New numbers from England say that fewer kids are very overweight. But, kids who live in poor areas are more likely to be very overweight than kids who live in rich areas. The number of very overweight 10 and 11-year-olds went down a little bit. The number of very overweight 4 and 5-year-olds also went down. But these numbers are still higher than before the sickness time.
A doctor named Mike McKean said it’s not okay that poor kids are more likely to be very overweight. He said that many kids finish primary school being too heavy. This can make them sick, sad, and not live as long. The government said they want to make the number of very overweight kids half by 2030. They are giving money to school sports and healthy food programs to help.
Original news source: Childhood obesity shows slight fall in England (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a set of flashcards with words related to the article (e.g. overweight, kids, school, healthy food). One student from each group will act out a word without speaking, while the rest of the group tries to guess the word. The group that guesses correctly gets a point. Repeat with different students from each group.
– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner. Encourage them to use their own words and keep their summaries concise. After both students have had a chance to summarize, they discuss any similarities or differences in their summaries.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Provide each student with a piece of paper and a pen. Choose a word from the article (e.g. overweight) and ask each student to draw a picture that represents that word. Students then take turns showing their drawings to the class and the rest of the students guess the word. Repeat with different words from the article.
– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. One student from each pair has 30 seconds to summarize a section of the article to their partner. After 30 seconds, they switch roles and the other student summarizes the next section. Encourage students to speak quickly and focus on the main points. After both students have had a chance to summarize, they discuss any similarities or differences in their summaries.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Have students think silently for a minute about what they would do to help reduce the number of very overweight kids. Then, pair them up and ask them to share their ideas with their partner. After a few minutes, invite some pairs to share their ideas with the whole class. Encourage students to listen to each other and ask questions or give feedback.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What do the new numbers from England say about kids who are very overweight?
2. Are kids who live in poor areas more likely to be very overweight than kids who live in rich areas?
3. Did the number of very overweight 10 and 11-year-olds go up or down?
4. Did the number of very overweight 4 and 5-year-olds go up or down?
5. Are the numbers of very overweight kids higher or lower than before the sickness time?
6. Why did the doctor named Mike McKean say it’s not okay for poor kids to be very overweight?
7. What is the government doing to help make the number of very overweight kids half by 2030?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
New numbers from England say that (1)______ kids are very (2)______. But, kids who live in poor areas are more likely to be very overweight than kids who live in rich areas. The number of very overweight 10 and 11-year-olds went down a little bit. The (3)______ of very overweight 4 and 5-year-olds also went down. But these numbers are still higher than before the (4)______ time.
A doctor named Mike McKean said it’s not okay that poor kids are more (5)______ to be very overweight. He said that many kids finish (6)______ school being too heavy. This can make them sick, sad, and not live as long. The government said they want to make the number of very overweight kids half by 2030. They are giving money to school (7)______ and healthy food (8)______ to help.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What does it mean to be very overweight?
2. How would you feel if you were very overweight?
3. Do you like eating healthy food? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s fair that poor kids are more likely to be very overweight? Why or why not?
5. What do you think can happen if you are very overweight?
6. How do you feel when you play sports?
7. Do you think it’s important for kids to exercise? Why or why not?
8. What do you think the government can do to help kids be less overweight?
9. How do you feel when you eat unhealthy food?
10. Do you think it’s good that the number of very overweight kids went down? Why or why not?
11. How do you think being very overweight can make someone feel?
12. What do you think can help kids be healthier?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. overweight
2. poor
3. kids
4. very
5. long
6. school
7. government
8. healthy
Meanings:
(a) Good for your body and helps you grow
(b) When someone doesn’t have a lot of money
(c) Children
(d) A lot or a big amount
(e) When someone is too heavy and not healthy
(f) The people who make rules for a country
(g) A lot of time
(h) A place where children go to learn
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What do the new numbers from England say about kids who live in poor areas?
