There is a new map that shows where there are more trees and where there is more dirty air in cities. The map was made by some groups who care about trees and health. They found that places where poorer people live have fewer trees and more dirty air. The people who made the map want leaders to plant more trees in these places.

The map shows a big difference in air that is clean or dirty depending on how many trees are around. A lady from the Woodland Trust says it’s not fair that rich places have more trees. The Trust thinks that people in poor areas are missing out on the good things trees do. They want leaders to think of trees as very important and plant more in cities.

In a city in America called Detroit, a project like the map has helped plant trees in poor places and given people jobs. A man named Tyree got a job planting trees and it has made his life better. Some places in the UK are already thinking about trees and poor areas. But the people who made the map want all places to use their tree map to help decide where to plant more trees.

Original news source: Air pollution: map shows ‘concrete jungles’ more polluted (BBC)

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Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a copy of the article.
3. Ask the students to read the article and summarize the main points in their own words.
4. After a few minutes, have each group share their summary with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Write down key vocabulary words from the article on separate slips of paper.
2. Divide the class into two teams.
3. One student from each team comes to the front of the class.
4. Show the student a vocabulary word and they have to draw it on the board.
5. Their team members have to guess the word. If they guess correctly, they get a point.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs.
2. Give each pair a copy of the article.
3. Ask the students to discuss the pros and cons of planting more trees in poor areas.
4. After a few minutes, have a whole class discussion and ask students to share their ideas.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions:
1. Ask the students to think about how planting more trees in poor areas could benefit the community.
2. Pair up the students and ask them to share their thoughts with their partner.
3. After a few minutes, have the pairs share their ideas with the class.

– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions:
1. Draw a line on the board with “Strongly Agree” on one end and “Strongly Disagree” on the other.
2. Ask the students to stand along the line based on their opinion on planting more trees in poor areas.
3. Discuss with the class why they chose their position and ask for volunteers to explain their reasoning.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What does the new map show?
2. Why do places where poorer people live have fewer trees?
3. What does the Woodland Trust think about the difference in trees between rich and poor places?
4. What do the people who made the map want leaders to do?
5. How has a project in Detroit helped poor places and people?
6. What job did Tyree get from planting trees?
7. What do the people who made the map want all places to do?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There is a new map that (1)______ where there are more trees and where there is more dirty air in cities. The map was made by some (2)______ who care about trees and health. They found that places where poorer (3)______ live have fewer trees and more dirty air. The people who made the map want leaders to plant more trees in these places.

The map shows a big difference in air that is clean or dirty depending on how many trees are around. A lady from the (4)______ Trust (5)______ it’s not (6)______ that rich places have more trees. The Trust thinks that people in poor areas are missing out on the good (7)______ trees do. They want leaders to (8)______ of trees as very important and plant more in cities.

In a city in America called Detroit, a project like the map has helped plant trees in poor (9)______ and given people jobs. A man named Tyree got a job (10)______ trees and it has made his life better. Some places in the UK are already thinking about trees and poor (11)______. But the people who made the map want all places to use their tree map to (12)______ decide where to plant more trees.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What does the new map show?
2. How do the people who made the map want leaders to help?
3. Why does the lady from the Woodland Trust think it’s not fair?
4. What does the Woodland Trust think people in poor areas are missing out on?
5. What has happened in Detroit because of a project like the map?
6. How has planting trees made Tyree’s life better?
7. What are some places in the UK already thinking about?
8. What do the people who made the map want all places to do?
9. How would you feel if you lived in a place with fewer trees and more dirty air?
10. Do you like trees? Why or why not?
11. What do you think about the idea of planting more trees in cities?
12. Why do you think it’s important for leaders to think of trees as very important?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. map
2. trees
3. dirty air
4. poorer
5. leaders
6. clean
7. Woodland Trust
8. rich
9. missing out
10. project
11. jobs
12. decide

Meanings:
(A) Tall plants with leaves and branches
(B) Air that is not clean and has pollution
(C) Not dirty, not having pollution
(D) Work that people do to earn money
(E) A picture that shows where things are
(F) Choose something after thinking about it
(G) A plan to do something
(H) Not getting to have something good
(I) A group of people who care about trees
(J) People who tell others what to do
(K) Not having a lot of money
(L) Having a lot of money
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who made the map that shows where there are more trees and more dirty air in cities?
(a) The government
(b) The Woodland Trust
(c) The people who live in the cities
(d) Some groups who care about trees and health

2. What did the map show about places where poorer people live?
(a) They have more trees and clean air
(b) They have the same number of trees and dirty air as rich places
(c) They have fewer trees and more dirty air
(d) They have more trees and more dirty air

3. Why does the Woodland Trust think it’s not fair that rich places have more trees?
(a) They believe trees are important for everyone, not just the rich
(b) They think rich people don’t like trees
(c) They think poor people don’t want trees
(d) They believe trees only grow in rich places

