Separated at birth

Starting Point. Discuss the questions below.

What is it that makes us who we really are: our life experiences or our DNA? 

What is more important to who we become: nature or nurture?

Part 1

Focus on Listening. Listen to a school debate about twins.

Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein were both born in New York City. Both women were adopted as infants and raised by loving families. They met for the first time when they were 35 years old and found they were “identical strangers.”

Unknowingly, Bernstein and Schein had been part of a secret research project in the 1960s and ’70s that separated identical twins as infants and followed their development in a one-of-a-kind experiment to assess the influence of nature vs. nurture in child development.

Focus on Comprehension. Choose the topics mentioned in the audio.

Part 2

Focus on Vocabulary. Match the words with the correct meaning.

Focus on Listening. Watch the video about sisters who were adopted by different families.

Focus on Comprehension. Watch the video and answer the questions.

Focus on Speaking. 

When twins are put up for adoption, is it ethical to separate them and adopt them to different families?

How would your life be different if you had a twin brother or sister?

Would you like to have twin kids?

Should children who are adopted be informed of the existence of their siblings?