A lady named Celine Sandberg is making special furniture that is good for the Earth. She doesn’t want to use bad plastic in her chairs and pillows. Instead, she uses things like shells from the sea, old plants, and wood pieces. Celine and her friends found out that seaweed can be made into a soft block. They use this block to make furniture soft to sit on.

Many people who make furniture use a lot of plastic. This makes a lot of trash and hurts the air. In one year, people in the United States threw away a lot of furniture. Now, some companies are trying to use better things like coffee shells and wood dust to make chairs. Other people are looking at using a kind of mushroom to make soft things. Big stores that sell furniture want to use things that are better for the Earth too. Celine is happy because these stores want to help the Earth.

Original news source: The weird materials behind sustainable furniture (BBC)

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Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Write down different objects or actions related to the article on small pieces of paper. Fold the papers and put them in a hat. Divide the class into teams. One person from each team will take turns picking a paper from the hat and acting out what is written on it, without speaking. The team members will try to guess what the person is acting out. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Each pair will take turns choosing a word from the article and drawing a picture to represent it. The other person in the pair has to guess what the word is based on the picture. The pairs can use gestures and simple English words to help with the guessing. The pair with the most correct guesses wins.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and a pencil. Instruct them to draw their own design for environmentally-friendly furniture based on the article. Encourage them to be creative and think about using natural materials. After they finish, have them share their designs with the class and explain their choices in simple English.

– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write down key words related to the article on small pieces of paper. Divide the class into teams. One person from each team will have to explain the keyword to their team members without using the word itself or any related words. The team members have to guess the keyword based on the description. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask the students to think about one thing they can do to help the Earth, based on the article. Give them a few minutes to think individually. Then, pair them up and have them share their ideas with their partner. After that, ask a few pairs to share their ideas with the whole class. Encourage the use of simple English phrases and words.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is Celine Sandberg making?
2. Why doesn’t Celine want to use bad plastic in her furniture?
3. What does Celine use to make her furniture soft?
4. Why is using a lot of plastic bad for the Earth?
5. What are some better things that people are using to make furniture?
6. What kind of mushroom are people looking at using to make soft things?
7. Why is Celine happy about big stores wanting to help the Earth?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A lady named Celine Sandberg is making special furniture that is good for the Earth. She doesn’t want to use bad plastic in her chairs and (1)______. Instead, she uses things like shells from the sea, old (2)______, and (3)______ pieces. Celine and her friends (4)______ out that seaweed can be made into a soft block. They use this block to make furniture soft to sit on.

Many people who make furniture use a lot of plastic. This makes a lot of trash and (5)______ the air. In one (6)______, people in the United States threw away a lot of furniture. Now, some companies are trying to use better things like coffee shells and wood dust to make chairs. Other people are (7)______ at (8)______ a kind of mushroom to make soft things. Big stores that sell furniture want to use things that are better for the Earth too. Celine is happy because these stores want to help the Earth.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is furniture?
2. How would you feel if you had a chair made from seaweed?
3. Do you like furniture made from plastic? Why or why not?
4. What do you think is better for the Earth: furniture made from plastic or furniture made from natural materials like shells and wood?
5. Have you ever thrown away furniture? Why or why not?
6. Do you think it’s important for big stores to sell furniture that is good for the Earth? Why or why not?
7. How do you think Celine feels knowing that big stores want to help the Earth?
8. Have you ever seen furniture made from mushrooms? What do you think about that?
9. What other things do you think could be used to make furniture?
10. How can we help reduce the amount of trash we throw away?
11. Would you like to have furniture made from natural materials like shells and wood? Why or why not?
12. What can you do to help protect the Earth?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. furniture
2. plastic
3. Earth
4. shells
5. plants
6. wood
7. seaweed
8. trash
9. mushroom
10. stores

Meanings:
(A) A kind of plant that grows in the ocean and can be used to make soft things
(B) Big shops where you can buy things like furniture and toys
(C) The hard outer covering of animals like turtles and snails
(D) A kind of fungus that can be used to make soft things
(E) Things like chairs and pillows that you use in your house
(F) The planet we live on with trees, animals, and people
(G) Things that you throw away because you don’t need them anymore
(H) A material that is not good for the Earth and can be made into things like bottles and bags
(I) Living things that grow in the ground, like flowers and trees
(J) The hard material that comes from trees and is used to make furniture
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Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is Celine Sandberg making?
(a) Toys
(b) Clothes
(c) Furniture
(d) Food

2. What does Celine use to make her furniture soft?
(a) Seaweed
(b) Plastic
(c) Metal
(d) Glass

3. Why does Celine not want to use plastic?
(a) It is too expensive
(b) It is bad for the Earth
(c) It is hard to find
(d) It is not pretty

