Breaking News English Lesson: Cutting the Grass

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Gardeners urged not to cut the grass (5th May, 2022)

The Reading / Listening - Cutting the Grass - Level 3

A charity in the U.K. is urging people not to cut the grass in their garden. When spring arrives, many gardeners mow their lawn. The call to not do this is part of a project called "No Mow May". It is to help flowers grow wild and insects breed. No Mow May is a campaign to promote biodiversity. It is from the charity Plantlife. The charity is also asking people to count the types and number of wild flowers in their garden. Plantlife says leaving the grass uncut creates a habitat that will help "our bees, butterflies, wildlife and us". Bees are an essential part of nature as they pollinate flowers. Cutting the grass means there are fewer flowers for bees to work their natural magic.

A spokesperson for Plantlife said garden lawns have the potential to be "biodiversity hotspots". Last year, the charity found over 250 species of plants on people's lawns. These included wild strawberry and wild garlic. Plantlife wants people to value wild lawns more. It said people would get a nice, colourful surprise if they did not cut their grass. One gardener spoke to the BBC about the joy of wild gardens. He said people care too much about having a neat garden and use too many chemicals. He believes not mowing the lawn lets people "reconnect with the natural world". Plantlife agreed. It said a wild garden "makes you feel like you're somewhere tropical instead of your own garden".

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Cutting the Grass - Level 0, Cutting the Grass - Level 1 or Cutting the Grass - Level 2

Sources

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61264905
https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/no-mow-may-county-council-joins-in-biodiversity-initiative-9252289/
https://nomowmay.plantlife.org.uk/what-is-no-mow-may/

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Warm-ups

1. GRASS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about grass. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
charity / cut the grass / garden / gardener / flowers / biodiversity / bees / butterflies /
plants / strawberry / garlic / surprise / neat / chemicals / the natural world / tropical
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. CUT LAWNS: Students A strongly believe that cut lawns should be banned to encourage greater biodiversity; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. WILDLIFE: What do you know about these creatures below? How important are they? What do they do for the environment? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	What I Know	Importance	What They Do
Bees
Butterflies
Humans
Worms
Ants
Ladybird (UK) / Ladybug (USA)

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

5. PROJECT: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "project". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. USES OF GRASS: Rank these with your partner. Put the best at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

Garden lawn
Tennis court
Soccer pitch
Golf course green
Children's park
Meadow
Food production
Paper production

Vocabulary

Paragraph 1

1.	charity	a.	An organization that helps people and raises money for those in need.
2.	mow	b.	Totally necessary; extremely important.
3.	breed	c.	Cut grass with a machine.
4.	promote	d.	The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.
5.	habitat	e.	When animals get together to make babies.
6.	essential	f.	Support or actively encourage a cause or project.
7.	pollinate	g.	Take pollen from plant to plant to help them grow.

Paragraph 2

8.	potential	h.	Happiness.
9.	biodiversity	i.	The importance or usefulness of something.
10.	species	j.	Having or showing the capacity to develop into something in the future.
11.	value	k.	Arranged or put in a tidy way; in good order.
12.	joy	l.	The variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular place.
13.	neat	m.	Very hot and humid.
14.	tropical	n.	A group of living things that are similar and can have babies together.

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

A charity in the U.K. has banned people from cutting their grass. T / F
There is a campaign in the U.K. called "May Not Mow". T / F
A campaign in the U.K. is trying to promote biodiversity. T / F
A charity said not cutting the grass helps us. T / F
A charity said spots in the U.K. are too hot for biodiversity. T / F
Every garden in the U.K. has more than 250 plant species in it. T / F
A gardener said people are too concerned with neat gardens. T / F
Many wild gardens in the U.K. are tropical. T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

urging
mow
breed
habitat
essential
potential
value
joy
neat
tropical

reproduce
happiness
important
cut
appreciate
very hot
encouraging
tidy
ability
natural environment

