LESSON 2: PROPERTIES OF A WELL-WRITTEN TEXT

Inclusive Dates:

In this unit, the standards are:

Content Standard:

The learners realize that information in a written text may be selected and organized to achieve a
particular purpose.

Performance
Standard:
The learner critiques a chosen sample of each pattern of development focusing on
information selection, organization, and development.

For Lesson 2, we will have the following learning targets. At the end of the lesson, check the
column that best describes your assessment of your own learning relative to the given learning targets.

I can evaluate a written text

based on its properties
(organization, coherence
and cohesion, language use
and mechanics)

To make our learning more meaningful, here are some expectations from you and your parents/guardian
as we journey together on this module.

You are expected to… Your parents/guardians are encouraged to…

 Read texts and instructions carefully
and thoroughly.
 Accomplish the activities honestly.
 Consult your teacher for clarifications
and verifications.
 Be a responsible and independent
learner.
 Have fun and enjoy learning.
 Provide a conducive learning environment
for you.
 Provide the materials needed for the
activity.
 Assist you in performing the learning tasks.
 Monitor your progress in answering and
performing the learning tasks.
 Give feedback/response on your progress in
answering and performing the learning
tasks.

1|Page
Mental health is as important as physical health. In this pandemic, our mental health is also
threatened and affected greatly. Here are some tips on how to keep mentally healthy amid this
health crisis.

LET’S START THE FUN LEARNING

Good day, our dear learners! We will now start your first module for the third quarter. I hope
that you will not forget everything that you’ve learned from the previous quarters. Before we begin, let
us ask first the guidance from our Heavenly Father so you’ll have the knowledge and understanding
to fully comprehend this lesson. Let us pray “Our Father” or you can say your own prayer.
In this module, you are going to learn the properties of a well-written text particularly
(organization, coherence and cohesion, language use and mechanics). Are you ready? Let’s begin!

STARTER
LET’S START THE FUN LEARNING ADVENTURE!
Think back to the most impressive monuments and structures that you have heard of.
The Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, the Banaue Rice Terraces of the Philippines
—all of these are considered by many to be the manmade wonders of the world. They are
awe-inspiring, not just because of their majesty, but also because of how much work was
involved in creating them.

Have you ever heard of the saying, “Rome was not built in a day?” Whenever we see
something as massive and marvelous as the aforementioned structures, we may not realize
just how long they took to be built, how many people were involved, how many resources
were used, and how much effort was put in. All we see is the finished product. But as you
see, these structures began with a brick or stone that eventually became a beautiful building.
The structure underwent a process before it was finished.

Writing is similar to constructing a building. We may not see right away how putting two
bricks together can form a wall, or how this wall will be part of a taller structure. Like in writing,
we use pre-writing strategies that function as a blueprint to guide you in your writing. A
blueprint alone does not make a building—its design needs to be executed on the raw
materials with which the building is built. As such, paragraphs are the building blocks of
writing.

ACTIVATING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

LET’S START THE FUN LEARNING ADVENTURE!
2|Page
Complete the matrix below by writing your observations on how the text “Green Holiday Tips”
is written and how the ideas are presented. Do you think the text is well-written? Explain your
answer. (See the appendix for the written copy of text).

Text Features Observation Notes

organization

coherence

cohesion

language use

mechanics

LET’S LEARN
LET’S START THE FUN LEARNING ADVENTURE!
PROPERTIES OF A WELL-WRITTEN TEXT

A paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized, coherent, and are all related to a
single topic. For a paragraph, or for any composition, to be effective, it must always consider
the Properties of a Well-Written Text. These properties are: Organization, Coherence and
Cohesion, Unity, Language Use, and Mechanics.

The first line of a paragraph is usually indented. This indentation of a paragraph indicates
where the paragraph begins. Remember that you must capitalize the first word in each
sentence and end each sentence with a punctuation mark, most often a period (.).

Parts of Paragraph

Introduction

The first section of a paragraph; it should include the topic sentence and any other sentences
at the beginning of the paragraph that give background information or provide a transition.

