The leader of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, has asked the army to help farmers grow rice. There hasn’t been enough rain because of something called El Niño, which makes it hard to grow enough rice. Rice is very important for people in Indonesia to eat. The president wants the army to use the little rain that has fallen to plant more rice quickly.

El Niño is making the weather very hot and dry in places near Indonesia. This bad weather means not enough rice can grow. Also, not many people want to work on the farms because they can make more money in the city. The army will help so there will be enough people to work on the farms and grow rice.

The army in Indonesia will work with the people who grow food to help plant rice. They will use land that the army has but isn’t using. The army will get seeds and machines to help them grow the rice. The country will also buy rice from other places because they need a lot of it. Indonesia is buying more rice from other countries than almost anyone else.

Original news source: Indonesia asks military to help farmers plant rice (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a slip of paper with a word related to the article (e.g. rice, army, El Niño, Indonesia). One student from each group will act out the word without speaking, while the other group members guess what it is. The group who guesses correctly gets a point. Repeat with different words.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, have students take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner. Encourage them to use their own words and keep it concise. After both partners have summarized, they can compare their summaries and discuss any differences or additional information.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write three statements related to the article on the board (e.g. “The army should help farmers grow rice,” “Indonesia should rely on buying rice from other countries,” “El Niño is a serious problem for farmers”). Have students stand up and move to one side of the room to indicate whether they agree, disagree, or are unsure about each statement. Once they have chosen their position, they can discuss their opinions in small groups and try to convince others to change their position if they disagree.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. leader, rain, farmers, rice). One student will choose a word and draw a picture representing it, while the other student tries to guess the word. They can switch roles after each word. The pair with the most correct guesses wins.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In small groups, have students discuss and make predictions about what might happen in the future based on the information in the article. They can consider questions such as: Will the army’s help be successful in growing more rice? What other challenges might arise due to El Niño? How might the situation affect the economy of Indonesia? After the discussion, each group can share their predictions with the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why did the leader of Indonesia ask the army for help with growing rice?
2. What is El Niño and how does it affect the weather in Indonesia?
3. Why is it difficult to grow enough rice in Indonesia right now?
4. Why don’t many people want to work on the farms in Indonesia?
5. How will the army help with growing rice?
6. Where will the army plant the rice?
7. Why is Indonesia buying rice from other countries?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The leader of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, has asked the army to help farmers grow (1)______. There hasn’t been enough rain because of something called El Niño, which makes it (2)______ to grow enough rice. (3)______ is very important for people in Indonesia to eat. The president wants the (4)______ to use the little rain that has fallen to (5)______ more rice quickly.

El Niño is making the weather very hot and dry in places near Indonesia. This bad weather (6)______ not enough rice can grow. Also, not many people want to work on the (7)______ because they can make more money in the city. The army will help so there will be enough (8)______ to work on the farms and grow rice.

The army in Indonesia will work with the people who grow food to help plant rice. They will use (9)______ that the army has but isn’t using. The army will get seeds and machines to help them grow the rice. The country will also buy rice from (10)______ places because they (11)______ a lot of it. Indonesia is (12)______ more rice from other countries than almost anyone else.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is El Niño and how does it affect the weather?
2. How do you think the lack of rain affects farmers and growing rice?
3. Do you think it’s a good idea for the army to help farmers grow rice? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if you had to work on a farm instead of in the city? Why?
5. Do you like rice? Why or why not?
6. Why is rice important for people in Indonesia to eat?
7. How do you think the army can help farmers grow more rice?
8. What do you think about Indonesia buying rice from other countries? Is it a good idea? Why or why not?
9. Do you think the army should use their land to grow rice? Why or why not?
10. How would you feel if you were a farmer in Indonesia and there wasn’t enough rain to grow rice? Why?
11. What other crops do you think the army could help farmers grow?
12. Do you think the government should provide more support to farmers? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Indonesia
2. Joko Widodo
3. army
4. farmers
5. El Niño
6. plant
7. weather
8. machines
9. seeds
10. president
11. crops
12. harvest

Meanings:
(A) A name for a weather pattern that can make it very hot and dry
(B) A country made up of lots of islands where it’s usually very warm
(C) Plants that are grown to be eaten
(D) What it’s like outside, like if it’s sunny, rainy, or snowy
(E) Tools that make work easier, like tractors for farming
(F) The leader of a country
(G) To put seeds in the ground so they can grow into food
(H) Tiny things that can grow into plants or food
(I) The main person in charge of a country
(J) To collect the food that has grown and is ready to eat
(K) People who grow food in the ground
(L) A group of people who work to protect their country
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why is it difficult to grow enough rice in Indonesia?
(a) There hasn’t been enough rain because of El Niño.
(b) The army is not helping the farmers.
(c) People don’t want to work on the farms.
(d) Rice is not important for people in Indonesia to eat.

2. What is El Niño?
(a) A type of rice.
(b) Something that makes the weather hot and dry.
(c) The leader of Indonesia.
(d) A city in Indonesia.

3. Why don’t many people want to work on the farms?
(a) They can make more money in the city.
(b) They don’t like rice.
(c) They are afraid of the army.
(d) They don’t know how to grow rice.

