The Reading / Listening - Level 2

Researchers say children should be doing more learning outdoors. The researchers say children spend too much time sitting in classrooms to pass exams. They say outdoor learning is important for social skills, health and development. It also increases their quality of life. There have been five important reports that stress the need for students to learn outdoors and experience nature. The researchers say that schools are not taking the advice of these reports. Outdoor learning is on the decline. The researchers want to put outdoor learning on the curriculum of all schools.

The researchers say there are many benefits of outdoor learning for children. One advantage is that it builds confidence in children. They experience things that were normal for their parents, like climbing trees. It also makes children more aware of the environment and teaches them to respect nature. There are also health benefits. Children exercise more instead of sitting in classrooms or being at home with video games. Another benefit is that it helps with the problem of 'stranger danger'. Many children in the UK today grow up hearing about this.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk /nursery-world/news/1158179/put-outdoor-learning-on-curriculum-policymakers-urged
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk /education/2016/07/11/schools-should-hold-more-lessons-outdoors-despite-unpredictable/
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk /news/science-environment-36795912


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. children spend too much time sitting
  2. pass
  3. It also increases their quality
  4. stress the need for students to
  5. experience
  6. schools are not taking the
  7. Outdoor learning is
  8. put outdoor learning on the
  1. nature
  2. on the decline
  3. exams
  4. curriculum
  5. in classrooms
  6. of life
  7. advice of these reports
  8. learn outdoors

Paragraph 2

  1. there are many benefits
  2. it builds
  3. experience things that were normal
  4. climbing
  5. makes children more aware
  6. teaches them to
  7. it helps with the problem of
  8. Many children in the UK today grow
  1. of the environment
  2. trees
  3. respect nature
  4. confidence in children
  5. 'stranger danger'
  6. of outdoor learning
  7. up hearing about this
  8. for their parents

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Researchers say children should (1) ___________________ learning outdoors. The researchers say children spend too much time sitting in classrooms (2) ___________________. They say outdoor learning is important for social skills, health and development. It also increases their (3) ___________________. There have been five important reports that (4) ___________________ for students to learn outdoors and experience nature. The researchers say that schools are not (5) ___________________ of these reports. Outdoor learning is on the decline. The researchers want to put outdoor learning on (6) ___________________ all schools.

The researchers say there are (7) ___________________ outdoor learning for children. One advantage is that (8) ___________________ in children. They experience things that were normal for their parents, like (9) ___________________. It also makes children more aware of the environment and teaches them to (10) ___________________. There are also health benefits. Children exercise more instead of sitting in classrooms or being at home with video games. Another (11) ___________________ it helps with the problem of 'stranger danger'. Many children in the UK today (12) ___________________ about this.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Researcherssaychildrenshouldbedoingmorelearningoutdoors.There
searcherssaychildrenspendtoomuchtimesittinginclassroomstopass
exams.Theysayoutdoorlearningisimportantforsocialskills,healthan
ddevelopment.Italsoincreasestheirqualityoflife.Therehavebeenfivei
mportantreportsthatstresstheneedforstudentstolearnoutdoorsande
xperiencenature.Theresearcherssaythatschoolsarenottakingthead
viceofthesereports.Outdoorlearningisonthedecline.Theresearchers
wanttoputoutdoorlearningonthecurriculumofallschools.Theresearc
herssaytherearemanybenefitsofoutdoorlearningforchildren.Oneadv
antageisthatitbuildsconfidenceinchildren.Theyexperiencethingstha
twerenormalfortheirparents,likeclimbingtrees.Italsomakeschildren
moreawareoftheenvironmentandteachesthemtorespectnature.The
rearealsohealthbenefits.Childrenexercisemoreinsteadofsittingincla
ssroomsorbeingathomewithvideogames.Anotherbenefitisthatithelp
swiththeproblemof'strangerdanger'.ManychildrenintheUKtodaygro
wuphearingaboutthis.

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 — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

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

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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