Bamboo is becoming popular as a material for construction because it is strong, flexible, and good for the environment. When bamboo plants grow, they take in carbon dioxide, which helps reduce greenhouse gases. In fact, bamboo can store more carbon per area than many trees. Another cool thing about bamboo is that it grows really fast, with some types growing up to one meter per day. Unlike most trees, bamboo can grow back after it’s been cut down, so it’s a sustainable choice for building stuff.
Even though bamboo has been used for construction in Asia for a long time, it’s not as common in Europe and the US. One reason is that people aren’t as familiar with it and don’t know how to use it in buildings. But more and more companies are starting to use bamboo, and the demand is going up. In Europe, it might cost more to use bamboo at first, but as more people start using it, the price is expected to go down.
In Europe, one problem is that the bigger types of bamboo don’t grow well in colder places. But a company called BambooLogic is growing bamboo in Portugal, where it’s sunny and they can help the soil get better. Another challenge is that there aren’t as many rules and standards for using bamboo in construction in Europe compared to Asia. But people are working on making international standards so that more people can use bamboo.
In California, a company called BamCore makes panels out of bamboo and wood that can be used to build up to five-story buildings. They’ve been successful with both regular people who want to build sustainable homes and big companies that want to use eco-friendly materials. The biggest homebuilder in the US, D.R. Horton, is trying out BamCore’s bamboo product in some of their developments. Overall, bamboo has the potential to be a big deal in construction because it’s strong, good for the environment, and can be used in lots of different ways. As more research is done and rules are made, bamboo is expected to become more popular and cheaper to use.
Original news source: Can bamboo be big in construction? (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Have students read the article and then summarize the main points in their own words. They should focus on the benefits of using bamboo in construction, the challenges and potential solutions, and the increasing demand for bamboo in Europe and the US.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Have them discuss their opinions on using bamboo in construction and whether they think it will become more popular in the future. Then, have each group create a poll with a few questions related to the topic. They can then conduct the poll with other groups or with the whole class, and present the results.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team comes to the front of the class and is shown a vocabulary word. They then have to draw a picture on the board to represent the word, while their team tries to guess what it is. The team that guesses correctly gets a point.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Assign each group a role, either supporting the use of bamboo in construction or opposing it. Have them brainstorm and discuss the pros and cons of using bamboo, and then present their arguments to the class. Encourage them to consider environmental, economic, and practical factors.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have students discuss and make predictions about the future of bamboo in construction. They should consider factors such as technological advancements, changing regulations, and increasing awareness of sustainability. After the discussion, have each group share their predictions with the class.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Why is bamboo becoming popular as a material for construction?
2. How does bamboo help reduce greenhouse gases?
3. What is a unique characteristic of bamboo in terms of its growth?
4. Why is bamboo not as common in Europe and the US for construction?
5. What is one challenge of using bamboo in construction in Europe?
6. What is BamCore and what do they make out of bamboo and wood?
7. Who is trying out BamCore’s bamboo product in their developments?
8. Why is bamboo expected to become more popular and cheaper to use in construction?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Bamboo is becoming popular as a material for (1)______ because it is (2)______, flexible, and good for the environment. When (3)______ plants grow, they take in carbon dioxide, which helps reduce greenhouse gases. In fact, bamboo can (4)______ more carbon per area than many trees. Another cool thing about bamboo is that it grows really fast, with some types growing up to one meter per day. Unlike most trees, bamboo can grow back after it’s been cut down, so it’s a sustainable choice for building stuff.
Even though bamboo has been used for construction in Asia for a long time, it’s not as common in Europe and the US. One reason is that people aren’t as familiar with it and don’t know how to use it in (5)______. But more and more companies are starting to use bamboo, and the demand is going up. In Europe, it might cost more to use bamboo at first, but as more people start using it, the (6)______ is (7)______ to go down.
In Europe, one (8)______ is that the bigger types of bamboo don’t grow well in colder places. But a company called BambooLogic is growing bamboo in Portugal, where it’s sunny and they can help the soil get better. Another (9)______ is that there aren’t as many rules and (10)______ for using bamboo in construction in Europe (11)______ to Asia. But people are working on making international standards so that more people can use bamboo.