4. What will the army use to help grow rice?
(a) Money and food.
(b) Cars and trucks.
(c) Land, seeds, and machines.
(d) Clothes and shoes.

5. Why will Indonesia buy rice from other countries?
(a) Because they don’t like their own rice.
(b) Because they want to help other countries.
(c) Because they want to save money.
(d) Because they need a lot of it.

6. Who asked the army to help farmers grow rice?
(a) The people who grow food.
(b) Joko Widodo.
(c) The president of another country.
(d) El Niño.

7. What is the army going to do with the land they have but aren’t using?
(a) Sell it to other countries.
(b) Give it to the farmers.
(c) Use it to build houses.
(d) Use it to plant rice.

8. What is rice?
(a) A type of animal.
(b) A type of machine.
(c) A type of food.
(d) A type of city.

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. El Niño is making the weather hot and dry in places near Indonesia, which makes it difficult to grow enough rice.
2. The army will use land that they have but aren’t using to grow the rice.
3. Many people want to work on the farms because they can make less money in the city.
4. The army will not help by working with the people who grow food to plant rice.
5. Indonesia will not buy rice from other countries because they need a little of it and are buying less rice than almost anyone else.
6. Rice is not very important for people in Indonesia to eat.
7. The leader of Indonesia has asked the army to help farmers grow rice because there hasn’t been enough rain due to something called El Niño.
8. The president wants the army to use the little rain that has fallen to plant more rice quickly.
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. Why did the leader of Indonesia ask the army for help with growing rice?
2. What is El Niño and how does it affect the weather in Indonesia?
3. Why is it difficult for farmers to grow enough rice in Indonesia?
4. How will the army help the farmers with growing rice?
5. Why is Indonesia buying rice from other countries?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why did the leader of Indonesia ask the army for help with growing rice?
Because there hasn’t been enough rain and it’s hard to grow enough rice.

2. What is El Niño and how does it affect the weather in Indonesia?
El Niño is when the weather gets very hot and dry. It makes it difficult for rice to grow because there is not enough rain.

3. Why is it difficult to grow enough rice in Indonesia right now?
Because there hasn’t been enough rain due to El Niño.

4. Why don’t many people want to work on the farms in Indonesia?
Because they can make more money in the city.

5. How will the army help with growing rice?
The army will work with the farmers to plant rice and use their land and machines to help grow the rice.

6. Where will the army plant the rice?
They will use the land that the army has but isn’t using.

7. Why is Indonesia buying rice from other countries?
Because they need a lot of rice and they don’t have enough because of the bad weather.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) rice
(2) hard
(3) Rice
(4) army
(5) plant
(6) means
(7) farms
(8) people
(9) land
(10) other
(11) need
(12) buying
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Indonesia
Answer: (B) A country made up of lots of islands where it’s usually very warm

2. Joko Widodo
Answer: (I) The main person in charge of a country

3. army
Answer: (L) A group of people who work to protect their country

4. farmers
Answer: (K) People who grow food in the ground

5. El Niño
Answer: (A) A name for a weather pattern that can make it very hot and dry

6. plant
Answer: (G) To put seeds in the ground so they can grow into food

7. weather
Answer: (D) What it’s like outside, like if it’s sunny, rainy, or snowy

8. machines
Answer: (E) Tools that make work easier, like tractors for farming

9. seeds
Answer: (H) Tiny things that can grow into plants or food

10. president
Answer: (F) The leader of a country

11. crops
Answer: (C) Plants that are grown to be eaten

12. harvest
Answer: (J) To collect the food that has grown and is ready to eat
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why is it difficult to grow enough rice in Indonesia?
Answer: (a) There hasn’t been enough rain because of El Niño.

2. What is El Niño?
Answer: (b) Something that makes the weather hot and dry.

3. Why don’t many people want to work on the farms?
Answer: (a) They can make more money in the city.

4. What will the army use to help grow rice?
Answer: (c) Land, seeds, and machines.

5. Why will Indonesia buy rice from other countries?
Answer: (d) Because they need a lot of it.

6. Who asked the army to help farmers grow rice?
Answer: (b) Joko Widodo.

7. What is the army going to do with the land they have but aren’t using?
Answer: (d) Use it to plant rice.

8. What is rice?
Answer: (c) A type of food.
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. El Niño is making the weather hot and dry in places near Indonesia, which makes it difficult to grow enough rice. (Answer: True)
2. The army will use land that they have but aren’t using to grow the rice. (Answer: True)
3. Many people want to work on the farms because they can make less money in the city. (Answer: False)
4. The army will not help by working with the people who grow food to plant rice. (Answer: False)
5. Indonesia will not buy rice from other countries because they need a little of it and are buying less rice than almost anyone else. (Answer: False)
6. Rice is not very important for people in Indonesia to eat. (Answer: False)
7. The leader of Indonesia has asked the army to help farmers grow rice because there hasn’t been enough rain due to something called El Niño. (Answer: True)
8. The president wants the army to use the little rain that has fallen to plant more rice quickly. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