The Reading / Listening - School Strike for Climate - Level 2

Children around the world are going on strike. They are unhappy because their countries are doing too little to fight climate change. There is a growing international movement called School Strike for Climate. Instead of going to school, students have been skipping classes to take part in street protests. Many protests are outside government buildings. The movement began in August 2018 when Swedish student Greta Thunberg stood outside Sweden's government. She held a sign that read: "School strike for climate". Photos of her went viral on social media. Students worldwide are now copying her.

In 2019, strikes have taken place across Europe, North America and Australia. Students held banners reading, "Why learn without a future?" "If you do not act as adults, we will" and "Like the sea level, we rise." A worldwide strike is planned for March 15. Many scientists, politicians and teachers congratulated the students. However, not everyone supports them. Australia's leader called for "more learning in schools and less activism". A U.K. journalist wrote: "If children really must wag their fingers at older generations for some imaginary sin, I wish they'd do it at the weekend."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    School Strike for Climate - Level 0 School Strike for Climate - Level 1   or  School Strike for Climate - Level 3

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/15/health/uk-climate-strike-students-greta-thunberg-intl/index.html
  • https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/15/school-climate-strike-classroom-climate-change
  • https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/02/if-children-want-to-protest-against-climate-change-why-not-do-it-at-the-weekend/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Children around the world are
  2. their countries are doing
  3. a growing international
  4. students have been skipping
  5. take part in street
  6. protests are outside government
  7. Photos of her went viral on
  8. Students worldwide are now
  1. classes
  2. social media
  3. protests
  4. copying her
  5. too little
  6. going on strike
  7. movement
  8. buildings

Paragraph 2

  1. strikes have taken
  2. If you do not act as
  3. Like the sea level,
  4. A worldwide strike is planned
  5. teachers congratulated
  6. more learning in schools and
  7. older
  8. I wish they'd do
  1. less activism
  2. the students
  3. it at the weekend
  4. adults, we will
  5. we rise
  6. generations
  7. place across Europe
  8. for March 15

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Children around the world (1) ___________________ strike. They are unhappy because their countries (2) ___________________ little to fight climate change. (3) ___________________ growing international movement called School Strike for Climate. Instead of going to school, students (4) ___________________ classes to take part in street protests. Many protests are outside government buildings. (5) ___________________ in August 2018 when Swedish student Greta Thunberg stood outside Sweden's government. She held a sign that read: "School strike for climate". Photos of her went (6) ___________________ media. Students worldwide are now copying her.

In 2019, strikes (7) ___________________ across Europe, North America and Australia. Students (8) ___________________, "Why learn without a future?" "If you do not (9) ___________________, we will" and "Like (10) ___________________, we rise." A worldwide strike is planned for March 15. Many scientists, politicians and teachers congratulated the students. However, not everyone supports them. Australia's (11) ___________________ "more learning in schools and less activism". A U.K. journalist wrote: "If children really must wag their (12) ___________________ generations for some imaginary sin, I wish they'd do it at the weekend."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Childrenaroundtheworldaregoingonstrike.Theyareunhappybecause
theircountriesaredoingtoolittletofightclimatechange.Thereisagrowi
nginternationalmovementcalledSchoolStrikeforClimate.Insteadofg
oingtoschool,studentshavebeenskippingclassestotakepartinstreetp
rotests.Manyprotestsareoutsidegovernmentbuildings.Themoveme
ntbeganinAugust2018whenSwedishstudentGretaThunbergstoodou
tsideSweden'sgovernment.Sheheldasignthatread:"Schoolstrikefor
climate".Photosofherwentviralonsocialmedia.Studentsworldwidear
enowcopyingher.In2019,strikeshavetakenplaceacrossEurope,Nort
hAmericaandAustralia.Studentsheldbannersreading,"Whylearnwit
houtafuture?""Ifyoudonotactasadults,wewill"and"Likethesealevel,
werise."AworldwidestrikeisplannedforMarch15.Manyscientists,polit
iciansandteacherscongratulatedthestudents.However,noteveryone
supportsthem.Australia'sleadercalledfor"morelearninginschoolsan
dlessactivism".AU.K.journalistwrote:"Ifchildrenreallymustwagtheir
fingersatoldergenerationsforsomeimaginarysin,Iwishthey'ddoitatth
eweekend."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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