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Category Archives: Children/Teens

Supporting the Use of Non-Binary Pronouns in Schools

“Transgender and nonbinary students are urging educators to use inclusive language, but not everyone is on board.” L. K. Wertheimer,The Boston Globe September 28, 2021

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Alia Cusolito, a sophomore at Old Rochester Regional High School in Mattapoisett. Credit- Harry Scales. The Boston Globe

Excerpt: ‘A very scary thing to tell someone’: The debate over gender pronouns in schools, explained By Linda K. Wertheimer September 28, 2021, The Boston Globe

“On the first day of school at Old Rochester Regional High School in Mattapoisett, Alia Cusolito donned cool, 3-inch, dangling sword earrings. The sophomore also pinned a circular black button with ‘they/them’ in silver letters onto their shirt and a pink ‘they/them’ pin to their backpack. The buttons were a plea for respect and for acknowledgement from teachers and peers of Alia’s identity and preferred pronouns. The teen identifies as nonbinary.

‘The language we use to describe ourselves is a choice, but the gender I am is not a choice,’ says Alia, who switched from she/her pronouns to gender-neutral ones in ninth grade. ‘Nonbinary fits me. My identity isn’t a choice.’

As president of the school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance club, Alia, who is 16, wanted to attend class and walk the halls without the worry that someone, teachers included, might misgender them…Before the school year began, school librarian Allison Barker, adviser to the Gender Sexuality Alliance club (known around the country as GSAs), slipped sample get-to-know-you forms in every teacher’s mailbox. The forms, which students would be asked to fill out, included a blank space to fill in their pronouns and preferred names. Barker has distributed such forms for the past three years to help teachers ease the way for students who may feel anxious to announce their names and pronouns in front of the class.

But Alia’s first two days of school this year were a disappointment. Only three of their nine teachers gave students a way to provide pronouns and names of choice…Many teachers and school administrators I interviewed, including the principal at Old Rochester Regional, say they’re listening and making changes… While asking for pronouns has become routine in some school systems, it isn’t at all commonplace at others.

In some cases, administrators say they’re moving slowly because for many teachers the concept of gender-neutral pronouns is relatively new. And community backlash is a realistic fear. Gender identity, as well as anything to do with the LGBTQ community, used to be a hush-hush topic in schools and elsewhere…In Virginia, a gym teacher sued the Loudoun County school system, contending that his free speech rights were violated when he was suspended for saying at a school board meeting that he wouldn’t refer to transgender students by their preferred pronouns. In August, a judge ruled in his favor… Advocates say the pronoun/name forms are necessary for health and safety reasons. ‘Simply respecting a student’s chosen name and pronoun is the single most important thing you can do to prevent suicide and mental health issues,’ says Kimm Topping, program manager of the Massachusetts Safe Schools Program for LGBTQ Students.”

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 60 minutes.

Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.

Objective: Students will read and discuss the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and improving oral skills. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing.

I. Pre-Reading Activities

KWL Chart

Directions: Have students use the KWL chart to list the information they already know about transgender or non-binary terms. Later in the Post- Reading segment of the lesson, students can fill in what they’ve learned about the topic.

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance.

Some people identify as Transgender.
Many teens identify as non-binary.
Alia was president of the school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance club.
Many students feel anxious saying their names and pronouns in front of the class.
I’ve seen a new trend myself as a parent.
My son is an eighth-grader in a suburban Boston middle school.
Those who oppose the distribution of pronoun forms, include parents and conservative Christian groups.
At Old Rochester Regional, a collaboration is taking place between students and the school educators.
Some teachers still called students by their dead names on the first day and some were misgendered.
Students upset about teachers who didn’t distribute the forms expressed their angst on an Instagram site.

Vocabulary Cluster By Learnnc.org

Grammar Focus: Identifying Prepositions

Directions: The following sentences are from the news article. For each sentence choose the correct preposition from the choices listed. Note that not all prepositions listed are in the article.

