The Reading / Listening - Sesame Street - Level 4

The children's TV show Sesame Street has introduced a new character - a homeless child. The show is tackling the issue of homelessness, via the new character - a 7-year-old girl called Lily. Her suffering is the same as that of over 2.5 million children in the USA and millions more around the world. A spokeswoman hoped Lily would reduce the shame linked to homelessness. She said she hoped Lily could help homeless children feel less alone.

The iconic, educational show started in 1969. It has a long history of highlighting social issues, like dealing with parents who are in prison, living with autism, and bullying. The spokeswoman said: "We know children experiencing homelessness are often caught up in a devastating cycle of trauma....Those children may suffer due to poverty, domestic violence, or other trauma that caused them to lose their home."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Sesame Street - Level 5 or  Sesame Street - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.today.com/popculture/sesame-street-introduces-first-homeless-muppet-lily-t145082
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-46551197
  • https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/sesame-street-muppet-lily-aims-teach-children-about-homelessness-n947196omelessness-n947196


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. The children's TV
  2. introduced
  3. a homeless
  4. The show is tackling
  5. Her suffering is
  6. millions more around
  7. the shame linked
  8. help homeless children
  1. to homelessness
  2. child
  3. the world
  4. feel less alone
  5. a new character
  6. show
  7. the issue
  8. the same

Paragraph 2

  1. The iconic, educational
  2. highlighting social
  3. parents who are
  4. living
  5. caught up in a devastating
  6. Those children may
  7. domestic
  8. trauma that caused them
  1. cycle of trauma
  2. violence
  3. issues
  4. to lose their home
  5. in prison
  6. with autism
  7. show
  8. suffer

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The children's TV show Sesame Street (1) ___________________ new character - a homeless child. The (2) ___________________ the issue of homelessness, (3) ___________________ character - a 7-year-old girl called Lily. Her suffering is (4) ___________________ that of over 2.5 million children in the USA and millions more around the world. A spokeswoman hoped Lily would (5) ___________________ linked to homelessness. She said she hoped Lily could help homeless children (6) ___________________.

The iconic, educational (7) ___________________ 1969. It has a long history of highlighting social issues, (8) ___________________ parents who are in prison, (9) ___________________, and bullying. The spokeswoman said: "We know children experiencing homelessness are (10) ___________________ in a devastating (11) ___________________....Those children may suffer due to poverty, domestic violence, or other trauma that (12) ___________________ lose their home."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thechildren'sTVshowSesameStreethasintroducedanewcharacter-
ahomelesschild.Theshowistacklingtheissueofhomelessness,viathen
ewcharacter-a7-year-oldgirlcalledLily.Hersufferingisthesameastha
tofover2.5millionchildrenintheUSAandmillionsmorearoundtheworld
.AspokeswomanhopedLilywouldreducetheshamelinkedtohomeless
ness.ShesaidshehopedLilycouldhelphomelesschildrenfeellessalone.
Theiconic,educationalshowstartedin1969.Ithasalonghistoryofhighli
ghtingsocialissues,likedealingwithparentswhoareinprison,livingwit
hautism,andbullying.Thespokeswomansaid:"Weknowchildrenexpe
riencinghomelessnessareoftencaughtupinadevastatingcycleoftrau
ma....Thosechildrenmaysufferduetopoverty,domesticviolence,orot
hertraumathatcausedthemtolosetheirhome."

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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