Contents
Unit 1: Environmental Issues 1. Environmental Destruction / Nonviolent Protest....................................... 3 - 8 2. Materialism / Moneyless Living.................................................................... 9 - 14 3. Resource Depletion / Chipko Tree Huggers............................................... 15 - 20
4. 5. 6.
Unit 2: Poverty Poverty / Microloans...................................................................................... 21 - 26 Isolation/ Giving Away Gardens.................................................................. 27 - 32 Hunger / UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador............................................... 33 - 38
7. 8. 9.
Unit 3: Social Issues Alienation / Helping House Hermits.......................................................... 39 - 44 Discrimination / Speaking Out About FGM.............................................. 45 - 50 Rehabilitation................................................................................... 51 - 56 Crime / Rehabilitation
10. 11. 12.
Unit 4: War & Peace Refugees / The Righteous Sugihara............................................................. 57 - 62 Weapons / Zero Landmines.......................................................................... 63 - 68 War / Bikes Not Bombs.................................................................................. 69 - 74
13. 14. 15.
Unit 5: The Information Age Misinformation / Reporters without Borders.............................................75 - 80 Corruption / Whistleblowers........................................................................81 - 86 Ignorance / Education....................................................................................87 - 92
Detailed Directions............................................................................................... 93 Word Bank........................................................................................................ 94 - 95 Writing About Solutions...................................................................................... 96
Inspiring Solutions 2
1
Environmental Destruction
Talk about the picture with a partner. See page 93 for ideas about what to say.
Below are key words from the readings on pages 4 and 6. Match each bold word with the definition. 1. clearcut __
a) to remove all the trees from an area
3. sue __
c) an organized protest of not buying or using something
2. landslide __ 4. trial __
5. discrimination __ 6. obey __
7. apologize __ 8. boycott __ 9. harmony __
10. faith __
b) interacting well, without conflict or trouble d) belief in something or someone e) to say “sorry”
f) mistreatment due to race, gender, etc. g) to do what one is told to do
h) when earth suddenly falls down a hill or mountainside i) to seek money in court due to harm
j) the process of determining if a person is innocent or guilty
Match each bold word from the listening with the definition below. 1. cedar __
a) necessary things
3. supplies __
c) a type of evergreen tree (with needles, not leaves)
2. to brave __ 4. harass __ 5. to blare __
b) purposely bother because of gender or some other reason d) to overcome fear and do with courage e) to sound out loudly
Use five of the above words in the sentences below. Change the form of the word if necessary. » » » » »
Most countries have a law banning racial ______________. Police ______________ the suspect.
To protest, many people plan to ______________ that company’s product.
After a three week ______________ the defendant was found “not guilty.” My male boss got fired for ______________ my female colleague. Inspiring Solutions 3
1 Nonviolent Protest Check the meaning of the bold words then read the introduction. In 1997, a company cut down all the redwood trees in a mountain area in California, a practice known as “clearcutting.” Removing all trees causes problems to the ecosystem. Animals and plants suffer. Moreover, after heavy rain fell for several days, a landslide occurred. Soil, rocks and plants slid far down the hill, destroying several houses. Environmentalists blamed the disaster on clearcutting. Environmentalists also protested because the company was cutting down redwood trees, which are special. Redwoods live 1,800 years or longer. They include the tallest trees on Earth, reaching 115 meters. Environmentalists tried to sue, but the company hired many lawyers and delayed the trial, giving them enough time to clearcut the area. So environmentalists decided the only way to stop the company from destroying the area would be to “tree-sit.” Brainstorm vocabulary for the pictures writing words below. Then see page 93. protest _______________ _______________
Julia Butterfly Hill Luna _______________
supplies _______________ _______________
helicopter _______________ _______________
applause _______________ _______________
Inspiring Solutions 4
Listening Workshops 1. What do you know about environmental issues? Make a list and share with your partner. 2. Follow the directions on page 93. First Listening: Listen and write how well you understood using the scale below. Sentence 1: __ Sentence 2: __ Sentence 3: __
Sentence 4: __
A - I am quite sure I understood everything. B - I am quite sure I understood most of the sentence. C - I think I understood about half of the sentence. D - I didn't understand much. F - I didn't understand the sentence at all.
Sentence 5: __
Dictation: Listen 1-3 more times, write as much as possible. 1.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
4.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Butterfly! Live on the Radio Read the questions below, then listen and take notes. questions
1. When did Butterfly first get the idea to climb Luna? 2. How long did she plan to stay up the tree at first? 3. How was the weather during her first winter up the tree? 4. How many times did the lumber company break the law? Inspiring Solutions 5
listen and take notes below
Reading: Martin Luther King Jr. Check the meaning of the bold words then read the article below. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. Although his father was very strict, Martin respected him. His father fearlessly protested racial discrimination during an era of terrible discrimination. Martin admired his father for refusing to obey a police officer who called him “boy.” King was a university student in the 1940s. A classmate said he was going to kill King because he’s Black. King calmly spoke with the man and forgave him. Later, the man apologized and they became friends. From this experience, King learned that an enemy can be changed into a friend. In the 1950s, Blacks in the U.S. had to sit at the back of the bus. If the Black section of the bus was full, and the white section empty, Blacks had to stand. This was the law. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a White man. For that reason, she was arrested and put in prison. This led to the Civil Rights movement. To support Rosa Parks, King and supporters boycotted city buses, walking long distances instead. King, like Gandhi, taught that people should fight injustice non-violently. King’s six principles of nonviolence were: determination; harmony; justice; kindness; love; and faith.
