Bamboo is a special kind of plant that people are starting to use more to build things. A big school in Bali has a cool design made from bamboo. Bamboo is really good for the Earth because it grows fast and helps clean the air. But in places like Europe and America, people don’t use bamboo much for building big things yet.

People who know how to build things are still learning about bamboo. They are finding out that bamboo is very strong. More people want to use bamboo now because they know it’s strong. But in Europe, bamboo can cost more money because it’s not used a lot there yet. The price might go down when more people start using it.

A company in Europe is trying to grow lots of bamboo and make new things from it. But it’s hard because Europe doesn’t have many rules for using bamboo to build yet. They are trying to make these rules so more people can use bamboo. In California, there’s a company that makes walls from bamboo and wood for houses and other buildings.

Original news source: Can bamboo be big in construction? (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “bamboo” on the board. Have students take turns saying a word that they associate with bamboo. Encourage them to think of words related to the article, such as “plant,” “building,” “strength,” “cost,” etc. Keep going until the students run out of ideas.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and a pencil. Ask them to sketch a design for a building made entirely out of bamboo, based on the information in the article. After a few minutes, have the students share their sketches with a partner and explain their design choices.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a few minutes to come up with a catchy headline for an article about bamboo. Encourage them to be creative and use words or phrases that would grab readers’ attention. Afterward, have each group share their headline with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. bamboo, plant, build, strong, cost) on the board or on flashcards. Divide the class into teams and have one student from each team come to the front of the class. Show them a word and give them one minute to draw a picture representing that word. Their team members must guess the word based on the picture. Continue with different words and rotate the students at the front of the class.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. Set a timer for two minutes and instruct students to read the article together. After the two minutes are up, one student from each pair must summarize the main points of the article to their partner in one minute or less. Then, have the students switch roles and repeat the activity. Finally, ask a few students to share their partner’s summary with the class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is bamboo?
2. Why is bamboo good for the Earth?
3. Do people in Europe and America use bamboo a lot for building big things?
4. Why do more people want to use bamboo now?
5. Why is bamboo more expensive in Europe?
6. What is a company in Europe trying to do with bamboo?
7. What does a company in California make from bamboo and wood?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

(1)______ is a special kind of plant that (2)______ are starting to use more to build things. A big school in Bali has a cool (3)______ made from bamboo. Bamboo is really good for the Earth because it grows fast and helps clean the air. But in places like Europe and America, people don’t use (4)______ much for (5)______ big (6)______ yet.

People who know how to build things are still learning about bamboo. They are finding out that bamboo is very strong. More people want to use bamboo now because they know it’s strong. But in (7)______, bamboo can cost more money because it’s not (8)______ a lot there yet. The price might go down when more people start using it.

A company in Europe is (9)______ to grow lots of bamboo and make new things from it. But it’s hard because Europe doesn’t (10)______ many rules for using bamboo to build yet. They are trying to (11)______ these rules so more people can use bamboo. In California, there’s a company that makes walls from bamboo and wood for houses and other (12)______.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is bamboo?
2. How do you think bamboo helps clean the air?
3. Do you think bamboo is a good material for building things? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if your school was made out of bamboo?
5. Do you like the design of the school in Bali made from bamboo? Why or why not?
6. What do you think might happen if more people start using bamboo for building?
7. How do you think the price of bamboo might change if more people start using it?
8. Why do you think it’s hard for the company in Europe to grow lots of bamboo?
9. Do you think it’s important for Europe to have rules for using bamboo in building? Why or why not?
10. How would you feel if your house had walls made from bamboo and wood?
11. What other things could be made from bamboo besides buildings?
12. Do you think bamboo could become a popular material for building in the future? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. bamboo
2. plant
3. Europe
4. rules
5. company
6. build
7. Earth
8. walls

Meanings:
(a) A group of people who work together to make or sell things
(b) A type of tall grass that is strong
(c) To make something by putting parts together
(d) The sides of a building that separate rooms
(e) The planet we live on
(f) A living thing that grows in the ground
(g) A continent with many countries like France and Germany
(h) Instructions that people have to follow
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why is bamboo good for the Earth?
(a) It grows slowly and pollutes the air.
(b) It grows fast and pollutes the air.
(c) It grows fast and helps clean the air.
(d) It grows slowly and helps clean the air.

2. Why don’t people in Europe and America use bamboo for building big things yet?
(a) Bamboo is not strong enough for big buildings.
(b) Bamboo is too expensive in Europe and America.
(c) People in Europe and America prefer other materials for building.
(d) They are still learning about bamboo.

3. What might happen to the price of bamboo in Europe when more people start using it?
(a) It might go down.
(b) It might go up.
(c) It might stay the same.
(d) It might become unavailable.

