Breaking News English Lesson: Free School Meals

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Indonesia launches free school meals programme (19th January 2025)

The Reading / Listening - Free School Meals - Level 3

Indonesia has started a scheme to provide free school meals. It is called The Free Nutritious Meal Programme. Over 570,000 children and pregnant women received a free breakfast when the idea started on Monday. Cooks in more than 190 kitchens in 20 provinces helped to cook and serve the free food. More kitchens will start as the programme spreads nationwide. The plan was an election promise of President Prabowo Subianto. He hopes to feed a quarter of Indonesians by 2029. This will cost $28 billion. Around 82 million people will get free food by that year. Mr Subianto wants to end malnutrition in Indonesia. Around 21.5 per cent of children younger than five years old suffer from poor nutrition.

President Subianto spoke about his hopes. He said: "Too many of our brothers and sisters are below the poverty line. Too many of our children go to school without breakfast." Many parents were happy. Hana Yohana, the mother of an elementary school child in the capital Jakarta, spoke to reporters. She said: "Thank God. This really helps us. We normally have to work hard preparing food every morning, but now we don't." Government spokesperson Hariqo Wibawa Satria spoke about the free meals. He said: "This is a historic moment for Indonesia. For the first time, our country is conducting a nationwide nutrition program for toddlers, students, and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers."

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Free School Meals - Level 0, Free School Meals - Level 1 or Free School Meals - Level 2

Sources

https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2025/1/6/indonesia-kicks-off-first-free-meal-programme-for-children-pregnant-women
https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-prabowo-subianto-free-meals-children-mothers-213a04587203434f3f85950725e84a8b
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2585436/world

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. FREE SCHOOL MEALS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about free school meals. 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?
Indonesia / nutrition / meals / pregnant / breakfast / cooks / kitchens / free food /
hopes / brothers and sisters / elementary school / reporters / historic moments
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. MALNUTRITION: Students A strongly believe malnutrition is one of the world's biggest problems; Students B strongly believe it isn't. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. NUTRITION: What do you know about the nutrition of these things? How much do you like them? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	Nutrition	How Muck I Like Them
Eggs
Salmon
Milk
Pizza
Bananas
Chicken

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. PROMISE: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "promise". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. NUTRITIOUS FOOD: Rank these with your partner. Put the most nutritious food at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

Chicken
Cheese
Potatoes
Avocado
Eggs
Lemons
Tofu
Beef steak

Vocabulary

Paragraph 1

1.	scheme (noun)	a.	Give something that someone needs.
2.	provide	b.	Give food or drinks to someone.
3.	pregnant	c.	A plan or idea to do something.
4.	serve	d.	Feel pain or be in a bad situation.
5.	malnutrition	e.	When someone does not eat enough healthy food, so may be in poor health.
6.	suffer	f.	The food and things the body needs to grow and stay healthy.
7.	nutrition	g.	When a woman has a baby growing inside her.

Paragraph 2

8.	hope (verb)	h.	Young children who are learning to walk, usually 1–3 years old.
9.	the poverty line	i.	Getting something ready.
10.	normally	j.	Something happening / an event that is very important and may bring great change.
11.	preparing	k.	Want something good to happen.
12.	historic	l.	The level of income (money) where people do not have enough money to buy food and other basic things.
13.	conducting	m.	Doing or organizing something, like a study or research.
14.	toddlers	n.	In most cases; usually.

