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Greta y los gigantes

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Our car competition didn’t go as planned 😅

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Our car competition didn’t go as planned 😅

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Inspired by Greta, we’ve done a manifestation.

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Inspired by Greta, we’ve done a manifestation.

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How did a 15-year-old high school student from Sweden become the world's most famous climate change activist? This reading tells the story of Greta Thunberg's amazing journey, but before you begin why not learn the vocabulary in the Wordchecker list below? Then after reading, don't forget to check your understanding by doing the Greta quiz.

Greta Thunberg was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2003. Her mother Malena is a famous opera singer, and her father Svante was an actor until he quit to look after Greta and her little sister Beata. Greta was a shy girl who didn't say much at school, and this led to bullying by some of the other kids. It got so bad that Greta became very depressed and even stopped eating. She lost a lot of weight and could have died if her parents hadn't found specialist doctors with a treatment plan that worked. Her mum and dad also found her a new school, and making new friends also helped her to recover and become interested in the wider world again.

Greta first learned about climate change when she was 8 years old. Even at that young age she could see it was a serious problem, and the more she learned as she grew older, the more worried she became. She learned that carbon dioxide (CO 2) was one of the greenhouse gases causing global warming and climate change, and that airline flights released many tonnes of CO 2 into the atmosphere. Nearly everyone she knew said the climate crisis was very serious, but they also made it worse by flying all over the world for their holidays. Everyone was saying the right things, but nobody was doing the right things. So Greta decided to do something about it.

She had heard about workers going on strike to demand better pay, and imagined students going on strike to demand more action against climate change. She told her friends about her idea, but none of them seemed interested in joining her. Instead of giving up, Greta asked her dad to take her to a building supplies store where she bought a board and some paints. Then she made a big sign and painted the words "School Strike for the Climate" in Swedish. She also printed flyers full of facts about the climate crisis. After breakfast on August 20 2018, she rode her bicycle to the Swedish parliament where the government met. Svante rode behind her, carrying the sign. After sending her dad home, Greta found a good spot to set up her sign and sat down on her cushion with her flyers by her side.

She asked a passer-by to take a photo of her and posted it on her Twitter account. Even though she only had around twenty followers, it was retweeted dozens of times. Within a few days she was being interviewed by reporters, other kids had joined her, and she was being supported by Greenpeace activists and others. Greta's life would never be the same again.

In December 2018, just a few months after starting her strike, Greta was invited to speak at the United Nations COP24 Climate Change Conference in Poland. Her heart was beating fast as she nervously waited to be asked to speak. Watch the video below to see what happened next.

Transcript

My name is Greta Thunberg. I am 15 years old. I am from Sweden. I speak on behalf of Climate Justice Now!. Many people say that Sweden is just a small country and it doesn't matter what we do. But I've learned you are never too small to make a difference. And if a few children can get headlines all over the world just by not going to school, then imagine what we could all do together if we really wanted to. But to do that, we have to speak clearly, no matter how uncomfortable that may be.

You only speak of green eternal economic growth because you are too scared of being unpopular. You only talk about moving forward with the same bad ideas that got us into this mess, even when the only sensible thing to do is pull the emergency brake. You are not mature enough to tell it like is. Even that burden you leave to us children. But I don't care about being popular. I care about climate justice and the living planet.

Our civilization is being sacrificed for the opportunity of a very small number of people to continue making enormous amounts of money. Our biosphere is being sacrificed so that rich people in countries like mine can live in luxury. It is the sufferings of the many which pay for the luxuries of the few.

In the year 2078, I will celebrate my 75th birthday. If I have children maybe they will spend that day with me. Maybe they will ask me about you. Maybe they will ask why you didn't do anything while there still was time to act. You say you love your children above all else, and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes. Until you start focusing on what needs to be done rather than what is politically possible, there is no hope. We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis.

We need to keep the fossil fuels in the ground, and we need to focus on equity. And if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, maybe we should change the system itself. We have not come here to beg world leaders to care. You have ignored us in the past and you will ignore us again. We have run out of excuses and we are running out of time. We have come here to let you know that change is coming, whether you like it or not. The real power belongs to the people.

