. Bear Attacks - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Bear Attacks - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Bear Attacks - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson

Breaking News English Lesson: Bear Attacks

Japan has created emergency measures to address record bear attacks. The government said bears have killed 13 people and injured more than 100 since April. The death toll is the highest since records began. Wildlife experts have created a plan to reduce the increasing numbers of deaths, injuries, and encounters with bears. Part of this plan is to reduce bear populations in areas where the animals have been seen. Another feature is region-specific capture targets. Authorities will also set up buffer zones to separate bear habitats from human residential areas.

There are two species of bear in Japan. Their numbers have surged in the past decade. Estimates suggest the black bear population has tripled since 2012 — rising from 15,000 to 44,000. The larger and more dangerous brown bears, native to Hokkaido, have doubled in number. There are several reasons why bear populations are increasing. One is a shortage of beech nuts. Another reason is a declining number of hunters, who are largely responsible for bear culls. Finally, depopulation in rural areas means bears are wandering into towns and villages.

Try the same news story at these levels:

  • https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/14/japan/japan-bear-attacks-measures/
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/14/whats-behind-a-surge-in-bear-attacks-in-japan
  • https://english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/64878

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 :-)

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News

"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."

The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)

"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and. history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."

Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)

"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels. In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."

Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.

Phrase Matching Paragraph 1
  1. emergency
  2. to address
  3. death
  4. encounters
  5. areas where the animals
  6. set up buffer
  7. bear
  8. residential
  1. have been seen
  2. areas
  3. measures
  4. habitats
  5. toll
  6. record bear attacks
  7. with bears
  8. zones
Paragraph 2
  1. There are two species
  2. Their numbers have
  3. in the past
  4. the black bear population has
  5. The larger and more
  6. a shortage
  7. responsible for bear
  8. bears are
  1. decade
  2. of beech nuts
  3. dangerous brown bears
  4. of bear in Japan
  5. wandering into towns
  6. culls
  7. surged
  8. tripled since 2012
Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Japan has created emergency (1) ________________________________________________ record bear attacks. The government said bears have killed 13 people and injured more than 100 since April. The (2) ________________________________________________ the highest since records began. Wildlife experts have created a plan to reduce the increasing numbers of deaths, injuries, (3) ________________________________________________ bears. Part of this plan is to reduce bear populations in areas where the animals have been seen. Another (4) ________________________________________________-specific capture targets. Authorities will also set (5) ________________________________________________ to separate bear habitats from (6) ________________________________________________.

There are (7) ________________________________________________ bear in Japan. Their numbers have surged in (8) ________________________________________________. Estimates suggest the black bear population has tripled since 2012 — rising from 15,000 to 44,000. The larger and more dangerous brown bears, native to Hokkaido, have (9) ________________________________________________. There are several reasons why bear populations are increasing. One is (10) ________________________________________________ beech nuts. Another reason is a declining number of hunters, who (11) ________________________________________________ for bear culls. Finally, depopulation in rural areas means bears are (12) ________________________________________________ and villages.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Japanhascreatedemergencymeasurestoaddressrecordbearattacks. Thegovernmentsaidbearshavekilled13peopleandinjuredmorethan1 00sinceApril.Thedeathtollisthehighestsincerecordsbegan.Wildlifeex pertshavecreatedaplantoreducetheincreasingnumbersofdeaths,inj uries,andencounterswithbears.Partofthisplanistoreducebearpopula tionsinareaswheretheanimalshavebeenseen.Anotherfeatureisregio n-specificcapturetargets.Authoritieswillalsosetupbufferzonestosep aratebearhabitatsfromhumanresidentialareas.Therearetwospecies ofbearinJapan.Theirnumbershavesurgedinthepastdecade.Estimate ssuggesttheblackbearpopulationhastripledsince2012—risingfro m15,000to44,000.Thelargerandmoredangerousbrownbears,native toHokkaido,havedoubledinnumber.Thereareseveralreasonswhybe arpopulationsareincreasing.Oneisashortageofbeechnuts.Anotherre asonisadecliningnumberofhunters,whoarelargelyresponsibleforbea rculls.Finally,depopulationinruralareasmeansbearsarewanderingint otownsandvillages.

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.

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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