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

When spring arrives, many
It is to help flowers grow wild and insects
a campaign to promote
help our bees, butterflies, wildlife
fewer flowers for bees to work their
garden lawns have the potential to be
the charity found over 250
people care too much about having a
reconnect
feel like you're somewhere

species of plants
natural magic
biodiversity hotspots
with the natural world
breed
and us
tropical
gardeners mow their lawn
neat garden
biodiversity

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

mow
types
essential
urging
breed
natural
habitat
project

A charity in the U.K. is (1) _____________________ people not to cut the grass in their garden. When spring arrives, many gardeners (2) _____________________ their lawn. The call to not do this is part of a (3) _____________________ called "No Mow May". It is to help flowers grow wild and insects (4) _____________________. No Mow May is a campaign to promote biodiversity. It is from the charity Plantlife. The charity is also asking people to count the (5) _____________________ and number of wild flowers in their garden. Plantlife says leaving the grass uncut creates a (6) _____________________ that will help "our bees, butterflies, wildlife and us". Bees are an (7) _____________________ part of nature as they pollinate flowers. Cutting the grass means there are fewer flowers for bees to work their (8) _____________________ magic.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

value
neat
potential
joy
species
instead
nice
reconnect

A spokesperson for Plantlife said garden lawns have the (9) _____________________ to be "biodiversity hotspots". Last year, the charity found over 250 (10) _____________________ of plants on people's lawns. These included wild strawberry and wild garlic. Plantlife wants people to (11) _____________________ wild lawns more. It said people would get a (12) _____________________, colourful surprise if they did not cut their grass. One gardener spoke to the BBC about the (13) _____________________ of wild gardens. He said people care too much about having a (14) _____________________ garden and use too many chemicals. He believes not mowing the lawn lets people "(15) _____________________ with the natural world". Plantlife agreed. It said a wild garden "makes you feel like you're somewhere tropical (16) _____________________ of your own garden".

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) A charity in the U.K. is urging people not to cut the grass ______
     a. on their garden
     b. at their garden
     c. in their garden
     d. sin their garden
2) It is to help flowers grow wild ______
     a. and insects bleed
   b. and insects breed
     c. and insects brood
     d. and insects braid
3) No Mow May is a campaign ______
     a. to pro note biodiversity
     b. to prom moat biodiversity
     c. to pro moat biodiversity
     d. to promote biodiversity
4) a habitat that will help our bees, butterflies, ______
     a. wildlife and use
     b. wildlife and dust
     c. wildlife and us
     d. wildlife end dust
5) Cutting the grass means there are fewer flowers for bees to work ______
     a. their natural magician
     b. their natural magic
     c. their natural magical
     d. their nature all magic

6) Plantlife said garden lawns have the potential to ______
     a. be biodiversity hots pots
     b. be biodiversity hot pots
     c. be biodiversity hots spots
     d. be biodiversity hotspots
7) Last year, the charity found over 250 ______
     a. specials of plants
     b. species of plants
     c. species off plants
     d. specials off plants
8) people would get a nice, colourful surprise if they did not ______
     a. cut a grass
     b. cut their grass
     c. cut there grass
     d. cut they're grass
9) He said people care too much about having a neat garden and use ______
     a. too many chemicals
     b. too more chemicals
    c. too most chemicals
     d. too much chemicals
10) It said a wild garden makes you feel like ______
     a. you're somewhere topical
     b. you're somewhere tropical
     c. you're somewhere tropics
     d. you're somewhere tropic all

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A charity in the U.K. is (1) ____________________ to cut the grass in their garden. When spring arrives, many gardeners mow their lawn. The call to not do this is part (2) ____________________ called "No Mow May". It is to help flowers grow wild (3) ____________________. No Mow May is a campaign to promote biodiversity. It is from the charity Plantlife. The charity is also asking people to count the types and number of wild flowers in their garden. Plantlife says leaving the grass uncut (4) ____________________ that will help "our bees, butterflies, wildlife and us". Bees are an (5) ____________________ nature as they pollinate flowers. Cutting the grass means there are (6) ____________________ bees to work their natural magic.