(a) They are less likely to be very overweight
(b) They are the same as kids who live in rich areas
(c) They are not affected by weight
(d) They are more likely to be very overweight
2. Did the number of very overweight 10 and 11-year-olds go up or down?
(a) It went up a little bit
(b) It went down a little bit
(c) It stayed the same
(d) It is not mentioned in the article
3. Did the number of very overweight 4 and 5-year-olds go up or down?
(a) It went up
(b) It stayed the same
(c) It went down
(d) It is not mentioned in the article
4. Are the current numbers of very overweight kids higher or lower than before the sickness time?
(a) They are lower
(b) They are the same
(c) They are higher
(d) It is not mentioned in the article
5. What can being very overweight make kids?
(a) Happy, healthy, and live longer
(b) Sick, sad, and not live as long
(c) Strong, smart, and live forever
(d) It does not affect them
6. What does the government want to do by 2030?
(a) Make the number of very overweight kids half
(b) Make the number of very overweight kids double
(c) Make the number of very overweight kids stay the same
(d) It is not mentioned in the article
7. What are the government giving money to help with?
(a) School sports and healthy food programs
(b) Video games and junk food programs
(c) TV shows and candy programs
(d) It is not mentioned in the article
8. Are the questions and possible answers in this article easy or difficult?
(a) Difficult
(b) Medium
(c) It is not mentioned in the article
(d) Easy
True or False Questions:
1. The number of very overweight 4 and 5-year-olds has also gone down.
2. However, these numbers are still higher than before the sickness time.
3. In England, there are more kids who are very overweight now.
4. The government wants to make the number of extremely underweight kids half by 2030 and is giving money to school sports and healthy food programs to help.
5. The number of very overweight 10 and 11-year-olds has gone down a little bit.
6. Kids who live in poor areas are more likely to be very overweight than kids who live in rich areas.
7. A doctor named Mike McKean thinks it’s okay that poor kids are more likely to be very overweight.
8. Being very underweight can make kids sick, sad, and live longer.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. Are there more kids who are very overweight or fewer kids who are very overweight in England?
2. Who is more likely to be very overweight, kids who live in poor areas or kids who live in rich areas?
3. Did the number of very overweight 10 and 11-year-olds go up or down?
4. Did the number of very overweight 4 and 5-year-olds go up or down?
5. What can happen to kids who are too heavy?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What do the new numbers from England say about kids who are very overweight?
The new numbers show that there are fewer kids who are very overweight.
2. Are kids who live in poor areas more likely to be very overweight than kids who live in rich areas?
Yes, kids who live in poor areas are more likely to be very overweight.
3. Did the number of very overweight 10 and 11-year-olds go up or down?
The number of very overweight 10 and 11-year-olds went down.
4. Did the number of very overweight 4 and 5-year-olds go up or down?
The number of very overweight 4 and 5-year-olds also went down.
5. Are the numbers of very overweight kids higher or lower than before the sickness time?
The numbers of very overweight kids are still higher than before the sickness time.
6. Why did the doctor named Mike McKean say it’s not okay for poor kids to be very overweight?
Doctor Mike McKean said it’s not okay because being very overweight can make kids sick, sad, and not live as long.
7. What is the government doing to help make the number of very overweight kids half by 2030?
The government is giving money to school sports and healthy food programs to help make the number of very overweight kids half by 2030.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) fewer
(2) overweight
(3) number
(4) sickness
(5) likely
(6) primary
(7) sports
(8) programs
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. overweight
Answer: (e) When someone is too heavy and not healthy
2. poor
Answer: (b) When someone doesn’t have a lot of money
3. kids
Answer: (c) Children
4. very
Answer: (d) A lot or a big amount
5. long
Answer: (g) A lot of time
6. school
Answer: (h) A place where children go to learn
7. government
Answer: (f) The people who make rules for a country
8. healthy
Answer: (a) Good for your body and helps you grow
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What do the new numbers from England say about kids who live in poor areas?
Answer: (d) They are more likely to be very overweight
2. Did the number of very overweight 10 and 11-year-olds go up or down?
Answer: (b) It went down a little bit
3. Did the number of very overweight 4 and 5-year-olds go up or down?
Answer: (c) It went down
4. Are the current numbers of very overweight kids higher or lower than before the sickness time?
Answer: (c) They are higher
5. What can being very overweight make kids?
Answer: (b) Sick, sad, and not live as long
6. What does the government want to do by 2030?
Answer: (a) Make the number of very overweight kids half
7. What are the government giving money to help with?
Answer: (a) School sports and healthy food programs
8. Are the questions and possible answers in this article easy or difficult?
Answer: (d) Easy
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. The number of very overweight 4 and 5-year-olds has also gone down. (Answer: True)
2. However, these numbers are still higher than before the sickness time. (Answer: True)
3. In England, there are more kids who are very overweight now. (Answer: False)
4. The government wants to make the number of extremely underweight kids half by 2030 and is giving money to school sports and healthy food programs to help. (Answer: False)
5. The number of very overweight 10 and 11-year-olds has gone down a little bit. (Answer: True)
6. Kids who live in poor areas are more likely to be very overweight than kids who live in rich areas. (Answer: True)
7. A doctor named Mike McKean thinks it’s okay that poor kids are more likely to be very overweight. (Answer: False)
8. Being very underweight can make kids sick, sad, and live longer. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧
