News Lessons

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Our news lessons, at three levels, are sourced from articles published by The Guardian. They include downloadable worksheets and teacher's notes for you to use in class.

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I was a champion of fake meat: but I’m not surprised people are losing their taste for it

2023-09-21T00:01:00+01:00By Jennifer Cantave

Why do meat alternatives lose popularity over time? A former advocate talks about plant-based and lab-grown meats.

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Everything I hate is on Twitter – how can the alternatives compete?

2023-09-14T00:01:00+01:00By Engeli Haupt

Are the changes made to X (formerly Twitter) pushing users to other platforms?

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Will AI free us from drudgery – or leave us jobless and hungry?

2023-08-31T00:28:00+01:00By Jennifer Cantave

Is Artificial Intelligence capable of replacing humans in the workplace?

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Elizabeth Gilbert was ridiculed for shelving her Russia-set novel, but I quite admire her

2023-08-24T00:02:00+01:00By Engeli Haupt

Should public figures be responsible for protecting their fans’ feelings and beliefs?

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US beach town bans balloons to save the ocean

2023-08-17T00:02:00+01:00By Jennifer Cantave

Is banning balloons near beaches helping marine life? Read and find out.

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AI used to create new and final Beatles song, says Paul McCartney

2023-08-10T00:02:00+01:00By Engeli Haupt

Is it appropriate to use technology to create music using the voices of deceased artists?

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Should I worry about how much sun I get?

2023-07-27T00:01:00+01:00By Jennifer Cantave

How can we protect ourselves from the harmful effects of UV Rays?

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A new start after 60: I was devastated by divorce at 70. But at 102, I know the secrets of a well-lived life

2023-07-20T00:01:00+01:00By Engeli Haupt

How was a woman able to restart her life and find her voice at the age of 70? Read and find out.

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China’s 11.6m graduates face a jobs market with no jobs

2023-07-13T00:01:00+01:00By Jennifer Cantave

Discuss with your students the job market challenges in China for recent graduates.

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‘Beowulf is lit’ – could ChatGPT really write good book blurbs?

2023-06-29T00:01:00+01:00By Engeli Haupt

Is it possible for generative AI to produce social media reviews that appear to be written by humans?

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Common disinfectant wipes expose people to dangerous chemicals, research reveals

2023-06-22T00:02:00+01:00By Jennifer Cantave

Are disinfectant wipes doing more harm than good? Read and find out.

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Here’s why we should stop weeding. Learn to love our dandelions and brambles

2023-06-15T00:01:00+01:00By Engeli Haupt

Read about why we should learn to embrace weeds and their benefits to nature.

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Parisians vote to ban rental e-scooters from French capital by huge margin

2023-06-08T00:02:00+01:00By Jennifer Cantave

Paris has banned rental e-scooters due to increased accidents. Was it the right move?

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Five intimate friendships is the optimal number – I scrape two

2023-05-25T00:02:00+01:00By Engeli Haupt

What is the ideal number of ‘close’ friends one should have? 

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‘A swipe at fashion capitalism’: Telfar’s experiment lets customers set prices

2023-05-18T00:05:00+01:00By Jennifer Cantave

Read about the company that lets its customers set the prices of their products.

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You could cook while on the toilet: a night in one of Tokyo’s micro-apartments

2023-05-11T00:02:00+01:00By Engeli Haupt

Could you live in a 32m² flat if it’s close to work or school?

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Meat, dairy and rice production will bust 1.5C climate target, shows study

2023-04-27T00:09:00+01:00By Jennifer Cantave

Can changes to our daily diet have an impact on climate change?

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‘The most important talks no one has heard of’: why the high seas treaty matters

2023-04-20T00:02:00+01:00By Engeli Haupt

How are almost 200 countries trying to protect the high seas from overfishing? Read and find out.

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‘It’s a bit too castle-y’: plans to turn Cumbrian fortress into eco-attraction

2023-04-13T00:01:00+01:00By Jennifer Cantave

Would you consider a castle in Muncaster as your next ecotourism destination?

News Lesson image of a green quill resting on an ink bottle.

Forensic study finds Chilean poet Pablo Neruda was poisoned

2023-03-30T00:01:00+01:00By Engeli Haupt

Read about the mysterious death of the controversial poet days after a military coup broke out in his home country.

Expressionist artwork

Different strokes: the forgotten women of abstract expressionism

2023-03-23T00:38:00+00:00By Jennifer Cantave

How is an art exhibition in London expanding the body of abstract expressionist artwork? Read and find out.

Asian family smiling at camera

Japan PM’s solution to dire birth rate has already been rejected by young

2023-03-16T00:05:00+00:00By Engeli Haupt

How is the Japanese government trying to motivate younger generations to have more children? Read and find out.

Image on windmills and solar panels

Biden’s clean energy act paves Britain’s way to post-Brexit growth. Should we copy him?

2023-03-09T00:14:00+00:00By Kieran Baker

The US and the EU seem to be on the right track towards green energy production. Should the UK and other nations follow suit?

Lady filming back at camera with her phone

Why it’s time to stop filming strangers in public for social media thrills

2023-02-23T00:24:00+00:00By Kieran Baker

Read about how the use of phones to film others in public has become problematic. Do you agree?

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Stop swiping, start talking: the rise and rise of the blind-dating app

2023-02-16T00:32:00+00:00By Engeli Haupt

Are blind-dating apps are changing the online dating scene? Read and find out more about this new trend.

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‘Eight hours’ sleep! And you must eat breakfast!’ The truth behind 10 of the biggest health beliefs

2023-02-09T00:26:00+00:00By Kieran Baker

Do we really need to drink two litres of water a day? Read about this and other common health beliefs.

News lessons-1 (6)

How to quit fast fashion: ‘Sometimes we don’t need retail therapy, we need actual therapy’

2023-01-26T00:11:00+00:00By Engeli Haupt

Do you like to go shopping when you feel sad? Does it actually help? Read and find out.

Young woman carrying a case of herbs in a greenhouse

I left my job in London to grow food. This deep connection with nature gives my life meaning

2023-01-19T00:02:00+00:00By Engeli Haupt

Would you leave your day job to find a new purpose in life? Read about a woman who did.

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‘She believed in every one of us’: ex-pupils on their inspirational teachers

2023-01-12T00:03:00+00:00By

After Adele’s tearful reunion with a former teacher, four readers recall their own school memories.

Teenage boy listening to music on his phone

Pan pipes, pinot noir and productivity: the hidden power of music

2022-12-22T00:01:00+00:00By Karen Richardson

How important is music to you? Read about the influence music has in our daily lives.

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‘When we plant, they come’: thirsty elephants pose new problem for drought-hit Kenyan farmers

2022-12-15T00:01:00+00:00By

How do people in Taita-Taveta county keep thirsty elephants at bay? Read and find out.

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Where the heart lives: the enduring homesteads tying Māori to their heritage

2022-12-08T00:02:00+00:00By Karen Richardson

Read about the Māori and their connection to the traditional homes of their ancestors.

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‘A crazy story’: how a Chinese vase valued at €2,000 sold for €8m

2022-11-24T00:10:00+00:00By

An auction house mistook an antique vase for a copy. But was it really a mistake? 

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Can AI stop rare eagles flying into wind turbines in Germany?

2022-11-17T00:02:00+00:00By Karen Richardson

Can AI save endangered eagles from flying into wind turbines? Read to find out.

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‘Each guest experience will be different’: VR and the future of theme parks

2022-11-10T00:00:00+00:00By

Theme parks have turned to Virtual Reality to provide a more exciting experience for their customers.

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How an alligator became an emotional support animal: ‘They said it was a midlife crisis’

2022-10-27T00:02:00+01:00By Karen Richardson

Can a dangerous predator become an emotional support animal? Read and find out.

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What’s lost when a family-owned diner closes for good?

2022-10-20T00:02:00+01:00By

Thousands of eateries have closed in the last two years. What does it mean for the local communities and their social life?

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The people making a difference: the teacher running a free school uniform exchange on her doorstep

2022-10-13T00:05:00+01:00By Karen Richardson

Read how one teacher is helping parents get uniforms for their kids amidst the cost of living crisis.

News lessons-1 (6)

The AI start-up erasing call-centre-worker accents: is it fighting bias – or perpetuating it?

2022-09-29T00:02:00+01:00By

Does voice-altering software bridge the gap between the customer and the call-centre staff, or hide the diversity? Read and find out.