Some Prepositions: at, as, across, around, by, during, for, from, in, into, of, on, to, over, off, through, up, with, since,

Devoll, the school’s principal___13 years, wanted___ know how they could fix it. Barker believes consistency is the key. She gave Devoll a copy___ a form that’s gone viral, created___ a Pennsylvania middle school science teacher who runs an Instagram site called Teaching Outside the Binary. Barker praised the form’s inclusion___an option ___students___decide who should know their new identity, including whether guardians and parents should be___ the list. “That’s ___their safety,” Barker says. “They don’t feel comfortable being out ___their parents, but___school, they have found safety___being able ___express their true selves.”

Reading Comprehension Identify The Speakers

Directions: Read the following quotes from the speakers in the article. Then identify the speakers.

“I think it’s not asking very much to simply ask a child what they would like to be called.”
“I think everyone who cares about children is on a learning curve. Our understanding of gender identity has evolved in the last decade.”
Advocates say the pronoun/name forms are necessary for health and safety reasons. “Simply respecting a student’s chosen name and pronoun is the single most important thing you can do to prevent suicide and mental health issues.”
“Expanding the curriculum and letting students be called what they want in school are both part of making schools safer.”
“What other emotional and mental labor do queer and trans kids need to put in before we’ll be shown basic respect?”

III. Post Reading Activities

WH-How Questions

Directions: Have students use the WH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article.

Who or What is the article about?

Where does the action/event take place?

When does the action/event take place?

Why did the action/event occur?

How did the action/event occur?

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

Directions: Have students discuss the following questions/statements. Afterwards, students share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics mentioned.

Do you consider yourself transgender or non-binary?
If so, how do you want others to address you?
Do you know someone who identifies as transgender or non-binary?
In this article how does Alia identify?
What was one of Alia’s fears going back to class?
Which pronoun has been in use since 1375?
What did the school librarian suggest students do before the school year began to help teachers get to know them?
Did all of the teachers comply with students’ preferences?
What is a ‘dead name’ ?
Why was Alia frustrated? How did they feel about the teachers’ support?
How does Alia’s father feel about the situation at her school?
Why are so many teachers and administrators afraid to use gender-neutral pronouns?
Why would there be community backlash over using gender-neutral pronouns in schools?
What incident occurred in the Loudoun County school in Virginia?
How do opponents of transgender and non-binary pronoun forms view this topic?
According to the recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey, what happens to youths who identify as LGBTQ in Massachusetts?
What happened during the Stonewall riots in 1969?
(Groups might research the riots and share presentations with the class)
After reading this article list three new ideas that you’ve learned about the topic from the reading, two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you would like to know that the article did not mention. Share your responses with your class.

ANSWER KEY

Category: Children/Teens, Culture, Education, Language, Transgender | Tags: Non-Binary pronouns in schools

The Difficulty in Explaining Death to Young Children

“I had no idea how to talk to my children about a loved one’s death. Living through the past pandemic year, and being inundated with constant news about illness and death, has only made this feeling more urgent. I’m not alone.” K. C. Reilly, The Washington Post, August 14, 2021

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Image- Mark Wang for The Washington Post

Excerpt: Talking to children about death, By Katie C. Reilly, The Washington Post, August 14, 2021

“When I was 16, my uncle diedunexpectedly — my first exposure to the death of a loved one. Upon hearing the news, my dad got on a plane and flew to the West Coast to be with my aunt and cousins. When he returned, there was no conversation beyond ‘Uncle Jimmy died.’

I Miss You- A First Look at Death By Pat Thomas

My mother died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, when I was in my late 20s and my father died of cancer four years later. Having never witnessed the grieving process up close before, I felt like something was wrong with me for the intensity of my grief on each parent’s death.