Body

Follows the introduction; discusses the controlling idea, using facts, arguments, analysis,
examples, or other information.

Conclusion

The final section; summarizes the connections between the information discussed in the body
of the paragraphs and the paragraph's controlling idea.

3|Page
Types of Sentence in a Paragraph

Topic Sentence

This states the main topic of the paragraph and the controlling idea. When writing the topic
sentence, try to state the main point of the paragraph clearly and accurately as possible. Do
not make the topic sentence too general or too specific.

Too general Studying overseas was deemed to be very

difficult.

Too specific Studying overseas was deemed to be very

difficult for 63% of the people surveyed who
cited a range of difficulties including
homesickness, loneliness, difficulty making
foreign friends, changes to diet, health
problems, weight gain, and difficulties with
money and jobs.

Better Studying overseas was deemed to be very

difficult for 63% of people surveyed due to the
impacts of culture shock, financial and health
concerns.

Supporting Sentences

These develop the topic sentence. Supporting details should be drawn from a variety of
sources and based on research, experiences, etc. plus the writer's own analysis. Using a
combination of different supports is the most common and effective way to strengthen the
paragraph.

Concluding Sentence

This signals the end of the paragraph and leaves the reader with important points to
remember, but is often unnecessary.

A. ORGANIZATION

also known as arrangement, is achieved when ideas are logically and accurately arranged with
focus on the arrangement of ideas, incidents, evidence, or details in a definite order in a
paragraph, essay, or speech. It can be done with a recognizable plan that defines one
sentence connection to the other sentence and paragraph to the other paragraph.

Check the following paragraph arrangements and the words which are useful in securing in
each of them:

1. Chronological Order - first, second, later, before, next, as soon as, after, then, finally,
meanwhile, following, last, during, in, on, until

2. Order of Importance - less, more, primary, next, last, most important, primarily, secondarily

4|Page
3. Spatial Order - above, below, beside, next to, in front of, behind, inside, outside, opposite,
within, nearby

4. Definition Order - is, refers to, can be defined as, means, consists of, involves, is a term
that, is called

5. Classification - classified as, comprises, is composed of, several, varieties of, different
stages of, different groups that

6. Process - first, next, then, following, after that, last, finally

7. Cause and Effect - Causes: because, for, since, stems from, one cause is, one reason is,
leads to, causes, creates, yields, due to, breeds, for this reason // Effects: consequently,
results in, one result is, therefore, thus, as a result, hence

8. Comparison and Contrast - Similarities: both, also, similarly, like, likewise, too, as well as,
resembles, correspondingly, in the same way, to compare, in comparison, share// Differences:
unlike, differs from, in contrast, on the other hand, instead, despite, nevertheless, however, in
spite of, whereas, as opposed to

9. Listing - the following, several, for example, for instance, one, another, also, too, in other
words, first, second, numerals (1, 2, 3...), letters (a, b, c...)

10. Clarification - in fact, in other words, clearly11. Summary - in summary, in conclusion, in

brief, to summarize, to sum up, in short, on the12. Example - for example, for instance, to
illustrate13. Addition - furthermore, additionally, also, besides, further, in addition, moreover,
again

When ideas are organized well, a text can achieve Coherence, Cohesion, and Unity.

Coherence – occurs when ideas are connected at the conceptual level

Cohesion – connection of ideas at the sentence level

Unity – achieved when a composition contains one focused idea

B. COHERENCE

refers to the overall sense of unity in a passage, including both the main point of sentences
and the main point of each paragraph. A coherent passage focuses the reader’s attention on
the main ideas and the specific people, things, and events you are writing about.

C. COHESION

is also a very important aspect of academic writing because it immediately affects the tone of
your writing. Cohesive writing does not mean just “grammatically correct” sentences; cohesive
writing refers to the connection of your ideas both at the sentence level and at the paragraph
level. Cohesion is important because it allows writers to make multiple references to people,
things, and events without reintroducing them at each turn. If we had to repeat every time we
wanted to refer to them, the text would be very tedious to read.

