Tough jobs in B.C.

Tough jobs in B.C. Adapted from The Province by Nila Gopaul Level 3 Bronwyn Barter is a paramedic in Nelson, B.C. Paramedics help people in emergency medical situations. They help people before they get to the hospital. Bronwyn wanted to be a paramedic at five years old. At the time, she was with her sister and father. It…

Canada Post honours C.D. Hoy

Level 3 Canada Post has seven new stamps. A famous Canadian photographer is on each stamp. See the stamps here. C.D. Hoy is on one of these stamps. Hoy was a famous photographer. He lived in Quesnel, B.C. B.C. road trip The Westcoast Reader editor and Nancy Carson drove to Quesnel, B.C. in 2012. It was summer. They went to the Quesnel and District…

Teens and screens

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 January 2011 Teenage Internet addiction* is on the rise in B.C. Many teenagers now spend 7 to 14 hours a day on the Internet. Parents and teachers worry these teenagers might be addicted to the Internet. * (say: ah-dik-shun) Read the PDF.  Try the Exercise. Teens and screens-PDF…

Baby sign language

Level 2 April 2011 Special thanks to Sheri Kauhausen of Intoyoga.ca and the mothers at Kerrisdale Community Centre Sheri Kauhausen teaches sign language to parents and to babies who hear. She uses American Sign Language in her classes. Sheri says babies can communicate before they can speak. Read the PDF. Baby sign language-PDF Babies (8–12…

Etiquette

Level 2 January 2011 What is etiquette? Etiquette* is a set of rules telling people how to behave. Different cultures have different rules. For example, there are rules about eating, using cell phones and greeting people. *(say: eh-ti-kit) Read the PDF. Etiquette-PDF Some rules in Canada are: Illustrations by: Nola Johnston

Volunteers help people

Level 1 April 2010 Many people volunteer in Canada. Volunteers do not get paid to work. Volunteers help people in many ways. For example: Some volunteers help newcomers with their English. Other volunteers help children learn a new sport. Volunteers sometimes work in a store such as a thrift shop. Read the PDF.  Try the…

Surprise!

Level 2 November 2011 Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Rachel Suttle did not know she was expecting a baby (was pregnant). The strange story began in December, 2010. Rachel became pregnant, but six weeks later, she lost the baby. Read the PDF. Surprise-PDF In January, Rachel visited her family doctor. He told her she was…

Roundabout rules

Level 2 October 2010 Adpated from The Vancouver Sun by Nila Gopaul Approach Slow down. Yield Yield to cars coming from the LEFT. Yield to pedestrians (walkers). Read the PDF. Roundabout rules-PDF Enter When it is safe, enter to your RIGHT. Exit Signal RIGHT when you plan to exit. Special rules If you miss your…

Shipwrecked in BC

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and Victoria Times Colonist by Nila Gopaul Level 2 September 2011 For six days in early June, Elaine Campbell was alone on a rocky beach in Haida Gwaii, B.C. Earlier, Elaine and her husband, Fred, were exploring the island. They were in a small boat. Suddenly, a large wave tipped…

The story of chocolate

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 February 2011 Chocolate comes from the beans of a cacao* fruit tree. The cacao bean is the seed of the fruit. *(say: ka-kow) Cacao trees can grow 15 metres high. The trees grow in tropical rain forests. Read the PDF. The story of chocolate-PDF Visit the links:  Beanpod…

Hypothermia

Adapted from Healthlink BC by Nila Gopaul Level 2 May/June 2012 Normal body temperature in adults is 34.4 °C to 37.8 °C. People can get hypothermia when the inside of the body drops below 35 °C. If not treated, hypothermia can lead to death. Read the PDF.  Try the exercise. Hypothermia-PDF Here are some ways…

Viola Desmond, a Canadian hero

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nila Gopaul Level 3 February 2012 Viola Desmond was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In the 1940s, Viola was successful. She owned a beauty parlour and a beauty college. Many people liked and respected her. Read the PDF. Viola Desmond, a Canadian hero-PDF Car breaks down One November…

Made in Canada

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 October 2011 Canadians like to make new things. A Canadian made the electric oven in 1950. Cooks were very happy. A Canadian company made a robot arm for a spaceship. They call it “Canadarm”. A Canadian company also made a new phone. They call it the BlackBerry. In…

Be-leaf it!