In California, a company called BamCore makes panels out of bamboo and wood that can be used to (12)______ up to five-story buildings. They’ve been successful with both regular people who want to build sustainable (13)______ and big companies that want to use eco-friendly materials. The (14)______ homebuilder in the US, D.R. Horton, is trying out BamCore’s bamboo product in some of their (15)______. Overall, bamboo has the potential to be a big deal in construction because it’s strong, good for the environment, and can be used in lots of (16)______ ways. As more research is done and rules are made, bamboo is expected to become more popular and cheaper to use.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is bamboo and why is it becoming popular as a construction material?
2. How would you feel if bamboo was used more commonly in buildings in your country?
3. Do you like the idea of using bamboo as a sustainable choice for building? Why or why not?
4. What do you think are the benefits of bamboo growing really fast?
5. How do you think the demand for bamboo in Europe will affect its price?
6. Why do you think the bigger types of bamboo don’t grow well in colder places in Europe?
7. Do you think it’s important to have rules and standards for using bamboo in construction? Why or why not?
8. How do you think international standards for bamboo in construction will benefit people?
9. What do you think about the idea of using bamboo and wood panels to build sustainable buildings?
10. Would you consider using bamboo as a construction material for your own home? Why or why not?
11. How do you think using bamboo in construction can help the environment?
12. Do you think bamboo has the potential to become a popular choice in construction? Why or why not?
13. What are some other ways bamboo can be used besides construction?
14. How do you think the research and development of bamboo will impact its popularity and cost?
15. Why do you think it’s important for companies to use eco-friendly materials like bamboo?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. bamboo
2. construction
3. carbon dioxide
4. sustainable
5. demand
6. standards
7. panels
8. potential
Meanings:
(a) The possibility of something becoming successful or important
(b) The amount of people who want to buy something
(c) Rules or guidelines that need to be followed
(d) Able to be used without causing harm to the environment
(e) Flat pieces of material that can be used to build
(f) The process of building something
(g) A gas that is harmful to the environment
(h) A type of plant that is strong and flexible
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Why is bamboo becoming popular as a material for construction?
(a) It is strong, flexible, and good for the environment.
(b) It is cheap and easy to find.
(c) It is rare and valuable.
(d) It is weak and easily damaged.
2. How does bamboo help reduce greenhouse gases?
(a) It takes in carbon dioxide when it grows.
(b) It releases oxygen when it grows.
(c) It emits less carbon dioxide than other plants.
(d) It absorbs greenhouse gases from the air.
3. How fast can some types of bamboo grow?
(a) Up to one meter per week.
(b) Up to one meter per day.
(c) Up to one meter per month.
(d) Up to one meter per year.
4. Why is bamboo not as common in Europe and the US?
(a) It is too expensive to use compared to other materials.
(b) People aren’t familiar with it and don’t know how to use it.
(c) It does not grow well in colder places.
(d) There are too many rules and standards for using bamboo in construction.
5. What is one challenge of using bamboo in construction in Europe?
(a) Bamboo is not strong enough for construction.
(b) Bamboo is too expensive to use in Europe.
(c) Bamboo does not grow well in Europe’s climate.
(d) There aren’t as many rules and standards compared to Asia.
6. What does the company BambooLogic do in Portugal?
(a) They make panels out of bamboo and wood.
(b) They research and develop new bamboo products.
(c) They grow bamboo in sunny places with good soil.
(d) They help make international standards for using bamboo.
7. What does the company BamCore make?
(a) Bamboo furniture.
(b) Bamboo flooring.
(c) Panels out of bamboo and wood.
(d) Bamboo clothing.
8. Why is bamboo expected to become more popular and cheaper to use?
(a) Bamboo is becoming more scarce and valuable.
(b) People are losing interest in using bamboo.
(c) Bamboo is not a sustainable choice for building.
(d) More research is being done and rules are being made.
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. Bamboo grows slowly, with some types growing up to one meter per day.