Techniques to improve paragraph cohesion:

Transitions

5|Page
Use a conjunction or conjunctive adverb to link sentences with particular logical relationships.

1. To Specify Sequence

again, also, and, and then, besides, finally, first . . . second . . . third, furthermore, last,
moreover, next, still, too

2. To Specify Time

after a few days, after a while, afterward, as long as, as soon as, at last, at that time, before,
earlier, immediately, in the meantime, in the past, lately, later, meanwhile, now, presently,
simultaneously, since, so far, soon, then, thereafter, until, when

3. To Specify Comparison

again, also, in the same way, likewise, once more, similarly

4. To Specify Contrast

although, but, despite, even though, however, in contrast, in spite of, instead, nevertheless,
nonetheless, on the contrary, on the one hand . . .on the other hand, regardless, still, though,
yet

5. To Specify Examples

after all, for example, for instance, indeed, in fact, of course, specifically, such as, the following
example, to illustrate

6. To Specify Cause and Effect

accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this reason, hence, if . . . then, since, so,
then, therefore, thereupon, thus, to this end

7. To Specify Place

above, adjacent to, below, beyond, closer to elsewhere, far, farther on, here, near, nearby,
opposite to, there, to the left, to the right

8. To Specify Concession

although it is true that, granted that, I admit that, it may appear that, naturally, of course

9. To Specify Summary, Repetition, or Conclusion

as a result, as has been noted, as I have said, as mentioned earlier, as we have seen, in any
event, in conclusion, in other words, in short, on the whole, therefore, to summarize

Check these examples:

Coherent but not cohesive

"My favorite color is blue. I'm calm and relaxed. In the summer I lie on the grass and look up."

6|Page
Cohesive but not coherent

“My favorite color is blue. Blue sports cars go very fast. Driving in this way is dangerous and
can cause many car crashes. I had a car accident once and broke my leg. I was very sad
because I had to miss a holiday in Europe because of the injury."

Coherent and cohesive

"My favorite color is blue. I like it because it is calming and it relaxes me. I often go outside in
the summer and lie on the grass and look into the clear sky when I am stressed. For this
reason, I'd have to say my favorite color is blue."

Learning Check Up!

LET’S START THE FUN LEARNING ADVENTURE!
Use appropriate connectors to join the sentences.

1. I prefer folk music. My girlfriend adores heavy metal.

2. He’s received three threatening letters. He is continuing to investigate the case.

3. The referee blew his whistle to start the game. It began to pour with rain.

4. Her boyfriend is very good-looking. He’s a damn good cook.

5. She was absolutely exhausted. She’s just finished her final exams.

UNITY

is achieved when a composition is focused on one idea. In a unified text, all supporting ideas
are relevant to the main thought. Without unity, text will be confusing.

Topic Sentence/ Thesis Statement/ Lead

Supporting Sentences
Cohesive Device
Conclusion

Organization Coherence Cohesion Unity

Is about the is the connection of is the connection of is oneness of ideas

arrangement of: Ideas the ideas in the ideas in the sentence all pertaining to the
concept level: level: theme or the topic
Incident sentence.
Details Is the first topic Did it use pronouns
Evidence related to the next? properly? Things to check:
Order
Is this sentence Did it use transitions? Lead
connected to the topic Topic Sentence
sentence? Did it do repetition of Thesis Statement
the subject matter?

7|Page
D. LANGUAGE USE

is one of the clearest indicators of a well written text. It enables writers to effectively
communicate ideas without confusing the reader.

An effective language is: Specific, Concise, Familiar, Correct, and Appropriate

Levels of in Language Use

1. Informal/ Personal

- slang, local expressions, text messaging

Hey Bes Yow Sup Pet (friend) Nigga

OTW GNyt Dude BRB SML KUTGW2

2. Standard/Academic

- widely accepted words and phrases found in books, magazines, and newspapers

Note to a professor:

I missed last night’s class and will e-mail my paper later.

The problem was on garbage management as it greatly affects the students who are
occupying the SJH Blg.