4. What did a project in Detroit help do for poor places?
(a) Clean the air and give people money
(b) Plant trees and give people jobs
(c) Cut down trees and make people move
(d) Build more houses and give people jobs

5. How has planting trees made Tyree’s life better?
(a) He got a job and it made his life worse
(b) He got a job and it made his life better
(c) He got a job and it didn’t change his life
(d) He didn’t get a job and it made his life better

6. What are some places in the UK already thinking about?
(a) Cutting down trees in poor areas
(b) Planting trees in rich areas
(c) Cutting down trees in rich areas
(d) Planting trees in poor areas

7. What do the people who made the map want all places to do?
(a) Use the tree map to help decide where to plant more trees
(b) Cut down all the trees in cities
(c) Ignore the tree map and plant trees randomly
(d) Only plant trees in rich areas

8. Why do the people who made the map want leaders to plant more trees in poor areas?
(a) They think poor people don’t want trees
(b) They believe trees only grow in poor areas
(c) They believe trees are important for everyone, not just the rich
(d) They think rich people don’t like trees

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. There is an old map that shows where there are fewer trees and where there is more clean air in cities.
2. Places where poorer people live have fewer trees and more dirty air, according to the map.
3. The map was made by groups who do not care about trees and health.
4. The people who made the map want leaders to cut down more trees in these places.
5. The Woodland Trust believes it is unfair that rich places have more trees and wants leaders to plant more trees in poor areas.
6. The people who made the map want only some places to use it to decide where to cut down more trees.
7. The map shows that air can be clean or dirty depending on how many trees are around.
8. In Detroit, a project similar to the map has helped plant trees in poor places and provided jobs for people like Tyree.
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 does the new map show?
2. Who made the map?
3. What did the groups find about places where poorer people live?
4. Why do the people who made the map want leaders to plant more trees?
5. What happened in Detroit because of a project like the map?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. The new map shows where there are more trees and where there is more dirty air in cities.
2. Places where poorer people live have fewer trees because they may not have the money or resources to plant and take care of trees.
3. The Woodland Trust thinks it’s not fair that rich places have more trees and believes that people in poor areas are missing out on the benefits of trees.
4. The people who made the map want leaders to plant more trees in poor areas.
5. The project in Detroit has helped poor places and people by planting trees and creating jobs. It made Tyree’s life better because he got a job planting trees.
6. Tyree got a job planting trees.
7. The people who made the map want all places to use their tree map to help decide where to plant more trees.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) shows
(2) groups
(3) people
(4) Woodland
(5) says
(6) fair
(7) things
(8) think
(9) places
(10) planting
(11) areas
(12) help
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. map
Answer: (E) A picture that shows where things are

2. trees
Answer: (A) Tall plants with leaves and branches

3. dirty air
Answer: (B) Air that is not clean and has pollution

4. poorer
Answer: (K) Not having a lot of money

5. leaders
Answer: (J) People who tell others what to do

6. clean
Answer: (C) Not dirty, not having pollution

7. Woodland Trust
Answer: (I) A group of people who care about trees

8. rich
Answer: (L) Having a lot of money

9. missing out
Answer: (H) Not getting to have something good

10. project
Answer: (G) A plan to do something

11. jobs
Answer: (D) Work that people do to earn money

12. decide
Answer: (F) Choose something after thinking about it
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who made the map that shows where there are more trees and more dirty air in cities?
Answer: (d) Some groups who care about trees and health

2. What did the map show about places where poorer people live?
Answer: (c) They have fewer trees and more dirty air

3. Why does the Woodland Trust think it’s not fair that rich places have more trees?
Answer: (a) They believe trees are important for everyone, not just the rich

4. What did a project in Detroit help do for poor places?
Answer: (b) Plant trees and give people jobs

5. How has planting trees made Tyree’s life better?
Answer: (b) He got a job and it made his life better

6. What are some places in the UK already thinking about?
Answer: (d) Planting trees in poor areas

7. What do the people who made the map want all places to do?
Answer: (a) Use the tree map to help decide where to plant more trees

8. Why do the people who made the map want leaders to plant more trees in poor areas?
Answer: (c) They believe trees are important for everyone, not just the rich
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. There is an old map that shows where there are fewer trees and where there is more clean air in cities. (Answer: False)
2. Places where poorer people live have fewer trees and more dirty air, according to the map. (Answer: True)
3. The map was made by groups who do not care about trees and health. (Answer: False)
4. The people who made the map want leaders to cut down more trees in these places. (Answer: False)
5. The Woodland Trust believes it is unfair that rich places have more trees and wants leaders to plant more trees in poor areas. (Answer: True)
6. The people who made the map want only some places to use it to decide where to cut down more trees. (Answer: False)
7. The map shows that air can be clean or dirty depending on how many trees are around. (Answer: True)
8. In Detroit, a project similar to the map has helped plant trees in poor places and provided jobs for people like Tyree. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