The Reading / Listening - Climate Protests - Level 6

Two climate activists have been jailed in the U.K. for dousing Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers painting with soup. The pair of protestors are from Just Stop Oil (JSO), an environmental group focused on highlighting the issue of climate change caused by fossil fuels. One of the activists received a sentence of two years in prison. The other will serve 20 months. In October 2022, the protestors threw two cans of tomato soup over Van Gogh's priceless 1888 painting at London's National Gallery. They then knelt beneath the iconic work of art and glued their hands to the wall. The soup did not harm the painting, but it did over $13,000 of damage to the picture frame.

Presiding judge Christopher Hehir called the Van Gogh painting a "cultural treasure" that could have been "seriously damaged or even destroyed" in the attack. The judge told the activists: "You couldn't have cared less if the painting was damaged or not. You had no right to do what you did to Sunflowers. You clearly think your beliefs give you the right to commit crimes when you feel like it. You do not." He added: "Soup might have seeped through the glass." In their defence, the protestors said that prior to throwing the soup, they checked to see if the painting was protected by the glass. Museum staff worried the soup could have dripped through the protective glass.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Climate Protests - Level 4  or  Climate Protests - Level 5

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly7zy3d3exo
  • https://www.newsweek.com/climate-activists-prison-throwing-soup-van-gogh-sunflowers-1960549
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/27/climate/just-stop-oil-climate-activists-prison-van-gough-soup-intl/index.html


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. VINCENT VAN GOGH: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about Vincent van Gogh. 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?
       climate / activists / Van Gogh / sunflowers / paintings / climate change / tomato soup
       judge / cultural / treasure / crimes / beliefs / rights / glass / defence / museum
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. FOSSIL FUELS: Students A strongly believe we should end using fossil fuels by the end of the decade; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. ACTIVISM: What are the best forms of activism against these things? Why? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

What?

Why?

Climate Change

 

 

Corruption

 

 

Taxes

 

 

Food Prices

 

 

Equality

 

 

War

 

 
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. JAIL: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "jail". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. PROTESTS: Rank these with your partner. Put things you would protest about at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Climate change
  • Food prices
  • Taxes
  • War
  • Equality
  • Human rights
  • Government corruption
  • Immigration

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. activist a. To spend time in prison because of a crime.
      2. dousing b. A type of energy we get from things like oil, coal, or gas, which come from the ground.
      3. fossil fuel c. Pouring a lot of water or liquid over something.
      4. sentence  (noun) d. Something or someone that is very famous and represents a place, idea, or time.
      5. serve  (verb) e. A person who works hard to bring about changes, like helping the environment or improving people's lives.
      6. priceless f. A punishment given by a judge that says how long someone must stay in prison.
      7. iconic g. Something so valuable or special that you cannot put a price on it.

    Paragraph 2

      8. presiding h. Something very valuable, like gold, or something very special to you.
      9. treasure  (noun) i. When a small amount of liquid falls slowly, like water from a tap.
      10. commit j. A formal way to say "before" something happens.
      11. seeped k. To do something bad or illegal, like stealing or hurting someone.
      12. dripped l. Trying to keep someone or something safe from harm.
      13. protective m. When liquid slowly goes into or through something.
      14. prior to n. Being in charge of or leading a meeting, court trial or event.

 

Before reading / listening

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

  1. Ten activists have been jailed for attaching a Vincent van Gogh painting. T / F
  2. The jailed activists are part of the Just Stop Fossil Fuels group.     T / F
  3. The longest sentence given by the judge is two years.     T / F
  4. The attack caused $13,000 of damage to the painting's frame.     T / F
  5. The court judge said Sunflowers was a cultural treasure.     T / F
  6. The judge accused the activists of not caring more about the painting.     T / F
  7. The judge said soup seeped through the protective glass.     T / F
  8. Museum staff were confident the soup would not get onto the painting.    T / F

