The amount of trees being cut down in Brazil's Amazon rainforest has gone down by almost half in 2023 compared to last year. This is the lowest it's been in the past five years. But even with this decrease, the area that has been deforested is still more than six times the size of New York City. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who became president a year ago, has promised to stop deforestation by 2030.

Data from Brazil's national space agency, Inpe, shows that 5,153 square kilometers of the Amazon were cleared in 2023, down from 10,278 square kilometers in 2022. President Lula has been very clear about his determination to bring back the Amazon rainforest and take action against those who are harming the climate. Under the previous president, Jair Bolsonaro, deforestation in the Amazon was at its highest in 12 years.

The environment ministry of Brazil said that this decrease in deforestation is just the first step towards reaching the country's goal of zero deforestation. The government also said that they are committed to stopping illegal activities in the Amazon. The environment ministry thinks that the increased inspections by the environmental watchdog Ibama have played a big role in the decrease.

The Amazon rainforest is really important in the fight against climate change. It's often called "the lungs of the planet" because it plays a big part in the oxygen and carbon dioxide cycles. The rainforest is home to about three million different plants and animals, and one million indigenous people. Brazil is responsible for 60% of the whole Amazon rainforest.

In summary, deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest has gone down a lot in 2023 compared to previous years. President Lula's promise to stop deforestation by 2030 has been a big part of this. But even with the decrease, a lot of trees are still being cut down. The government is still working hard to stop illegal activities in the Amazon, and Ibama has helped with this. It's really important to protect the Amazon rainforest because it plays a big role in the world's oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.

Original news source: Amazon rainforest: Deforestation rate halved in 2023 (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions: Have the students read the article and then summarize the main points in their own words. They should focus on the decrease in deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest in 2023 compared to previous years, President Lula's promise to stop deforestation by 2030, the government's efforts to stop illegal activities in the Amazon, and the importance of the rainforest in the world's oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.
– Word Association
Instructions: Give the students a list of key words from the article (e.g. deforestation, Amazon, President Lula, climate change, illegal activities, Ibama) and have them take turns saying the first word that comes to their mind when they hear each word. Encourage them to explain their associations if possible.
– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs. One student will be the speaker and the other will be the listener. Give the speaker one minute to summarize the article, focusing on the main points. The listener should actively listen and then provide feedback on the accuracy and clarity of the summary. Then, switch roles and repeat the activity.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the students into small groups. Assign each group a role: environmentalists, loggers, indigenous people, government officials. Have them discuss and write down the pros and cons of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest from their assigned perspective. After a few minutes, have each group share their points with the class and facilitate a class discussion.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have the students imagine they are environmentalists in the year 2030. Ask them to write a short paragraph predicting the state of deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest and the impact it has had on the world. Encourage them to use future tenses and support their predictions with evidence from the article. After they finish writing, have them share their predictions with a partner or the whole class.

The amount of trees being cut down in Brazil's Amazon rainforest has gone down by almost half in 2023 compared to last year. This is the ? it's been in the past five years. But even with this ?, the area that has been deforested is still more than six times the size of New York City. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who became president a year ago, has ? to stop deforestation by 2030. Data from Brazil's ? space agency, Inpe, shows that 5,153 square kilometers of the Amazon were cleared in 2023, down from 10,278 square ? in 2022. ? Lula has been very clear about his ? to bring back the Amazon rainforest and take action against those who are ? the climate. Under the previous president, Jair Bolsonaro, deforestation in the Amazon was at its highest in 12 years. The environment ministry of Brazil said that this decrease in deforestation is just the first step towards reaching the country's goal of zero deforestation. The government also said that they are committed to stopping illegal activities in the Amazon. The environment ministry ? that the increased inspections by the environmental watchdog Ibama have played a big role in the decrease. The Amazon rainforest is really important in the fight against climate change. It's often called "the lungs of the planet" because it plays a big part in the ? and ? dioxide cycles. The rainforest is home to about three million ? plants and animals, and one million indigenous people. Brazil is responsible for 60% of the whole Amazon rainforest. In summary, deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest has gone down a lot in 2023 ? to ? years. President Lula's promise to stop deforestation by 2030 has been a big part of this. But even with the decrease, a lot of trees are still being cut down. The government is still working hard to stop ? activities in the Amazon, and Ibama has helped with this. It's really important to protect the Amazon rainforest because it plays a big role in the world's oxygen and carbon dioxide ?.

1. What is deforestation?
2. How would you feel if you lived in the Amazon rainforest and saw trees being cut down?
3. Do you like nature? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it's important to protect the Amazon rainforest? Why or why not?
5. What do you think would happen if deforestation continued at the same rate?
6. How do you think President Lula's promise to stop deforestation by 2030 will impact the Amazon rainforest?
7. What is the role of the Amazon rainforest in the fight against climate change?
8. How do you think the decrease in deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest will affect the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels?
9. Do you think inspections by the environmental watchdog Ibama are effective in stopping illegal activities in the Amazon? Why or why not?
10. How do you think the indigenous people living in the Amazon rainforest feel about deforestation?
11. What actions can individuals take to help protect the Amazon rainforest?
12. How do you think the decrease in deforestation will affect the millions of different plants and animals in the Amazon rainforest?
13. What do you think are some challenges the government may face in reaching the goal of zero deforestation?
14. How would you feel if you had the power to make decisions about protecting the Amazon rainforest?
15. What can other countries do to support Brazil's efforts in stopping deforestation in the Amazon rainforest?

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