Thank you.

biosphere (noun): all the places in which life can exist, including anywhere on land, in the sea or in the air where plants, animals, birds, etc can live - The biosphere goes underground too if things like insects and bacteria live there.

burden (noun): a difficult task, a serious responsibility, or a heavy load - In most families, women still shoulder the burden of looking after sick relatives.

climate change (noun): global changes in temperature, wind patterns, rainfall, etc mainly caused by the emission of heat-trapping gases that cause global warming - Companies that have caused climate change need to be punished.

climate justice (noun): fairness in issues related to climate change, such as fair treatment of people who are affected by it, and fair punishment for those who made it worse - Did you learn about climate justice when you were studying for your law degree?

crisis (noun): a very difficult or dangerous time - The country will be in crisis if the president ignores the election result.

depressed (adjective): feeling sad or uninterested in life, esp. if the feeling continues for a long time - If he always looks sad or bored, he could be depressed.

equity (noun): fair and equal treatment for everyone, no matter what race, gender, sexuality, religion, etc they are - Women are still fighting for equity when it comes to fair pay.

eternal (adjective): lasting forever, or never ending - It's hard to imagine something being eternal, isn't it?

flyer (noun): a printed sheet of paper that's handed out to people, usually to publicise something - We ran out of flyers, so we had to print some more.

give up (phrasal verb): 1. to stop doing something you usually do 2. to stop trying to achieve a goal - I tried to give up¹ cigarettes, but it was too hard so I gave up² trying.

greenhouse gas (noun): a gas that causes global warming, such as CO 2, methane and fluorocarbons - What else can we do to cut greenhouse gas emissions?

Greenpeace (noun): an international organization that aims to protect the natural environment - Those Greenpeace activists saved our forests.

sacrifice (verb): to give up something of great value in order to do or achieve something else - My grandma sacrificed her career as a musician to raise her kids.

strike (noun): a form of peaceful protest by refusing to work or study - At first, most parents didn't support their kids' climate strike.

suffering (noun): physical or emotional pain or discomfort - How much suffering can people bear before they start demanding change?

Further Reading

Further Viewing

Social Media

Contributor: Matt Errey creator of Word Up

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Climate Activist Greta Thunberg | Reading | EnglishClub

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How did a 15-year-old high school student from Sweden become the world's most famous climate change activist? This reading tells the story of Greta Thunberg's amazing journey, but before you begin why not learn the vocabulary in the Wordchecker list below? Then after reading, don't forget to check your understanding by doing the Greta quiz.

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Habitat loss is a serious environmental issue that has led to thousands of species of animals, birds, plants and fish becoming endangered or extinct. In this reading you'll learn about the ways in which habitats of many kinds are being damaged or lost forever. While reading, check the meaning of words in bold by scrolling down to the Wordchecker below. After reading, check your understanding by doing our Habitat Loss Quiz and the Threatened Species Gapfill Quiz.

Animals, plants and all other living things can only survive in places that give them what they need, and we call these places habitats. Every species needs a particular kind of habitat with the right kind of food, the right kind of shelter, the right climate, and so on. If a habitat is destroyed or so badly damaged that it no longer provides what's needed for a species to live there, the species has experienced habitat loss.

When a species experiences serious levels of habitat loss, its population declines and it can become endangered. If its population continues to decline, it eventually becomes extinct and biodiversity is further reduced. This is happening right now, and it's getting worse every day. According to The International Union for Conservation of Nature's current IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, more than 35,500 species are already threatened with extinction, including 40% of amphibians, 34% of conifers, 33% of the corals in coral reefs, 26% of mammals and 14% of birds. These numbers are truly shocking, and they show how serious the problem of habitat loss has become.

Types of Habitat Loss

Habitat loss is occurring all around the world, and it's damaging or destroying ecosystems in every type of habitat. Terrestrial habitats like rainforests and woodlands are being cleared to make room for agricultural land, and they're also being destroyed by forest fires made worse than ever by climate change. Aquatic habitats are also being lost or seriously damaged in many parts of the world. Rivers are running dry, lakes are being filled with toxic waste, wetlands are being drained and marine habitats are being lost due to destructive overfishing and the effects of climate change.

Terrestrial Habitat Loss

One of the main causes of terrestrial habitat loss is deforestation in which entire forests are cleared, either to harvest timber or to create land for agriculture. When harvesting timber, logging companies often find that clearing an entire forest is cheaper than cutting down selected trees and leaving the rest. This is called clear-cutting and it's being done in forests and woodlands around the world, even in protected rainforests of the Amazon Basin. These are some of the world's richest habitats where nearly half of all the plant and animal species on Earth live. It's estimated that around 80,000 acres of rainforest is lost to burning and clear-cutting every day. Even if the cleared land is then used to create tree plantations, they are usually for a single species like the oil palm or the rubber tree. Replacing forests with plantations often destroys all the natural habitats in an entire region, leaving wildlife with nowhere to live. This makes mass extinctions far more likely to occur.

