In Mozambique, people are cutting down many trees to make farms. This is bad because it hurts the forests and the animals that live there. A new project is helping to fix this problem. They are working with villages near a big park to bring back the trees. They want to make the forests healthy again.

The project shows how bad it is when too many trees are cut down. It is important to save the forests and the animals. The project works with the people in the villages to make sure the forests stay healthy. They want the villagers to help take care of the trees. This way, everyone can enjoy the forests for a long time.

Original news source: ‘It’s possible to regain the forest we once had’ (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs. Give each pair a set of vocabulary words related to the article. One student from each pair will choose a word and draw a picture to represent it, while the other student guesses the word. They can only use their drawing skills, no writing or speaking allowed. The first pair to guess all the words correctly wins.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the students into small groups. Give each group a copy of the article. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Each group must work together to summarize the article in their own words within the time limit. After the time is up, each group will take turns sharing their summary with the class. Encourage them to use as much English as possible.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Write a keyword from the article on the board, but leave out the vowels. The students take turns guessing letters to try and complete the word. If they guess a correct letter, write it in the correct spot. If they guess a wrong letter, start drawing a hangman on the board. The students must guess the word before the hangman is completed.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask the students to think about the following question: “Why is it important to save the forests and the animals?” Give them a minute to think about their answer individually. Then, have them pair up with a partner and share their thoughts. After a few minutes, ask a few pairs to share their answers with the whole class.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs. Ask them to discuss and make predictions about the future of the forests and animals in Mozambique. They can use their imagination and think about what actions can be taken to protect them. After a few minutes, have some pairs share their predictions with the class. Encourage them to use English as much as possible.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why are people cutting down trees in Mozambique?
2. Why is cutting down too many trees bad?
3. What is the new project in Mozambique trying to do?
4. Who is the project working with to bring back the trees?
5. Why is it important to save the forests and the animals?
6. What do the villagers in the villages need to do to help the forests stay healthy?
7. Why is it good for everyone to take care of the trees?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In Mozambique, people are cutting down many (1)______ to make (2)______. This is bad because it hurts the forests and the animals that live there. A new project is helping to fix this (3)______. They are working with villages near a big (4)______ to bring back the trees. They want to make the forests healthy again.

The project shows how bad it is when too many trees are cut down. It is important to save the forests and the (5)______. The (6)______ works with the people in the villages to make sure the forests stay healthy. They want the villagers to (7)______ take care of the trees. This way, everyone can enjoy the forests for a long (8)______.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a forest?
2. How would you feel if someone cut down all the trees in your neighborhood?
3. Do you like animals? Why or why not?
4. What do you think will happen if all the trees are cut down?
5. How do you think the villagers can help take care of the trees?
6. Do you think it’s important to save the forests? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever planted a tree before? How did it make you feel?
8. What do you think the animals in the forests need to survive?
9. How can we make sure the forests stay healthy?
10. Do you think it’s fair for the villagers to help take care of the trees? Why or why not?
11. Have you ever seen a big park before? What did you like about it?
12. Why is it important for everyone to enjoy the forests for a long time?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. project
2. villages
3. forests
4. healthy
5. important
6. save
7. enjoy
8. cutting
9. problem
10. care

Meanings:
(A) Small groups of houses where people live
(B) To keep something from being hurt or lost
(C) To have fun with something
(D) A plan or task to do something
(E) Using something sharp to make something smaller
(F) Large areas with many trees
(G) Feeling good and not sick
(H) To look after something and keep it safe
(I) Something that matters a lot
(J) Something that needs to be fixed
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why is cutting down too many trees bad?
(a) It helps the forests and the animals.
(b) It makes the forests healthy.
(c) It hurts the forests and the animals.
(d) It makes the animals happy.

2. What is the project doing to help the forests?
(a) Bringing back the trees.
(b) Cutting down more trees.
(c) Building houses in the forests.
(d) Selling the trees for money.

3. Who is the project working with?
(a) Villages near a beach.
(b) Villages near a big park.
(c) Villages near a city.
(d) Villages near a desert.

4. What do they want the villagers to do?
(a) Help take care of the trees.
(b) Cut down more trees.
(c) Build houses in the forests.
(d) Sell the trees for money.

