. Holiday Waste - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Holiday Waste - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Holiday Waste - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson

Breaking News English Lesson: Holiday Waste

There are many holidays at the end of the year. People have parties and family get-togethers, and give gifts. However, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the New Year can create a lot of trash. A USA environmental agency said that household waste goes up by 25 per cent over the holiday period. The company Eureka Recycling said we needed to carefully separate what we throw away. It said: "It really does make a difference if you…put those boxes and those bottles and cans in the blue bin." A professor said we should avoid producing waste as much as possible.

Many experts have reported on how to deal with waste. They advised people to be aware of the recycling rules in their town. Different places have different rules. One expert said we should be careful when we throw away electronics and Christmas lights. Another expert said it was good to think ahead to reduce waste. She said people could buy "experiences over stuff". This means buying someone a concert ticket instead of buying a present that comes in lots of packaging. She also recommended giving people digital cards and gift cards.

Try the same news story at these levels:

  • https://www.npr.org/2025/12/26/nx-s1-5649424/holiday-waste-recycling-tips-mistakes
  • https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/26/five-things-to-do-with-holiday-waste
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/christmas-tree-holiday-garbage-disposal-tips/

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. There are many holidays at
  2. People have parties and family
  3. household waste goes up
  4. over the holiday
  5. carefully separate what
  6. it really does
  7. we should avoid producing
  8. as much as
  1. we throw away
  2. waste
  3. make a difference
  4. the end of the year
  5. possible
  6. period
  7. get-togethers
  8. by 25 per cent
Paragraph 2
  1. experts have reported on how
  2. they advised
  3. be aware of the recycling
  4. different places
  5. be careful when we throw
  6. it was good to think
  7. buying someone a
  8. a present that comes
  1. rules
  2. in lots of packaging
  3. have different rules
  4. ahead to reduce waste
  5. to deal with waste
  6. concert ticket
  7. away electronics
  8. people
Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There are many holidays at the (1) _________________________________________________ year. People have parties and (2) _________________________________________________, and give gifts. However, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the New Year (3) _________________________________________________ lot of trash. A USA environmental agency said that household (4) _________________________________________________ by 25 per cent over the holiday period. The company Eureka Recycling said we needed to carefully separate what we throw away. It said: "It really does (5) _________________________________________________ if you. put those boxes and those bottles and cans in the blue bin." A professor said we (6) _________________________________________________ waste as much as possible.

Many experts have reported on (7) _________________________________________________ with waste. They advised people to (8) _________________________________________________ the recycling rules in their town. Different places have different rules. One (9) _________________________________________________ should be careful when we throw away electronics and Christmas lights. Another expert said it was good to think (10) _________________________________________________ waste. She said people could buy "experiences over stuff". This means buying someone a concert ticket (11) _________________________________________________ a present that comes in (12) _________________________________________________. She also recommended giving people digital cards and gift cards.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Therearemanyholidaysattheendoftheyear.Peoplehavepartiesandfa milyget-togethers,andgivegifts.However,Christmas,Hanukkah,Kw anzaa,andtheNewYearcancreatealotoftrash.AUSAenvironmentalag encysaidthathouseholdwastegoesupby25percentovertheholidayper iod.ThecompanyEurekaRecyclingsaidweneededtocarefullyseparate whatwethrowaway.Itsaid:"Itreallydoesmakeadifferenceifyou. putt hoseboxesandthosebottlesandcansinthebluebin."Aprofessorsaidwe shouldavoidproducingwasteasmuchaspossible.Manyexpertshavere portedonhowtodealwithwaste.Theyadvisedpeopletobeawareofther ecyclingrulesintheirtown.Differentplaceshavedifferentrules.Oneexp ertsaidweshouldbecarefulwhenwethrowawayelectronicsandChrist maslights.Anotherexpertsaiditwasgoodtothinkaheadtoreducewaste .Shesaidpeoplecouldbuy"experiencesoverstuff".Thismeansbuyings omeoneaconcertticketinsteadofbuyingapresentthatcomesinlotsofp ackaging.Shealsorecommendedgivingpeopledigitalcardsandgiftcar ds.

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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