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

  1. activists
  2. jailed
  3. sentence
  4. glued
  5. harm
  6. treasure
  7. seeped
  8. defence
  9. prior to
  10. protective
  1. tarnish
  2. before
  3. imprisoned
  4. shielding
  5. affixed
  6. support
  7. campaigners
  8. leaked
  9. prison term
  10. work of art

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

  1. Two climate activists have been
  2. The pair of protestors are from
  3. climate change
  4. a sentence
  5. the iconic
  6. a cultural
  7. You couldn't have cared
  8. You had no right to do
  9. commit
  10. prior to
  1. less
  2. caused by fossil fuels
  3. throwing the soup
  4. treasure
  5. what you did
  6. of two years in prison
  7. jailed in the U.K.
  8. crimes
  9. Just Stop Oil
  10. work of art

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
cans
sentence
frame
pair
dousing
serve
iconic
issue

Two climate activists have been jailed in the U.K. for (1) _________________________________ Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers painting with soup. The (2) _________________________________ of protestors are from Just Stop Oil (JSO), an environmental group focused on highlighting the (3) _________________________________ of climate change caused by fossil fuels. One of the activists received a (4) _________________________________ of two years in prison. The other will (5) _________________________________ 20 months. In October 2022, the protestors threw two (6) _________________________________ of tomato soup over Van Gogh's priceless 1888 painting at London's National Gallery. They then knelt beneath the (7) _________________________________ work of art and glued their hands to the wall. The soup did not harm the painting, but it did over $13,000 of damage to the picture (8) _________________________________.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
commit
seriously
protective
less
seeped
judge
beliefs
prior

Presiding (9) _________________________________ Christopher Hehir called the Van Gogh painting a "cultural treasure" that could have been "(10) _________________________________ damaged or even destroyed" in the attack. The judge told the activists: "You couldn't have cared (11) _________________________________ if the painting was damaged or not. You had no right to do what you did to Sunflowers. You clearly think your (12) _________________________________ give you the right to (13) _________________________________ crimes when you feel like it. You do not." He added: "Soup might have (14) _________________________________ through the glass." In their defence, the protestors said that (15) _________________________________ to throwing the soup, they checked to see if the painting was protected by the glass. Museum staff worried the soup could have dripped through the (16) _________________________________ glass.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  focused on highlighting the issue of climate change caused ______
     a.  by fossils fuels
     b.  by fossilized fuels
     c.  by fossil fuels
     d.  by fussy fuels
2)  The other will ______
     a.  serve 20 months
     b.  sieve 20 months
     c.  service 20 months
     d.  served 20 months
3)  protestors threw two cans of tomato soup over Van Gogh's ______
     a.  priced less 1888 painting
     b.  pricey less 1888 painting
     c.  priceless 1888 painting
     d.  price lesser 1888 painting
4)  They then knelt beneath the iconic work of art and ______
     a.  clued their hands
     b.  glued their hands
     c.  glared their hands
     d.  glide their hands
5)  harm the painting, but it did over $13,000 of damage to ______
     a.  the picture flame
     b.  the picture frame
     c.  the picture framed
     d.  the picture fame

6)  Presiding judge Christopher Hehir called the Van Gogh painting ______
     a.  a "culturally treasure"
     b.  a "cultured treasure"
     c.  a "culture treasure"
     d.  a "cultural treasure"
7)  The judge told the activists: "You couldn't ______"
     a.  have cared less
     b.  have cared lest
     c.  have cared least
     d.  have cared lesser
8)  You clearly think your beliefs give you the right ______
     a.  to commit climes
     b.  to commit crimes
     c.  to commit criminals
     d.  to commit crims
9)  prior to throwing the soup, they checked to see if the ______
     a.  painting was protective
     b.  painting was protected
     c.  painting was protection
     d.  painting was protector
10)  Museum staff worried the soup could have dripped through ______
     a.  the protective grass
     b.  the protective glassed
     c.  the protective glass
     d.  the protective glassed

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Two climate activists have been jailed in the (1) _______________________________________________ Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers painting with soup. The pair of protestors are from Just Stop Oil (JSO), an environmental (2) _______________________________________________ highlighting the issue of climate change caused by fossil fuels. One of the activists (3) _______________________________________________ of two years in prison. The other will serve 20 months. In October 2022, the (4) _______________________________________________ cans of tomato soup over Van Gogh's priceless 1888 painting at London's National Gallery. They then knelt beneath the (5) _______________________________________________ art and glued their hands to the wall. The soup did not harm the painting, but it did over $13,000 of damage to (6) _______________________________________________.