A spokesperson for Plantlife said garden lawns (7) ____________________ to be "biodiversity hotspots". Last year, the charity found over 250 species of plants on people's lawns. These included wild strawberry (8) ____________________. Plantlife wants people to value wild lawns more. It said people would get a nice, colourful surprise if they did not cut their grass. One gardener spoke to the BBC about (9) ____________________ wild gardens. He said people care too much about (10) ____________________ garden and use too many chemicals. He believes not mowing the lawn lets people "(11) ____________________ natural world". Plantlife agreed. It said a wild garden "makes you feel like you're somewhere (12) ____________________ your own garden".

Comprehension questions

When do gardeners in the U.K. mow their lawns?
What is the name of the campaign to stop people cutting their grass?
What does the charity say it wants its campaign to promote?
Who does uncut lawns help besides bees, butterflies and wildlife?
What does the article say bees work?
What did Plantlife say lawns have the potential to be?
How many species of plants can there be on our lawns?
What did Plantlife say people could get if they did not cut their grass?
What did a gardener say people put too much of on lawns?
Where did Plantlife say a wild garden can make you feel you are?

Multiple choice quiz

1) When do gardeners in the U.K. mow their lawns?
a) in the mornings
b) when spring arrives
c) after it rains
d) on May the 10th
2) What is the name of the campaign to stop people cutting their grass?
a) Mow No May
b) No May Mow
c) Mow May Now
d) No Mow May
3) What does the charity say it wants its campaign to promote?
a) biodiversity
b) greenness
c) perfect lawns
d) gardening
4) Who does uncut lawns help besides bees, butterflies and wildlife?
a) gardeners
b) park visitors
c) us
d) soccer players
5) What does the article say bees work?
a) their legs
b) their magic
c) making honey
d) making pollen

6) What did Plantlife say lawns have the potential to be?
a) biodiversity hotspots
b) green
c) picnic spots
d) places to relax
7) How many species of plants can there be on our lawns?
a) 350
b) 240
c) 250
d) 800
8) What did a gardener say people could get if they did not cut their grass?
a) a nice surprise
b) insect bites
c) angry neighbours
d) stressed
9) What did Plantlife say people put too much of on lawns?
a) chemicals
b) water
c) love and attention
d) garden furniture
10) Where did Plantlife say a wild garden can make you feel you are?
a) in heaven
b) in a jungle
c) in a botanical garden
d) somewhere tropical

Role play

Role A – Garden Lawns
You think garden lawns are the best use of grass. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their uses aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): tennis courts, food production or children's parks.

Role B – Tennis Courts
You think tennis courts are the best use of grass. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their uses aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): garden lawns, food production or children's parks.

Role C – Food Production
You think food production is the best use of grass. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their uses aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): tennis courts, garden lawns or children's parks.

Role D – Children's Parks
You think children's parks are the best use of grass. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their uses aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): tennis courts, food production or garden lawns.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'garden'

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

and 'grass'.
________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

• Share your findings with your partners.

• Make questions using the words you found.

• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

•Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

arrives

part

promote

types

habitat

magic

potential

included

joy

neat

reconnect

tropical

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 - Cutting the Grass

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

What did you think when you read the headline?
What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'garden'?
How important are gardens?
What should gardens look like?
Is a cut lawn or a wild lawn best?
How important is grass in a garden?
What gardens do you see every day?
What do you think of the No Mow May project?
What 'natural magic' do bees perform?
What advice do you have for gardeners?

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

Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
What do you think of when you hear the word 'grass'?
What do you think about what you read?
How can gardens be 'biodiversity hotspots'?
What are the benefits of neatly cut lawns?
How do you connect with nature?
Why do people use chemicals on gardens?
Should we study gardening at school?
What wildlife is there in your garden?
What questions would you like to ask gardeners?

