Melati and Isabel Wijsen

Remember that this class will work as a collective. This means that we will show care for everyone, help one another learn, help one another understand, work together, talk together, share our ideas, and work to trust one another.

As a whole class, review your shared values. Use these during your discussions.

A. Warm up

Think about the questions below. Talk about your ideas with your classmate(s).

1. What do you know about Bali, Indonesia?
2. Did you ever visit Bali or a place like Bali in the past? Describe the place.
3. What kinds of bags do you use for shopping? Why?
4. Do you know any laws about plastic bags in your area or around the world?
5. In your community, what do people do to help the environment?

B. Vocabulary Preview

In this section, you will preview the vocabulary from the reading. You can check your answers to Exercises 2-3 afterward by visiting: Answer Keys by Chapter.

Exercise 1:

These are the words that you will learn in this chapter. How many words do you already know?

Exercise 2:

Choose the best word or phrase to match each definition. Use a dictionary to help!

1. The planet; the world (noun)
   1. Toxic
   2. Environment
   3. Invisible
2. Cannot be seen (adjective)
   1. Toxic
   2. Environment
   3. Invisible
3. Can cause death or sickness if it enters the body (adjective)
   1. Toxic
   2. Environment
   3. Invisible
4. Use again (verb)
   1. Signature
   2. Petition
   3. Recycle
5. A letter that asks for something to change; many people sign it (noun)
   1. Signature
   2. Petition
   3. Recycled
6. A person’s own name written down (noun)
   1. Signature
   2. Petition
   3. Recycle
7. To make people feel good and want to do something (verb)
   1. Inspire
   2. Hunger Strike
   3. Social Media
8. The action of not eating food until something changes (noun phrase)
   1. Inspire
   2. Hunger Strike
   3. Social Media
9. Websites and apps for sharing personal information and messages with people; for example, Facebook or WeChat (noun phrase)
   1. Inspire
   2. Hunger Strike
   3. Social Media

Exercise 3:

Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence. Please note: screen readers will read the blank spots as “underscore.”

1. Five thousand people signed the _ to save the animal shelter. They’re talking about it on the evening news!
   1. signature
   2. environment
   3. petition
2. Mahatma Gandhi wanted the people in India to come together. His _ got the people’s attention.
   1. signature
   2. environment
   3. hunger strike
3. I put my _ on the check and made a deposit in my bank account.
   1. signature
   2. petition
   3. hunger strike
4. Gas-powered cars harm the _.
   1. environment
   2. petition
   3. hunger strike
5. Germs are _ without a microscope.
   1. toxic
   2. inspired
   3. invisible
6. Bleach is _. Don’t touch it, and don’t drink it!
   1. recycled
   2. toxic
   3. inspired
7. The beautiful apple tree _ me to bake an apple pie.
   1. recycled
   2. inspired
   3. invisible
8. The company makes toy boats and planes out of _ milk bottles.
   1. recycled
   2. toxic
   3. invisible

C. Prepare to read

Get comfortable in your seat. Pay attention to your body and your place (i.e., your environment and the position of your body). Take three slow breaths. Now you are ready to read.

D. Read all about it!

Melati and Isabel Wijsen

Plastic bags are common. Most stores give plastic bags to their customers. But these plastic bags are bad for the environment. Over time, the plastic breaks into very small pieces, but it never goes away. The small, invisible pieces become toxic and they go into the ground and the water. They kill plants and animals.

So, how can we stop using plastic bags? Young sisters Melati and Isabel Wijsen asked this question in 2013. At that time, they were only 10 and 12 years old. They lived on the beautiful island of Bali, in Indonesia.

They decided to tell Bali’s store owners about bags made from cloth, net, or recycled newspaper. One by one, stores stopped using plastic bags, and the sisters supported those stores. They gave the stores a sticker with the words “Bye Bye Plastic Bags” for their windows. They put the stores’ names in popular magazines and on their website.