Before reading / listening

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

Over half a million people in Indonesia got a free lunch on Monday. T / F
Around 190 cooks helped to make the free food. T / F
Indonesia's president hopes to feed a quarter of Indonesians by 2029. T / F
About a fifth of under-fives in Indonesia have a very poor diet. T / F
Indonesia's president said his siblings were often very hungry. T / F
A mother was happy she didn't have to prepare food. T / F
The government said the free meals were a big moment for Indonesia. T / F
The government said teenagers would also get the free meals. T / F

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

started
provide
promise
feed
malnutrition
happy
reporters
preparing
historic
conducting

pleased
give food to
important
give
carrying out
journalists
poor diet
begun
getting ready
vow

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

Indonesia has started a scheme to
pregnant
The plan was an election
He hopes to feed a quarter
suffer from
below the poverty
in the capital
work hard
This is a historic
pregnant and

line
preparing food
poor nutrition
moment for Indonesia
promise
provide free school meals
breastfeeding mothers
Jakarta
of Indonesians by 2029
women

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

pregnant
nationwide
cost
suffer
scheme
serve
end
feed

Indonesia has started a (1) ______________________________________________ to provide free school meals. It is called The Free Nutritious Meal Programme. Over 570,000 children and (2) ______________________________________________ women received a free breakfast when the idea started on Monday. Cooks in more than 190 kitchens in 20 provinces helped to cook and (3) ______________________________________________ the free food. More kitchens will start as the programme spreads (4) ______________________________________________. The plan was an election promise of President Prabowo Subianto. He hopes to (5) ______________________________________________ a quarter of Indonesians by 2029. This will (6) ______________________________________________ $28 billion. Around 82 million people will get free food by that year. Mr Subianto wants to (7) ______________________________________________ malnutrition in Indonesia. Around 21.5 per cent of children younger than five years old (8) ______________________________________________ from poor nutrition.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

hard
poverty
reporters
time
hopes
toddlers
historic
elementary

President Subianto spoke about his (9) ______________________________________________. He said: "Too many of our brothers and sisters are below the (10) ______________________________________________ line. Too many of our children go to school without breakfast." Many parents were happy. Hana Yohana, the mother of an (11) ______________________________________________ school child in the capital Jakarta, spoke to (12) ______________________________________________. She said: "Thank God. This really helps us. We normally have to work (13) ______________________________________________ preparing food every morning, but now we don't." Government spokesperson Hariqo Wibawa Satria spoke about the free meals. He said: "This is a (14) ______________________________________________ moment for Indonesia. For the first (15) ______________________________________________, our country is conducting a nationwide nutrition program for (16) ______________________________________________, students, and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers."

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) Over 570,000 children ______
     a. and pregnant woman
     b. and pregnant women
     c. and pregnancy women
     d. and pregnancy woman
2) Cooks in more than 190 kitchens ______
     a. in 20 provincial
     b. in 20 provinces
     c. in 20 province
     d. in 20 provisional
3) Around 82 million people will get free food ______
     a. buy that year
     b. bye that year
     c. be that year
     d. by that year
4) Mr Subianto wants to end ______
     a. malnutrition in Indonesia
     b. malnutrition on Indonesia
     c. malnutrition at Indonesia
     d. malnutrition of Indonesia
5) Around 21.5 per cent of children younger than five years old suffer ______
     a. from pour nutrition
     b. from poorly nutrition
     c. from poor nutrition
     d. from porn nutrition

6) President Subianto spoke ______
     a. about this hops
     b. about his hops
     c. about his hopes
     d. about this hopes
7) Too many of our brothers and sisters are below ______
     a. the poverty line
     b. the property align
     c. the poverty lined
     d. the property line
8) the mother of an elementary school child in ______
     a. a capital Jakarta
     b. the capital Jakarta
     c. them capital Jakarta
     d. the cap it all Jakarta
9) He said this is a historic ______
     a. momentary for Indonesia
     b. momentum for Indonesia
     c. moment for Indonesia
     d. monument for Indonesia
10) for toddlers, students, and pregnant ______
     a. and breastfeeding moths
     b. and breastfeeding brothers
     c. and breastfeeding fathers
     d. and breastfeeding mothers

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Indonesia has started a (1) __________________________________________________ free school meals. It is called The Free Nutritious Meal Programme. Over 570,000 children and pregnant women received a free breakfast when the (2) __________________________________________________ Monday. Cooks in more than 190 kitchens in 20 provinces helped to cook and serve the free food. More kitchens will start as the programme spreads nationwide. The plan (3) __________________________________________________ promise of President Prabowo Subianto. He hopes to (4) __________________________________________________ of Indonesians by 2029. This will cost $28 billion. Around 82 million people will get free food by that year. Mr Subianto (5) __________________________________________________ malnutrition in Indonesia. Around 21.5 per cent of children younger than five years old (6) __________________________________________________ nutrition.