Discussion — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

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

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

A charity in the U.K. is (1) ____ people not to cut the grass in their garden. When spring arrives, many gardeners (2) ____ their lawn. The call to not do this is part of a project called "No Mow May". It is to help flowers grow wild and insects (3) ____. No Mow May is a campaign to promote biodiversity. It is from the charity Plantlife. The charity is also asking people to count the (4) ____ and number of wild flowers in their garden. Plantlife says leaving the grass uncut creates a habitat that will help "our bees, butterflies, wildlife and (5) ____". Bees are an essential part of nature as they pollinate flowers. Cutting the grass means there are (6) ____ flowers for bees to work their natural magic.

A spokesperson for Plantlife said garden lawns have the potential (7) ____ be "biodiversity hotspots". Last year, the charity found over 250 (8) ____ of plants on people's lawns. These included wild strawberry and wild garlic. Plantlife wants people to (9) ____ wild lawns more. It said people would get a nice, colourful surprise if they did not cut their grass. One gardener spoke to the BBC about the (10) ____ of wild gardens. He said people care too much about having a neat garden and use too (11) ____ chemicals. He believes not mowing the lawn lets people "reconnect with the natural world". Plantlife agreed. It said a wild garden "makes you feel like you're somewhere (12) ____ instead of your own garden".

Which of these words go in the above text?

(a) urging (b) urgent (c) urges (d) urge
(a) mown (b) mower (c) mow (d) mowing
(a) bleed (b) braid (c) breed (d) broad
(a) tips (b) thyme (c) times (d) types
(a) us (b) we (c) them (d) they
(a) lack (b) fewer (c) plenty (d) less
(a) by (b) at (c) for (d) to
(a) specials (b) species (c) spaces (d) specialize
(a) wealth (b) worth (c) value (d) reckon
(a) toy (b) soy (c) boy (d) joy
(a) most (b) much (c) more (d) many
(a) equator (b) tropical (c) hemisphere (d) polar

Spelling

Paragraph 1

A hatircy in the U.K.
help flowers grow wild and insects erbde
a campaign to tprmoeo biodiversity
Bees are an etaisslne part
they nopilelta flowers
bees to work their untlraa magic

Paragraph 2

garden lawns have the tlaotepin
These ndulcied wild strawberry
over 250 esspice of plants
a nice, colourful rpisrseu
use too many scealimch
feel like you're somewhere aolprtic

Put the text back together

(...) help flowers grow wild and insects breed. No Mow May is a campaign to promote biodiversity. It is from the
(...) of wild flowers in their garden. Plantlife says leaving the grass uncut creates a habitat that will help "our bees,
(...) arrives, many gardeners mow their lawn. The call to not do this is part of a project called "No Mow May". It is to
(...) surprise if they did not cut their grass. One gardener spoke to the BBC about the joy
(...) butterflies, wildlife and us". Bees are an essential part of nature as they pollinate flowers. Cutting
(...) chemicals. He believes not mowing the lawn lets people "reconnect with the natural world". Plantlife
(...) agreed. It said a wild garden "makes you feel like you're somewhere tropical instead of your own garden".
(...) A spokesperson for Plantlife said garden lawns have the potential to be "biodiversity
(...) and wild garlic. Plantlife wants people to value wild lawns more. It said people would get a nice, colourful
(...) charity Plantlife. The charity is also asking people to count the types and number
(...) hotspots". Last year, the charity found over 250 species of plants on people's lawns. These included wild strawberry
( 1 ) A charity in the U.K. is urging people not to cut the grass in their garden. When spring
(...) of wild gardens. He said people care too much about having a neat garden and use too many
(...) the grass means there are fewer flowers for bees to work their natural magic.

