The facts

about cells er ading

adapted text for efl students

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the facts about cells
reading passage

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Hello!
Thank you so much for your download! this is a
reading passage aimed at a1/a2 cefr level students
(5th/6th grade efl students). it was adapted from an
original text from newsela. it provides basic
information about cells.
you can provide each student with a copy of the text (4
pages each) or you can split it up in four parts (it's
already numbered) so each student in the group reads
one excerpt and shares their learning with the rest of
the group.
that activity is called jigsaw reading and you can
find more about how it works here (in spanish).
Text adapted by @fromwhereiteach from the text "The Facts About Cells" by NewsELA to fit linguistic needs of A1/A2 CEFR students

THE FACTS ABOUT CELLS

11 basic things you need to know about cells

CELLS ARE THE

BLOCKS OF LIFE
All living things are made of cells. Some
have only one cell, but humans have more
or less 100 trillion cells in their bodies!
Cells can be very different because they
have different jobs to do!

CELLS ARE VERY

SMALL
Cells have different sizes, but the majority
of them are really small . We can't see them
with our eyes, that's why scientists use
microscopes.

THERE ARE 2 TYPES

OF CELLS
Cells are divided in two groups: eukaryotes
Prokaryotic cell
and prokaryotes .
Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus and a
membrane, for example animal and plant cells.
Prokaryotic cells don't have a nucleus. They
Eukaryotic cell only exist in unicellular living things.
Text adapted by @fromwhereiteach from the text "The Facts About Cells" by NewsELA to fit linguistic needs of A1/A2 CEFR students

THE FACTS ABOUT CELLS

11 basic things you need to know about cells

PROKARYOTES ONLY
HAVE ONE CELL
Cells are divided in two groups: eukaryotes
and prokaryotes .
Prokaryotes only have one cell. They can
live in very difficult places, for example
deserts, and even inside some animals!

LOTS OF BACTERIA IN
OUR BODIES!
There are more bacteria than cells in
human bodies! Bacteria are a type of
prokaryote cells. Not all bacteria are bad!
Some, for example, help the stomach
digest the food! We need good bacteria in
our bodies to work properly.

CELLS CONTAIN
DNA
Every cell (ALL! animal, plant, bacteria...)
contains DNA inside. DNA tells the cell how to
work and grow. DNA is passed from our
parents. In eukaryotic cells, DNA is in the
nucleus . In prokaryotic cells, DNA is in the
nucleoid .
Text adapted by @fromwhereiteach from the text "The Facts About Cells" by NewsELA to fit linguistic needs of A1/A2 CEFR students

THE FACTS ABOUT CELLS

11 basic things you need to know about cells

CELLS HAVE
ORGANELLES
Cells have small elements floating in the
cytoplasm called organelles . Each
organelle has a certain role or job to do.
For example, the mitochondria makes
energy, and the lysosome decomposes the
food.

CELLS REPRODUCE IN
DIFFERENT WAYS

Cells can make copies of themselves. In

eukaryotic cells, this process is called
mitosis. In mitosis, the cell replicates its
DNA and creates a new cell.

Animals can reproduce using a process

called meiosis. In this process, two
different cells (called gametes ) join to
create a new living thing.
Text adapted by @fromwhereiteach from the text "The Facts About Cells" by NewsELA to fit linguistic needs of A1/A2 CEFR students

THE FACTS ABOUT CELLS

11 basic things you need to know about cells

GROUPS OF CELLS
FORM TISSUES
Tissues are groups of cells. These cells are
of the same type. Different tissues can also
make organs. An organ is a part of the body
with a certain role, like the brain , the
stomach , the heart or the lung .

CELLS LIVE
DIFFERENTLY
Different cells live for different amounts of
time . Some live only for a day. Others live
for up to a year. Brain cells can last for a
person's life.

CELLS CAN DESTROY

THEMSELVES
When there's a problem in a cell, it can destroy
itself. This is called apoptosis . It usually
happens if a cell becomes damaged or
infected. Apoptosis stops one bad cell from
hurting the rest of the body.
 www.fromwhereiteach.com
Activity created with Canva with a text adapted from
newsela to fit the needs of my efl students.
icons and images from canva edu database.
Feel free to use this product at home and in your class.
If you do, you must credit From Where I Teach ands
newsela. I would love to see how you're using it!
You MAY NOT sell this product or claim its ownership.
this activity would pair really nicely with the
flipbook "the organization of living things". head back
to my store to grab it!

Let's connect!