Adapted from The Province Level 1 January 2011 Eve Steel has the world’s biggest maple leaf. This leaf is 44 centimetres (cm) wide and 34 cm long. Eve’s mother says, “With the stem, it’s 59 cm. It’s just a huge leaf.” Eve found the leaf near her Vancouver home. Eve says, “It was really windy,…

Sitting is a pain

Level 2 Adapted from The Edmonton Journal October 2011 Ginette Biro is a personal trainer. She teaches people how to exercise. Biro also trains students to stretch. Read the PDF. Sitting is a pain-PDF Sitting for a long time can be hard on the body, especially the back. Biro says it is very important to…

Walked the world

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 December 2011 Jean Beliveau was not a happy man. He needed a change. On August 18, 2000, Jean tied his shoes and said good-bye. It was his 45th birthday. Jean decided to walk around the world for peace. And he walked, for 11 years. He travelled 75,000 kilometres…

Water safety

Water safety Adapted by Nila Gopaul Level 3 June 2010 Each year in BC, about 43 people drown. You drown if your lungs fill with water and you cannot breathe. Where do people drown?   In swimming pools, in natural waters such as rivers, lakes and oceans, and in bathtubs. Always have an adult watch babies…

Greetings

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 January 2011 Sarah Meli of Malta, Ziaul Hasan of India, and Zelius Kleefstra of South Africa came to Vancouver to study. All three UBC (University of British Columbia) students spoke about their experiences in Canada. Read the PDF.  Try the Exercise. Greetings-PDF Hugging Sarah says hugging is a…

66 years in love

Adapted from The Province by Nila Gopaul Level 1 February 2012 Zoe and Bob Longshaw are in love. The two married on May 18, 1946. Bob is 87 years old.  He was a mechanic. Zoe is 86 years old.  She was a hairdresser. Together, they raised five sons. Bob and Zoe like to go out. They…

Hannah writes about Jonah

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 January 2012 Hannah Christensen is 12 years old. She wrote a book called Sock Wars to remember her brother. Jonah died three years ago. He was six years old. Sock Wars is a fun story about a girl and her brother. The girl washes clothes. Then she folds…

A family business

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 January 2012 William and his wife, Jenny, started their beef jerky business 25 years ago. They bought the secret recipe for dried meat in Singapore for $35,000. BKH Jerky was a booming business for many years. But bad luck hit. A fire destroyed their business. BKH Jerky had…

Race with a thief

Adapted from The Province by Nila Gopaul Level 1, December 2010 Otto Haas was a famous runner in Germany. He ran 100 metres in 12.5 seconds. And over 70 years later, he raced again. Otto, his wife Josefine, and her sister, Trudy, live in Kelowna. They visited Vancouver in 2009. In a parking lot, a young…

Start a container garden

Level one April 2011 Save money Grow your own vegetables. It is a great way to save money. Start your garden You don’t need a big space. You can grow many things in a pot or a container. Plant vegetables You can plant some herbs, lettuce, tomatoes, radishes and peas this month. Put in a…

The Great Blue Heron

Adapted from the B.C. Ministry of Environment and The Province Illustrations by Nola Johnston Level 2 May 2011 In BC, people can see Great Blue Herons all year. Herons live on the coast. They also live in the southern part of B.C. The heron is a large bird: It is taller than many 8-year-old children….

A new family law in B.C.

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and Statistics Canada Level 1 Every year, many couples think of love on February 14. Many couples like Valentine’s Day. They say it is romantic. Some couples go to a restaurant. Some men give women flowers. Some women give men cards. Different couples Some couples are boyfriend and girlfriend, for…

Farmland disappears

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and www.youtube.com Level 2 I interviewed Harold Steves in 2009. Harold is an interesting man. He and my father were both at U.B.C. They both studied Agriculture. Both men became teachers. Visit the links: B.C. Agricultural Land Commission Harold’s family history Many people know about the Steves’ family. The town…

A vest helps special-needs children

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Lisa Fraser is 24 years old. She is a Vancouver designer. She has a company.  It is called Squeezease Therapy. Lisa’s company makes vests to comfort children with special-needs like autism and ADHD. The name of her vest is called “Snug Vest”. What is a Snug Vest? Lisa’s…

A tiny bird is big news

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun / burnabybirdguy.wordpress.com / Wikipedia Submission by: Patti-Lea Ryan A tiny bird is big news in B.C. these days. A young Red-flanked Bluetail has come to Queen’s Park in New Westminster. It is far from home. Not a Canadian bird Our tiny visitor is not from Canada. It has come from…

A human library

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and The Province Level 1 A library is a place. It has books, music, movies and other things. Many towns and cities have libraries. People go there to read books and newspapers. People enjoy reading at the library. A library is a quiet place for reading. Library cards Many people…

ELSA students helping the homeless

In our ELSA level 3 class, we learned about the problem of homelessness. For a 2nd year, we are collecting clothing donations (socks, toques, and gloves) for the homeless. We will distribute the clothes at a shelter for the homeless in downtown Vancouver near Christmas time.

Shopper safety tips

Adapted from the City of Richmond and RCMP Crime Prevention Level 2 The Christmas season is a busy time for shoppers. The malls and grocery stores are full of people. December is also a busy time for thieves. Read the PDF.

Winter driving

Adapted from ICBC Level 2 In B.C., heavy rain, fog, snow and ice can make driving difficult. Here are some ideas for driving in the winter: Buy good wipers, so you can see well. Fill fluids such as antifreeze and wiper fluid. Make sure that you have good winter tires if you are driving on roads…