Presiding judge Christopher Hehir called the Van Gogh painting (7) _______________________________________________ that could have been "seriously damaged or even destroyed" in the attack. The judge told the activists: "You couldn't (8) _______________________________________________ if the painting was damaged or not. You had no right to do what you did to Sunflowers. You clearly think (9) _______________________________________________ you the right (10) _______________________________________________ when you feel like it. You do not." He added: "Soup might have seeped through the glass." In their defence, the protestors said (11) _______________________________________________ throwing the soup, they checked to see if the painting was protected by the glass. Museum staff worried the soup could have dripped (12) _______________________________________________ glass.

Comprehension questions

  1. What painting did the protestors attack?
  2. What group are the protestors from?
  3. What is the shortest prison sentence the activists were given?
  4. How many cans of soup did the protestors throw at the painting?
  5. What did the protestors damage?
  6. What did the judge call Sunflowers?
  7. What did the judge tell the activists they did not have the right to do?
  8. What did the judge say the soup might have seeped through?
  9. What did the activists check?
  10. Who worried the soup might drip through the glass?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What painting did the protestors attack?
a) The Church at Auvers
b) Self Portrait
c) The Starry Night
d) Sunflowers
2) What group are the protestors from?
a) Just Stop Fossil Fuels
b) Just Stop Oil
c) Just End Oil
d) Just End Fossil Fuels
3) What is the shortest prison sentence the activists were given?
a) three years
b) two years
c) 22 months
d) 20 months
4) How many cans of soup did the protestors throw at the painting?
a) four
b) eight
c) two
d) five
5) What did the protestors damage?
a) their lives
b) their reputations
c) a soup can
d) the picture frame

6) What did the judge call Sunflowers?
a) Bob
b) beautiful
c) a cultural treasure
d) nature's wonders
7) What did the judge tell the activists they did not have the right to do?
a) commit crimes
b) paint
c) visit museums
d) abuse tomato soup
8) What did the judge say the soup might have seeped through?
a) the frame
b) the canvas
c) the glass
d) the paint
9) What did the activists check?
a) the weather
b) to see if the painting was protected
c) security staff at the museum
d) the thickness of the soup
10) Who worried the soup might drip through the glass?
a) museum staff
b) art lovers
c) Van Gogh's family
d) a soup company boss

Role play

Role  A – Climate Change
You think climate change is the most important thing to protest about. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): the price of food, human rights or government corruption.

Role  B – Food Prices
You think the price of food is the most important thing to protest about. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): climate change, human rights or government corruption.

Role  C – Human Rights
You think human rights is the most important thing to protest about. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): the price of food, climate change or government corruption.

Role  D – Government Corruption
You think government corruption is the most important thing to protest about. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): the price of food, human rights or climate change.

After reading / listening

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

'soup'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'jail'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • 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:

    • jailed
    • issue
    • sentence
    • cans
    • beneath
    • harm
    • cultural
    • less
    • right
    • seeped
    • prior
    • dripped

    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 - Climate Protests

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

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'jail'?
    3. What do you think of tomato soup?
    4. What do you think of climate activism?
    5. What would you protest about?
    6. What's the purpose of attacking a famous painting?
    7. What do you think about the prison sentences for the protestors?
    8. What's your opinion of fossil fuels?
    9. Who are your favourite artists, and why?
    10. What do you think of gluing your hands to things as a form of protest?

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

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'soup'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. What do you think of Van Gogh's Sunflowers?
    5. What do you think when cultural treasures are attacked?
    6. How important is art?
    7. How important is the right to protest?
    8. What kinds of protests are good and bad?
    9. What's your favourite soup?
    10. What questions would you like to ask the protestors?