In addition, Melati and Isabel started a petition. They wanted the government to pay attention and make laws about plastic bags. The sisters collected signatures in the airport, at events, and online. Many children in Bali helped them to get about 100,000 signatures (Jordan). Then they asked to meet with the governor of Bali.

Unfortunately, the governor said no to the meeting again and again. But Melati and Isabel did not give up. They decided to go on a hunger strike, and they announced it on social media. A few days later, the governor said yes. The governor met with the sisters and promised to support laws about plastic bags. In 2019, he announced a ban on plastic bags in Bali (Erviani).

Melati and Isabel Wijsen worked hard and inspired the people of Bali to stop using harmful plastic bags. Today, the sisters and the people of Bali are still working to make a healthy environment.

E. Grounding

• Notice your feelings about the reading.
• Which parts gave you those feelings?
• Why?
• Now let go.
• You can take three deep breaths, stretch, or count down from ten.

You can choose to talk about your reactions or not. Maybe you want to think or write quietly, or maybe you want to talk. Our reactions teach us about our beliefs and experiences.

F. Discussion

Read the questions below, then look at the reading again. Talk about the questions with your classmate(s). Where did you find the answers? Show (quote) the answers from the reading if possible.

1. Over time, what happens to plastic?
2. What did the sisters do for the store owners?
3. Why did they start a petition?
4. Where did they collect signatures?
5. Why did the governor finally agree to meet with the sisters?

G. Topics for Writing

1. What is the main idea of the reading? What are three key details which support the main idea?
2. What kinds of plastic do you use in your daily life? Why? How can you use less plastic?
3. What qualities and strengths can children provide as leaders? How are these qualities and strengths different from what adults can provide as leaders?
4. Write about your personal goal to help the environment. Think about the following questions to help you set your goal:
   • What is your goal? Be specific.
   • Why did you choose this goal? Name at least two reasons.
   • What will help you reach this goal? Name at least two helpful things.
   • What will be difficult about reaching this goal? Name at least two challenging things.

H. Project!

Option 1:

Research more about plastic bags or plastic bans around the world. Find information in English or in another language. You can read a website, an article, or an infographic, or listen to a video, an interview, or a podcast.

1. Choose one text–that is, one website, article, infographic, video, interview, or podcast.
2. Summarize that text–that is, say the main idea and key details.
3. How is that text similar to the reading about Melati and Isabel Wijsen? Do the creators make similar points? Do they have similar opinions or feelings about plastic waste?
4. How is that text different from the reading about Melati and Isabel Wijsen? Do the creators make different points? Do they have different opinions or feelings about plastic waste?

Option 2:

Research more ways to help the environment. You can answer one of the questions below or choose your own topic. Find information in English or in another language. You can read a website, an article, or an infographic, or listen to a video, an interview, or a podcast. Then, explain your answer to your classmates.

1. How should people travel to work or school, for a healthy environment?
2. How can people make their homes better for the environment?
3. How can people make and use compost at home?
4. Which foods help the environment, and which foods don’t? Why?

Option 3:

Start a petition. With a group of people, brainstorm ways your community (school, town, neighborhood) can help the environment. Create a petition to get the attention of your community leaders (school leaders, local government, business owners, neighborhood leaders). There should be a title, 1-3 paragraphs to explain the petition, and space for signatures. Set a goal for how many signatures you need. Make a plan to collect signatures in person and/or online. Present your petition, with signatures, to your community leaders, and ask them to make the change.

I. More Information

• Nick Cope (Song): plastic bag by nick cope (2:33) The video shows pictures of plastic bags floating in the ocean.
• ESL Resource Bank (Video): Plastics in the Ocean ESL/EFL Lesson (3:17). The video shows pictures of garbage in oceans and maps of the ocean currents. There are pictures of turtles, a whale shark, and birds in plastic garbage and a picture of a fish sculpture made from plastic garbage.