President Subianto spoke (7) __________________________________________________. He said: "Too many of our brothers and sisters are below (8) __________________________________________________. Too many of our children go to school without breakfast." Many parents were happy. Hana Yohana, the mother of an elementary school child (9) __________________________________________________ Jakarta, spoke to reporters. She said: "Thank God. This really helps us. We normally have to (10) __________________________________________________ food every morning, but now we don't." Government spokesperson Hariqo Wibawa Satria spoke about the free meals. He said: "This is (11) __________________________________________________ for Indonesia. For the first time, our country is conducting a nationwide nutrition (12) __________________________________________________, students, and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers."

Comprehension questions

Who got a free breakfast in Indonesia on Monday?
How many kitchens took part in Monday's free food scheme?
Whose promise was it to start the Free Nutritious Meal Programme?
How many Indonesians could the Free Nutritious Meal Programme feed?
How many under-fives do not get enough good food to eat?
Who did the president say was below the poverty line?
Who is Hana Yohana?
What does Hana Yohana usually have to do every morning?
Who is Hariqo Wibawa Satria?
Who will the program feed besides toddlers and students?

Multiple choice quiz

1) Who got a free breakfast in Indonesia on Monday?
a) the president
b) children and pregnant women
c) cooks
d) school teachers
2) How many kitchens took part in Monday's free food scheme?
a) just fewer than 190
b) exactly 190
c) more than 190
d) around 190
3) Whose promise was it to start the Free Nutritious Meal Programme?
a) a teacher's organization
b) a food company CEO
c) the WHO
d) Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto
4) How many Indonesians could the Free Nutritious Meal Programme feed?
a) exactly 82 million people
b) around 82 million people
c) over 82 million people
d) fewer than 82 million people
5) How many under-fives do not get enough good food to eat?
a) around 21.5 per cent
b) exactly 21.5 per cent
c) more than 21.5 per cent
d) less than 21.5 per cent

6) Who did the president say was below the poverty line?
a) too many of our brothers and sisters
b) most teachers
c) single mothers
d) teenagers
7) Who is Hana Yohana?
a) a nurse
b) a government worker
c) a journalist
d) a mother
8) What does Hana Yohana usually have to do every morning?
a) sleep
b) exercise
c) prepare food
d) prepare reports
9) Who is Hariqo Wibawa Satria?
a) a nutritionist
b) a journalist
c) a cook
d) a government spokesperson
10) Who will the program feed besides toddlers and students?
a) teenagers
b) pregnant and breastfeeding mothers
c) the aged
d) hospital patients

Role play

Role A – Cheese
You think cheese is the most nutritious food. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their food. Also, tell the others which is the least nutritious of these (and why): potatoes, eggs or tofu.

Role B – Potatoes
You think potatoes are the most nutritious food. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their food. Also, tell the others which is the least nutritious of these (and why): cheese, eggs or tofu.

Role C – Eggs
You think eggs are the most nutritious food. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their food. Also, tell the others which is the least nutritious of these (and why): potatoes, cheese or tofu.

Role D – Tofu
You think tofu is the most nutritious food. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their food. Also, tell the others which is the least nutritious of these (and why): potatoes, eggs or cheese.

After reading / listening

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

'school'

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

and 'meal'.
________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

• 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:

scheme

idea

cooks

promise

82

five

hopes

line

capital

hard

moment

mothers

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 - Free School Meals

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 'school'?
What do you think of school meals?
Are school meals better than home-cooked meals?
Should all schools provide meals?
How nutritious are school meals?
What do you think of Indonesia's Free Nutritious Meal Programme?
What do you know about malnutrition?
How nutritious is your daily diet?
What can your country do to help poorly-nourished people?