Now as a mother to two small girls, I want to speak to my children about their grandparents and also prepare them for my eventual passing. Living through the past pandemic year, and being inundated with constant news about illness and death, has only made this feeling more urgent. But like many parents, I have no idea about when or how to begin a conversation about death with a child. And apparently, I’m not alone, experts say.

Book- Grandma is a Star by Ligia Carvalho

Many parents — like my father — avoid speaking to their children about death because they want to protect their kids from sadness and pain, says Cara Mearns-Thompson, a licensed clinical social worker focused on grieving children and the co-founder of the Grief Club of Minnesota.

But there’s more than concern for their children that holds many parents back, says Vicki Jay, chief executive of the National Alliance for Children’s Grief. ‘It’s our own uncomfortableness with [the topic] that prevents us from opening up the discussion,’ she says…‘It is important to know that kids grieve differently than adults. And oftentimes, what may appear to be a frivolous play activity for children may actually be a very worthy way that they are working through grief,’ says Linda Goldman, a therapist in Maryland whose work focuses on children and grief…’Society doesn’t realize just how harmful some popular cliches can be to the grieving process,’ Goldman says.

Grandpa is Now in Heaven by Kasie Kennedy

Mearns-Thompson notes that saying someone has ‘passed away”’or that the person is ‘sleeping’ makes it hard for children to understand what has happened (and, others say, may create real uncertainty or even anxiety about what can happen when someone goes to sleep.)

When a parent loses a loved one, they also have an opportunity to teach their children how to grieve in a healthy way by modeling. The best thing you can do for your kids . . . is model to them what a healthy grief experience is…So it is okay to cry in front of your kids.”

Additional Information:

How To Talk to Kids About Death: “Discussing death with your kids can be a real concern and many tend to avoid it. Death is however an inevitable part of life and it is our responsibility to ensure our kids are aware of it and know it’s okay to discuss it.” Child Development Institute

Little Parachutes – Picture Books about death and bereavement

“Books which tackle the difficult subjects of death, bereavement and loss. Grieving children may find comfort or answers to challenging questions in the pages of these books… The death of a grandparent, for example, may raise different questions than the death of a younger person. A sudden and unexpected death may evoke different responses in a child than a bereavement that has come from a longer illness. We have provided lots of books in this section to help you find one that works for your child and situation.” Little Parachutes

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 60 minutes.

Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.

I. Pre-Reading Activities

Predictions: Analyzing headings and photos

Directions: Examine the titles of the post and of the actual article. Examine any photos, then create a list of words and ideas that you and your group members think might be related to this article.

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance.

When I was 16, my uncle died unexpectedly.
I had never witnessed the grieving process up close before.
Many parents — like my father — avoid speaking to their children about death.
Constant news about illness and death this past year has only made this feeling more urgent.
Parents feel concern for their children.
It is never too early to speak to children about death, but in an age-appropriate manner.
Society doesn’t realize just how harmful some popular cliches can be to the grieving process.
It can be heart-wrenching to tell kids a loved one is never coming back.
Being honest with children also helps to establish trust, experts say.
Young people have this vivid imagination.

Word Map by Against the Odds

Grammar Focus: Structure and Usage

Directions: The following groups of sentences are from the article. One of the sentences in each group contains a grammatical error. Identify the sentence (1, 2, or 3 ) from each group that contains the grammatical error.

Parents can’t protect children from seeing or hearing about death.
It is never two early to speak to children about death.
Death is a normal and natural part of our life.

Children’s grief will also vary depending on their developmental stage.
They will understand death in new and different ways.
It is important too know that kids grieve differently than adults.

III

When speaking two children about death, it’s important for parents to use clear terminology.
Using the word death is appropriate.
Telling them simple, and honest information is the best approach.

Reading Comprehension Identify The Speakers

Directions: Read the following quotes from the speakers in the article then identify the speakers.