3.Business/Technical

- scientific terms, jargons, and special expressions

Psychiatrist’s report:

“Dissociative rage order is not indicated by the ER assessment.”

Principles in Language Use/ Diction

1. Use clear and concise sentences, usually about 18 words long.

2. Avoid redundancies, cliches wordiness, and highfalutin
3. Although may be used, avoid overusing “There” and “It”, drop it
4. Use precise vocabulary. Be accurate. Condensed.
5. Be consistent in pronoun POV
6. Avoid sexist language.
7. Use appropriate level of formality

E. MECHANICS

focuses on the technicalities of the structure. It determines errors on subject-verb agreement,

prepositions, tenses, the grammar, spelling, capitalization, abbreviations and acronyms, the
use of numbers as part of the statement, and the punctuation marks.

8|Page
Spelling

Capitalization

Abbreviation and Acronyms

Numbers

Punctuation Marks

Grammar

Punctuation Marks

1. PERIOD (.) used after sentences, in abbreviations, and as decimals

2. EXCLAMATION POINT (!) placed at the emphatic or forceful sentences

3. QUESTION MARK (?) placed at the end of a question and to note questionable items

4. QUOTATION MARKS (“ ”) to indicate direct quotations- for titles of poems, short stories,
chapters, essays, songs, episodes of television shows

5. APOSTROPHE (’) to show possession (Angel’s bag), to show missing letters and number
(you’re, ’95), to show plurals of letters (I got all A’s last semester.)

6. COLON (:) after independent clauses to introduce elements. “

The coach demanded three things from his players: loyalty, devotion, and teamwork.” / to
separate items in numerals, ratios, titles and subtitles, time references, scripture references

7. PARENTHESES () to set off nonessential details and explanations, to enclose letters and
numbers used when listing items, first-time use of acronym

8. BRACKETS [ ] to set off clarifications inserted in quotations,

Eric observed, “I think [Rodrigo] Duterte was the greatest president.”

9. HYPHEN ( - ) to separate or join words

We saw her on tele-vision last night.

Never pay a higher-than-average price.

10. DASH ( -- ) to show sudden break of thought

“Ted was angry after his car was stolen—who wouldn’t be?”/

to set off an introduction to a series

“They have everything needed to succeed—ideas, money, and marketing.”

9|Page
11. SLASH (/) to separate words or to show alternatives (he/she)

12. SEMICOLON (;) to join independent clauses when and, or, yet, but, or so are not present,
to separate items in a series that contains commas

“The governor will meet with Rey Simon, the mayor of Concepcion; Bert Vesca, the vice
mayor; and Peter Cayabyab.”

13. ELLIPSIS (. . . ) to indicate that words have been deleted from quoted material

Original text

The mayor said, “Our city, which is one of the country’s most progressive, deserves a high-
tech light-rail system.”

With Ellipsis

The mayor said, “Our city . . . deserves a high-tech light-rail system.”

14. COMMA (,) to signal pauses and shifts in sentences, used with and, or, so, but, yet to join
independent clauses

“Chinatown is a popular tourist attraction, and it serves as an important cultural center.”

General Principles

Always use standard English

Avoid Contraction (shouldn't, gonna)

Avoid exclamation marks unless part of a quotation

Mention full name in first mention. Thereafter, use abbreviations.

Numbers zero to ten vs 11 and so on

Citations are used in academic and formal texts but sparingly used in business text

ENRICHMENT
LET’S START THE FUN LEARNING ADVENTURE!
A. Study the following topic sentences. Write the topic in the first column and the controlling
idea in the second column.

10 | P a g e
 Expand Your Ideas

B. Write a complete topic sentence by adding a controlling idea to the given topic. Write your
answer on the space provided below.

1. using gift wrappers

2. electric Christmas lights and lanterns

3. traveling during holidays

4. Christmas decorations made of recycled materials

5. eco-friendly celebration

C. Unified or Not?

Read and study the following excerpts taken from the article “Green Holiday Tips” Do you think
the paragraphs have unity and coherence? Discuss your ideas with a partner. Then, write your
answer on the space provided.

