Writing about your feelings in a book can make you feel better. A person who helps people with their feelings says that when you write about what you think and how you feel, you can feel less worried and happier. Writing can be like a quiet friend that makes you feel calm. Even if no one else reads your book, it can still help you. But if you write for other people to read, it might feel different.

A long time ago, people wrote about their lives in books, and it helped them feel better. These books tell us about what happened a long time ago and help us learn. A man who knows a lot about old books says they are good for you and for everyone. They can help you be creative and teach us things. But sometimes, writing in a book can be hard, and you might feel bad if you don’t write every day. If someone else reads your book, they might not like what you wrote. Writing a book about your feelings is good for some people, but not for everyone.

Original news source: Can writing a diary protect your mental health? (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Have one person in each pair describe a scene or a feeling from the article to their partner, who must then sketch what they hear. After a few minutes, have the pairs switch roles. Encourage the students to use simple words and gestures to describe the scene or feeling.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the class into two teams. One person from each team comes to the front of the class and chooses a word from the list without showing it to their team. They must then draw a picture on the board to represent the word, while their team tries to guess what it is. The first team to guess correctly earns a point. Repeat with different students and words.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article together. Then, have one person from each group try to summarize the main points of the article in just one minute. The other group members can help by giving suggestions or asking questions. After one minute, switch roles and have another person summarize. Encourage the students to use simple and concise language.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Write a few keywords from the article on the board, leaving out some of the letters. Divide the class into two teams. One team chooses a keyword and the other team tries to guess the missing letters. If they guess a correct letter, write it in the correct position. If they guess a wrong letter, draw one part of a hangman on the board. Alternate between teams and keywords. The team that guesses the most keywords correctly wins.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a few minutes to discuss the pros and cons of writing about their feelings in a book, based on the information in the article. Have each group choose a spokesperson to share their thoughts with the whole class. Encourage the students to use simple sentences and express their opinions clearly. After each group shares, facilitate a class discussion about the different perspectives.

Comprehension Questions:

1. How can writing in a book make you feel better?
2. Who says that writing about your thoughts and feelings can make you feel less worried and happier?
3. What is writing compared to in the article?
4. What did people a long time ago write about in books?
5. Why does the man who knows a lot about old books say they are good for you?
6. Why might writing in a book be hard sometimes?
7. Is writing a book about your feelings good for everyone? Why or why not?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Writing about your feelings in a book can make you feel better. A person who (1)______ people with their feelings (2)______ that when you write about what you think and how you feel, you can feel less worried and happier. Writing can be like a quiet friend that (3)______ you (4)______ calm. Even if no one else reads your book, it can still help you. But if you write for other people to read, it might feel different.

A long time ago, people wrote about their lives in books, and it helped them feel better. These (5)______ tell us about what happened a long time ago and help us (6)______. A man who knows a lot about old books says they are good for you and for everyone. They can help you be creative and teach us things. But sometimes, writing in a book can be hard, and you might feel bad if you don’t (7)______ every day. If someone else (8)______ your book, they might not like what you wrote. Writing a book about your feelings is good for some people, but not for everyone.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. How do you feel when you write about what you think and how you feel?
2. Do you think writing can make you feel less worried and happier? Why or why not?
3. What is a quiet friend that can make you feel calm?
4. How would you feel if no one else reads your book?
5. Do you like writing for other people to read? Why or why not?
6. What did people write about a long time ago in books?
7. How can old books help us learn?
8. Do you think writing in a book can be hard sometimes? Why or why not?
9. How would you feel if someone else doesn’t like what you wrote in your book?
10. What do you think about writing a book about your feelings? Is it good for everyone? Why or why not?
11. How can writing a book help some people?
12. Do you like writing about your feelings? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. feelings
2. write
3. worry
4. happy
5. book
6. calm
7. read
8. creative

