Leaders from Africa want a new rule for a world tax on carbon. They talked about this at a big meeting about the Earth’s weather in Nairobi. They want the countries that make a lot of pollution to give more help to poor countries. They also want a tax on things like oil trade, big boats, planes, and money deals. They will talk more about this at another big meeting in November.

Africa is hurt a lot by changes in the Earth’s weather, but it does not get enough money to deal with it. The Nairobi meeting wants to make sure there is a lot of money for things that help the Earth’s weather. Right now, only about 24 countries have a tax on carbon. The meeting in Nairobi is a big step for Africa to help fix the Earth’s weather. The meeting also talked about how to get money to help with bad weather, save nature, and make clean energy.

Original news source: Africa proposes global carbon taxes to fight climate change (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will take turns choosing a word or phrase related to the article and acting it out silently, while the other groups try to guess what it is. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and ask them to write down their opinion on whether or not there should be a world tax on carbon. Collect the papers and tally up the responses. Then, facilitate a class discussion where students can share their opinions and reasons for their stance.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a set of vocabulary words related to the article. One student will draw a picture to represent a word, while the other student guesses what the word is. The pairs can switch roles after each word.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Choose a keyword from the article and write the number of letters on the board using dashes. Students take turns guessing letters to try and uncover the keyword. If a guessed letter is correct, write it in the corresponding place on the board. If it’s incorrect, draw part of a hangman. The game continues until the keyword is guessed or the hangman is completed.

– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Have each student come up with two true statements and one false statement related to the article. In small groups or as a class, students take turns sharing their statements, and the others have to guess which one is the lie. This activity encourages students to practice speaking and listening skills while discussing the article.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What did the leaders from Africa want to talk about at the meeting in Nairobi?
2. Why does Africa want the countries that make a lot of pollution to give more help to poor countries?
3. What are some things that Africa wants to put a tax on?
4. When will the leaders talk more about this topic?
5. Why is Africa hurt a lot by changes in the Earth’s weather?
6. What is the purpose of the Nairobi meeting?
7. What are some things the meeting talked about besides the tax on carbon?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Leaders from Africa want a new rule for a world tax on carbon. They talked about this at a big meeting about the Earth’s weather in Nairobi. They want the countries that make a lot of (1)______ to (2)______ more help to (3)______ countries. They also want a tax on things like oil trade, big boats, planes, and money deals. They will talk (4)______ about this at another big meeting in November.

Africa is hurt a lot by changes in the Earth’s weather, but it does not get (5)______ money to deal with it. The Nairobi meeting wants to (6)______ sure there is a lot of money for things that help the Earth’s weather. Right now, only about 24 countries have a tax on carbon. The meeting in Nairobi is a big step for (7)______ to help fix the Earth’s weather. The meeting also (8)______ about how to get money to help with bad weather, save nature, and make clean energy.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a tax on carbon?
2. How would you feel if your country didn’t have enough money to deal with changes in the Earth’s weather?
3. Do you think it’s fair for countries that make a lot of pollution to give more help to poor countries? Why or why not?
4. What are some things that could have a tax on them, according to the article?
5. How do you think a tax on things like oil trade and money deals could help the Earth’s weather?
6. Do you think it’s important to have a lot of money for things that help the Earth’s weather? Why or why not?
7. Why do you think only about 24 countries have a tax on carbon right now?
8. How do you think the meeting in Nairobi is a big step for Africa?
9. What are some ways that money can help with bad weather, saving nature, and making clean energy?
10. What do you think about the idea of having a tax on big boats and planes? Do you like it? Why or why not?
11. How do you think clean energy can help the Earth’s weather?
12. Do you think it’s important for countries to work together to fix the Earth’s weather? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Africa
2. tax
3. pollution
4. money
5. weather
6. meeting
7. November
8. clean

Meanings:
(a) Money you have to give to the government
(b) Something that is not dirty or messy
(c) Something you use to buy toys and candy
(d) A big place with lots of animals and people
(e) A big group of people talking about important things
(f) The month after October
(g) What the sky is like outside
(h) Dirty stuff that makes the Earth sick
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Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Where did the leaders from Africa talk about a new rule for a world tax on carbon?
(a) Paris
(b) London
(c) Berlin
(d) Nairobi

2. What do the leaders want the countries that make a lot of pollution to do?
(a) Give more help to poor countries
(b) Keep all the money for themselves
(c) Stop making pollution
(d) Buy more big boats

3. What are some things that the leaders want to put a tax on?
(a) Oil trade, big boats, planes, and money deals
(b) Toys, books, cars, and food
(c) Trees, flowers, birds, and fish
(d) Computers, phones, TVs, and radios

4. When will the leaders talk more about the new rule for a world tax on carbon?
(a) December
(b) November
(c) January
(d) February