    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)

    Two climate activists have been (1) ____ in the U.K. for dousing Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers painting with soup. The (2) ____ of protestors are from Just Stop Oil (JSO), an environmental group focused (3) ____ highlighting the issue of climate change caused by fossil fuels. One of the activists received a sentence of two years in prison. The other will (4) ____ 20 months. In October 2022, the protestors threw two cans of tomato soup over Van Gogh's priceless 1888 painting at London's National Gallery. They then (5) ____ beneath the iconic work of art and glued their hands to the wall. The soup did not harm the painting, but it did over $13,000 of damage (6) ____ the picture frame.

    Presiding (7) ____ Christopher Hehir called the Van Gogh painting a "cultural treasure" that could have been "seriously damaged or even destroyed" in the attack. The judge told the activists: "You couldn't have cared (8) ____ if the painting was damaged or not. You had no (9) ____ to do what you did to Sunflowers. You clearly think your beliefs give you the right to (10) ____ crimes when you feel like it. You do not." He added: "Soup might have seeped through the glass." In their defence, the protestors said that prior (11) ____ throwing the soup, they checked to see if the painting was protected by the glass. Museum staff worried the soup could have (12) ____ through the protective glass.

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     nailed     (b)     jailed     (c)     bailed     (d)     failed    
    2. (a)     pairs     (b)     pair     (c)     pairing     (d)     paired    
    3. (a)     by     (b)     in     (c)     of     (d)     on    
    4. (a)     sieve     (b)     serve     (c)     starve     (d)     suave    
    5. (a)     smelt     (b)     knelt     (c)     dealt     (d)     welt    
    6. (a)     on     (b)     at     (c)     to     (d)     of    
    7. (a)     judgement     (b)     judicial     (c)     judge     (d)     juror    
    8. (a)     more     (b)     all     (c)     less     (d)     for    
    9. (a)     just     (b)     virtue     (c)     right     (d)     due    
    10. (a)     commit     (b)     remit     (c)     permit     (d)     submit    
    11. (a)     to     (b)     of     (c)     at     (d)     by    
    12. (a)     dabbed     (b)     draped     (c)     daubed     (d)     dripped

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. Two climate vtaciitss
    2. diunosg Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers painting
    3. The pair of rpttseoosr
    4. caused by lsoisf fuels
    5. They then ketnl
    6. beneath the cnoiic work of art

    Paragraph 2

    1. neirsigdp judge
    2. a cultural seaurtre
    3. the right to momcit crimes
    4. Soup might have epdsee through the glass
    5. staff worried the soup could have rdeipdp
    6. through the etcepitovr glass

    Put the text back together

    (...)   prior to throwing the soup, they checked to see if the painting was protected
    (...)   with soup. The pair of protestors are from Just Stop Oil (JSO), an environmental group focused on
    (...)   "seriously damaged or even destroyed" in the attack. The judge told the activists: "You couldn't have cared
    (...)   less if the painting was damaged or not. You had no right to do what you did to Sunflowers. You clearly
    (...)   two cans of tomato soup over Van Gogh's priceless 1888 painting at London's National Gallery. They then knelt
    (...)   not harm the painting, but it did over $13,000 of damage to the picture frame.
    (...)   think your beliefs give you the right to commit crimes when you feel like it. You
    (...)   beneath the iconic work of art and glued their hands to the wall. The soup did
    (...)   highlighting the issue of climate change caused by fossil fuels. One of the activists received a sentence
    (...)   do not." He added: "Soup might have seeped through the glass." In their defence, the protestors said that
    (  1  )   Two climate activists have been jailed in the U.K. for dousing Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers painting
    (...)   by the glass. Museum staff worried the soup could have dripped through the protective glass.
    (...)   Presiding judge Christopher Hehir called the Van Gogh painting a "cultural treasure" that could have been
    (...)   of two years in prison. The other will serve 20 months. In October 2022, the protestors threw