Meanings:
(a) To make words on paper with a pencil
(b) To feel peaceful and relaxed
(c) To think about something bad that might happen
(d) To feel good and full of joy
(e) Something with pages that you can read
(f) To make new things with your imagination
(g) To look at words and understand what they say
(h) The things you feel inside your heart
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Writing about your feelings in a book can make you feel:
(a) worse
(b) tired
(c) better
(d) hungry

2. Writing can be like a:
(a) quiet friend
(b) loud friend
(c) scary friend
(d) funny friend

3. Even if no one else reads your book, it can still:
(a) make you sad
(b) help you
(c) make you angry
(d) make you tired

4. Writing about their lives in books helped people feel:
(a) worse
(b) scared
(c) happy
(d) better

5. Old books can help you be:
(a) boring
(b) tired
(c) sad
(d) creative

6. Writing in a book can be hard if you don’t write:
(a) every day
(b) once a week
(c) once a month
(d) never

7. If someone else reads your book, they might not:
(a) understand what you wrote
(b) be happy for you
(c) like what you wrote
(d) be sad for you

8. Writing a book about your feelings is good for:
(a) no one
(b) some people
(c) everyone
(d) only adults

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. People a long time ago wrote about their lives in books, and it helped them feel better.
2. Old books cannot help you be creative and teach us things.
3. Even if no one else reads your book, it cannot help you at all.
4. Writing a book about your feelings is good for everyone, without any exceptions.
5. Writing can be like a quiet friend that makes you feel calm.
6. Sometimes, writing in a book can be hard.
7. Writing about your feelings in a book can make you feel better.
8. If someone else reads your book, they will definitely like what you wrote.
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. How can writing about your feelings make you feel better?
2. What does the person who helps people with their feelings say about writing?
3. What did people do a long time ago to feel better?
4. What can old books teach us?
5. Why might someone feel bad if they don’t write in their book every day?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Writing in a book can make you feel better because it helps you express your thoughts and feelings.
2. A person who helps people with their feelings says that writing about your thoughts and feelings can make you feel less worried and happier.
3. Writing is compared to a quiet friend that makes you feel calm.
4. People a long time ago wrote about their lives in books.
5. The man who knows a lot about old books says they are good for you because they can help you be creative and teach us things.
6. Writing in a book might be hard sometimes because you might feel bad if you don’t write every day or if someone else doesn’t like what you wrote.
7. Writing a book about your feelings is not good for everyone because some people might not like it or find it helpful. It depends on the person.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) helps
(2) says
(3) makes
(4) feel
(5) books
(6) learn
(7) write
(8) reads
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. feelings
Answer: (h) The things you feel inside your heart

2. write
Answer: (a) To make words on paper with a pencil

3. worry
Answer: (c) To think about something bad that might happen

4. happy
Answer: (d) To feel good and full of joy

5. book
Answer: (e) Something with pages that you can read

6. calm
Answer: (b) To feel peaceful and relaxed

7. read
Answer: (g) To look at words and understand what they say

8. creative
Answer: (f) To make new things with your imagination
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Writing about your feelings in a book can make you feel:
Answer: (c) better

2. Writing can be like a:
Answer: (a) quiet friend

3. Even if no one else reads your book, it can still:
Answer: (b) help you

4. Writing about their lives in books helped people feel:
Answer: (d) better

5. Old books can help you be:
Answer: (d) creative

6. Writing in a book can be hard if you don’t write:
Answer: (a) every day

7. If someone else reads your book, they might not:
Answer: (c) like what you wrote

8. Writing a book about your feelings is good for:
Answer: (b) some people
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. People a long time ago wrote about their lives in books, and it helped them feel better. (Answer: True)
2. Old books cannot help you be creative and teach us things. (Answer: False)
3. Even if no one else reads your book, it cannot help you at all. (Answer: False)
4. Writing a book about your feelings is good for everyone, without any exceptions. (Answer: False)
5. Writing can be like a quiet friend that makes you feel calm. (Answer: True)
6. Sometimes, writing in a book can be hard. (Answer: True)
7. Writing about your feelings in a book can make you feel better. (Answer: True)
8. If someone else reads your book, they will definitely like what you wrote. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