5. Why is Africa hurt a lot by changes in the Earth’s weather?
(a) Because it has too much money to deal with it
(b) Because it likes changes in the weather
(c) Because it has a lot of pollution
(d) Because it does not get enough money to deal with it

6. How many countries currently have a tax on carbon?
(a) About 10
(b) About 24
(c) About 50
(d) About 100

7. What did the meeting in Nairobi talk about besides the new rule for a world tax on carbon?
(a) How to make more pollution
(b) How to buy more big boats
(c) How to get money to help with bad weather, save nature, and make clean energy
(d) How to stop changes in the Earth’s weather

8. What is the meeting in Nairobi a big step for?
(a) Africa to make more pollution
(b) Africa to buy more big boats
(c) Africa to help fix the Earth’s weather
(d) Africa to stop changes in the Earth’s weather

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. They talked about this at a big meeting about the Earth’s weather in Nairobi.
2. They will talk more about this at another big meeting in November.
3. Leaders from Africa want to eliminate a new rule for a tax on carbon.
4. Africa is hurt a lot by changes in the Earth’s weather.
5. Right now, almost all countries have a tax on carbon.
6. They want countries that make minimal pollution to give more help to poor countries.
7. The Nairobi meeting wants to ensure there is a minimal amount of money to help the Earth’s weather.
8. They also want to put a tax on things like oil trade, big boats, planes, and money deals.
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 did the leaders from Africa talk about at the meeting in Nairobi?
2. Why do the leaders want the countries that make a lot of pollution to give more help to poor countries?
3. What are some things that the leaders want to put a tax on?
4. Why does Africa need more money to deal with changes in the Earth’s weather?
5. What did the meeting in Nairobi also talk about besides money for the Earth’s weather?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did the leaders from Africa want to talk about at the meeting in Nairobi?
The leaders from Africa wanted to talk about a new rule for a world tax on carbon.

2. Why does Africa want the countries that make a lot of pollution to give more help to poor countries?
Africa wants the countries that make a lot of pollution to give more help to poor countries because Africa is hurt a lot by changes in the Earth’s weather and needs more money to deal with it.

3. What are some things that Africa wants to put a tax on?
Africa wants to put a tax on things like oil trade, big boats, planes, and money deals.

4. When will the leaders talk more about this topic?
The leaders will talk more about this topic at another big meeting in November.

5. Why is Africa hurt a lot by changes in the Earth’s weather?
Africa is hurt a lot by changes in the Earth’s weather because it doesn’t have enough money to deal with the problems caused by these changes.

6. What is the purpose of the Nairobi meeting?
The purpose of the Nairobi meeting is to discuss ways to get more money to help with bad weather, save nature, and make clean energy.

7. What are some things the meeting talked about besides the tax on carbon?
Besides the tax on carbon, the meeting also talked about how to get money to help with bad weather, save nature, and make clean energy.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) pollution
(2) give
(3) poor
(4) more
(5) enough
(6) make
(7) Africa
(8) talked
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Africa
Answer: (d) A big place with lots of animals and people

2. tax
Answer: (a) Money you have to give to the government

3. pollution
Answer: (h) Dirty stuff that makes the Earth sick

4. money
Answer: (c) Something you use to buy toys and candy

5. weather
Answer: (g) What the sky is like outside

6. meeting
Answer: (e) A big group of people talking about important things

7. November
Answer: (f) The month after October

8. clean
Answer: (b) Something that is not dirty or messy
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Where did the leaders from Africa talk about a new rule for a world tax on carbon?
Answer: (d) Nairobi

2. What do the leaders want the countries that make a lot of pollution to do?
Answer: (a) Give more help to poor countries

3. What are some things that the leaders want to put a tax on?
Answer: (a) Oil trade, big boats, planes, and money deals

4. When will the leaders talk more about the new rule for a world tax on carbon?
Answer: (b) November

5. Why is Africa hurt a lot by changes in the Earth’s weather?
Answer: (d) Because it does not get enough money to deal with it

6. How many countries currently have a tax on carbon?
Answer: (b) About 24

7. What did the meeting in Nairobi talk about besides the new rule for a world tax on carbon?
Answer: (c) How to get money to help with bad weather, save nature, and make clean energy

8. What is the meeting in Nairobi a big step for?
Answer: (c) Africa to help fix the Earth’s weather
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. They talked about this at a big meeting about the Earth’s weather in Nairobi. (Answer: True)
2. They will talk more about this at another big meeting in November. (Answer: True)
3. Leaders from Africa want to eliminate a new rule for a tax on carbon. (Answer: False)
4. Africa is hurt a lot by changes in the Earth’s weather. (Answer: True)
5. Right now, almost all countries have a tax on carbon. (Answer: False)
6. They want countries that make minimal pollution to give more help to poor countries. (Answer: False)
7. The Nairobi meeting wants to ensure there is a minimal amount of money to help the Earth’s weather. (Answer: False)
8. They also want to put a tax on things like oil trade, big boats, planes, and money deals. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