    Put the words in the right order

    1. group   An   focused   on   highlighting   environmental   the   issue   .
    2. The   activists   years   .   two   a   of   received   sentence
    3. knelt   beneath   the   iconic   of   work   They   art   .
    4. soup   painting   .   the   not   The   did   harm
    5. to   $13,000   damage   frame   .   of   did   the   It
    6. cultural   have   been   could   damaged   .   A   seriously   treasure
    7. had   You   no   right   what   doing   you   did   .
    8. have   seeped   through   might   Soup   glass   .   the
    9. the   Check   was   if   protected   .   see   painting   to
    10. protective   glass   .   Soup   have   through   dripped   the   could

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    Two climate activists have been jailed in the U.K. for rousing / dousing Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers painting with soup. The pairs / pair of protestors are from Just Stop Oil (JSO), an environs / environmental group focused on / in highlighting the issue of climate change caused by fossil fuels. One of the activists received a sentence / paragraph of two years in prison. The other will reserve / serve 20 months. In October 2022, the protestors threw two canisters / cans of tomato soup over Van Gogh's priceless 1888 painting at London's National Gallery. They then knelt / dealt beneath the iconic work of art and adhesive / glued their hands to the wall. The soup did not harm the painting, but it did over $13,000 of damage to the picture flame / frame.

    Presiding judge Christopher Hehir called the Van Gogh painting a "cultural treasure / treasury" that could have been "seriously damaged or even destroyed" in / on the attack. The judge told the activists: "You couldn't have cared more / less if the painting was damaged or never / not. You had no right to do what you did to Sunflowers. You clearly think your beliefs / believes give you the right to commit crimes when you feel like them / it. You do not." He added: "Soup might have steeped / seeped through the glass." In their defence, the protestors said that prior at / to throwing the soup, they checked to see if the painting was dejected / protected by the glass. Museum staff worried the soup could well / have dripped through the protective glass.

    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)

    Tw_  cl_m_t_  _ct_v_sts  h_v_  b__n  j__l_d  _n  th_  _.K.  f_r  d__s_ng  V_nc_nt  v_n  G_gh's  S_nfl_w_rs  p__nt_ng  w_th  s__p.  Th_  p__r  _f  pr_t_st_rs  _r_  fr_m  J_st  St_p  __l  (JS_),  _n  _nv_r_nm_nt_l  gr__p  f_c_s_d  _n  h_ghl_ght_ng  th_  _ss__  _f  cl_m_t_  ch_ng_  c__s_d  by  f_ss_l  f__ls.  _n_  _f  th_  _ct_v_sts  r_c__v_d  _  s_nt_nc_  _f  tw_  y__rs  _n  pr_s_n.  Th_  _th_r  w_ll  s_rv_  20  m_nths.  _n  _ct_b_r  2022,  th_  pr_t_st_rs  thr_w  tw_  c_ns  _f  t_m_t_  s__p  _v_r  V_n  G_gh's  pr_c_l_ss  1888  p__nt_ng  _t  L_nd_n's  N_t__n_l  G_ll_ry.  Th_y  th_n  kn_lt  b_n__th  th_  _c_n_c  w_rk  _f  _rt  _nd  gl__d  th__r  h_nds  t_  th_  w_ll.  Th_  s__p  d_d  n_t  h_rm  th_  p__nt_ng,  b_t  _t  d_d  _v_r  $13,000  _f  d_m_g_  t_  th_  p_ct_r_  fr_m_.

