. Greenland - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Greenland - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Greenland - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson

Breaking News English Lesson: Greenland

President Donald Trump is increasing his efforts to acquire Greenland. He will put 10 per cent tariffs on several European countries if they do not agree with his plans. The tariffs will start next month. The levy could increase to 25 per cent in June. The tariffs will be "due and payable until such time as a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland". The UK prime minister said tariffs for the security of NATO is "completely wrong".

Acquiring Greenland has been a priority for President Trump. He said "the national security of the United States and the world at large is at stake". He said strong measures were needed to secure world peace, and to ensure this "potentially perilous situation ends quickly". Thousands of people in Greenland protested yesterday against Trump's plans. In the capital city of Nuuk, people held signs that read "Greenland is not for sale".

Try the same news story at these levels:

  • https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/trump-knows-good-real-estate-he-knows-greenlands-value-national-security
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/16/politics/tariffs-trump-greenland-opposition
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/16/trump-greenland-tariffs.html
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenland

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. Donald Trump is increasing
  2. tariffs on several
  3. if they do not agree
  4. The tariffs will
  5. The levy
  6. until such time as a
  7. the complete and total purchase
  8. tariffs for the security
  1. deal is reached
  2. start next month
  3. of NATO
  4. European countries
  5. of Greenland
  6. with his plans
  7. could increase
  8. his efforts
Paragraph 2
  1. Acquiring Greenland has been
  2. national
  3. the world
  4. strong measures
  5. secure world
  6. this potentially
  7. people in Greenland
  8. the capital city
  1. of Nuuk
  2. at large
  3. were needed
  4. perilous situation
  5. a priority
  6. peace
  7. security
  8. protested
Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

President Donald Trump is (1) ________________________________________________ to acquire Greenland. He will put 10 per cent (2) ________________________________________________ European countries if they do not agree with his plans. The tariffs will start next month. The (3) ________________________________________________ to 25 per cent in June. The tariffs will be "(4) ________________________________________________ until such time as a deal is reached for the complete (5) ________________________________________________ of Greenland". The UK prime minister said tariffs for the security of NATO (6) ________________________________________________".

Acquiring Greenland has been (7) ________________________________________________ President Trump. He said "(8) ________________________________________________ of the United States and the world at large (9) ________________________________________________". He said strong measures were needed to secure world peace, (10) ________________________________________________ this "potentially (11) ________________________________________________ quickly". Thousands of people in Greenland protested yesterday against Trump's plans. In the capital city of Nuuk, people held signs that read "Greenland is (12) ________________________________________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

PresidentDonaldTrumpisincreasinghiseffortstoacquireGreenland.H ewillput10percenttariffsonseveralEuropeancountriesiftheydonotagr eewithhisplans.Thetariffswillstartnextmonth.Thelevycouldincrease to25percentinJune.Thetariffswillbe"dueandpayableuntilsuchtimeas adealisreachedforthecompleteandtotalpurchaseofGreenland.TheU KprimeministersaidtariffsforthesecurityofNATOis"completelywrong ".AcquiringGreenlandhasbeenapriorityforPresidentTrump.Hesaid"t henationalsecurityoftheUnitedStatesandtheworldatlargeisatstake". Hesaidstrongmeasureswereneededtosecureworldpeace,andtoensu rethis"potentiallyperiloussituationendsquickly".Thousandsofpeople inGreenlandprotestedyesterdayagainstTrump'splans.Inthecapitalci tyofNuuk,peopleheldsignsthatread"Greenlandisnotforsale".

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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