2. Bamboo cannot store more carbon per area than many trees.
3. Bamboo is a popular material for construction because it is strong, flexible, and environmentally friendly.
4. No efforts are being made to establish international standards for using bamboo in construction.
5. The cost of using bamboo in Europe is not expected to decrease as more people start using it.
6. Bamboo plants absorb carbon dioxide, helping to reduce greenhouse gases.
7. Bamboo can grow back after being cut down, making it a sustainable choice for building.
8. Bamboo is not as commonly used in Europe and the US compared to Asia.
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 is bamboo becoming popular as a material for construction?
2. How does bamboo help reduce greenhouse gases?
3. Why is bamboo not as common in Europe and the US?
4. What challenges does Europe face in using bamboo for construction?
5. How is BamCore using bamboo in construction in California?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. Why is bamboo becoming popular as a material for construction?
Bamboo is becoming popular because it is strong, flexible, and good for the environment.
2. How does bamboo help reduce greenhouse gases?
Bamboo helps reduce greenhouse gases because when it grows, it takes in carbon dioxide.
3. What is a unique characteristic of bamboo in terms of its growth?
A unique characteristic of bamboo is that it grows really fast, with some types growing up to one meter per day.
4. Why is bamboo not as common in Europe and the US for construction?
Bamboo is not as common in Europe and the US because people aren’t as familiar with it and don’t know how to use it in buildings.
5. What is one challenge of using bamboo in construction in Europe?
One challenge of using bamboo in construction in Europe is that the bigger types of bamboo don’t grow well in colder places.
6. What is BamCore and what do they make out of bamboo and wood?
BamCore is a company in California that makes panels out of bamboo and wood.
7. Who is trying out BamCore’s bamboo product in their developments?
The biggest homebuilder in the US, D.R. Horton, is trying out BamCore’s bamboo product in some of their developments.
8. Why is bamboo expected to become more popular and cheaper to use in construction?
Bamboo is expected to become more popular and cheaper to use in construction because as more people start using it, the demand will go up and the price will go down.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) construction
(2) strong
(3) bamboo
(4) store
(5) buildings
(6) price
(7) expected
(8) problem
(9) challenge
(10) standards
(11) compared
(12) build
(13) homes
(14) biggest
(15) developments
(16) different
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. bamboo
Answer: (h) A type of plant that is strong and flexible
2. construction
Answer: (f) The process of building something
3. carbon dioxide
Answer: (g) A gas that is harmful to the environment
4. sustainable
Answer: (d) Able to be used without causing harm to the environment
5. demand
Answer: (b) The amount of people who want to buy something
6. standards
Answer: (c) Rules or guidelines that need to be followed
7. panels
Answer: (e) Flat pieces of material that can be used to build
8. potential
Answer: (a) The possibility of something becoming successful or important
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Why is bamboo becoming popular as a material for construction?
Answer: (a) It is strong, flexible, and good for the environment.
2. How does bamboo help reduce greenhouse gases?
Answer: (a) It takes in carbon dioxide when it grows.
3. How fast can some types of bamboo grow?
Answer: (b) Up to one meter per day.
4. Why is bamboo not as common in Europe and the US?
Answer: (b) People aren’t familiar with it and don’t know how to use it.
5. What is one challenge of using bamboo in construction in Europe?
Answer: (d) There aren’t as many rules and standards compared to Asia.
6. What does the company BambooLogic do in Portugal?
Answer: (c) They grow bamboo in sunny places with good soil.
7. What does the company BamCore make?
Answer: (c) Panels out of bamboo and wood.
8. Why is bamboo expected to become more popular and cheaper to use?
Answer: (d) More research is being done and rules are being made.
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. Bamboo grows slowly, with some types growing up to one meter per day. (Answer: False)
2. Bamboo cannot store more carbon per area than many trees. (Answer: False)
3. Bamboo is a popular material for construction because it is strong, flexible, and environmentally friendly. (Answer: True)
4. No efforts are being made to establish international standards for using bamboo in construction. (Answer: False)
5. The cost of using bamboo in Europe is not expected to decrease as more people start using it. (Answer: False)
6. Bamboo plants absorb carbon dioxide, helping to reduce greenhouse gases. (Answer: True)
7. Bamboo can grow back after being cut down, making it a sustainable choice for building. (Answer: True)
8. Bamboo is not as commonly used in Europe and the US compared to Asia. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧
