turns to imagine you are one of your grandparents, and ask each other the questions.
1. How old are you?
2. Did you have a full-time job when you were younger?
3.
4. What do you like about being older?
5. What are some of the things you don't like?
6.
7. Do you think life was better when you were in your twenties?
8.
9. Do you have any regrets?
10.
