. 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 has announced 10 per cent tariffs on several European countries if they do not "go along with Greenland". These countries recently sent officials to Greenland. 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: "Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO is completely wrong."

Acquiring Greenland has been a high priority for President Trump. He stressed that "the national security of the United States and the world at large is at stake". He added: "It is imperative that, in order to protect global peace and security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation ends quickly." President Trump said Greenland was important for the USA's Golden Dome missile defence system. Thousands of people in Greenland have protested 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. Trump is increasing his efforts
  2. He has announced 10 per cent
  3. if they do not go along
  4. These countries recently sent
  5. The levy could
  6. the complete and total
  7. applying tariffs on
  8. pursuing the collective
  1. allies
  2. purchase of Greenland
  3. security of NATO
  4. increase
  5. with Greenland
  6. to acquire Greenland
  7. officials to Greenland
  8. tariffs
Paragraph 2
  1. Greenland has been a high
  2. national
  3. the world at
  4. in order
  5. this potentially
  6. missile defence
  7. protested
  8. In the capital city
  1. large
  2. of Nuuk
  3. perilous situation
  4. system
  5. priority
  6. against Trump's plans
  7. security
  8. to protect global peace
Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

President Donald Trump is increasing his (1) ________________________________________________ Greenland. He has announced 10 per cent (2) ________________________________________________ European countries if they do not "go along with Greenland". These countries (3) ________________________________________________ to Greenland. The tariffs will start next month. The (4) ________________________________________________ to 25 per cent in June. The tariffs will be "(5) ________________________________________________ until such time as a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland". The UK prime minister said: "Applying tariffs on (6) ________________________________________________ the collective security of NATO is completely wrong."

Acquiring Greenland has been a (7) ________________________________________________ President Trump. He stressed that "the national security of the United States and the world at large (8) ________________________________________________". He added: "It is imperative that, in order to protect global peace and security, (9) ________________________________________________ taken so that this potentially (10) ________________________________________________ quickly." President Trump said Greenland was important for the USA's Golden Dome (11) ________________________________________________. Thousands of people in Greenland have protested against Trump's plans. In the (12) ________________________________________________ Nuuk, people held signs that read "Greenland is not for sale".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

PresidentDonaldTrumpisincreasinghiseffortstoacquireGreenland.H ehasannounced10percenttariffsonseveralEuropeancountriesifthey donot"goalongwithGreenland".Thesecountriesrecentlysentofficialst oGreenland.Thetariffswillstartnextmonth.Thelevycouldincreaseto2 5percentinJune.Thetariffswillbe"dueandpayableuntilsuchtimeasade alisreachedforthecompleteandtotalpurchaseofGreenland.TheUKpri meministersaid:"Applyingtariffsonalliesforpursuingthecollectivesec urityofNATOiscompletelywrong."AcquiringGreenlandhasbeenahigh priorityforPresidentTrump.Hestressedthat"thenationalsecurityofth eUnitedStatesandtheworldatlargeisatstake".Headded:"Itisimperati vethat,inordertoprotectglobalpeaceandsecurity,strongmeasuresbe takensothatthispotentiallyperiloussituationendsquickly."PresidentT rumpsaidGreenlandwasimportantfortheUSA'sGoldenDomemissiled efencesystem.ThousandsofpeopleinGreenlandhaveprotestedagain stTrump'splans.InthecapitalcityofNuuk,peopleheldsignsthatread"G reenlandisnotforsale".

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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