The same degree of habitat loss can occur when land is cleared for farming. Modern agriculture uses huge machines to harvest crops like wheat and corn, and this way of farming works best when every single tree is cut down. Even small areas of natural habitat aren't left uncleared, and as with tree plantations this can mean all the natural ecosystems and habitats in an entire region are lost forever.

There is also a lot of evidence linking climate change to habitat loss. Average temperatures have increased steadily since 2000, and forest fires have also become more frequent during this period, especially in the USA and Australia. Many of these fires are also more destructive than ever, burning hotter and for longer than before. Not only are they killing plants and animals, they're also killing seeds and organisms in the soil that normally allow forests to grow back after a fire. Climate change is also changing rainfall patterns, and in parts of Africa where less rain is falling desertification is gradually turning fertile grassland habitats into lifeless deserts.

Aquatic Habitat Loss

Habitat loss is also occurring in aquatic environments like rivers, lakes, wetlands and oceans. Toxic waste is being dumped into rivers and lakes in industrial areas, while in agricultural areas pesticides and fertilizers are entering waterways and damaging their ecosystems in various ways. The draining and filling of wetlands and marshes to create land for farming and housing is also destroying important habitats. Many of these habitats are breeding grounds and sources of food for water birds, and their loss is seriously endangering many species.

Marine habitats throughout the world's oceans are also coming under threat. Overfishing is getting worse as advanced technologies such as satellite surveillance make it easier than ever to track and catch huge numbers of fish. Fleets of fishing boats trawl the oceans and bring up everything in their nets, but only keep the fish they can sell. The rest is left to die and then thrown back, and doing this can disrupt food chains in marine habitats.

Damage is also being done to many coastal habitats. Mangrove swamps along tropical coasts are breeding grounds for countless species, but these and other shoreline habitats are often cleared to build seafood farms, coastal roads, beach houses, industrial estates, and so on. Coastal habitats can also be damaged by oil spills and the dumping of industrial waste.

Coral reefs are among the most beautiful and colourful habitats in the world. But climate change is causing temperatures in the ocean to rise, and this can result in coral bleaching. If episodes of coral bleaching repeatedly occur, the coral dies and what used to be an underwater wonderland soon becomes an underwater wasteland instead.

In the 2020 WWF Living Planet Report, Director General of the World Wildlife Fund Marco Lambertini wrote: "The report underlines how humanity's increasing destruction of nature is having catastrophic impacts not only on wildlife populations but also on human health and all aspects of our lives." But scientists and environmentalists aren't giving up. They are trying to understand why these impacts were allowed to become so catastrophic.

aquatic (adjective): living in or near water, or related to water - It's amazing to see so many aquatic species living in one wetland.

biodiversity (noun): the range of animal and plant life in the world or in a particular habitat - Loss of biodiversity is a serious environmental problem.

catastrophic (adjective): causing terrible damage and suffering - Forest fires can be catastrophic for wildlife.

clear-cut (also clear-fell) (verb): to destroy a forest by cutting down all the trees - Why are logging companies still clear-cutting rainforests?

conifer (noun): evergreen trees like pines and firs with needle-like leaves and seeds in cones - Can we use any kind of conifer as a Christmas tree?

coral reef (noun): a marine habitat around rock-like calcium formations created by colonies of living coral - If climate change kills our coral reefs, tourists will stop coming.

coral bleaching (noun): a process by which rising water temperatures cause coral to lose colour before dying - In 2016, coral bleaching killed up to 50% of the Great Barrier Reef's coral.

deforestation (noun): the destruction of all the trees and shrubs in a forest or woodland - The government says deforestation creates jobs.

desertification (noun): the process by which fertile land becomes an arid, desert-like wasteland - Nearly 20% of the world's land is threatened with desertification.

dump (verb): to put unwanted waste in the wrong place - Do you know which factory is dumping waste into our lake?

endangered (adjective): in danger of becoming extinct or disappearing in the near future - That many species can't really be endangered, can they?

extinct (adjective): no longer existing (of a species of animal, bird, plant, etc) - Dozens of Australian animals became extinct after the British took our land.

habitat loss (noun): the disappearance of natural habitats in which a species normally lives - How many species are endangered because of habitat loss?

logging (noun): the act of cutting down trees for their wood - The logging stopped after the timber mill closed.

