The pūteketeke, a bird native to New Zealand, has been chosen as the Bird of the Century in a recent poll. This happened after a campaign by John Oliver, a talk show host from the US, who wanted the crested grebe to win. The Bird of the Year contest has been happening for almost 20 years, and this year it received a record number of votes from almost 200 countries. The pūteketeke won because it looks cool, takes care of its babies in a cute way, and has a habit of throwing up.

John Oliver’s campaign for the pūteketeke got a lot of attention around the world. He called the bird “weird puking birds with colorful mullets” and even dressed up as one on a TV show. Oliver put up big signs in different countries, like New Zealand, Japan, France, and the UK, calling the bird the “Lord of the Wings” because of the Lord of the Rings movies filmed in New Zealand. Some people didn’t like his campaign because they thought it was Americans getting involved in a foreign election.

Some people tried to cheat in the contest, but the pūteketeke still won with over 290,000 votes. The kiwi came in second place with only 12,904 votes. The kea, kākāpō, and fantail were also in the top five. This isn’t the first time the Bird of the Year contest has had problems. Last year, the kākāpō was banned from competing because it had already won twice before.

Even though there was some trouble, the Bird of the Year poll helped bring attention to the problems facing New Zealand’s native birds. Over 80% of these birds are in danger of disappearing, so the world is watching to see how New Zealand takes care of them. The pūteketeke’s win reminds us that we need to work hard to protect these special and vulnerable species.

Original news source: Bird of Century: Pūteketeke wins NZ poll after campaign by John Oliver (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Students will be divided into pairs. One student will take on the role of a news reporter, and the other will be an expert on New Zealand’s native birds. The reporter will interview the expert about the significance of the pūteketeke being chosen as the Bird of the Century, its characteristics, and the impact of John Oliver’s campaign. They should also discuss the broader implications for New Zealand’s bird conservation efforts.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a mock opinion poll in the classroom. Present the class with different statements about the Bird of the Year contest, such as “International celebrities should not interfere in national contests,” or “The Bird of the Year contest is an effective way to raise awareness about endangered species.” Students will move to different areas in the room to indicate their agreement or disagreement. They will then discuss their opinions in small groups.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary from the article on slips of paper, such as “pūteketeke,” “campaign,” “native,” “conservation,” and “vulnerable.” Students will take turns drawing the words on the board without writing any letters, while their classmates try to guess the vocabulary based on the drawings and the context of the article.

– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: Provide students with a list of words from the article, like “chosen,” “cute,” “record,” “attention,” and “endangered.” In pairs or small groups, students will brainstorm and write down as many synonyms as they can for each word. Afterward, they can share their lists with the class and discuss any new words they learned.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask students to imagine it’s 20 years in the future and the Bird of the Year contest is still going strong. Students will write a short paragraph predicting how the contest might change, what new challenges New Zealand’s birds might face, and the role of international media in conservation efforts. They can then share their predictions with the class and discuss the likelihood and implications of their ideas.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What bird was chosen as the Bird of the Century in New Zealand’s recent poll?
2. Who is John Oliver and what role did he play in the Bird of the Year contest?
3. How many years has the Bird of the Year contest been taking place?
4. From how many countries did the contest receive votes this year?
5. Why did some people criticize John Oliver’s campaign for the pūteketeke?
6. How many votes did the pūteketeke receive to win the contest?
7. What issue has the Bird of the Year contest faced in the past and present?
8. What critical issue does the Bird of the Year poll highlight regarding New Zealand’s native birds?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The pūteketeke, a bird native to New Zealand, has been chosen as the Bird of the Century in a recent poll. This happened after a (1)______ by John Oliver, a talk show host from the US, who (2)______ the (3)______ grebe to win. The Bird of the Year contest has been happening for almost 20 years, and this year it received a record number of votes from almost 200 (4)______. The pūteketeke won because it looks cool, takes care of its babies in a cute way, and has a habit of throwing up.

John Oliver’s campaign for the pūteketeke got a lot of (5)______ around the world. He (6)______ the bird “weird (7)______ birds with colorful mullets” and even dressed up as one on a TV show. Oliver put up big signs in different countries, like New Zealand, Japan, France, and the UK, calling the bird the “Lord of the Wings” because of the Lord of the Rings (8)______ filmed in New Zealand. Some (9)______ didn’t like his campaign because they thought it was Americans getting involved in a foreign election.

