Scientists have found that wild chimpanzees in Uganda eat certain plants that can help them feel better when they're sick or hurt. The scientists watched the chimpanzees in the forests and collected samples of the plants they ate. They tested these plants and found that they can kill bacteria. The scientists think that studying these plants could help us find new medicines. Dr. Elodie Freymann from the University of Oxford spent four years watching the chimpanzees in the Budongo Central Forest Reserve. She collected samples of their poop and pee to check for sickness and infection. The scientists paid extra attention when the chimpanzees ate unusual foods like tree bark or fruit skin, because these could be plants that can help them feel better. One chimpanzee that was hurt was seen eating ferns, which were found to have strong anti-inflammatory properties. In total, the scientists collected samples from 13 different plant species and found that almost 90% of them could kill bacteria and a third had natural anti-inflammatory properties. All of the sick and hurt chimpanzees in the study got better. The scientists say it's really important to protect these "forest pharmacies" so that future generations can benefit from them.

Original news source: Chimpanzees ‘self-medicate’ with healing plants (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Provide each group with a copy of the article or project it on a screen.
3. Instruct each group to read the article and summarize the main points in a few sentences.
4. After a designated time, have each group share their summaries with the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs.
2. Give each pair a set of vocabulary words related to the article.
3. One student from each pair selects a word and draws a picture to represent it without using any words or letters.
4. The other student must guess the word based on the drawing.
5. After a designated time, have the pairs switch roles and continue the game with new words.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Assign each group a topic related to the article (e.g. the benefits and drawbacks of studying chimpanzees).
3. Instruct each group to brainstorm and discuss the pros and cons of their assigned topic.
4. After a designated time, have each group present their findings to the class and facilitate a class discussion.
– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions:
1. Create a line on the board or on a piece of paper with "Strongly Agree" on one end and "Strongly Disagree" on the other end.
2. Read out statements related to the article (e.g. "Studying chimpanzees can lead to new medical discoveries").
3. Instruct the students to stand along the line according to their level of agreement or disagreement with each statement.
4. Encourage students to discuss their opinions with each other and have a class discussion based on the different positions.
– Future Predictions
Instructions:
1. Instruct each student to write down three predictions about the future of studying plants for medicinal purposes based on the article.
2. After a designated time, have the students share their predictions with a partner or small group.
3. Encourage students to discuss and debate the likelihood of each prediction coming true.
4. Have a class discussion and share some of the most interesting predictions.

Scientists have ? that wild ? in Uganda eat certain plants that can help them feel better when they're sick or hurt. The ? watched the chimpanzees in the forests and collected samples of the plants they ate. They ? these plants and found that they can kill bacteria. The scientists think that ? these plants could help us find new medicines. Dr. Elodie ? from the University of Oxford ? four years watching the chimpanzees in the Budongo Central Forest Reserve. She collected samples of their poop and pee to ? for sickness and infection. The scientists paid extra attention when the chimpanzees ate unusual ? like tree bark or fruit skin, because these could be ? that can help them feel ?. One chimpanzee that was hurt was seen eating ?, which were found to have strong anti-inflammatory properties. In total, the scientists collected samples from 13 different plant species and found that almost 90% of them could kill bacteria and a ? had ? anti-inflammatory ?. All of the sick and hurt chimpanzees in the study got better. The scientists say it's really important to protect these "forest pharmacies" so that future generations can ? from them.

1. What is a chimpanzee?
2. How do you think the scientists collected samples from the chimpanzees?
3. Do you think it's important to study plants that animals eat? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if you were sick and there was no medicine to help you?
5. Do you like studying about animals and plants? Why or why not?
6. What do you think it means when the article says the plants have "anti-inflammatory properties"?
7. Why do you think it's important to protect the "forest pharmacies"?
8. Have you ever seen a chimpanzee before? Where?
9. How do you think the scientists felt when they discovered that the plants could kill bacteria?
10. Do you think it's possible to find new medicines from studying plants? Why or why not?
11. Have you ever been sick or hurt? How did you feel?
12. What do you think the scientists will do with the information they found about the plants?
13. Do you think it's important to study animals in their natural habitats? Why or why not?
14. Why do you think the scientists collected samples of the chimpanzees' poop and pee?
15. How would you feel if you were able to discover a new medicine from studying plants?

Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Check your writing now with the best free AI for English writing!