Why spend more on new holiday knick-knacks when you can make your own out of recycled
materials? You’ll be surprised at what you can make out of unwanted items hidden away in your
household. Try making hanging lanterns using old jars and wire, hand cut paper snowflakes out of
newspaper, or even Christmas tree ornaments with the ribbons and cards from last year’s gifts. This
is a great way to test your creativity and celebrate an eco-friendly Yuletide season.

Impress your friends and family this year with a low-cost, creative, green holiday bash. Use
electronic invitations to get the word out. Set the ambiance with personalized decors out of recycled
materials, and energy-efficient LED fairy lights. Start the party early to make use of natural light.
Serve organic dishes made from fresh food bought from the local market. Organic food can be
prepared in a very meticulous way. Food from the markets generally has less packaging than
supermarket foods and has not travelled as far. Use reusable dinnerware instead of disposables as
much as possible. Place clearly marked recycling and nonrecycling bins out for your guests.
Celebrate the holidays in the most visited places in the city.

D. Revision Through Cohesion

Revise the following sentences by applying the appropriate cohesive device. Write the
cohesive device before your answer.

1. Most Commercial products are on sale during the holiday season. Many people
crowd the malls, grocery stores, and department stores weeks before Christmas.
2. My parents gave me their permission to spend Christmas with our relatives in Davao,
but | have already decided not to spend Christmas with our relatives in Davao.
11 | P a g e
3. I can make my dream Christmas vacation in Korea a reality. I have saved enough
money for my plane ticket, hotel reservation, and pocket money.
4. What I love most about Christmas are the colorful lanterns, catchy jingles, and
surprise presents. Colorful lanterns, catchy jingles, and surprise presents make
Christmas the best holiday ever.
5. Yearly, Rachelle sends her relatives and friends special holiday greeting cards.
Rachelle personally made them with recyclable materials.
6. Because of the heavy traffic caused by the Christmas rush, many people were
stranded in EDSA last Night. People used social media to express their complaints
and called the attention of MMDA about being stranded.
7. People, regardless of their status in life, have the freedom to celebrate the holidays.
Optimistic people make the most of, it while negative people waste every second of
it.

PERFORMANCE TASK
After learning all the concepts of good writing or the properties of a well-written text, I
want you to go back to your final task in lesson one and read again your critique
paper. Then, evaluate what property(ies) of a well-written text is/are lacking. Add,
change, or omit anything from it which deviates from your learned concepts in this
module.

RUBRIC FOR THE REVISED CRITIQUE

ELEMENT 10 7 4 TOTAL

Understanding The topic, theme, There are minor The topic,

of the material overall flaws in the theme, overall
to be critiqued organization of identification of organization of
the material has the topic, theme, the material
been accurately and overall has not been
identified based organization of accurately
on paraphrases the material. identified.
and summaries
done.

Identification of All the main Most of the main Majority of the

the main points points of the points have been main points
of the material materials have identified and have not been
been identified noted. identified and
and noted. noted.

Agreement and Agreement or Agreement or Agreement or

disagreement disagreement disagreement disagreement
with the main with each main with most of the with each main
points in the point was main points was point was
material discussed discussed barely
comprehensively comprehensively discussed and
with logical and with logical and without much
ample support. ample support. logical and
ample support.

TOTAL

SELF ASSESSMENT: 12 | P a g e
We are about to finish our lesson. Let us now go back to the learning targets and
check the corresponding column that best describes your assessment to your own
Congratulations, you have just finished your lesson 2 module! After studying our lesson, kindly write the
things you learned, found interesting and question as your learning summaries.

MY LEARNING SUMMARIES

Based on our lesson, what are your new learning and realizations as a child of God? In the box below,
write your lesson’s reflection through a prayer. A related Bible verse is also provided below to help and
guide you more on the prayer you will formulate. Together, let us do things toward His Holiness
because we are precious in His eyes.