“Many parents — like my father — avoid speaking to their children about death because they want to protect their kids from sadness and pain.”
“…there’s more than concern for their children that holds many parents back. It’s our own uncomfortableness with [the topic] that prevents us from opening up the discussion.”
“Children’s grief will also vary depending on their developmental stage.”
“It is important to know that kids grieve differently than adults. And oftentimes, what may appear to be a frivolous play activity for children may actually be a very worthy way that they are working through grief.”
“Sometimes “my [younger] daughter will say to me, ‘Is Daddy ever coming back?’ And as heart-wrenching as it is to tell her “no, Daddy isn’t coming back.”

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

Have you had to speak to young children about the death of a loved one (your kids, young siblings, cousins etc.) since covid-19? At any other time? If so, please describe your experience.
What is the reason many parents (or care givers) avoid speaking to their children about death?
How do most adults feel about the topic of death?
According to a recent study how many children have lost a parent or caregiver to covid-19?
When is the right time to begin speaking to children about death?
Why will children’s grief vary?
How do children grieve differently than adults?
How did therapist Linda Goldman help a little boy who lost his mom?
When speaking to children about death what is the best terminology to use?

ANSWER KEY

Category: Children/Teens, Culture, Education | Tags: explaining death to young ones

How to Ease Your Child’s Return to School

“As elementary school students return to in-person classes, parents are getting increasingly concerned about their kids’ safety…Added to the worries are fears that after a year of remote learning, some kids have potentially fallen behind or become less comfortable socializing with peers.” P. Klass, MD, The New York Times, Aug. 17, 2021

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Image- Oscar Nimmo, NYT

Excerpt: How to Prep Kids for a Potentially Bumpy Return to School By Perri Klass, MD, The New York Times, Aug. 17, 2021

“As the American Academy of Pediatrics continues to review the rapidly evolving coronavirus situation in schools, it is still recommending in-person education, said Dr. Sara Bode, chairwoman-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on School Health. But at the same time, it is strongly recommending universal masking and a speedy authorization of vaccines for kids under 12.

Here are some ways you can ensure a smooth re-entry for your child.

Oscar Nimmo NYT

One of the best ways to level a bumpy road back to in-person schooling, said Dr. Bode, who is also a general pediatrician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, is to give children a good sense of what they can expect, and for parents to make clear that they believe a safe return is possible…First, and most importantly, make sure all family members who are eligible are fully vaccinated, said Dr. Grace Black, a general pediatrician affiliated with the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Oscar Nimmo, NYT

This includes kids ages 12 and up, as well as their older siblings, parents and grandparents… Tell your child that the vaccines are safe and effective, said Dr. Danielle Erkoboni, a general pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and that using them in tandem with masks is the best way to keep everyone safe.

image- Oscar Nimmo, New York Times

Frank discussions like these can give children a sense of their own power and agency in a potentially scary time…Because of the large-scale disruptions in learning over the past year, some students will be returning with major gaps in their education, Dr. Bode said, and they will need time to catch up…While the weather is still warm, summer activities and visits with friends — hikes, picnics, ball games in the park — can help reintroduce kids to group activities and take some of the tension out of going back to the classroom…Also make sure that your child’s school is doing everything they can to create a culture of acceptance and compassion, and that they are taking bullying — whether it’s because of weight gain, masking, academic issues or anything else — seriously and addressing it promptly.”

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 60 minutes.

Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.

I. Pre-Reading Activities

Predictions: Analyzing headings and photos

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance.

The Delta variant has caused a surge in pediatric Covid-19 hospitalizations.
Especially in areas with low vaccination rates.
Some states aren’t mandating masks in classrooms.
Added to the fears that after a year of remote learning, some kids have potentially fallen behind in studies.
Some kids have become less comfortable socializing with peers.
There are ways that you can ensure a smooth re-entry for your child.
Getting the vaccine and using them in tandem with masks keeps everyone safe.
It is important to give children a sense of their own power and agency in a potentially scary time.
Because of the disruptions in learning over the past year, some students will be returning major gaps in their education.
When children are feeling vulnerable, they need more physical affection, reassurance and acknowledgment.

