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Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. dedicate
    • ex. The town dedicates one day a year to celebrating its history.
  2. proclaim
    • ex. The mayor proclaimed today a holiday, so schools and offices are closed.
  3. a food web
    • ex. In the forest, animals and plants are part of a food web. They all need each other to live.
  4. capture
    • ex. Photographers often capture special moments at weddings with their cameras.
  5. match up
    • ex. We are matching up the clothes with the right weather. Coats are for cold days, and T-shirts are for hot days.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Many people plant trees on Arbor Day, and experts say the oak tree is the best one to plant. Arbor Day started in 1872 in Nebraska. A newspaper editor named J. Sterling Morton wanted to dedicate a special day to planting trees. On April 10 of that year, people planted about 1 million trees. Two years later, Nebraska’s governor, Robert Furnas, proclaimed April 10 as Arbor Day. Because of this, the tradition of tree planting became popular across the United States.

Oak trees are good for nature. Doug Tallamy, a scientist from the University of Delaware, says oaks are the best trees for helping the food web. All plants capture energy from the sun and turn it into food, which helps animals and people live. And according to Tallamy, oaks support more animals than other trees.

Which tree should you plant? When choosing a plant for your home, it’s important to put the right plant in the right place. Tallamy advises matching up your soil type and growing conditions with an appropriate type of plant. Be sure to pick the right oak for your area.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Days Dedicated to Special Events

  • Arbor Day is a holiday dedicated to planting and caring for trees. How do you think having such a special day can affect a town or community? Discuss.
  • In your country, what are some special days that are dedicated to something (ex. Children’s Day, Labor Day)? Discuss.
  • Imagine you could dedicate a special day to anything. What would it be for, and why? Discuss.

Planting

  • Would you be interested in growing plants, like flowers and vegetables? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • How important do you think trees are for people and animals? Discuss.
  • Imagine you were planting something for your home. What plant or tree would you choose and why? Discuss.