Canucks make changes

Adapted from The Province Level 2 The Vancouver Canucks are not in the Stanley Cup playoffs this year. The goalie, Roberto Luongo, moved to Florida. The Canucks fired the General Manager, Mike Gillis. Read the PDF and do the exercise Canucks make changes Visit the links Learn more about the Canucks. Watch the videos Watch the…

Successful foster kids: Robert Davidson

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 It is hard for foster kids to finish high school. Only 32 percent graduate by age 19. Foster kids move a lot. They change homes and schools often. This makes keeping up at school difficult. The BC government stops supporting youth in foster care at age 19. They…

Successful foster kids: Bayleigh Marie

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Bayleigh Marie lived in foster care all her life. She lived in 10 different foster homes. She lived in three group homes. “When I turned 19, they gave me the boot,” said Marie. “They said I was grown up. Now go face the world on your own.” Marie…

Chocolate chip cookies are a Canadian favourite

Adapted from wikiHow Level 2 Who invented the chocolate chip cookie? Ruth Wakefield invented the chocolate chip cookie in 1924. Ruth and her husband ran a tourist lodge. Ruth made very good desserts for her guests. One day she did not have powdered cocoa for her favourite cookie recipe. Instead, she found a chocolate bar. She…

Driving the Coquihalla in winter

Adapted from The Province Level 2 The Coquihalla is a highway in British Columbia. The highway runs from Hope to Merritt. It is also called Highway 5. The highway runs through the mountains. It goes over high mountain passes. The Coquihalla is a dangerous highway in the winter. Read the PDF and do the exercise Driving…

Peak to be named for Tim Jones

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Tim Jones loved Mount Seymour. He walked his dog there. He rescued people there. He died on Mount Seymour. He was 57 years old. Thousands of people came to Tim Jones’ funeral. Police, firefighters, mountain rescuers, hikers, climbers and skiers came. People lined the street to watch the procession….

Young girl fights bullying

Adapted from The Province and the Nanaimo Daily News Reposted February 24, 2016. This year Pink Shirt Day is February 24. Level 2 Alvena Little-Wolf Ear is 9 years old. She is in grade 4. Alvena was unhappy. Children at school made fun of her. They would not play with her. Annette Little is Alvena’s mother….

Atira wins award

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Atira is an organization. Atira helps women in Vancouver, Surrey and White Rock. Atira builds homes for women. Atira owns 13 buildings. They house 1,200 women. The homes are safe places. The homes are low-cost. They built a new apartment in downtown Vancouver. They used old shipping containers. The…

People with disabilities are good workers

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Scott Fattedad works two days a week. Fattedad works one day at the Thrifty’s. He works one day at Starbucks. Thrifty’s hired him 11 years ago. Fattedad has Down Syndrome. He is friendly. He likes to chat with customers. He does his job very well. He gets awards for…

Sea otter recovers

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Walter is a sea otter. He was found on the beach near Tofino. Someone shot Walter with a shotgun in October. He was shot many times. Read the PDF and do the exercise Sea Otter Watch the videos Watch sea otters swim and play at the Vancouver Aquarium. He…

Hero rescues family from fire

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Trevor Yellowbird is a hero. Trevor and his sister, Robin, saved three people from a house fire. Trevor lived in a basement suite. Robin was visiting. Robin smelled smoke about 3 a.m. Gurbux Dhanjal was Yellowbird’s landlady. She lived upstairs with her daughter, father and mother. The fire…

Canada Post makes changes

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Canada Post has a new business plan. The corporation needs to make more money. They will make more money in three ways. Stamps will cost more in 2014. A stamp costs $0.63 today. On March 31, a stamp will cost $1.00. In 2000, a stamp cost $0.46. The cost…

How to make apple butter

Adapted from wikiHow Level 2 ELSA students at the Collège Éducacentre in Vancouver made apple butter. The students peeled, cut and boiled apples. They poured in honey. They added cinnamon and cardamom. They canned the apple butter. Each student got a jar of apple butter to take home. It was the most delicious English lesson of…

An accident can change a life forever

Adapted from The Province Level 2 Trevor Philips walked home from a concert. A car hit him. Philips broke both his legs. He crushed his ankle. He broke his ribs, collarbone and backbone. He may lose the sight in his left eye. Philips was an active person. He worked in a restaurant. He ran a company…

Libraries help newcomers

Level 2 Ten libraries in the Lower Mainland are part of a new project. The project is called NewToBC. The NewToBC project helps newcomers feel at home in BC. The NewtoBC website is helpful and easy to use. The website is www.newtobc.ca. The library staff can help immigrants. They can help you find what you…

In praise of Alice Munro

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Alice Munro is a writer. She won the 2013 Nobel Prize for Literature. Canadians are very proud of her. She is the first Canadian to win the prize. Read the PDF and do the exercise Alice Munro Wins Nobel Prize Visit the links Meet Alice Munro on Facebook. Watch the…

Thousands of crows gather in Burnaby

Adapted from The Province Level 2 In Burnaby, thousands of crows gather. Watchers say that 3,000 to 5,000 crows gather here every night. They stay for the whole night from sundown to sunrise. You can see them at Still Creek at the corner of Willlingdon Avenue and Highway 1. They gather here every evening during the…

Haida Gwaii wins 7-wonders of BC vote

Adapted from The Province Level 2 Readers of The Province newspaper named the Seven Wonders of BC. The Haida Gwaii won. Andrew Merilees is mayor of the Village of Masset. He says, “It’s an amazing place.” Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. Haida Gwaii wins 7-wonders Visit the WCR links: Learn more about the Haida…

Are you using your cell phone at work?