mangrove (noun): a tree that grows in muddy swamps on the seashore, mostly in tropical areas - Lots of fish and crabs lay eggs in the roots of mangroves.

plantation (noun): a large area in which trees of a single species are grown and harvested for wood or a product like tea, rubber, palm oil, etc - We owned a tea plantation in India.

terrestrial (adjective): on or related to land (as opposed to the sea or the sky) - Terrestrial habitats have been studied more than marine habitats.

timber (noun): wood that's been prepared for use as a building material - What kind of timber are you getting for the floors?

trawl (verb): to catch fish by pulling a large net behind a boat - Trawling catches everything, not just the fish they want.

wetlands (noun): land that's regularly flooded by water from a nearby lake, river or ocean - Wetlands are great places for photographing water birds.

Further Reading

Further Viewing

Educational Resources
March 2021

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Habitat loss is a serious environmental issue that has led to thousands of species of animals, birds, plants and fish becoming endangered or extinct. In this reading you'll learn about the ways in which habitats of many kinds are being damaged or lost forever.

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Every living thing has a place in which it lives, and we call this place its natural habitat. This reading is all about these habitats. What makes a good habitat? How do living things share habitats? Are there different types of habitat? While reading, you can check the meaning of words in bold by scrolling down to the Wordchecker below. After reading, have fun by doing our Natural Habitats Quiz to check your understanding.

Every living thing has a particular place in which it lives, and we call this place its habitat. A good habitat provides everything an organism needs to survive. It provides food and shelter, places for breeding or laying eggs, the right kind of climate, and so on. Every particular type of organism, or species, needs a particular type of natural habitat. For some species it could be deep in a forest, while for others it could be deep in the ocean. No matter what type of habitat a species needs, it will have to share it with other species who have adapted to the same kind of natural environment.

When many species share a particular habitat, some species will be food for other species, which in turn might be food for others even higher up the food chain. Food chains are just one of many relationship networks within a habitat that together form what we call an ecosystem. As such, every species becomes part of an ecosystem within its particular habitat. Lions, for example, live in habitats across the grasslands of central Africa. They are apex predators, which means they are at the top of the food chain in their ecosystem. The food chains that lions are part of include various grasses and other plants eaten by the animals that lions eat, such as zebras, buffaloes and giraffes.

Habitat Types

Habitats are often divided into three main types: terrestrial, freshwater and marine. Terrestrial habitats are places on land like forests, woodlands, grasslands and deserts, while freshwater habitats include rivers, lakes, ponds and inland swamps and marshes. Marine habitats include all those places that are part of the world's oceans such as coastal rock pools, coral reefs, open seas far from land, and seabeds on the ocean floor.

Habitats can also be put into categories based on climate type. For example, polar bears and emperor penguins live in very cold polar habitats, while gorillas and orangutans live in much warmer tropical habitats. Even though gorillas inhabit mountain forests in equatorial Africa and orangutans live in the rainforests of equatorial southeast Asia, both can be said to live in tropical habitats. Habitats can also be put into categories based on vegetation type. For example, we can also say orangutans live in rainforest habitats, while lions live in grassland habitats.

Habitats and Ecosystems

No matter what kind of habitat we're talking about, we can be sure it contains many species that each form part of a complex ecosystem. An ecosystem in a terrestrial habitat usually involves a wide range of species including plants, animals, birds, insects and microorganisms in the soil. These organisms are linked in a variety of ways. Animals might eat other animals, or they might depend on plants for food. And the plants might depend on nutrients in the soil from the waste of these animals. Microorganisms might depend on dead bodies for food, and insects might play an essential role in the pollination of certain plants. If the insects disappear, the plants will eventually disappear as well if they can't produce seeds. And birds that depend on these plants for food as well as nest-building materials might also disappear, and so on.

All of these connections among organisms in a habitat form an ecosystem, and while some organisms might survive changes to their ecosystem, many may not. The most vulnerable might even become endangered if important habitats are damaged or lost.