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 'meal'?
What do you think about what you read?
Why are so many people below the poverty line
What would life below the poverty line be like?
Why is breakfast important?
How do you feel when you skip breakfast?
What do you usually eat for breakfast?
How can we learn more about nutrition?
What questions would you like to ask an expert on nutrition?

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)

Indonesia has started a (1) ____ to provide free school meals. It is called The Free Nutritious Meal Programme. Over 570,000 children and (2) ____ women received a free breakfast when the idea started on Monday. Cooks in more than 190 kitchens in 20 provinces (3) ____ to cook and serve the free food. More kitchens will start (4) ____ the programme spreads nationwide. The plan was an election promise of President Prabowo Subianto. He hopes to feed a quarter (5) ____ Indonesians by 2029. This will cost $28 billion. Around 82 million people will get free food by that year. Mr Subianto wants to end malnutrition in Indonesia. Around 21.5 per cent of children younger than five years old suffer (6) ____ poor nutrition.

President Subianto spoke about his hopes. He said: "Too many of our brothers and sisters are below the poverty (7) ____. Too many of our children go to school without breakfast." Many parents were happy. Hana Yohana, the mother of an elementary school child (8) ____ the capital Jakarta, spoke to reporters. She said: "Thank God. This really helps us. We normally have to work (9) ____ preparing food every morning, but now we don't." Government spokesperson Hariqo Wibawa Satria spoke about the free meals. He said: "This is a (10) ____ moment for Indonesia. For the first time, our country is (11) ____ a nationwide nutrition program for toddlers, students, and pregnant and breastfeeding (12) ____."

Which of these words go in the above text?

(a) idea (b) action (c) scheme (d) enterprise
(a) pregnant (b) pregnantly (c) pregnancy (d) pregnable
(a) helped (b) helps (c) helping (d) help
(a) as (b) was (c) has (d) tat's
(a) at (b) of (c) by (d) on
(a) at (b) by (c) of (d) from
(a) step (b) mark (c) line (d) signal
(a) to (b) at (c) of (d) in
(a) hard (b) hardly (c) harden (d) hardy
(a) historically (b) historic (c) history (d) historian
(a) composing (b) conducting (c) scoring (d) playing
(a) children (b) fathers (c) mothers (d) grandparents

Spelling

Paragraph 1

a seemch to provide free school meals
prnntage women
more than 190 siechtnk
The plan was an neltceoi promise
Mr Subianto wants to end natunrlitiom
suffer from poor tnrtniuoi

Paragraph 2

below the pveorty line
an eemytrealn school child
in the captali Jakarta
This is a rcsiohti moment for Indonesia
program for esddtlor, students…
fegadbtrseine mothers

Put the text back together

(...) promise of President Prabowo Subianto. He hopes to feed a quarter of Indonesians by 2029. This will cost
(...) $28 billion. Around 82 million people will get free food by that year. Mr Subianto wants to end
(...) malnutrition in Indonesia. Around 21.5 per cent of children younger than five years old suffer from poor nutrition.
(...) line. Too many of our children go to school without breakfast." Many parents were happy. Hana Yohana, the mother
(...) President Subianto spoke about his hopes. He said: "Too many of our brothers and sisters are below the poverty
(...) 570,000 children and pregnant women received a free breakfast when the idea started
(...) us. We normally have to work hard preparing food every morning, but now we don't." Government
(...) moment for Indonesia. For the first time, our country is conducting a
(...) serve the free food. More kitchens will start as the programme spreads nationwide. The plan was an election
(...) spokesperson Hariqo Wibawa Satria spoke about the free meals. He said: "This is a historic
(...) on Monday. Cooks in more than 190 kitchens in 20 provinces helped to cook and
(...) of an elementary school child in the capital Jakarta, spoke to reporters. She said: "Thank God. This really helps
(...) nationwide nutrition program for toddlers, students, and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers."
( 1 ) Indonesia has started a scheme to provide free school meals. It is called The Free Nutritious Meal Programme. Over

