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)
π§ Listen:
π 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.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Celine Sandberg is making furniture.
Celine doesn't want to use bad plastic in her furniture because it hurts the Earth.
Celine uses seaweed to make her furniture soft.
Using a lot of plastic is bad for the Earth because it creates a lot of trash and hurts the air.
Some better things that people are using to make furniture are coffee shells and wood dust.
People are looking at using a kind of mushroom to make soft things, but the article does not mention the specific kind of mushroom.
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.
π§βοΈ 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 . Instead, she uses things like shells from the sea, old , and pieces. Celine and her friends 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 the air. In one , 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 at 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.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
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
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
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Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
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