Natural Habitats Quiz

breeding (noun): the process by which organisms reproduce - A suitable habitat is essential for successful breeding.

coral reef (noun): a marine habitat around rock-like calcium formations created by colonies of living coral - Coral reefs are teeming with marine life.

ecosystem (noun): a complex network of relationships among organisms - Our river's ecosystem is being destroyed by toxic factory waste.

endangered (adjective): in danger of becoming extinct or disappearing in the near future - Over 30,000 species are already endangered.

equatorial (adjective): near the equator, or similar to somewhere near the equator - I used to think that all rainforests were equatorial.

food chain (noun): a linked series of relationships wherein one species is food for another, which in turn is food for another, and so on - Nothing eats lions, so they must be at the top of their food chain.

habitat (noun): the place in which a particular animal, plant or other organism usually lives, such as a forest, river, grassland, etc - If it's the habitat of an endangered species, it must be protected.

inhabit (verb): to live in a particular place - The islands are inhabited by millions of seabirds during the breeding season.

marine (adjective): related to the sea - They catch fish and other marine creatures.

marsh (noun): an area of soft, wet land that often floods during high tides or the rainy season - Marshes are really important habitats for water birds.

natural environment (noun): any place still in its natural state - Our goal is to protect natural environments from destructive human activity.

natural habitat (noun): the place in which a species normally lives - If the tiger's natural habitat isn't protected, it'll soon be extinct.

orangutan (noun): a large ape with long red hair and long arms that inhabits the jungles of Borneo and Sumatra - If you look an orangutan in the eye, it's just like looking another person in the eye.

organism (noun): a living thing, such as an animal, plant, bird or bacterium - Good soil is full of organisms, many of which are microorganisms too small to see.

pollination (noun): the process by which pollen is moved from one flower to another, often by an insect or bird, to allow fertilization - Pollination only occurs when there are plenty of bees here to do it.

species (noun): a group of very similar organisms that can reproduce - Did you hear about this new species of tree kangaroo they found in Australia?

terrestrial (adjective): on or related to the Earth's land (as opposed to the sea or the sky) - Most mammals are terrestrial, but whales and dolphins and marine mammals.

Further Reading

Further Viewing

Our Planet - First Episode
The first of seven episodes of the 2020 documentary series Our Planet that can be viewed in full on YouTube for free, or on Netflix. This episode looks at the Earth as a whole, while each of the following six episodes looks at a particular habitat type: polar, jungle, coastal seas, deserts and grasslands, the high seas, freshwater and forests. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, with perfect CC subtitles in English available. (50 mins / highly recommended)

The Perfect Coral Reef
Sir David Attenborough also narrates this short documentary on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, a beautiful natural habitat teeming with fish and other marine life. (4 mins)

Educational Resources

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Natural Habitats | Reading | EnglishClub

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Every living thing has a place in which it lives, and we call this place its natural habitat. This reading is all about these habitats. What makes a good habitat? How do living things share habitats? Are there different types of habitat?

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LEGO 9688 Renewable Energy Add-on Set - M&M Solar Station

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Intro video for the LEGO Renewable Energy Add-on Set (9688). Machines & Mechanisms - Solar Station

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Sustainable Development Goal 15 - Life on Land - Tracey Rogers

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We MUST take care of our ecosystems.

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Understand Goal 14: Life Below Water (Secondary)

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Sustainable Development Goal 13 - Climate Action - Ben Newell

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Understand Goal 13: Climate Action (Secondary)

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What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

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GRETA Y LOS GIGANTES

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Greta y Los Gigante un resumen

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Greta and the gigants

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HARMANPREET  6°D

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Grita y los gigantes resumen

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Abdelouadoud 6°D

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Hecho por Sabah y Paula

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Harman 6 D

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EL MEDIO AMBIENTE

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Hay que cuidar el planeta

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UN PLANETA LIMPIO

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El medio ambiente

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Abdelouadoud 6D

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Because of  global warming icebergs are melting and polar bears are losing their homes.

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Mimi&Me قراءة كتب أطفال بالإنجليزي الفصحى

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Greta and the Giants [Children's story | Read Aloud]

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This comic explains what it is and how we can solve climate change

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it's the enviroment

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Save the planet if you can

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Save plants and anímals!

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Help the climate change!

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to teach to take care of the environment is to teach to value life

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Because the earth is your home.

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Saving the animals is easy but doing it is hard,right?

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Save the planet, because we don't have other.

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my keyring

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Don't fell the tress!!

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My comic

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Because of  global warming icebergs are melting and polar bears are losing their homes.

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Save crocodiles

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Save the Mar Menor

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When we go to the countryoutside we can look at plants and animals, so help them to survive.

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We have to do something with the climatic change, and there is some examples to take care of the environment

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Save the planet and the animals.

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SAVE THE WORLD, WE ONLY HAVE ONE!!!

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Save plants, they save lifes.

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My keyring

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Hay que cuidar la tierra