    Pr_s_d_ng  J_dg_  Chr_st_ph_r  H_h_r  c_ll_d  th_  V_n  G_gh  p__nt_ng  _  "c_lt_r_l  tr__s_r_"  th_t  c__ld  h_v_  b__n  "s_r___sly  d_m_g_d  _r  _v_n  d_str_y_d"  _n  th_  _tt_ck.  Th_  j_dg_  t_ld  th_  _ct_v_sts:  "Y__  c__ldn't  h_v_  c_r_d  l_ss  _f  th_  p__nt_ng  w_s  d_m_g_d  _r  n_t.  Y__  h_d  n_  r_ght  t_  d_  wh_t  y__  d_d  t_  S_nfl_w_rs.  Y__  cl__rly  th_nk  y__r  b_l__fs  g_v_  y__  th_  r_ght  t_  c_mm_t  cr_m_s  wh_n  y__  f__l  l_k_  _t.  Y__  d_  n_t."  H_  _dd_d:  "S__p  m_ght  h_v_  s__p_d  thr__gh  th_  gl_ss."  _n  th__r  d_f_nc_,  th_  pr_t_st_rs  s__d  th_t  pr__r  t_  thr_w_ng  th_  s__p,  th_y  ch_ck_d  t_  s__  _f  th_  p__nt_ng  w_s  pr_t_ct_d  by  th_  gl_ss.  M_s__m  st_ff  w_rr__d  th_  s__p  c__ld  h_v_  dr_pp_d  thr__gh  th_  pr_t_ct_v_  gl_ss.

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    two climate activists have been jailed in the uk for dousing vincent van goghs sunflowers painting with soup the pair of protestors are from just stop oil jso an environmental group focused on highlighting the issue of climate change caused by fossil fuels one of the activists received a sentence of two years in prison the other will serve 20 months in october 2022 the protestors threw two cans of tomato soup over van goghs priceless 1888 painting at londons national gallery they then knelt beneath the iconic work of art and glued their hands to the wall the soup did not harm the painting but it did over 13000 of damage to the picture frame

    presiding judge christopher hehir called the van gogh painting a cultural treasure that could have been seriously damaged or even destroyed in the attack the judge told the activists you couldnt have cared less if the painting was damaged or not you had no right to do what you did to sunflowers you clearly think your beliefs give you the right to commit crimes when you feel like it you do not he added soup might have seeped through the glass in their defence the protestors said that prior to throwing the soup they checked to see if the painting was protected by the glass museum staff worried the soup could have dripped through the protective glass

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    TwoclimateactivistshavebeenjailedintheU.K.fordousingVincentvan
    Gogh'sSunflowerspaintingwithsoup.ThepairofprotestorsarefromJus
    tStopOil(JSO),anenvironmentalgroupfocusedonhighlightingtheissu
    eofclimatechangecausedbyfossilfuels.Oneoftheactivistsreceivedase
    ntenceoftwoyearsinprison.Theotherwillserve20months.InOctober2
    022,theprotestorsthrewtwocansoftomatosoupoverVanGogh'spricel
    ess1888paintingatLondon'sNationalGallery.Theythenkneltbeneatht
    heiconicworkofartandgluedtheirhandstothewall.Thesoupdidnothar
    mthepainting,butitdidover$13,000ofdamagetothepictureframe.Pre
    sidingJudgeChristopherHehircalledtheVanGoghpaintinga"culturaltr
    easure"thatcouldhavebeen"seriouslydamagedorevendestroyed"int
    heattack.Thejudgetoldtheactivists:"Youcouldn'thavecaredlessifthe
    paintingwasdamagedornot.YouhadnorighttodowhatyoudidtoSunflo
    wers.Youclearlythinkyourbeliefsgiveyoutherighttocommitcrimeswh
    enyoufeellikeit.Youdonot."Headded:"Soupmighthaveseepedthroug
    htheglass."Intheirdefence,theprotestorssaidthatpriortothrowingth
    esoup,theycheckedtoseeifthepaintingwasprotectedbytheglass.Mus
    eumstaffworriedthesoupcouldhavedrippedthroughtheprotectivegla
    ss.

    Free writing

    Write about Van Gogh for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    We should end the use of fossil fuels before the end of the decade. Discuss.

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    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. PROTESTS: Make a poster about protests. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. FOSSIL FUELS: Write a magazine article about ending the use of fossil fuels. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against them.
    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 protests. Ask him/her three questions about them. Give him/her three things you would protest about. 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

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    Answers

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

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