Word Map by Against the Odds

Grammar Focus: Structure and Usage

Be prepared for some challenge.
Be OK with academic imperfection.
Discuss the importance of vaccines and masking.

Project calm reassurance.
Talk to kids about the types of masks.
Reintroduce social activities safely.

III

Return to an routine.
Help your kids get back on track before school starts.
Try to reestablish some dietary boundaries.

Reading Comprehension Identify The Speakers

Directions: Read the following quotes from the speakers in the article. Then identify the speakers.

“As the American Academy of Pediatrics continues to review the rapidly evolving coronavirus situation in schools, it is still recommending in-person education.”
“One of the best ways to level a bumpy road back to in-person schooling is to give children a good sense of what they can expect, and for parents to make clear that they believe a safe return is possible.”
“First, and most importantly, make sure all family members who are eligible are fully vaccinated.”
“As soon as the vaccine is available to kids under 12 it’s important that they get it, too.”
“Tell your child that the vaccines are safe and effective, and that using them in tandem with masks is the best way to keep everyone safe.”

III. Post Reading Activities

WH-How Questions

Directions: Have students use the WH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article.

Who or What is the article about?

Where does the action/event take place?

When does the action/event take place?

Why did the action/event occur?

How did the action/event occur?

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

Do you have school-age kids that are starting school this year?
If so, are you concerned about their health or that they may have fallen behind in their school work? Please explain why.
In your personal opinion should young children start in-person school this year? Why or why not?
According to the article which organization recommends kids attend school in-person?
What are some of the ways mentioned to help your child reenter school this year? Can you think of any other ways?
According to Dr. Grace Black what should all family members do?
Why is it important for children to understand when we ask them to do anything?
How should parents feel if their child’s learning is a little behind other students?
How should parents and the schools handle bullying or mockery from students who do not wear masks or take safety precautions?
What things can parents do at home to begin the process of healthy habits in school?

ANSWER KEY

Category: Children/Teens, Culture, Education, Health Issues | Tags: Kids going back to school in 2021

Jane Goodall is 87 and Still A Crusader!

Image- janegoodall.org

“Wherever the story of our natural world ultimately lands, Jane Goodall will have earned a proud place in its telling.”D. Marchese, The New York Times, July 12, 2021

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Excerpt: Why Jane Goodall Still Has Hope for Us Humans, By David Marchese, The New York Times, July 12, 2021

Note: [The following is an interview with Ms. Jane Goodall conducted by David Marchese, The New York Times]

“Goodall, 87, first found fame in the early 1960s for her paradigm-busting work as a primatologist. Studying the chimpanzees of Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, she was the first to observe those entrancing animals eating meat and using tools, thus expanding our understanding of primate capabilities.

While that work is likely to remain what the public primarily associates her with, Goodall’s career as an activist is arguably her more important legacy. She has spent 44 years leading conservation efforts through her Jane Goodall Institute and seeding the future with like-minded souls via the Roots & Shoots educational programs for young people, which can be found in more than 60 countries and have nurtured millions of students.

Jane Goodall with a group of Roots & Shoots members in Salzburg, Austria. Credit- Jane Goodall Institute:Templeton Prize

DM: The stories you tell about the planet and conservation have to do with instilling hope…But all we have to do is look around to see the persuasiveness of stories built on fear and anger. Have you ever wondered if tapping into those emotions might be useful?

JG: No. It’s one of my big complaints when I talk to the media: Yes, we absolutely need to know all the doom and gloom because we are approaching a crossroads, and if we don’t take action it could be too late. But traveling the world I’d see so many projects of restoration, animal and plant species being rescued from the brink of extinction, people tackling what seemed impossible and not giving up. Those are the stories that should have equal time, because they’re what gives people hope. If you don’t have hope, why bother? Why should I bother to think about my ecological footprint if I don’t think that what I do is going to make a difference?