5. Why is it important to save the forests and the animals?
(a) So the animals can eat the trees.
(b) So the villagers can build houses in the forests.
(c) So the trees can grow taller.
(d) So everyone can enjoy the forests for a long time.

6. What is the new project trying to make the forests?
(a) Sick.
(b) Smaller.
(c) Healthy again.
(d) Darker.

7. Who is cutting down many trees to make farms?
(a) People in France.
(b) People in Russia.
(c) People in China.
(d) People in Mozambique.

8. What does the project want to bring back?
(a) The animals.
(b) The trees.
(c) The houses.
(d) The farms.

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Cutting down too many trees is bad for the forests and the animals that live there.
2. The project is working with villages near a big park.
3. The project wants the villagers to help take care of the trees.
4. It is not important to save the forests and the animals.
5. There is no new project that wants to bring back the trees and make the forests healthy again.
6. Everyone cannot enjoy the forests for a long time if the trees are taken care of.
7. The project does not want to make sure the forests stay healthy.
8. People in Mozambique are cutting down lots of trees to make farms.
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 are people doing in Mozambique that is hurting the forests and the animals?
2. What is the new project doing to help fix this problem?
3. Why is it important to save the forests and the animals?
4. Who is the project working with to make sure the forests stay healthy?
5. Why do the villagers need to help take care of the trees?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why are people cutting down trees in Mozambique?
People are cutting down trees in Mozambique to make farms.

2. Why is cutting down too many trees bad?
Cutting down too many trees is bad because it hurts the forests and the animals that live there.

3. What is the new project in Mozambique trying to do?
The new project in Mozambique is trying to bring back the trees and make the forests healthy again.

4. Who is the project working with to bring back the trees?
The project is working with villages near a big park to bring back the trees.

5. Why is it important to save the forests and the animals?
It is important to save the forests and the animals because they are a part of nature and we need them to keep the Earth healthy.

6. What do the villagers in the villages need to do to help the forests stay healthy?
The villagers in the villages need to help take care of the trees to help the forests stay healthy.

7. Why is it good for everyone to take care of the trees?
It is good for everyone to take care of the trees because then everyone can enjoy the forests for a long time and the forests can stay healthy.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) trees
(2) farms
(3) problem
(4) park
(5) animals
(6) project
(7) help
(8) time
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. project
Answer: (D) A plan or task to do something

2. villages
Answer: (A) Small groups of houses where people live

3. forests
Answer: (F) Large areas with many trees

4. healthy
Answer: (G) Feeling good and not sick

5. important
Answer: (I) Something that matters a lot

6. save
Answer: (B) To keep something from being hurt or lost

7. enjoy
Answer: (C) To have fun with something

8. cutting
Answer: (E) Using something sharp to make something smaller

9. problem
Answer: (J) Something that needs to be fixed

10. care
Answer: (H) To look after something and keep it safe
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why is cutting down too many trees bad?
Answer: (c) It hurts the forests and the animals.

2. What is the project doing to help the forests?
Answer: (a) Bringing back the trees.

3. Who is the project working with?
Answer: (b) Villages near a big park.

4. What do they want the villagers to do?
Answer: (a) Help take care of the trees.

5. Why is it important to save the forests and the animals?
Answer: (d) So everyone can enjoy the forests for a long time.

6. What is the new project trying to make the forests?
Answer: (c) Healthy again.

7. Who is cutting down many trees to make farms?
Answer: (d) People in Mozambique.

8. What does the project want to bring back?
Answer: (b) The trees.
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Cutting down too many trees is bad for the forests and the animals that live there. (Answer: True)
2. The project is working with villages near a big park. (Answer: True)
3. The project wants the villagers to help take care of the trees. (Answer: True)
4. It is not important to save the forests and the animals. (Answer: False)
5. There is no new project that wants to bring back the trees and make the forests healthy again. (Answer: False)
6. Everyone cannot enjoy the forests for a long time if the trees are taken care of. (Answer: False)
7. The project does not want to make sure the forests stay healthy. (Answer: False)
8. People in Mozambique are cutting down lots of trees to make farms. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