Comprehension questions
First try answering the questions below from memory. Then check the paragraphs above. 1. Why did the classmate say he would kill King? How did King handle the situation? What did he learn from the situation? 2. Why did Blacks have to sit at the back of the bus in the 1950s? 3. Why was Parks arrested? 4. How did King and other leaders protest Parks’ arrest?
Discussion questions
Discuss the questions below. 1. Do you know anything else about Martin Luther King Jr.? Did you study him in school? 2. Explain some ways that your father and mother influenced you. 3. Is it easy for you to forgive someone? Can you recall the last time you forgave? 4. If you were black, and your grandparents had to sit at the back of the bus in the 1950s, how would you feel? 5. Are there any problems regarding minorities in your country? 6. Discuss each principle of non-violence. Which is most important? Which least? Inspiring Solutions 6
Thinking Deeper about Protests Protesters bring attention to issues. They hope to make positive changes to society. Talk about the pictures, rate to what extent you agree with each protest, finally discuss your ratings with a partner.
The Scale
0
To what extent do you support the protests below? Rate on a scale of 0 to 10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
(no support)
(a little)
(medium)
(strong)
10
(strongest)
1. Julia Butterfly Hill lived in a tree to save it from being cut down. Environmentalists
supported her. She came down two years later after the company agreed to save it. ___ 2. John Lennon & Yoko Ono stayed in bed for two weeks saying, “Make love not war.” __ 3. An Iraqi journalist threw a shoe at President George W. Bush because the U.S. started a war in Iraq. __ 4. Under British rule, Indians were prohibited from collecting or selling salt. Gandhi and 60,000 supporters broke the law, walking hundreds of kilometers to collect sea salt. ___ 5. Sea Shepherd environmentalists harassed Japanese boats that were hunting whales. __ 6. Tibetans burned themselves to death to protest the Chinese occupation of Tibet. ___ 7. After the media discovered the U.S. had lied and was bombing Cambodia during the Vietnam War, students at Kent State in Ohio protested with signs and by shouting. __ 8. In 2008, “yellow-shirt” protesters took control of Bangkok airport to force the Thai president to quit. No planes could fly so travelers were stuck for many days. __ 9. In 1773, protesters in Boston destroyed tea to protest being forced to buy British tea. __ 10. In 2017, millions of people walked with signs to protest the election of Donald Trump and support women’s rights, environmental protection, healthcare reform, etc. __ 11. Especially in 2020, many Black Lives Matter protesters protested racism, discrimination, and inequality experienced by Black people. __ 12. In 2022, Canadian truckers blocked roads and bridges demanding an end to COVID related mandates. __ 13. Greta Thunberg skipped school to protest climate change. __ Discuss what the protesters are trying to achieve in each case as well as some possible criticisms. Inspiring Solutions 7
Energy Humans need energy for many reasons: to heat homes, cook food, transportation, etc. Much energy comes from fossil fuels and gets converted into oil and gas. This is causing climate change, a global crisis. What type of energy does each picture represent?
Match the energy source with the explanation then list the good and bad points of each. 1. biofuel a) captures energy from falling water 2. coal b) from energy released in atoms 3. electrical c) propellers capture energy from breezes 4. fossil fuel d) use of sunlight 5. geothermal e) use of earth’s internal heat 6. hydro f) gasoline substitutes made from plants 7. hydrogen g) produced by breaking of hydrocarbons 8. nuclear h) flowing of electrons between atoms 9. solar i) from matter in the shape of rocks 10. wind j) made from the remains of living organisms like dinosaurs
The Greta Effect Greta Thunberg became an activist as a young girl after convincing her parents to reduce their “carbon footprint.” In 2018, at age 15, she skipped school to protest the fact that governments were doing little to deal with climate change. The “Fridays for Future” movement was born after other youth around the world led similar protests. Protests increased before and after the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference. In 2019, Thunberg sailed in a yacht to North America to attend the 2019 U.N. Climate Action Summit. Her speech there, in which she angrily exclaimed “How dare you!”, was often quoted by the press, individuals, and popular culture. Her sudden rise to world fame made her both a leader in the activist community and a target of critics who maintain she is too young, naive, and doesn’t suggest solutions. She has received numerous honors and awards, and was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people, the youngest Person of the Year ever. Writing Do you agree with Butterfly’s actions? What about other protests (see page 7 for examples)? Write on page 96. Inspiring Solutions 8