Put the words in the right order

grass . to people not the It's cut urging
help It wild . grow flowers is to
the types flowers . Count wild of and number
grass uncut a creates habitat . Leaving the
there flowers . grass fewer are Cutting means the
biodiversity hotspots . the Lawns potential to have be
plants . species found over The charity 250 of
wild wants value people to lawns more . Plantlife
too about neat care much having gardens . People
It tropical . somewhere you feel makes like you're

Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

A charity in the U.K. is urging people not to cut the grass in there / their garden. When spring arrives, many gardeners mow / mown their lawn. The call to not do this is partner / part of a project called "No Mow May". It is to help flowers grow wild / wildly and insects breed. No Mow May is a campaign to promote / demote biodiversity. It is from the charity Plantlife. The charity is also asking people to country / count the types and number of wild flowers in their garden. Plantlife says leaving the grass uncut creates a habit / habitat that will help "our bees, butterflies, wildlife and us / we". Bees are an essential part of nature / natural as they pollinate flowers. Cutting the grass means there are fewer flowers for bees to work / effort their natural magic.

A spokesperson for Plantlife said garden lawns have the possible / potential to be "biodiversity hotspots". Last year, the charity found / fund over 250 species of plants on people / people's lawns. These included wild strawberry and wild garlic. Plantlife wants people to valuable / value wild lawns more. It said people would get a nice / nicely, colourful surprise if they did not cut their grass. One gardener spoke to the BBC about the joy to / of wild gardens. He said people care too much about have / having a neat garden and use too many / much chemicals. He believes not mowing the lawn lets people "reconnect with all / the natural world". Plantlife agreed. It said a wild garden "makes you feel like you're somewhere tropical instead on / of your own garden".

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct. Look up the definition of new words.

Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

_ ch_r_ty _n th_ _.K. _s _rg_ng p__pl_ n_t t_ c_t th_ gr_ss _n th__r g_rd_n. Wh_n spr_ng _rr_v_s, m_ny g_rd_n_rs m_w th__r l_wn. Th_ c_ll t_ n_t d_ th_s _s p_rt _f _ pr_j_ct c_ll_d "N_ M_w M_y". _t _s t_ h_lp fl_w_rs gr_w w_ld _nd _ns_cts br__d. N_ M_w M_y _s _ c_mp__gn t_ pr_m_t_ b__d_v_rs_ty. _t _s fr_m th_ ch_r_ty Pl_ntl_f_. Th_ ch_r_ty _s _ls_ _sk_ng p__pl_ t_ c__nt th_ typ_s _nd n_mb_r _f w_ld fl_w_rs _n th__r g_rd_n. Pl_ntl_f_ s_ys l__v_ng th_ gr_ss _nc_t cr__t_s _ h_b_t_t th_t w_ll h_lp "__r b__s, b_tt_rfl__s, w_ldl_f_ _nd _s". B__s _r_ _n _ss_nt__l p_rt _f n_t_r_ _s th_y p_ll_n_t_ fl_w_rs. C_tt_ng th_ gr_ss m__ns th_r_ _r_ f_w_r fl_w_rs f_r b__s t_ w_rk th__r n_t_r_l m_g_c.

_ sp_k_sp_rs_n f_r Pl_ntl_f_ s__d g_rd_n l_wns h_v_ th_ p_t_nt__l t_ b_ "b__d_v_rs_ty h_tsp_ts". L_st y__r, th_ ch_r_ty f__nd _v_r 250 sp_c__s _f pl_nts _n p__pl_'s l_wns. Th_s_ _ncl_d_d w_ld str_wb_rry _nd w_ld g_rl_c. Pl_ntl_f_ w_nts p__pl_ t_ v_l__ w_ld l_wns m_r_. _t s__d p__pl_ w__ld g_t _ n_c_, c_l__rf_l s_rpr_s_ _f th_y d_d n_t c_t th__r gr_ss. _n_ g_rd_n_r sp_k_ t_ th_ BBC _b__t th_ j_y _f w_ld g_rd_ns. H_ s__d p__pl_ c_r_ t__ m_ch _b__t h_v_ng _ n__t g_rd_n _nd _s_ t__ m_ny ch_m_c_ls. H_ b_l__v_s n_t m_w_ng th_ l_wn l_ts p__pl_ "r_c_nn_ct w_th th_ n_t_r_l w_rld". Pl_ntl_f_ _gr__d. _t s__d _ w_ld g_rd_n "m_k_s y__ f__l l_k_ y__'r_ s_m_wh_r_ tr_p_c_l _nst__d _f y__r _wn g_rd_n".