4. What are some things that Celine uses to make her furniture?
(a) Rocks, paper, and metal
(b) Toys, clothes, and food
(c) Plastic, glass, and metal
(d) Shells, plants, and wood

5. Why are some companies trying to use coffee shells and wood dust to make chairs?
(a) Because it is cheaper
(b) Because it is easier to find
(c) Because it is more colorful
(d) Because it is better for the Earth

6. What are some other materials that people are looking at to make soft things?
(a) Seaweed
(b) Mushrooms
(c) Plastic
(d) Metal

7. What do big stores that sell furniture want to do?
(a) Help the Earth
(b) Sell more furniture
(c) Make more money
(d) Use more plastic

8. How does Celine feel about big stores wanting to help the Earth?
(a) Sad
(b) Angry
(c) Happy
(d) Scared

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Some companies are trying to use better things like coffee shells and wood dust to make chairs.
2. Celine Sandberg makes furniture that is harmful for the Earth.
3. Big stores that sell furniture want to use things that are better for the Earth too.
4. Celine uses things like rocks from the sea, old plants, and metal pieces to make her furniture.
5. People in the United States recycled a lot of furniture in one year.
6. Many people who make furniture use a lot of plastic, which creates a lot of trash and hurts the air.
7. She doesn’t use bad plastic in her chairs and pillows.
8. Seaweed cannot be made into a soft block, which Celine uses to make furniture soft to sit on.
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 is Celine Sandberg making?
2. What does Celine use instead of bad plastic?
3. Why is using a lot of plastic bad for the Earth?
4. What are some things that people are using to make furniture instead of plastic?
5. Why is Celine happy about the big stores that sell furniture?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is Celine Sandberg making?
Celine Sandberg is making furniture.

2. Why doesn’t Celine want to use bad plastic in her furniture?
Celine doesn’t want to use bad plastic in her furniture because it hurts the Earth.

3. What does Celine use to make her furniture soft?
Celine uses seaweed to make her furniture soft.

4. Why is using a lot of plastic bad for the Earth?
Using a lot of plastic is bad for the Earth because it creates a lot of trash and hurts the air.

5. What are some better things that people are using to make furniture?
Some better things that people are using to make furniture are coffee shells and wood dust.

6. What kind of mushroom are people looking at using to make soft things?
People are looking at using a kind of mushroom to make soft things, but the article does not mention the specific kind of mushroom.

7. Why is Celine happy about big stores wanting to help the Earth?
Celine is happy about big stores wanting to help the Earth because it means more people will be using furniture that is better for the environment.
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) pillows
(2) plants
(3) wood
(4) found
(5) hurts
(6) year
(7) looking
(8) using
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. furniture
Answer: (E) Things like chairs and pillows that you use in your house

2. plastic
Answer: (H) A material that is not good for the Earth and can be made into things like bottles and bags

3. Earth
Answer: (F) The planet we live on with trees, animals, and people

4. shells
Answer: (C) The hard outer covering of animals like turtles and snails

5. plants
Answer: (I) Living things that grow in the ground, like flowers and trees

6. wood
Answer: (J) The hard material that comes from trees and is used to make furniture

7. seaweed
Answer: (A) A kind of plant that grows in the ocean and can be used to make soft things

8. trash
Answer: (G) Things that you throw away because you don’t need them anymore

9. mushroom
Answer: (D) A kind of fungus that can be used to make soft things

10. stores
Answer: (B) Big shops where you can buy things like furniture and toys
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is Celine Sandberg making?
Answer: (c) Furniture

2. What does Celine use to make her furniture soft?
Answer: (a) Seaweed

3. Why does Celine not want to use plastic?
Answer: (b) It is bad for the Earth

4. What are some things that Celine uses to make her furniture?
Answer: (d) Shells, plants, and wood

5. Why are some companies trying to use coffee shells and wood dust to make chairs?
Answer: (d) Because it is better for the Earth

6. What are some other materials that people are looking at to make soft things?
Answer: (b) Mushrooms

7. What do big stores that sell furniture want to do?
Answer: (a) Help the Earth

8. How does Celine feel about big stores wanting to help the Earth?
Answer: (c) Happy
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True or False Answers:

1. Some companies are trying to use better things like coffee shells and wood dust to make chairs. (Answer: True)
2. Celine Sandberg makes furniture that is harmful for the Earth. (Answer: False)
3. Big stores that sell furniture want to use things that are better for the Earth too. (Answer: True)
4. Celine uses things like rocks from the sea, old plants, and metal pieces to make her furniture. (Answer: False)
5. People in the United States recycled a lot of furniture in one year. (Answer: False)
6. Many people who make furniture use a lot of plastic, which creates a lot of trash and hurts the air. (Answer: True)
7. She doesn’t use bad plastic in her chairs and pillows. (Answer: True)
8. Seaweed cannot be made into a soft block, which Celine uses to make furniture soft to sit on. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