The Jane Goodall Institute

DM: Are there ideas you have about conservation that you feel are too radical to express publicly?

JG: Absolutely. I would never approach people about the crisis of the billions of animals in the factory farms and say you’ve got to be vegan. People have to change gradually. If you eat meat one less day a week, that’s the beginning. Bad zoos, you want to close them down, but you’ve got to work out what are we going to do with the animals when we do get it closed down. You have to make compromises… I don’t ever want to appear holier than thou. You’ve got to be reasonable. If you tell people, ‘You’ve got to stop doing that,’ they immediately don’t want to talk to you. The main thing is to keep a channel open. Young activists, sometimes they’re inexperienced and demand something. They ask my advice, and I say: Talk about how the issue is affecting you. How you feel about it. I think that’s the way forward. But that’s just my way.

DM: You mentioned zoos. Should they exist?

JG: Oh, yeah. The really good ones have people who understand the animals. They’ve got lovely enclosures. They do a lot of education, especially for children. They put money into conservation programs in the field. They give veterinary training for people caring for animals in captivity around the world. The other thing is, people think out in the wild is utopia for animals. If they’d seen the places I’ve seen, where you hear the chain saws approaching while snares are catching chimps and others are being shot. Then you watch a group of chimps in a good zoo: two or three males grooming, two females lying in the sun, the babies playing. You think, let me put myself in the position of a chimp: I’d rather be in a zoo. People often don’t think from the point of view of the animal.

Jane Goodall, pictured here with baby chimp. Image credit- The Jane Goodall Institute:Hugo van Lawick.

DM: This is maybe a goofy question, but did you ever personally identify with a chimp you studied?

JG: Nobody has asked me that before. The answer is no. There were chimps I liked a lot. Chimps I loved, I guess you could say. Chimps I totally disliked. [Goodall takes a photo down from the bookshelf behind her.] This one here, I’ll show him to you because he was very special. He was the first one to lose his fear of me.

DM: David Greybeard.

JG: Yes, David Greybeard. He showed me tool-using, helped me get the trust of the others. [Goodall takes down another photo.] Then this one is Frodo. He was a bully. He attacked me several times, but not with a desire to hurt or kill, because otherwise I wouldn’t be here. He was just asserting his dominance.

I was always saying in my mind, Frodo, I know you’re dominant. You do not have to prove it. When he was young, other infants would be playing, and Frodo would join in, and the others would immediately stop because when Frodo joined in then the game would turn nasty, and he’d hurt somebody.

DM: There are obviously plenty of unanswered questions about primate behavior. In your mind, does the same apply to humans?

JG: You’re asking me, ‘Do you understand human nature?’ Definitely not. But I think there are people, for example strict materialists or religious fundamentalists, who have schematics that they feel afford them an understanding of all human behavior.

Religious fundamentalism is one of the strangest things. Religion has a bad name because of fundamentalism. But if you look at every major religion, the golden rule is the same: Do to others as you would have them do to you. These fundamentalists are not actually preaching about the fundamental principles of the religion that they are talking about. They’re educating young people to believe ridiculous things. At the beginning of Islam, nobody ever said that if you went and blew yourself up and killed lots of people, you’d go to heaven. Religion can be so damaging. When I think of our attitude to animals in Genesis, where man is told that he has ‘dominion’ over the birds and the fish and the animals and so on — the actual word, I’m told, is not dominion, it’s stewardship. Which is very different.

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 60 minutes.

Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.

I. Pre-Reading Activities

Predictions: Analyzing headings and photos

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance.

Goodall first found fame in the early 1960s for her work as a primatologist.
Studying the chimpanzees of Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, she was the first to observe those animals using tools.
Goodall is globally known as an activist.
This is arguably her most important legacy.
She has spent 44 years leading conservation efforts through her Jane Goodall Institute.
Jane Goodall believes that we should be aware of all of the doom and gloom in the world.
Traveling the world Jane has seen many projects of restoration.
Many animal and plant species are being rescued from the brink of extinction.
We should be aware of our ecological footprints.
Some people have ideas about conservation that are too radical.

