Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.

Unit: Toys, Games & Childhood Long Ago

Today we will read a short article about a hunting trip in 1902 and the famous teddy bear.

💡 How to use this lesson

For Teachers

Use this 12-minute reading activity to practice past simple tense and main idea comprehension.

Check answers together at the end of class or let students work individually at their own pace.

For Learners

First, read the article carefully and check the vocabulary box below it for helpful words.

Next, complete the 8 questions below the text to test your understanding.

Pattern Example

"When I was small, I used to hug my teddy every night."

Why this works: We use "used to" to talk about things we did often in the past, but do not do now.

🧸 How a 1902 Hunting Trip Made History

A vintage style illustration of a classic cute soft brown teddy bear sitting on a wooden table beside a newspaper, warm

A teddy bear is a soft toy that looks like a bear. In 1902, US President Theodore Roosevelt went hunting in Mississippi. The US National Park Service says he refused to shoot a bear, and a Washington newspaper printed a cartoon by Clifford Berryman in November 1902. Morris and Rose Michtom, who had a Brooklyn candy shop, made a soft bear named Teddy's Bear. The Michtom family said Roosevelt gave them permission to use his name. The company Steiff in Germany also began to sell soft bears in 1903. Today, the Strong National Museum of Play puts the teddy bear in its National Toy Hall of Fame.

📖 Key Vocabulary

Noun

Hunting trip

A journey to go into nature and chase wild animals.

Noun

Cartoon

A funny drawing printed in a newspaper or magazine.

Noun

Permission

Saying "yes" to allow someone to do something.

Noun

Hall of Fame

A special group or museum place for famous and important things.

✏️ Practice Questions

Answer the 8 questions below to test what you learned from the text.

1. Theodore Roosevelt was a president of the United States.

____ True ____ False

2. The US National Park Service says Roosevelt shot a bear on his trip in 1902.

____ True ____ False

3. What kind of shop did Morris and Rose Michtom have in Brooklyn?

____ a. A candy shop ____ b. A toy shop ____ c. A book shop ____ d. A flower shop

4. Who drew the cartoon about the president and the bear in November 1902?

____ a. Theodore Roosevelt ____ b. Morris Michtom ____ c. Steiff ____ d. Clifford Berryman

5. Match each person or company to their connection with the teddy bear history:

Name / Company

Cartoonist

President

German Company

Shop Owners

Theodore Roosevelt

____Cartoonist ____President ____German Company ____Shop Owners

Clifford Berryman

____Cartoonist ____President ____German Company ____Shop Owners

Morris & Rose Michtom

____Cartoonist ____President ____German Company ____Shop Owners

Steiff

____Cartoonist ____President ____German Company ____Shop Owners

6. Fill in the blank with the year Steiff began selling soft bears:

The company Steiff in Germany also began to sell soft bears in ____ .

7. What did the Michtom family say about naming their soft bear "Teddy's Bear"?

____ a. Roosevelt asked them to make the toy. ____ b. A German toy company gave them the name. ____ c. Roosevelt gave them permission to use his name. ____ d. A museum chose the name for them.

8. Fill in the missing word from the museum's name:

Today, the Strong National ____ of Play puts the teddy bear in its National Toy Hall of Fame.

Reading: The Teddy Bear Story

💡 How to use this lesson

For Teachers

For Learners

🧸 How a 1902 Hunting Trip Made History

📖 Key Vocabulary

Hunting trip

Cartoon

Permission

Hall of Fame

✏️ Practice Questions

Related lessons

Used to / didn't use to for past habits and states

Speaking Part 1: Childhood Toys and Games

Vocabulary: Toys and Games from the Past

Writing: Toys, Games and Childhood Long Ago

Reading: Online Shopping Advertisements

Reading: Weekend Community Centre Classes