10B Fact or fiction?

Ice breaker

- What are conspiracy theories?
- Do you know any conspiracy theories?
- What do you think about the following conspiracy theories:

• JFK was killed by the CIA
• The first moon landing wasn't real - they did it in a studio
• There are aliens living on this planet

- Do you think conspiracy theorists are people who can never accept the truth?

Language notes: word families

• A conspiracy theory is a belief that governments, big companies or others are responsible for things that people generally believe have other explanations. 
• Hidden messages (in TV, music, etc.) are also called subliminal messages. They are illegal in many countries.
• HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, generally believed to be the virus that leads to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). There are many conspiracy theories about the origins of AIDS. 
• There are many conspiracy theories about the world being controlled by a small group of people, eg members of a secret club. Some groups called Illuminaty have been the subject of much speculation and feature in many films, eg Tomb Raider, National Treasure.

Cultural notes: 

The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown was published in 2003. It is an exciting thriller in which two people search through Europe for answers to puzzles that might reveal a hidden secret of Christianity. The author suggest that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had children whose ancestors are still alive today. They book also says that Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) knew this secret and included clues in some of his work, most importantly in the large painting The Last Supper, in which the figure of John the Baptist looks like a woman rather than a man.

Glastonbury

• Glastonbury is a genuinely odd and magical place. Despite all the tourists and souvenir shops it still manages to keep an extraordinary character.
• The most extraordinary thing there isn't the famous Abbey ruin, but the hill near the town called Glastonbury Tor. It is a very unusual shape and, although it is very large, gives the impression of having been built by human hand. At the top a single church tower points like a finger up into the sky. If you climb up to this point, you get a 360º panorama of countryside and villages. 
• A major pop festival is held annually on a farm nearby.
• Many people believe Glastonbury is a source of magical powers. Visitors collect water from a well believed to contain magical water. The town is home to a large number of healers, spiritualists, religious groups, etc.