4. Why is it hard for a company in Europe to grow lots of bamboo and make new things from it?
(a) Bamboo doesn’t grow well in Europe.
(b) Bamboo is too expensive in Europe.
(c) People in Europe don’t like bamboo.
(d) Europe doesn’t have many rules for using bamboo yet.

5. What does a company in California make from bamboo and wood?
(a) Furniture for houses and other buildings.
(b) Walls for houses and other buildings.
(c) Clothes made from bamboo and wood.
(d) Toys made from bamboo and wood.

6. What is the main reason more people want to use bamboo now?
(a) It’s cheaper than other materials.
(b) They know it’s strong.
(c) It’s easier to find than other materials.
(d) They want to help clean the air.

7. Why is bamboo not used a lot in Europe yet?
(a) Bamboo is not strong enough for European buildings.
(b) Bamboo is too expensive in Europe.
(c) People in Europe prefer other materials for building.
(d) People in Europe don’t know about bamboo.

8. What is a special feature of bamboo?
(a) It grows fast.
(b) It grows slowly.
(c) It is weak.
(d) It pollutes the air.

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Bamboo is a type of plant that is becoming more popular for building things.
2. In Europe and America, people don’t use bamboo as much for big construction projects yet.
3. Bamboo is bad for the Earth because it grows slowly and contributes to air pollution.
4. A company in Europe is not trying to grow a lot of bamboo and make new things from it.
5. In Europe, bamboo can be more expensive because it is not used as much there yet.
6. More people want to use bamboo now because they know it is strong.
7. A school in Bali has a common design made from bamboo.
8. People who know how to build things are discovering that bamboo is very weak.
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 is bamboo and why is it good for the Earth?
2. Why don’t people in Europe and America use bamboo to build big things yet?
3. Why are more people starting to use bamboo now?
4. Why does bamboo cost more money in Europe?
5. What are some companies doing to make it easier for people to use bamboo for building?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is bamboo?
Bamboo is a special kind of plant that people can use to build things.

2. Why is bamboo good for the Earth?
Bamboo is good for the Earth because it grows fast and helps clean the air.

3. Do people in Europe and America use bamboo a lot for building big things?
No, people in Europe and America do not use bamboo a lot for building big things yet.

4. Why do more people want to use bamboo now?
More people want to use bamboo now because they are finding out that it is very strong.

5. Why is bamboo more expensive in Europe?
Bamboo is more expensive in Europe because it is not used a lot there yet. The price might go down when more people start using it.

6. What is a company in Europe trying to do with bamboo?
A company in Europe is trying to grow lots of bamboo and make new things from it. They are also trying to make rules for using bamboo to build.

7. What does a company in California make from bamboo and wood?
A company in California makes walls from bamboo and wood for houses and other buildings.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Bamboo
(2) people
(3) design
(4) bamboo
(5) building
(6) things
(7) Europe
(8) used
(9) trying
(10) have
(11) make
(12) buildings
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. bamboo
Answer: (b) A type of tall grass that is strong

2. plant
Answer: (f) A living thing that grows in the ground

3. Europe
Answer: (g) A continent with many countries like France and Germany

4. rules
Answer: (h) Instructions that people have to follow

5. company
Answer: (a) A group of people who work together to make or sell things

6. build
Answer: (c) To make something by putting parts together

7. Earth
Answer: (e) The planet we live on

8. walls
Answer: (d) The sides of a building that separate rooms
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why is bamboo good for the Earth?
Answer: (c) It grows fast and helps clean the air.

2. Why don’t people in Europe and America use bamboo for building big things yet?
Answer: (d) They are still learning about bamboo.

3. What might happen to the price of bamboo in Europe when more people start using it?
Answer: (a) It might go down.

4. Why is it hard for a company in Europe to grow lots of bamboo and make new things from it?
Answer: (d) Europe doesn’t have many rules for using bamboo yet.

5. What does a company in California make from bamboo and wood?
Answer: (b) Walls for houses and other buildings.

6. What is the main reason more people want to use bamboo now?
Answer: (b) They know it’s strong.

7. Why is bamboo not used a lot in Europe yet?
Answer: (c) People in Europe prefer other materials for building.

8. What is a special feature of bamboo?
Answer: (a) It grows fast.
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Bamboo is a type of plant that is becoming more popular for building things. (Answer: True)
2. In Europe and America, people don’t use bamboo as much for big construction projects yet. (Answer: True)
3. Bamboo is bad for the Earth because it grows slowly and contributes to air pollution. (Answer: False)
4. A company in Europe is not trying to grow a lot of bamboo and make new things from it. (Answer: False)
5. In Europe, bamboo can be more expensive because it is not used as much there yet. (Answer: True)
6. More people want to use bamboo now because they know it is strong. (Answer: True)
7. A school in Bali has a common design made from bamboo. (Answer: False)
8. People who know how to build things are discovering that bamboo is very weak. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