- A new form of paper currency that can be used with technology.
- An old form of currency that is being renewed by technology.
- A form of digital currency that uses blockchain technology.
Crypto
Lead-in
- What do you know about cryptocurrency? Have you ever invested in it?
- How do cryptocurrencies impact financial inclusion?
Presentation
Pre
- What is a cryptocurrency and how does it differ from the traditional currency?
Top Down
- What is Bitcoin? Read the text and find out.
- A new form of paper currency that can be used with technology.
- An old form of currency that is being renewed by technology.
- A form of digital currency that uses blockchain technology.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin is a form of digital currency that aims to eliminate the need for central authorities such as banks or governments. Instead, Bitcoin uses blockchain technology to support peer-to-peer transactions between users on a decentralized network.
Transactions are authenticated through Bitcoin’s proof-of-work consensus mechanism, which rewards cryptocurrency miners for validating transactions.
Launched in 2009 by a mysterious developer known as Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin (BTC) was the first, and remains the most valuable, entrant in the emerging class of assets known as cryptocurrencies.
How does Bitcoin work?
Each Bitcoin is a digital asset that may be stored at a cryptocurrency exchange or in a digital wallet. Each individual coin represents the value of Bitcoin’s current price, but you can also own partial shares of each coin. The smallest denomination of each Bitcoin is called a Satoshi, sharing its name with Bitcoin’s creator. Each Satoshi is equivalent to a hundred millionth of one Bitcoin, so owning fractional shares of Bitcoin is quite common.
- Blockchain: Bitcoin is powered by open-source code known as the blockchain, which creates a shared public history of transactions organized into “blocks” that are “chained” together to prevent tampering. This technology will create a permanent record of each transaction, and it provides a way for every Bitcoin user to operate with the same understanding of who owns what.
- Private and public keys: A Bitcoin wallet contains a public key and a private key, which work together to allow the owner to initiate and digitally sign transactions. This unlocks the central function of Bitcoin — securely transferring ownership from one user to another.
- Bitcoin mining: Users on the Bitcoin network verify transactions through a process known as mining, which is designed to confirm that new transactions are consistent with other transactions that have been completed in the past. This ensures that you can’t spend a Bitcoin you don’t have, or that you have previously spent.
Modified from Source
Bottom Up
- Answer the following questions according to the text.
- What is Bitcoin and how does it differ from the traditional currency?
- How are Bitcoin transactions authenticated?
- Who launched Bitcoin and when?
- What is the smallest denomination of Bitcoin called?
- How does blockchain technology work in Bitcoin?
- What is Bitcoin mining and why is it necessary?
- What is Bitcoin and how does it differ from the traditional currency? > Bitcoin is a digital currency that operates on a decentralized network and uses blockchain technology to support peer-to-peer transactions. It aims to eliminate the need for central authorities such as banks or governments, unlike traditional currencies.
- How are Bitcoin transactions authenticated? > Bitcoin transactions are authenticated through a consensus mechanism called proof-of-work, which rewards cryptocurrency miners for validating transactions.
- Who launched Bitcoin and when? > Bitcoin was launched in 2009 by a mysterious developer known as Satoshi Nakamoto.
- What is the smallest denomination of Bitcoin called? > The smallest denomination of Bitcoin is called a Satoshi, and it is equivalent to a hundred millionth of one Bitcoin.
- How does blockchain technology work in Bitcoin? > The blockchain creates a shared public history of transactions that are organized into “blocks” and “chained” together to prevent tampering. This technology creates a permanent record of each transaction and allows every Bitcoin user to operate with the same understanding of who owns what.
- What is Bitcoin mining and why is it necessary? > Bitcoin mining is the process by which users on the Bitcoin network verify transactions to ensure that new transactions are consistent with other transactions that have been completed in the past. This ensures that you can’t spend a Bitcoin you don’t have or have previously spent. It is necessary to maintain the integrity and security of the Bitcoin network.
Post
- Do you prefer cryptocurrency or traditional currency? Why?
Target Language
Future Predictions
Subject + Modal + Infinitive
Possibility
- Bitcoin might (not) be the future of money.
- A cashless future may (not) change how society works.
Certainty
- Cryptocurrencies will almost certainly have many useful applications.
- The future of money won’t be about money at all.
Controlled Practice
- Match the columns.