Some people tried to cheat in the contest, but the pūteketeke still won with over 290,000 (10)______. The kiwi came in second place with only 12,904 votes. The kea, kākāpō, and fantail were also in the top five. This isn’t the (11)______ time the Bird of the Year contest has had (12)______. Last year, the kākāpō was banned from competing because it had already won twice before.

Even though there was some trouble, the Bird of the Year poll (13)______ bring attention to the problems (14)______ New Zealand’s (15)______ birds. Over 80% of these birds are in danger of disappearing, so the world is watching to see how New Zealand takes care of them. The pūteketeke’s win reminds us that we need to work hard to protect these special and vulnerable (16)______.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is the strangest bird you’ve ever seen, and what made it so weird?
2. How would you feel if a bird from your country won an international contest?
3. Do you like watching talk shows? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s okay for celebrities to get involved in things like wildlife conservation? Why?
5. Have you ever voted in a contest like Bird of the Year? If yes, what was it like?
6. What do you think makes a bird cool or cute enough to win a contest?
7. If you could dress up as any animal, which one would you choose and why?
8. How important do you think it is to protect endangered animals?
9. What is your favorite bird, and can you explain why you like it?
10. Do you think that competitions like Bird of the Year are good for raising awareness about wildlife? Why or why not?
11. Have you ever seen a campaign that made you change your mind about something? What was it about?
12. If you found out someone cheated in a contest, how would that make you feel about the competition?
13. Can you think of any creative ways to help protect endangered species?
14. Do you believe that one person, like a celebrity, can make a big difference in conservation efforts? Why or why not?
15. Have you ever been involved in protecting wildlife or nature? If not, would you like to be? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. pūteketeke
2. Bird of the Century
3. campaign
4. attention
5. contest
6. cheat
7. poll
8. vulnerable

Meanings:
(a) The winning bird in a recent vote
(b) A type of bird from New Zealand
(c) To try to gain an unfair advantage
(d) A series of actions to promote something
(e) Focus or interest from people
(f) Easily harmed or in danger of being hurt
(g) A vote or survey to gather opinions
(h) A competition to determine the best
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who campaigned for the pūteketeke to win the Bird of the Century contest?
(a) Barack Obama
(b) John Oliver
(c) Angela Merkel
(d) Justin Bieber

2. How many countries voted in the Bird of the Year contest this year?
(a) Only 50
(b) Exactly 100
(c) Less than 10
(d) Almost 200

3. Why did the pūteketeke win the contest?
(a) It can fly the highest and the fastest.
(b) It is the biggest bird in New Zealand.
(c) It looks cool, takes care of its babies in a cute way, and has a habit of throwing up.
(d) It has the most beautiful song.

4. Which country did John Oliver not put up signs in to promote the pūteketeke?
(a) Japan
(b) France
(c) New Zealand
(d) Germany

5. What did some people think about John Oliver’s campaign for the pūteketeke?
(a) They thought it was Americans getting involved in a foreign election.
(b) They thought it was a waste of time.
(c) They thought it was the best campaign ever.
(d) They thought it was too expensive.

6. How many votes did the pūteketeke receive to win the contest?
(a) Over 290,000
(b) Only 100
(c) Exactly 50,000
(d) Less than 10,000

7. Which bird came in second place in the Bird of the Year contest?
(a) The kea
(b) The kiwi
(c) The kākāpō
(d) The fantail

8. Why is it important to protect New Zealand’s native birds?
(a) They are the most beautiful birds in the world.
(b) They are the national symbol of New Zealand.
(c) Over 80% of these birds are in danger of disappearing.
(d) They are the smartest birds in the world.

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. John Oliver, a talk show host from the US, did not campaign for the crested grebe to win the Bird of the Year contest.
2. Despite attempts to cheat, the pūteketeke won the contest with over 290,000 votes, while the kiwi came in second place.
3. The Bird of the Year poll did not raise awareness about the challenges faced by New Zealand’s native birds, with less than 80% of them being at risk of extinction.
4. John Oliver’s campaign for the pūteketeke did not gain a lot of attention worldwide, with him not dressing up as the bird on a TV show.
5. The pūteketeke did not win the contest because it looks cool, takes care of its babies in a cute way, and has a habit of throwing up.
6. The Bird of the Year contest has been happening for almost 20 years and received votes from almost 200 countries this year.
7. Some people criticized Oliver’s campaign, thinking it was Americans interfering in a foreign election.
8. The pūteketeke, a bird from New Zealand, was voted as the Bird of the Century in a recent poll.
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. Which bird was named the Bird of the Century in New Zealand, and who helped it win?
2. How long has the Bird of the Year contest been running, and how many votes were cast this year?
3. What are some of the reasons the pūteketeke won the contest?
4. Why did some people have issues with John Oliver’s campaign for the pūteketeke?
5. What serious message is highlighted by the Bird of the Year poll, despite the fun nature of the contest?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What bird was chosen as the Bird of the Century in New Zealand’s recent poll?
The pūteketeke was chosen as the Bird of the Century in New Zealand’s recent poll.

