Some people were walking in the woods in a place called Germany. They were from a country called Syria but they live in Germany now. A person thought they were there without permission and called the police. But the people walking were allowed to be there. This made many people talk about how we treat others who come from different places.

The person who called the police was worried because some people in Germany are not nice to people from other countries. This happened in a part of Germany where more people are not being nice. People are talking about this because it is important how we treat everyone. This story is making people think about how to be kind to others who come to live in new places.

Original news source: Germany hiking group reported to police as illegal migrants (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Write down different actions from the article on slips of paper (e.g., walking in the woods, calling the police, talking). Students take turns acting out the actions for their classmates to guess. This helps to reinforce the vocabulary from the article in a physical and engaging way.

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Divide the class into groups of two. One student is the reporter, and the other is a witness from the article. The reporter asks questions about what happened in the woods, and the witness responds using information from the article. This encourages students to practice speaking and listening based on the context of the article.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “Germany” on the board. Ask students to say or write other words that they associate with the main topic of the article. For example, they might say “forest,” “police,” “Syria,” or “kindness.” This activity helps students to activate their prior knowledge and connect new vocabulary.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Choose key words from the article (e.g., woods, police, kindness) and ask students to draw the word without writing any letters or numbers. Their classmates try to guess the word based on the drawing. This visual activity helps with vocabulary recall and understanding.

– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: Create a line in the classroom that represents a spectrum of opinions from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Read statements related to the article’s themes, such as “It is important to be kind to people from other countries” or “Everyone should be treated equally no matter where they come from.” Students position themselves along the spectrum according to their opinion. This activity engages students in considering different viewpoints and expressing their thoughts on the topic.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Where were the people walking?
2. What country did the people come from?
3. Where do the people live now?
4. Who did someone call because they thought the people were there without permission?
5. Were the people allowed to be in the woods?
6. Why was the person who called the police worried?
7. What is the story making people think about?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Some people were (1)______ in the woods in a place called Germany. They were from a country called Syria but they (2)______ in Germany now. A person thought they were there without permission and called the (3)______. But the people walking were allowed to be there. This made many people talk about how we treat others who come from different (4)______.

The person who (5)______ the police was worried because some people in Germany are not nice to people from (6)______ countries. This happened in a part of Germany where more people are not being nice. People are talking about this because it is important how we treat everyone. This story is making (7)______ think about how to be kind to (8)______ who come to live in new places.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a forest?
2. Do you like walking in the woods? Why or why not?
3. What is your country?
4. How would you feel if someone thought you were in a place without permission?
5. Have you ever been to a new place where you did not live before?
6. Do you think it is nice to call the police on someone who is not doing anything bad?
7. Why do you think people should be kind to others from different places?
8. How do you make friends with someone who is new in your school or neighborhood?
9. Do you think it is good to live in a place with people from different countries? Why?
10. What can you do to make someone feel welcome?
11. Have you ever seen someone being not nice to people from other countries? What happened?
12. Do you think everyone should be allowed to walk in the woods? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Germany
2. Syria
3. Police
4. Woods
5. Permission
6. Nice
7. Important
8. Kind

Meanings:
(a) When you care about others and help them
(b) People who make sure everyone is safe
(c) Something that is really necessary
(d) Treating others in a friendly way
(e) When you are allowed to do something
(f) A country in the Middle East
(g) A country in Europe
(h) A place with lots of trees and animals
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Where were the people walking in the woods from?
(a) Germany
(b) France
(c) Italy
(d) Syria

2. Who did someone call when they saw the people walking in the woods?
(a) Their friends
(b) The police
(c) Their parents
(d) The fire department

3. Why was the person worried about the people walking in the woods?
(a) They wanted to make new friends
(b) They were lost
(c) They thought the people didn’t have permission to be there
(d) They were looking for animals

4. In which country do the people now live?
(a) Syria
(b) Italy
(c) France
(d) Germany

5. Why are people talking about this story?
(a) They want to go for a walk in the woods
(b) They want to call the police
(c) It’s important how we treat everyone
(d) They want to move to a new country

6. What are people thinking about because of this story?
(a) What to eat for dinner
(b) How to be kind to others who come to live in new places
(c) How to play soccer
(d) How to ride a bike

7. Where did this story take place?
(a) Germany
(b) Syria
(c) Italy
(d) France

8. What did the person who called the police think about the people walking in the woods?
(a) They were not nice to people from other countries
(b) They were lost
(c) They were looking for animals
(d) They were from Germany

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. This happened in a part of Germany where more people are being nice to others.
2. The people walking in the woods were actually allowed to be there.
3. The story is making people think about not being nice to others from different places.
4. Some people from Syria were not walking in the woods in Germany.
5. Many people are not talking about this story because it is not important how we treat everyone.
6. People are thinking about how to be kind to others who come to live in new places because of this story.
7. The person who called the police was worried because some people in Germany are not nice to people from other countries.
8. Someone called the police because they thought the people were there without permission.
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. Where were the people walking when someone called the police?
2. Where are the people from who were walking in the woods?
3. Are the people who were walking allowed to be in Germany?
4. Why did the person call the police on the people walking?
5. What are people talking about because of this story?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Where were the people walking?
The people were walking in the woods in Germany.

2. What country did the people come from?
The people came from a country called Syria.

3. Where do the people live now?
The people live in Germany now.

4. Who did someone call because they thought the people were there without permission?
Someone called the police because they thought the people were there without permission.

5. Were the people allowed to be in the woods?
Yes, the people were allowed to be in the woods.

6. Why was the person who called the police worried?
The person was worried because some people in Germany are not nice to people from other countries.

7. What is the story making people think about?
The story is making people think about how to be kind to others who come to live in new places.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) walking
(2) live
(3) police
(4) places
(5) called
(6) other
(7) people
(8) others
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Germany
Answer: (h) A place with lots of trees and animals

2. Syria
Answer: (b) People who make sure everyone is safe

3. Police
Answer: (e) When you are allowed to do something

4. Woods
Answer: (d) Treating others in a friendly way

5. Permission
Answer: (f) A country in the Middle East

6. Nice
Answer: (c) Something that is really necessary

7. Important
Answer: (g) A country in Europe

8. Kind
Answer: (a) When you care about others and help them
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Where were the people walking in the woods from?
Answer: (d) Syria

2. Who did someone call when they saw the people walking in the woods?
Answer: (b) The police

3. Why was the person worried about the people walking in the woods?
Answer: (c) They thought the people didn’t have permission to be there

4. In which country do the people now live?
Answer: (d) Germany

5. Why are people talking about this story?
Answer: (c) It’s important how we treat everyone

6. What are people thinking about because of this story?
Answer: (b) How to be kind to others who come to live in new places

7. Where did this story take place?
Answer: (a) Germany

8. What did the person who called the police think about the people walking in the woods?
Answer: (a) They were not nice to people from other countries
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. This happened in a part of Germany where more people are being nice to others. (Answer: False)
2. The people walking in the woods were actually allowed to be there. (Answer: True)
3. The story is making people think about not being nice to others from different places. (Answer: False)
4. Some people from Syria were not walking in the woods in Germany. (Answer: False)
5. Many people are not talking about this story because it is not important how we treat everyone. (Answer: False)
6. People are thinking about how to be kind to others who come to live in new places because of this story. (Answer: True)
7. The person who called the police was worried because some people in Germany are not nice to people from other countries. (Answer: True)
8. Someone called the police because they thought the people were there without permission. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