- Expressing possibility or permission in a polite way
- Expressing a future event that is certain to happen
- Expressing a future event that is not likely to happen
- Expressing a future event that is possible but uncertain to happen (nature related)
- Expressing a future event that is not certain to happen
( ) The sun will rise at 6:30 tomorrow morning.
( ) I won’t be able to come to the party tonight.
( ) Might I borrow your pen for a moment?
( ) It might rain this afternoon.
( ) I may go to the movies later.
- Expressing possibility or permission in a polite way
- Expressing a future event that is certain to happen
- Expressing a future event that is not likely to happen
- Expressing a future event that is possible but uncertain to happen (nature related)
- Expressing a future event that is not certain to happen
(2) The sun will rise at 6:30 tomorrow morning.
(3) I won’t be able to come to the party tonight.
(1) Might I borrow your pen for a moment?
(4) It might rain this afternoon.
(5) I may go to the movies later.
Freer Practice
- Use the target language and complete the sentences according to your own ideas.
- This weekend I might…
- Me and my family will go to…
- I guess I won’t…
- Bitcoins, and cryptocurrency in general, may…
- I may or may not…
- I think it might… because…
Production
- Use the target language to talk about certainties and possibilities of your future for the next 5 years:
Example: In 3 years from now I may or may not be rich but one thing I’m pretty sure of is that I will be…
Homework
Match the halves.
- I think…
- It looks like it…
- He said he…
- They believe…
- The weather forecast says it…
( ) won’t rain tomorrow.
( ) may not come to the party.
( ) she might be late for the meeting.
( ) they will pass the exam.
( ) might be a good movie.
- I think…
- It looks like it…
- He said he…
- They believe…
- The weather forecast says it…
(5) won’t rain tomorrow.
(3) may not come to the party.
(1) she might be late for the meeting.
(4) they will pass the exam.
(2) might be a good movie.
Fill in the blanks with either “too much” or “too many” to complete the sentences correctly.
Example: He spends _____________ time playing video games and neglects his schoolwork. > He spends too much time playing video games and neglects his schoolwork.
- There is _____________ noise in the classroom, and it’s hard to concentrate.
- I ate _____________ cookies at the party, and now I feel sick.
- She has _____________ clothes in her closet, but she still complains that she has nothing to wear.
- The supermarket had _____________ apples on sale, so I bought a bag for baking.
- There is _____________ traffic on the road this morning, and it’s causing delays.
- There is too much noise in the classroom, and it’s hard to concentrate.
- I ate too many cookies at the party, and now I feel sick.
- She has too many clothes in her closet, but she still complains that she has nothing to wear.
- The supermarket had too many apples on sale, so I bought a bag for baking.
- There is too much traffic on the road this morning, and it’s causing delays.
Fill in the blanks with either “may” or “will” to indicate the level of certainty for each statement.
Example: The flight __________ arrive on time, according to the airline’s schedule. > The flight will arrive on time, according to the airline’s schedule.
- It __________ rain tomorrow, so you should bring your umbrella.
- Sarah __________ be attending the party tonight, but she hasn’t confirmed yet.
- The company’s new product __________ launch next month, according to the CEO’s statement.
- I’m not sure Peter is studying enough. He __________ or __________ not graduate with honors.
- The test results __________ be announced by the end of the week, as per the professor’s announcement.
- It may rain tomorrow, so you should bring your umbrella.
- Sarah may be attending the party tonight, but she hasn’t confirmed yet.
- The company’s new product will launch next month, according to the CEO’s statement.
- I’m not sure Peter is studying enough. He may or may not graduate with honors.
- The test results will be announced by the end of the week, as per the professor’s announcement.
Rearrange the words to form grammatically correct sentences using “might,” “may,” “will,” or “won’t.”
- party / go / I / the / to / tonight / may.
- it / rain / not / will / tomorrow.
- she / win / the / might / race.
- concert / won’t / the / be / canceled / the / due / to / weather / bad.
- late / may / due / arrive / to / traffic / we.
- I may go to the party tonight.
- It will not rain tomorrow.
- She might win the race.
- The concert won’t be canceled due to bad weather.
- We may arrive late due to traffic.
Writing
Write a short text about your certainties and uncertainties.
Example: I may or may not graduate in December but I’ll definitely start university by February and…