A special bird from New Zealand, called the pūteketeke, was picked as the best bird. A famous man from TV, John Oliver, told many people to vote for it. He made funny pictures and wore a big bird costume. People from all over the world liked the bird and voted a lot. The bird is known for its funny hair and for getting sick sometimes.

The contest for the best bird helps people think about wild birds that need help. Many birds in New Zealand are in danger and need to be safe. The pūteketeke winning makes people want to take care of these special birds. Some people didn’t like that John Oliver helped, but it made more people notice the birds. Now, more people know and care about the birds that live in New Zealand.

Original news source: Bird of Century: Pūteketeke wins NZ poll after campaign by John Oliver (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Headline Creation
Instructions: Give students a brief summary of the article without giving away the title. Then, ask students to create their own headlines that could fit the article. Encourage them to use descriptive words and make it catchy. After they’re done, reveal the actual headline and discuss which student-created headline is closest to it.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Read descriptions of the pūteketeke bird from the article to the students, emphasizing its “funny hair” and other distinctive features. Ask the students to draw the bird as they imagine it based on the descriptions. They can share their drawings with their classmates and discuss the similarities and differences in their interpretations.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “bird” on the board. Ask students to say or write other words that they associate with “bird.” Encourage them to think about words from the article, such as “New Zealand,” “contest,” “endangered,” and “funny hair.” This activity will help with vocabulary recall and the understanding of context.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: After explaining the concept of the ‘best bird’ contest mentioned in the article, conduct a simple opinion poll in the classroom. Ask students to raise their hands to vote on whether they think it’s good or bad for a famous person to influence a vote like John Oliver did. Tally the votes and discuss the reasons for their opinions.

– Role-play News Reporter
Instructions: Have students work in pairs. One student is the news reporter who has just learned about the pūteketeke winning the contest, and the other student is an expert on New Zealand birds. The reporter interviews the expert, asking questions about the bird, why it’s special, and the importance of the contest. This helps students practice speaking, listening, and using vocabulary from the article.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the name of the special bird from New Zealand?
2. What did John Oliver do to make people like the bird?
3. Where did people vote for the bird from?
4. What are two things the pūteketeke bird is known for?
5. Why is the contest for the best bird important?
6. What happened because the pūteketeke won the contest?
7. How do some people feel about John Oliver helping the bird win?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A special bird from New (1)______, called the pūteketeke, was picked as the best bird. A famous man from TV, John Oliver, told (2)______ people to vote for it. He made funny pictures and wore a big bird costume. (3)______ from all over the world (4)______ the bird and voted a lot. The bird is known for its funny hair and for getting sick sometimes.

The contest for the best bird helps people think about wild birds that need help. Many birds in New Zealand are in danger and need to be (5)______. The pūteketeke winning makes people (6)______ to take care of these special (7)______. Some people didn’t like that John (8)______ helped, but it made more people notice the birds. Now, more people know and care about the birds that live in New Zealand.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is your favorite bird?
2. Do you like funny hair on a bird? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if a bird you like got sick?
4. Do you think it’s good to help birds? Why?
5. Have you ever seen a bird costume? Was it funny?
6. What is a contest? Have you ever been in one?
7. Do you like when people from TV tell you to do things? Why or why not?
8. Have you ever voted for something? What was it?
9. Why do you think we should take care of birds?
10. Do you know any birds that need help? Can you tell me about it?
11. Do you think more people should know about birds? Why?
12. Would you wear a costume to help animals? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. bird
2. New Zealand
3. special
4. best
5. vote
6. funny
7. hair
8. sick

Meanings:
(a) Something that is different and unique
(b) The fur on top of your head
(c) Something that makes you laugh
(d) A country far away with lots of animals
(e) An animal that can fly and has feathers
(f) Not feeling well, like when you have a cold
(g) To choose your favorite thing by marking it
(h) The one that is the most excellent
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the special bird from New Zealand?
(a) pūteketeke
(b) kiwi
(c) eagle
(d) flamingo

2. Who told many people to vote for the pūteketeke?
(a) Emma Watson
(b) Justin Bieber
(c) Taylor Swift
(d) John Oliver

3. What did John Oliver wear when he told people to vote for the bird?
(a) superhero costume
(b) big bird costume
(c) princess costume
(d) pirate costume

4. Why did people from all over the world vote for the pūteketeke?
(a) They liked the bird.
(b) They wanted to win a prize.
(c) They didn’t like John Oliver.
(d) They wanted to see funny pictures.

