Breaking News English Lesson: Gen Z Protests
Young people worldwide are protesting against their governments. Generation Z (people born between 1996 and 2010) is rising to express discontent with their leaders. They are concerned about inequality, corruption, nepotism, corporate greed, and bleak career prospects. This week in Madagascar, a group of protesters helped remove the country's president. In Morocco, people marched calling for better healthcare and education.
Protesters have two things in common. One is anger about the state of the world; the other is a flag from a Japanese manga. In the "One Piece" manga, pirates fly the flag and fight against injustice. Al Jazeera reported that in protests in Nepal, the flag was painted on walls, hung from cars, and displayed instead of national flags. The flag is used in satire. Protesters are using it to represent what they view as failures of governments.
Try the same news story at these levels:
- https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2025/10/the-gen-z-movement-this-is-why-were-risking-our-lives-to-protest/
- https://apnews.com/article/gen-z-protests-madagascar-nepal-morocco-peru-e1859bc7e4203adbac829cf45f92138b
- https://www.Al Jazeera.com/news/2025/8/16/indonesians-raise-anime-pirate-flag-in-protest-as-nation-marks-independence
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- Young people worldwide
- people born between
- express discontent
- They are concerned
- corporate
- bleak career
- protesters helped remove the
- healthcare
- with their leaders
- country's president
- are protesting
- prospects
- and education
- about inequality
- greed
- 1996 and 2010
- Protesters have two
- anger about the state
- a flag from a
- pirates fly
- fight against
- the flag was painted
- displayed instead of national
- what they view as failures
- of the world
- of governments
- the flag
- flags
- things in common
- injustice
- Japanese manga
- on walls
Young people (1) ________________________________________________ against their governments. Generation Z (people born between 1996 and 2010) is (2) ________________________________________________ discontent with their leaders. They are concerned about inequality, corruption, (3) ________________________________________________, and (4) ________________________________________________. This week in Madagascar, a group of protesters (5) ________________________________________________ country's president. In Morocco, people marched calling (6) ________________________________________________ and education.
Protesters have two (7) ________________________________________________. One is anger about (8) ________________________________________________ the world; the other is a flag from a Japanese manga. In the "One Piece" manga, pirates (9) ________________________________________________ and fight against injustice. Al Jazeera reported that (10) ________________________________________________ Nepal, the flag was painted on walls, hung from cars, and (11) ________________________________________________ national flags. The flag is used in satire. Protesters are using it to represent what they (12) ________________________________________________ of governments.
Put a slash (/) where the spaces areYoungpeopleworldwideareprotestingagainsttheirgovernments.Gen erationZ(peoplebornbetween1996and2010)isrisingtoexpressdisco ntentwiththeirleaders.Theyareconcernedaboutinequality,corruptio n,nepotism,corporategreed,andbleakcareerprospects.ThisweekinM adagascar,agroupofprotestershelpedremovethecountry'spresident .InMorocco,peoplemarchedcallingforbetterhealthcareandeducation .Protestershavetwothingsincommon.Oneisangeraboutthestateofth eworld;theotherisaflagfromaJapanesemanga.Inthe"OnePiece"man ga,piratesflytheflagandfightagainstinjustice.AlJazeerareportedthati nprotestsinNepal,theflagwaspaintedonwalls,hungfromcars,anddisp layedinsteadofnationalflags.Theflagisusedinsatire.Protestersareusi ngittorepresentwhattheyviewasfailuresofgovernments.
Student surveyWrite 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 questionsSTUDENT 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 writingWrite 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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