Put the words in the right order

a scheme Started provide meals . free school to
received a pregnant breakfast . free Children women and
programme will start kitchens the spreads . More as
He a feed hopes Indonesians . of to quarter
suffer . younger Children old years five than
and Brothers poverty line . below the are sisters
Too go children breakfast . school without many to
work have normally We hard to preparing food .
for historic Indonesia . moment a This is
nationwide program . a country Our nutrition conducting is

Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

Indonesia has started a scheme to provide free school meal / meals. It is called The Free Nutritious Meal Programme. Over 570,000 children and pregnant / pregnancy women received a free breakfast when the idea started on Monday. Cooks / Cookers in more than 190 kitchens in 20 provinces helped to cook and serve the freely / free food. More kitchens will start was / as the programme spreads nationwide. The plan was a / an election promise to / of President Prabowo Subianto. He hopes to / for feed a quarter of Indonesians by 2029. This will cost $28 billion. Around 82 million people will get free food at / by that year. Mr Subianto wants to end malnutrition in Indonesia. Around 21.5 per cent of children younger than five years old suffer from / in poor nutrition.

President Subianto spoke / speaking about his hopes. He said: "Too much / many of our brothers and sisters are below the poverty circle / line. Too many of our children be / go to school without breakfast." Many parents were happily / happy. Hana Yohana, the mother of an / the elementary school child in the capital Jakarta, spoke to reporters / reporter. She said: "Thank God. This really helps us. We normally have to work hard preparing food every morning, but now we haven't / don't." Government spokesperson Hariqo Wibawa Satria spoke about the free meals. He said: "This is a historic moment for Indonesia. For the first / once time, our country is conducting a nationwide nutrition program for toddlers, students, and pregnant and breastfeeding fathers / mothers."

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)

_nd_n_s__ h_s st_rt_d _ sch_m_ t_ pr_v_d_ fr__ sch__l m__ls. _t _s c_ll_d Th_ Fr__ N_tr_t___s M__l Pr_gr_mm_. _v_r 570,000 ch_ldr_n _nd pr_gn_nt w_m_n r_c__v_d _ fr__ br__kf_st wh_n th_ _d__ st_rt_d _n M_nd_y. C__ks _n m_r_ th_n 190 k_tch_ns _n 20 pr_v_nc_s h_lp_d t_ c__k _nd s_rv_ th_ fr__ f__d. M_r_ k_tch_ns w_ll st_rt _s th_ pr_gr_mm_ spr__ds n_t__nw_d_. Th_ pl_n w_s _n _l_ct__n pr_m_s_ _f Pr_s_d_nt Pr_b_w_ S_b__nt_. H_ h_p_s t_ f__d _ q__rt_r _f _nd_n_s__ns by 2029. Th_s w_ll c_st $28 b_ll__n. _r__nd 82 m_ll__n p__pl_ w_ll g_t fr__ f__d by th_t y__r. Mr S_b__nt_ w_nts t_ _nd m_ln_tr_t__n _n _nd_n_s__. _r__nd 21.5 p_r c_nt _f ch_ldr_n y__ng_r th_n f_v_ y__rs _ld s_ff_r fr_m p__r n_tr_t__n.