5. What is the pūteketeke known for?
(a) Its big wings
(b) Its funny hair
(c) Its long beak
(d) Its colorful feathers

6. What does the contest for the best bird help people think about?
(a) Cats and dogs
(b) Cars and trucks
(c) Trees and flowers
(d) Wild birds that need help

7. Why do many birds in New Zealand need to be safe?
(a) They are too noisy
(b) They are too big
(c) They are in danger
(d) They are too fast

8. How did John Oliver helping the pūteketeke make more people notice the birds?
(a) More people watched TV
(b) More people voted for other birds
(c) More people saw the funny pictures
(d) More people went to New Zealand

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The contest for the worst bird helps people ignore wild birds that need help.
2. People from all over the world liked the pūteketeke bird and voted for it a lot.
3. The pūteketeke bird winning the contest makes people not want to take care of these special birds.
4. A famous man from TV named John Oliver told many people to vote for the pūteketeke bird.
5. John Oliver made funny pictures and wore a big bird costume to get people excited about the pūteketeke bird.
6. Many birds in New Zealand are safe and out of danger.
7. A special bird from New Zealand called the pūteketeke won a contest for being the best bird.
8. The pūteketeke bird is known for having normal hair and never getting sick.
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. What kind of animal is the pūteketeke?
2. What did John Oliver do to make people like the pūteketeke?
3. Why did people from all over the world vote for the bird?
4. Why is the pūteketeke special?
5. What happened because the pūteketeke won the contest?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the name of the special bird from New Zealand?
The name of the bird is pūteketeke.

2. What did John Oliver do to make people like the bird?
John Oliver made funny pictures, wore a big bird costume, and told people to vote for the bird.

3. Where did people vote for the bird from?
People voted for the bird from all over the world.

4. What are two things the pūteketeke bird is known for?
The bird is known for its funny hair and for getting sick sometimes.

5. Why is the contest for the best bird important?
The contest is important because it helps people think about wild birds that need help.

6. What happened because the pūteketeke won the contest?
Because the bird won, more people want to take care of these special birds.

7. How do some people feel about John Oliver helping the bird win?
Some people didn’t like that John Oliver helped, but it made more people notice the birds.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Zealand
(2) many
(3) People
(4) liked
(5) safe
(6) want
(7) birds
(8) Oliver
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. bird
Answer: (e) An animal that can fly and has feathers

2. New Zealand
Answer: (d) A country far away with lots of animals

3. special
Answer: (a) Something that is different and unique

4. best
Answer: (h) The one that is the most excellent

5. vote
Answer: (g) To choose your favorite thing by marking it

6. funny
Answer: (c) Something that makes you laugh

7. hair
Answer: (b) The fur on top of your head

8. sick
Answer: (f) Not feeling well, like when you have a cold
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the special bird from New Zealand?
Answer: (a) pūteketeke

2. Who told many people to vote for the pūteketeke?
Answer: (d) John Oliver

3. What did John Oliver wear when he told people to vote for the bird?
Answer: (b) big bird costume

4. Why did people from all over the world vote for the pūteketeke?
Answer: (a) They liked the bird.

5. What is the pūteketeke known for?
Answer: (b) Its funny hair

6. What does the contest for the best bird help people think about?
Answer: (d) Wild birds that need help

7. Why do many birds in New Zealand need to be safe?
Answer: (c) They are in danger

8. How did John Oliver helping the pūteketeke make more people notice the birds?
Answer: (c) More people saw the funny pictures
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The contest for the worst bird helps people ignore wild birds that need help. (Answer: False)
2. People from all over the world liked the pūteketeke bird and voted for it a lot. (Answer: True)
3. The pūteketeke bird winning the contest makes people not want to take care of these special birds. (Answer: False)
4. A famous man from TV named John Oliver told many people to vote for the pūteketeke bird. (Answer: True)
5. John Oliver made funny pictures and wore a big bird costume to get people excited about the pūteketeke bird. (Answer: True)
6. Many birds in New Zealand are safe and out of danger. (Answer: False)
7. A special bird from New Zealand called the pūteketeke won a contest for being the best bird. (Answer: True)
8. The pūteketeke bird is known for having normal hair and never getting sick. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