Some bad people cut down a very old tree in Ghana. The tree was special because people thought it could make sick people better. It was 300 years old and was saved when a big road was made. The tree was important for history and for people visiting. It started from a nut a long time ago.

People in Ghana are very sad and mad about the tree being cut. The tree helped them remember a big fight for freedom. It was a part of their history. Now, the people who take care of the town want to find the bad people. They want to make sure this does not happen again.

Original news source: Komfo Anokye kola tree: Ghana outrage after 300-year-old tree felled (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Prepare slips of paper with words from the article like “tree,” “road,” “nut,” “fight,” “freedom,” and “history.” Students take turns acting out these words without speaking while their classmates guess. This activity is great for reinforcing vocabulary from the article and getting students to connect physical gestures with English words.

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Pair up the students and have them pretend to be news reporters discussing the event. One student can act as the reporter on the field, describing what happened to the tree, while the other can be a news anchor asking questions. This encourages students to practice speaking and listening skills using the context of the article.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on cards, such as “important,” “history,” “special,” and “freedom.” Divide students into two teams. One student from a team draws a word on the board while their team tries to guess the word. This is a fun way for students to learn new words and associate them with the context of the article.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: After discussing the article, conduct an opinion poll in class where students raise their hands to vote on statements related to the article, such as “Cutting down old trees is wrong,” or “Historical landmarks should be protected.” This gets students to express their opinions and practice using new language structures to agree or disagree.

– Mind Map
Instructions: Put a picture of a tree in the center of the board and ask students to brainstorm words and ideas related to the article. As they call out ideas, connect them to the tree with lines, creating a mind map. This helps students to visually organize information and see the relationships between words and concepts from the article.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What did some bad people do to the very old tree in Ghana?
2. Why was the tree special to people?
3. How old was the tree?
4. Why was the tree important for people who visit?
5. What did the tree start from a long time ago?
6. How do people in Ghana feel about the tree being cut?
7. What do the people who take care of the town want to do now?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Some bad people cut down a very old tree in (1)______. The tree was (2)______ because people thought it could make sick people better. It was 300 years old and was saved when a big road was made. The tree was important for (3)______ and for people visiting. It started from a nut a (4)______ time ago.

People in Ghana are very sad and mad about the tree being cut. The tree helped them remember a big (5)______ for (6)______. It was a part of their history. Now, the people who take care of the town want to find the bad people. They want to make (7)______ this does not (8)______ again.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a tree?
2. How would you feel if a tree you loved was cut down?
3. Do you like to look at old trees? Why or why not?
4. Do you think trees are important? Why?
5. Have you ever seen a very big tree? What did it look like?
6. What do you think about people who cut down trees?
7. Is there a special tree or plant in your town? What makes it special?
8. How do you think we can keep trees safe?
9. Do you think trees can help sick people? Why or why not?
10. Why do you think people visit old trees?
11. Have you ever planted a tree or a plant? How did it make you feel?
12. Do you think it’s important to remember history? Why?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. tree
2. Ghana
3. special
4. road
5. history
6. fight
7. town
8. people

Meanings:
(a) Something that is not the same as everything else
(b) A place with many plants and animals
(c) A very old story about things that happened
(d) A thing that is important and different
(e) A place where cars and trucks go
(f) More than one person
(g) A place where many houses are together
(h) A place where many people live
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Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How old was the tree that was cut down in Ghana?
(a) 300 years old
(b) 100 years old
(c) 500 years old
(d) 700 years old

2. Why was the tree special to the people in Ghana?
(a) It was very tall
(b) It had a lot of leaves
(c) They thought it could make sick people better
(d) It was a different color than other trees

3. What did the tree help people in Ghana remember?
(a) A big party
(b) A funny story
(c) A big fight for freedom
(d) A scary movie

4. What do the people in Ghana want to do to the bad people who cut down the tree?
(a) Give them a present
(b) Say thank you
(c) Invite them to a party
(d) Find them

5. What did the tree start from a long time ago?
(a) A nut
(b) A flower
(c) A rock
(d) A toy

6. What did the tree help the people remember?
(a) A big race
(b) A big concert
(c) A big storm
(d) A big fight for freedom

7. Why are the people in Ghana sad and mad about the tree being cut?
(a) They didn’t like the tree
(b) It was important for history and for people visiting
(c) They wanted a new tree
(d) They wanted to cut the tree themselves

8. What do the people who take care of the town want to do?
(a) Find a new tree
(b) Find the bad people
(c) Cut down more trees
(d) Paint the trees

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The tree was 300 years old and was saved when a big road was made.
2. They do not want to make sure this does not happen again.
3. The people who take care of the town do not want to find the bad people who cut the tree.
4. Some mean people cut down a really old tree in Ghana.
5. The tree was special because it could help sick people.
6. The tree helped them remember a big fight for freedom.
7. The tree was not important for history and for people visiting.
8. The people in Ghana are not sad and mad about the tree being cut.
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 happened to the very old tree in Ghana?
2. Why was the tree special to people?
3. How old was the tree?
4. Why are people in Ghana sad and mad?
5. What do the town’s caretakers want to do now?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did some bad people do to the very old tree in Ghana?
Some bad people cut down the very old tree.

2. Why was the tree special to people?
The tree was special because people thought it could heal sick people.

3. How old was the tree?
The tree was 300 years old.

4. Why was the tree important for people who visit?
The tree was important because it was part of history and people liked to see it.

5. What did the tree start from a long time ago?
The tree started from a nut a long time ago.

6. How do people in Ghana feel about the tree being cut?
People in Ghana are very sad and mad about the tree being cut.

7. What do the people who take care of the town want to do now?
The people who take care of the town want to find the bad people and stop this from happening again.
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Ghana
(2) special
(3) history
(4) long
(5) fight
(6) freedom
(7) sure
(8) happen
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. tree
Answer: (g) A place where many houses are together

2. Ghana
Answer: (a) Something that is not the same as everything else

3. special
Answer: (c) A very old story about things that happened

4. road
Answer: (e) A place where cars and trucks go

5. history
Answer: (b) A place with many plants and animals

6. fight
Answer: (d) A thing that is important and different

7. town
Answer: (h) A place where many people live

8. people
Answer: (f) More than one person
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How old was the tree that was cut down in Ghana?
Answer: (a) 300 years old

2. Why was the tree special to the people in Ghana?
Answer: (c) They thought it could make sick people better

3. What did the tree help people in Ghana remember?
Answer: (c) A big fight for freedom

4. What do the people in Ghana want to do to the bad people who cut down the tree?
Answer: (d) Find them

5. What did the tree start from a long time ago?
Answer: (a) A nut

6. What did the tree help the people remember?
Answer: (d) A big fight for freedom

7. Why are the people in Ghana sad and mad about the tree being cut?
Answer: (b) It was important for history and for people visiting

8. What do the people who take care of the town want to do?
Answer: (b) Find the bad people
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The tree was 300 years old and was saved when a big road was made. (Answer: True)
2. They do not want to make sure this does not happen again. (Answer: False)
3. The people who take care of the town do not want to find the bad people who cut the tree. (Answer: False)
4. Some mean people cut down a really old tree in Ghana. (Answer: True)
5. The tree was special because it could help sick people. (Answer: True)
6. The tree helped them remember a big fight for freedom. (Answer: True)
7. The tree was not important for history and for people visiting. (Answer: False)
8. The people in Ghana are not sad and mad about the tree being cut. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