Grammar Focus: Structure and Usage

We absolutely need to know all the doom and gloom.
If you don’t have hope, why bother?
People have to change gradually.

Back in the 1970s I didn’t know about factory farms.
Talk about how the issue is affecting you.
people think out in the wild is utopia for animals.

III

People often don’t think from the point of view of the animal.
Chimps act on the spur of the moment.
Chimps can be altruistic.

Reading Comprehension Fill-ins

Directions: Place students in groups and after they have read the entire article, have them complete the following sentences taken from the article. They can use the words and terms from the list provided, or provide their own terms. They are to find the meanings of any new vocabulary.

This___, who, as per ___name for him, had ___facial hair, was the ___one she observed at___ eating meat and using___. He also was the___ to___contact with her, ___the way for others in his___to do the same.

WORD LIST: group, paving, initiate , first, tools, Gombe, first, distinctive, chimp

Goodall’s,

III. Post Reading Activities

WH-How Questions

Directions: Have students use the WH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article.

Who or What is the article about?

Where does the action/event take place?

When does the action/event take place?

Why did the action/event occur?

How did the action/event occur?

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

Why does Ms. Goodall feel it necessary for us to be aware of the ‘doom and gloom’ printed in the media?
According to Ms. Goodall which stories in the media deserve more attention from us?
What do people generally think about animals out in the wild? What is the reality for these animals?
Does Jane think chimps are evil?
What is Goodall’s example of ‘evil’?
Does Jane understand human nature?
Do you understand human nature? Explain why or why not.
Make a list of questions that you would like to ask Jane Goodall. Share them with the class.
List three new ideas that you’ve learned about the topic from the reading, two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you would like to know that the article did not mention. Share your responses with your class.

Additional Activities

The article states that, “Jane Goodall first found fame in the early 1960s for her paradigm-busting work as a primatologist. Studying the chimpanzees of Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania… While that work is likely to remain what the public primarily associates her with, Goodall’s career as an activist is arguably her more important legacy. She has spent 44 years leading conservation efforts through her Jane Goodall Institute and seeding the future with like-minded souls via the Roots & Shoots educational programs for young people.”

Directions: Students (in groups) might research Jane Goodall’s work with chimpanzees beginning with the Jane Goodall Institute website https://janegoodall.org/our-story/about-jane/

Next, students could visit Jane’s famous Roots and Shoots website https://www.rootsandshoots.org which offers a variety of projects for students.

After, groups can create graphs, pictures, collages, or models to demonstrate their understanding of Jane’s work with chimpanzees and with preserving our environment.

ANSWER KEY

Category: Biology, Children/Teens, Education, Environmental | Tags: Jane Goodall

The Value of Sibling Rivalry

“My 4- and 8-year-old are closer now than they were before the pandemic – I hear the sounds of giggling… But the more time my girls spend together, the more they fight, too. You can’t avoid fighting… Just because sibling rivalry is to be expected does not mean there aren’t ways to mitigate it.” J. Grose, The New York Times, January 2021

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Credit- JooHee Yoon, The New York Times

EXCERPT: The Psychology Behind Sibling Rivalry, By Jessica Grose, The New York Times, January 2021

“The most common battlegrounds for my kids are perceived injustices and jockeying for position. The most absurd instance of the latter was when we were waiting to get flu shots this past fall. The girls got into a brawl over who received the first shot. My older daughter “won” that argument, but it was only as she was walking toward the pharmacist’s door that she realized a shot was not actually a prize.

On days when we are trapped in the house together and their screaming matches reach operatic levels, their dad and I worry we did something horribly wrong as parents to encourage this volume of strife. But according to Jeanine Vivona, a professor of psychology at the College of New Jersey who has studied sibling rivalry, ‘competition with siblings is just a fact of life. And we, as people with siblings and people with children, can just try to manage it as best we can.’