2. Who is John Oliver and what role did he play in the Bird of the Year contest?
John Oliver is a talk show host from the US, and he played a big role in the Bird of the Year contest by campaigning for the pūteketeke and drawing international attention to the poll.

3. How many years has the Bird of the Year contest been taking place?
The Bird of the Year contest has been taking place for almost 20 years.

4. From how many countries did the contest receive votes this year?
The contest received votes from almost 200 countries this year.

5. Why did some people criticize John Oliver’s campaign for the pūteketeke?
Some people criticized John Oliver’s campaign because they felt it was inappropriate for an American to get involved in what they saw as a New Zealand affair.

6. How many votes did the pūteketeke receive to win the contest?
The pūteketeke received over 290,000 votes to win the contest.

7. What issue has the Bird of the Year contest faced in the past and present?
The Bird of the Year contest has faced issues with cheating in the past, and this year was no exception despite the pūteketeke’s win.

8. What critical issue does the Bird of the Year poll highlight regarding New Zealand’s native birds?
The Bird of the Year poll highlights the critical issue that over 80% of New Zealand’s native birds are at risk of extinction, emphasizing the need for conservation efforts.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) campaign
(2) wanted
(3) crested
(4) countries
(5) attention
(6) called
(7) puking
(8) movies
(9) people
(10) votes
(11) first
(12) problems
(13) helped
(14) facing
(15) native
(16) species
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. pūteketeke
Answer: (b) A type of bird from New Zealand

2. Bird of the Century
Answer: (a) The winning bird in a recent vote

3. campaign
Answer: (d) A series of actions to promote something

4. attention
Answer: (e) Focus or interest from people

5. contest
Answer: (h) A competition to determine the best

6. cheat
Answer: (c) To try to gain an unfair advantage

7. poll
Answer: (g) A vote or survey to gather opinions

8. vulnerable
Answer: (f) Easily harmed or in danger of being hurt
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who campaigned for the pūteketeke to win the Bird of the Century contest?
Answer: (b) John Oliver

2. How many countries voted in the Bird of the Year contest this year?
Answer: (d) Almost 200

3. Why did the pūteketeke win the contest?
Answer: (c) It looks cool, takes care of its babies in a cute way, and has a habit of throwing up.

4. Which country did John Oliver not put up signs in to promote the pūteketeke?
Answer: (d) Germany

5. What did some people think about John Oliver’s campaign for the pūteketeke?
Answer: (a) They thought it was Americans getting involved in a foreign election.

6. How many votes did the pūteketeke receive to win the contest?
Answer: (a) Over 290,000

7. Which bird came in second place in the Bird of the Year contest?
Answer: (b) The kiwi

8. Why is it important to protect New Zealand’s native birds?
Answer: (c) Over 80% of these birds are in danger of disappearing.
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. John Oliver, a talk show host from the US, did not campaign for the crested grebe to win the Bird of the Year contest. (Answer: False)
2. Despite attempts to cheat, the pūteketeke won the contest with over 290,000 votes, while the kiwi came in second place. (Answer: True)
3. The Bird of the Year poll did not raise awareness about the challenges faced by New Zealand’s native birds, with less than 80% of them being at risk of extinction. (Answer: False)
4. John Oliver’s campaign for the pūteketeke did not gain a lot of attention worldwide, with him not dressing up as the bird on a TV show. (Answer: False)
5. The pūteketeke did not win the contest because it looks cool, takes care of its babies in a cute way, and has a habit of throwing up. (Answer: False)
6. The Bird of the Year contest has been happening for almost 20 years and received votes from almost 200 countries this year. (Answer: True)
7. Some people criticized Oliver’s campaign, thinking it was Americans interfering in a foreign election. (Answer: True)
8. The pūteketeke, a bird from New Zealand, was voted as the Bird of the Century in a recent poll. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