Some people who work at Starbucks are not going to work on a very busy day. They are doing this because they are not happy with the money they get and the time they work. They want the big bosses at Starbucks to listen to them and be nicer. There will be a lot of stores where workers will not come to work. They did this before when Starbucks gave out special red cups.

The workers want more people to help them this year. They want people who buy coffee and other people who care to join them. The big bosses at Starbucks say everything will be okay and it’s not a big problem. But the workers say the bosses are not being fair. They keep trying to make things better for people who work at Starbucks.

Original news source: Starbucks faces walkout at hundreds of US stores (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Split the class into two groups. One group believes that the Starbucks workers should get more money and better work hours, while the other group trusts that the Starbucks bosses are doing enough. Each student must ask two classmates for their opinion and explain why they agree or disagree. They should use simple phrases like “I think…” or “In my opinion…” to express their stance. After the poll, have a brief class discussion to share the results.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary from the article on individual slips of paper (e.g., work, happy, money, time, bosses, stores, fair). Divide the class into two teams. Students take turns drawing the word they pick for their team to guess, within a time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins. This helps students associate words with their meanings visually.

– Role-play: News Reporter
Instructions: Pair the students and assign them roles: one as a Starbucks worker and the other as a news reporter. The reporter asks the worker why they are not working and what they want from the bosses. Encourage the use of simple past and present tenses and phrases from the article. After the role-play, each pair can present a short news report to the class.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “Starbucks” on the board. Students take turns coming to the board and writing a word they associate with Starbucks, which can be from the article or their own ideas (e.g., coffee, workers, protest, red cups). This activity helps with vocabulary recall and understanding the context of the article.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Choose simple sentences from the article (e.g., “They want the big bosses to listen to them.”) and write them on the board. Students must draw a quick sketch on paper that represents the meaning of the sentence. Afterward, students can show their drawings to the class and explain in simple English what their picture is about. This helps with comprehension and encourages speaking practice.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Why are some people who work at Starbucks not going to work?
2. What do the workers want from the big bosses at Starbucks?
3. What special thing happened before when the workers did not go to work?
4. How many stores will have workers not coming to work?
5. Who do the workers want to help them this year?
6. What do the big bosses at Starbucks say about the workers not coming to work?
7. Do the workers think the big bosses are being fair?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Some (1)______ who work at Starbucks are not going to work on a very busy day. They are doing this because they are not happy with the money they get and the (2)______ they work. They want the big bosses at Starbucks to listen to them and be (3)______. There will be a lot of (4)______ where workers will not come to work. They did this before when Starbucks gave out special red cups.

The workers want more people to help them this year. They want people who buy coffee and other people who (5)______ to join them. The big bosses at (6)______ say everything will be okay and it’s not a big (7)______. But the (8)______ers say the bosses are not being fair. They keep trying to make things better for people who work at Starbucks.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a job?
2. Do you like to drink coffee?
3. How do you feel when you work hard but get little money?
4. What is being fair?
5. Do you think it is important to listen to people? Why?
6. How would you feel if your boss was not nice to you?
7. Do you like to help friends when they are sad or angry? Why?
8. What do you do when you want someone to listen to you?
9. Do you think people should work on very busy days?
10. If you were not happy at work, would you stop working for a day?
11. How would you feel if your favorite store was closed when you wanted to go there?
12. Do you think it’s good to work in a team? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Starbucks
2. work
3. money
4. bosses
5. stores
6. workers
7. coffee
8. problem

Meanings:
(a) What people do to earn money
(b) The place where people go to buy drinks
(c) The drink that people buy at Starbucks
(d) The people who tell others what to do
(e) The places where people go to buy things
(f) Something that needs to be fixed or solved
(g) The thing people need to buy things
(h) The people who do a job
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why are some people who work at Starbucks not going to work on a busy day?
(a) They want to go on vacation
(b) They are not happy with their pay and hours
(c) They are sick
(d) They have other jobs to do

2. What do the workers want the big bosses at Starbucks to do?
(a) Give them more vacation days
(b) Close all the stores
(c) Listen to them and be nicer
(d) Lower the prices of coffee

3. When did the workers not come to work before?
(a) When it was raining
(b) When they were on vacation
(c) When they were sick
(d) When Starbucks gave out special red cups