Observational studies have shown that sibling conflict may happen up to eight times an hour. Other research finds that pairs of sisters tend to be the closest, and that sibling dyads that include a brother have the most conflict.

‘Conflict does decrease into adolescence; it sort of levels off,’ said Mark Ethan Feinberg, a research professor of health and human development at Pennsylvania State University. ‘Early and middle childhood are particularly difficult times for sibling aggression.’

As a study that Feinberg co-authored notes, the book of Genesis, which includes the ‘founding stories of the Western psyche,’ is dripping with tales of murderous and covetous siblings, like Cain and Abel and Jacob and Esau…dastardly deeds, conflict over parental love is so profound that hundreds of years ago, when child mortality was much higher, children under 5 with close-in-age siblings were more likely to die… While most siblings aren’t fighting for actual scraps, psychologically, sibling rivalry serves a developmental purpose: It helps children figure out what is unique and special about themselves, otherwise known as ‘differentiation.’ Read the entire article for five suggestions from the experts to handle squabbling sibs.”

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

NOTE: Lessons can also be used with native English speakers.

Level: Intermediate – Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 60 minutes.

Materials: Student handout (from this lesson) and access to news article.

I. Pre-Reading Activities

Predictions: Analyzing headings and photos

II. While Reading Activities

Word Inference

Directions: Try to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. You use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart for assistance.

The most absurd instances are ones for getting attention.
We did something horribly wrong as parents to encourage this volume of strife.
The girls got into a brawl over who received the first shot.
Some dastardly deeds, in the Bible are centered around sibling rivalry.
This knowledge certainly puts my kids’ fights over who got more ice cream into perspective.
Most siblings don’t continue to fight into adult age.
Psychologically, sibling rivalry serves a developmental purpose.
Just because sibling rivalry is to be expected does not mean there aren’t ways to mitigate it.
Praise them in public and punish them in private.
Children have a tendency to get twitchy when they’re cooped up.

Word Map by Against the Odds

Grammar Focus: Word -Recognition

Directions: Students choose the correct word to complete the sentences taken from the article. They are to choose from the options presented.

Try too/to find moments where/wear everyone can came/come together. You’re/Yourkids/kids’ temperaments and personalities may be/bee similar, oar/or they may not/knot. They may both love/loves dance, ore/or one loves/love dance an/and the other just wants/wantto/two play chess. One might bee/be rigid, and the other is an/a free spirit.

Reading: Identify TheSpeakers

Directions: Read the following quotes from the speakers in the article. Then identify the speakers.

“Competition with siblings is just a fact of life. And we, as people with siblings and people with children, can just try to manage it as best we can.”
“Conflict does decrease into adolescence; it sort of levels off,”
“Early and middle childhood are particularly difficult times for sibling aggression
“Hundreds of years ago, when child mortality was much higher, children under 5 with close-in-age siblings were more likely to die.”
“Figure out what sets them off. Pay attention to what tends to happen before conflict breaks out,”

III Post Reading

Discussion Questions for Comprehension /Writing

Do you have sisters or brothers?
Do you get along with them? Why or why not?
According to the article what are some of the themes in the Bible involving siblings?
What is the famous story of sibling rivalry from the Bible? Do you know the story?
Why were children under 5 with close-in-age siblings more likely to die hundreds of years ago?
Explain the developmental purpose that sibling rivalry serves.
What are the five suggestions from experts to handle sibling rivalry?
When should parents criticize their children? According to Hunter, what is the advantage of this?

3-2-1-Writing

Directions: List three new ideas that you’ve learned about the topic from the reading, two things that you did not understand in the reading, and one thing you would like to know that the article did not mention. Share your responses with your class.

ANSWER KEY

Category: Children/Teens, People, Psychology | Tags: Sibling rivalry