Punctuate the text and add capitals

a charity in the uk is urging people not to cut the grass in their garden when spring arrives many gardeners mow their lawn the call to not do this is part of a project called no mow may it is to help flowers grow wild and insects breed no mow may is a campaign to promote biodiversity it is from the charity plantlife the charity is also asking people to count the types and number of wild flowers in their garden plantlife says leaving the grass uncut creates a habitat that will help our bees butterflies wildlife and us bees are an essential part of nature as they pollinate flowers cutting the grass means there are fewer flowers for bees to work their natural magic

a spokesperson for plantlife said garden lawns have the potential to be biodiversity hotspots last year the charity found over 250 species of plants on peoples lawns these included wild strawberry and wild garlic plantlife wants people to value wild lawns more it said people would get a nice colourful surprise if they did not cut their grass one gardener spoke to the bbc about the joy of wild gardens he said people care too much about having a neat garden and use too many chemicals he believes not mowing the lawn lets people reconnect with the natural world plantlife agreed it said a wild garden makes you feel like youre somewhere tropical instead of your own garden

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AcharityintheU.K.isurgingpeoplenottocutthegrassintheirgarden.Wh
enspringarrives,manygardenersmowtheirlawn.Thecalltonotdothisis
partofaprojectcalled"NoMowMay".Itistohelpflowersgrowwildandins
ectsbreed.NoMowMayisacampaigntopromotebiodiversity.Itisfromt
hecharityPlantlife.Thecharityisalsoaskingpeopletocountthetypesan
dnumberofwildflowersintheirgarden.Plantlifesaysleavingthegrassu
ncutcreatesahabitatthatwillhelp"ourbees,butterflies,wildlifeandus".
Beesareanessentialpartofnatureastheypollinateflowers.Cuttingtheg
rassmeanstherearefewerflowersforbeestoworktheirnaturalmagic.A
spokespersonforPlantlifesaidgardenlawnshavethepotentialtobe"bio
diversityhotspots".Lastyear,thecharityfoundover250speciesofplant
sonpeople'slawns.Theseincludedwildstrawberryandwildgarlic.Plantl
ifewantspeopletovaluewildlawnsmore.Itsaidpeoplewouldgetanice,c
olourfulsurpriseiftheydidnotcuttheirgrass.Onegardenerspoketothe
BBCaboutthejoyofwildgardens.Hesaidpeoplecaretoomuchabouthav
inganeatgardenandusetoomanychemicals.Hebelievesnotmowingth
elawnletspeople"reconnectwiththenaturalworld".Plantlifeagreed.It
saidawildgarden"makesyoufeellikeyou'resomewheretropicalinstea
dofyourowngarden".

Free writing

Write about cutting the grass for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Academic writing

A wild and natural lawn is better than a neatly cut lawn Discuss.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Homework

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. GRASS: Make a poster about grass. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
4. BIODIVERSITY: Write a magazine article about banning people from cutting grass to help biodiversity. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on grass. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your opinions on cutting the grass. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Also...

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

News
Warm ups
Pre-reading / Post-reading
Using headlines
Working with words
While-reading / While-listening
Moving from text to speech
Post-reading / Post-listening
Discussions
Using opinions
Plans
Language
Using lists
Using quotes
Task-based activities
Role plays
Using the central characters in the article
Using themes from the news
Homework

Buy my book

$US 9.99

Answers

(Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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Breaking News English Lesson: Cutting the Grass

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