4. Who do the workers want to help them this year?
(a) Other Starbucks workers
(b) The big bosses at Starbucks
(c) Nobody
(d) People who buy coffee and other caring people

5. What do the big bosses at Starbucks say about the workers’ concerns?
(a) They will give the workers a raise
(b) Everything will be okay and it’s not a big problem
(c) They will close all the stores
(d) They don’t care about the workers

6. What do the workers say about the big bosses at Starbucks?
(a) They are not being fair
(b) They are very kind
(c) They are giving the workers a raise
(d) They are closing all the stores

7. What are the workers trying to do for people who work at Starbucks?
(a) Make things better
(b) Make things worse
(c) Close all the stores
(d) Take more vacation days

8. What did the workers do before when Starbucks gave out special red cups?
(a) They got a raise
(b) They closed all the stores
(c) They did not come to work
(d) They went on vacation

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The workers want more people to help them this year, including coffee buyers and others who care.
2. The workers don’t want the big bosses at Starbucks to listen to them or be nicer.
3. The big bosses at Starbucks say everything will be okay and it’s not a big problem.
4. Last time, the workers did not come to work when Starbucks gave out special red cups.
5. The workers are not hoping for positive changes at Starbucks.
6. All people who work at Starbucks are going to work on a busy day because they are happy with their pay and hours.
7. The bosses are trying to make things better for the Starbucks workers.
8. The workers think the bosses are being fair.
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. Why are some Starbucks workers not going to work?
2. What do the workers want from the big bosses at Starbucks?
3. What special thing did Starbucks give out when the workers did this before?
4. Who do the workers want to help them this year?
5. Do the big bosses at Starbucks think this is a big problem?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why are some people who work at Starbucks not going to work?
They are not happy with their money and work time. They want the bosses to listen and be nicer.

2. What do the workers want from the big bosses at Starbucks?
They want more money, better work times, and more people to help them work.

3. What special thing happened before when the workers did not go to work?
Starbucks gave out special red cups.

4. How many stores will have workers not coming to work?
The article does not say how many stores.

5. Who do the workers want to help them this year?
They want people who buy coffee and other people who care to join them.

6. What do the big bosses at Starbucks say about the workers not coming to work?
The bosses say everything will be okay and it’s not a big problem.

7. Do the workers think the big bosses are being fair?
No, the workers say the bosses are not being fair.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) people
(2) time
(3) nicer
(4) stores
(5) care
(6) Starbucks
(7) problem
(8) work
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Starbucks
Answer: (b) The place where people go to buy drinks

2. work
Answer: (a) What people do to earn money

3. money
Answer: (g) The thing people need to buy things

4. bosses
Answer: (d) The people who tell others what to do

5. stores
Answer: (e) The places where people go to buy things

6. workers
Answer: (h) The people who do a job

7. coffee
Answer: (c) The drink that people buy at Starbucks

8. problem
Answer: (f) Something that needs to be fixed or solved
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why are some people who work at Starbucks not going to work on a busy day?
Answer: (b) They are not happy with their pay and hours

2. What do the workers want the big bosses at Starbucks to do?
Answer: (c) Listen to them and be nicer

3. When did the workers not come to work before?
Answer: (d) When Starbucks gave out special red cups

4. Who do the workers want to help them this year?
Answer: (d) People who buy coffee and other caring people

5. What do the big bosses at Starbucks say about the workers’ concerns?
Answer: (b) Everything will be okay and it’s not a big problem

6. What do the workers say about the big bosses at Starbucks?
Answer: (a) They are not being fair

7. What are the workers trying to do for people who work at Starbucks?
Answer: (a) Make things better

8. What did the workers do before when Starbucks gave out special red cups?
Answer: (c) They did not come to work
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The workers want more people to help them this year, including coffee buyers and others who care. (Answer: True)
2. The workers don’t want the big bosses at Starbucks to listen to them or be nicer. (Answer: False)
3. The big bosses at Starbucks say everything will be okay and it’s not a big problem. (Answer: True)
4. Last time, the workers did not come to work when Starbucks gave out special red cups. (Answer: True)
5. The workers are not hoping for positive changes at Starbucks. (Answer: False)
6. All people who work at Starbucks are going to work on a busy day because they are happy with their pay and hours. (Answer: False)
7. The bosses are trying to make things better for the Starbucks workers. (Answer: True)
8. The workers think the bosses are being fair. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