Pr_s_d_nt S_b__nt_ sp_k_ _b__t h_s h_p_s. H_ s__d: "T__ m_ny _f __r br_th_rs _nd s_st_rs _r_ b_l_w th_ p_v_rty l_n_. T__ m_ny _f __r ch_ldr_n g_ t_ sch__l w_th__t br__kf_st." M_ny p_r_nts w_r_ h_ppy. H_n_ Y_h_n_, th_ m_th_r _f _n _l_m_nt_ry sch__l ch_ld _n th_ c_p_t_l J_k_rt_, sp_k_ t_ r_p_rt_rs. Sh_ s__d: "Th_nk G_d. Th_s r__lly h_lps _s. W_ n_rm_lly h_v_ t_ w_rk h_rd pr_p_r_ng f__d _v_ry m_rn_ng, b_t n_w w_ d_n't." G_v_rnm_nt sp_k_sp_rs_n H_r_q_ W_b_w_ S_tr__ sp_k_ _b__t th_ fr__ m__ls. H_ s__d: "Th_s _s _ h_st_r_c m_m_nt f_r _nd_n_s__. F_r th_ f_rst t_m_, __r c__ntry _s c_nd_ct_ng _ n_t__nw_d_ n_tr_t__n pr_gr_m f_r t_ddl_rs, st_d_nts, _nd pr_gn_nt _nd br__stf__d_ng m_th_rs."

Punctuate the text and add capitals

indonesia has started a scheme to provide free school meals it is called the free nutritious meal programme over 570000 children and pregnant women received a free breakfast when the idea started on monday cooks in more than 190 kitchens in 20 provinces helped to cook and serve the free food more kitchens will start as the programme spreads nationwide the plan was an election promise of president prabowo subianto he hopes to feed a quarter of indonesians by 2029 this will cost 28 billion around 82 million people will get free food by that year mr subianto wants to end malnutrition in indonesia around 215 per cent of children younger than five years old suffer from poor nutrition

president subianto spoke about his hopes he said too many of our brothers and sisters are below the poverty line too many of our children go to school without breakfast many parents were happy hana yohana the mother of an elementary school child in the capital jakarta spoke to reporters she said thank god this really helps us we normally have to work hard preparing food every morning but now we dont government spokesperson hariqo wibawa satria spoke about the free meals he said this is a historic moment for indonesia for the first time our country is conducting a nationwide nutrition program for toddlers students pregnant and breastfeeding mothers

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Indonesiahasstartedaschemetoprovidefreeschoolmeals.ItiscalledT
heFreeNutritiousMealProgramme.Over570,000childrenandpregnan
twomenreceivedafreebreakfastwhentheideastartedonMonday.Coo
ksinmorethan190kitchensin20provinceshelpedtocookandservethef
reefood.Morekitchenswillstartastheprogrammespreadsnationwide.
TheplanwasanelectionpromiseofPresidentPrabowoSubianto.Hehop
estofeedaquarterofIndonesiansby2029.Thiswillcost$28billion.Arou
nd82millionpeoplewillgetfreefoodbythatyear.MrSubiantowantstoen
dmalnutritioninIndonesia.Around21.5percentofchildrenyoungertha
nfiveyearsoldsufferfrompoornutrition.PresidentSubiantospokeabou
thishopes.Hesaid:"Toomanyofourbrothersandsistersarebelowthep
overtyline.Toomanyofourchildrengotoschoolwithoutbreakfast."Man
yparentswerehappy.HanaYohana,themotherofanelementaryschool
childinthecapitalJakarta,spoketoreporters.Shesaid:"ThankGod.This
reallyhelpsus.Wenormallyhavetoworkhardpreparingfoodeverymor
ning,butnowwedon't."GovernmentspokespersonHariqoWibawaSatr
iaspokeaboutthefreemeals.Hesaid:"ThisisahistoricmomentforIndo
nesia.Forthefirsttime,ourcountryisconductinganationwidenutrition
programfortoddlers,students,andpregnantandbreastfeedingmothe
rs."

Free writing

Write about free school meals for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Academic writing

All children should receive a free meal at school. 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. NUTRITION: Make a poster about nutrition. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
4. FREE SCHOOL MEALS: Write a magazine article about all schools providing free school meals. 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 nutrition. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your ideas on how to make more nutritious meals. 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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