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Many young people less than 30 years old are very attached to their cell phones and tablets. In their personal lives, they use them all day, everywhere. They need to learn how to use these devices in their workplace. Communication at work is different. “What we need are social…

Survivor stories

Survivors of Indian Residential Schools tell their stories. Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Alvin Dixon Alvin Dixon was 10 years old. He was taken from his home in Bella Bella. After that, he lived at a residential school for 8 years. Visit the links: Residential School Survivor Margaret Commodore speaks. Click here to watch the video.

Thousands of people walked to honour survivors

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 It was raining. Everyone held umbrellas. Seventy thousand people walked to honour First Nations people. The walk ended a week of events. The events celebrated Aboriginal heritage. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. Truth & Reconciliation Walk Visit the links: Dr. Bernice King talked to the large group…

The perfect picnic

Level 2 A picnic is a simple way to eat outdoors. You can picnic in a park. You can picnic in your own backyard. Spread a blanket on the ground. Lay your food out.  Eat your lunch. Have fun. Read the PDF.  Try the Exercise. The perfect picnic-PDF Visit the links: VanDusen Gardens 5 Perfect…

Rowing the Northwest Passage

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Four men are rowing a boat from Inuvik, Northwest Territories to Pond Inlet, Nunavut.  The boat is 7.6 meters long.  They left Inuvik in early July.  They hope to arrive in Pond Inlet in early fall. This route is called the Northwest Passage. It is a very dangerous…

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

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…

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…

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…

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….

New lungs, new life

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Colleen Kohse, 53, lives in Vancouver. When she was in her 20s she received new lungs. At that time, Kohse was very ill. She had cystic fibrosis (CF). CF is a disease. CF affects the lungs. People with CF have a hard time breathing. They also get infections…

Ringette is 50 years old

Adapted from The Vancouver Courier and information from Ringette Canada Level 2 Ringette is a Canadian game on ice. It is one of Canada’s favorite sports for girls and women. Young men are playing ringette now, too. There are over 50,000 people working with ringette across Canada. Some of these are coaches and volunteers. This…

A cooking program opens doors for First Nations

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nancy Carson Level 2 Vancouver loves local food. But there is little First Nations food in the city. Chef Andrew George Jr. hopes to change this. In early November, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (slay-wa-tuth) in North Vancouver celebrated. The first class graduated from its own professional chef’s program. And local chef…

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…

Shipping containers become homes

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 We have seen these huge boxes before. They are large and strong.  We call them containers. These boxes are strong.  They are made out of metal. People use them for many things. Visit the links: Atira Women’s Resource Society The Street to Home Foundation A new use for…

Hungry snowy owls return to Tsawwassen

Adapted from The Province by Nancy Carson Level 2 Bird lovers are excited. About two dozen snowy owls have come back to B.C.’s Lower Mainland for the winter. The owls are in Boundary Bay in the Tsawwassen area. People have seen them on Vancouver Island, too. Visit the links: Video story about the owls that have…

Family, the first school for young children

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 How does a child become a good reader? How does a child become a good speaker? The answer is simple. The family is the first school for a child. A child becomes a good reader because people at home read to him. And read often. A child learns…

Grade 4 kids in B.C. are top readers

Adapted from The Vancouver Courier by Nancy Carson Level 2 Grade 4 students in B.C. are very good readers. Nine provinces in Canada were in a reading study. There were 45 countries in the same study. Visit the link: Vancouver Sun’s Raise-a-Reader program with videos of local children’s authors Video: Read for the Top Canadian Reading…

Throw like a girl

Adapted from The Courier Level 2 At one time, people thought boys and girls had different arms and shoulders. These people noticed that boys could throw a ball well. They noticed that girls did not throw well. “You throw like a girl” meant your throw was weak. It meant you could not throw far.  And…

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…

Aging in a changing world

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nancy Carson Level 2 In October, more than 750 people met in Vancouver. These people study gerontology. Gerontology is the study of old age. These people talked about how people grow old. They also talked about the problems of old people. Visit the links: Dream On Seniors Wish Foundation: information,…

I feel happy when I dance

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Jesula McCallum lives in Chilliwack, B.C. She is ten years old. And she loves to dance. Visit the links: The story of Jesula Irish dance concert

Stand-up bike puts runners on wheels

  Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 It has no seat. So, you cannot sit down. You must stand up to ride it. It has no pedals. So, you have to push or pump the foot platforms up and down. Then the bike moves. People look at Christy Lynn on the bike. They are…

Toola, first foster mother

Adapted from Monterey Bay Aquarium website by Nancy Carson Level 2 Toola is lying alone on a sandy beach. She is very sick.  And she is pregnant. Volunteers find her on the sand. They take Toola to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, in California. The staff at the aquarium think Toola is about six or seven…

The kid and the pipeline

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nancy Carson 2012 Level 2 Her name is Ta’Kaiya Blaney. She is 11 years old and in Grade 5. Ta’Kaiya lives in North Vancouver. Del, her Dad, and her mother, Anne live with her. Anne is a teacher. She teaches Ta’Kaiya at home. Visit the links: Ta’Kaiya’s song “Shallow Waters” with…

Toy of the Century

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 They are small plastic bricks. They are different colours. And they have studs on them. Some have six studs. Others have four or eight studs. Millions of kids play with the bricks. They call these bricks “Lego”. Visit the links: Story of how LEGO is built Yo-yos with…