MY REFLECTION

So God created mankind in his own image; in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them.
- Genesis 1:27
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

We would like to hear from you and your parent/guardian’s comments and observations of this lesson’s
module. If you have suggestions, please feel free to write it on the box provided. Remember, we are
partners in this learning. Your feedbacks will be highly appreciated.

MY FEEDBACK
Comments:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
__

Suggestions:
______________________________________________________________________
_
______________________________________________________________________
13 | P a g e
This part is for the parent or the attending adult:

Kindly write some of your observations on your child’s learning/study habits this week. Include also your
suggestions or if you have questions, feel free to write them here also.

MY PARENT/GUARDIAN’S FEEDBACK

Observation:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Question (if there’s any):
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Suggestion/s:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Cellphone No. ____________________

REFERENCES

(n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.academia.edu/34256187/READING_AND_WRITING_First_Quarter_Period_PROPERTIES_OF
_A_WELL_WRITTEN_TEXT.
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.elcomblus.com/module-properties-of-a-well-written-text/

APPENDIX
“Green Holiday Tips”

The holidays are a time for family and celebration and these festivities also negatively impact
the environment. From the million decorations that must be disposed of, to the tons of gift
wrappers and increase in energy usage to keep the colored lights blinking and dancing, the
holidays cause a lot of damage. But hey! Small changes can make a huge difference.

So here are some simple ways for you to cut waste, conserve energy and otherwise be green
during this holiday season. Many of the ideas can be used year-round!

Why spend more on new Holiday knick-knacks when you can make your own out of recycled
materials?

14 | P a g e
You’ll be surprised at what you can make out of unwanted items hidden away in your
household. Try making hanging lanterns using old jars and wire, hand cut paper snowflakes
out of newspaper, or even Christmas Tree ornaments with the ribbons and cards from last
year’s gifts. This is a great way to test your creativity and celebrate an eco-friendly Yuletide
season.

Is the Yuletide season still a time for giving, or has it become a time for spending?
The consumerist aspect of the holidays is getting in the way of the things that truly make this
season special. This year, why not offer service instead? Volunteer to do relief work, or write
up personalized coupons—redeemable favors such as doing the dishes or walking the dog—
for your loved ones.

In fact, you can even go all out and challenge the obsessions of our consumer societies by
joining the Buy Nothing movement

It’s easy to be bedazzled by the blinking and dancing Christmas lights that we see, forgetting
that this means additional energy use.
Using energy efficient Christmas lights hits two goals in one step: cutting down on energy use
and savings on energy costs. One good way to do this is to use LED (light emitting diode)
Christmas lights. They may be a little more expensive than incandescent lights but they
definitely consume less energy. Plus, they last longer too. That means you get to keep your
Christmas lights for more Christmas seasons, giving you more savings in the long run. You
also reduce the amount of waste to be disposed, another step in being more environment-
friendly.

There are additional ways to reduce energy consumption during Christmas season. You can
combine your Christmas lights with the following to reduce energy consumption:
• Timers – control how long your lights are on and turn them off when you are not home.
• Extension cords – instead of using light strings to add length to your display, utilize extension
cords in less visible areas.

If you cannot help it and you think that buying someone a gift is a sure way to express your
appreciation for someone (instead of offering acts of kindness, Green Holiday Tip #2), then opt
for eco-friendly gifts.
Whether it’s a journal with hand-made paper for your friend, a hand-woven skirt by Ifugao
mothers for your sister, or a folding bike for your brother, keep in mind that there are many
ways to show both kindness and appreciation for your loved ones and love for the
environment.

Better yet, avoid the malls when doing your Christmas shopping. Instead opt for bazaars, trade
fairs, and weekend markets that offer the best local products that consider the environment,
fair trade, and local artists and craftsmen in the production. Many of them also pledge to
donate part of their profits to reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts for our brothers and
sisters affected by Typhoon Yolanda.

You wouldn’t want to get your loved one’s clothes that have hazardous chemicals on them.
You want to give them garments they can proudly wear, brought to us by companies that care
about the environment as much as their brand’s names. We’re talking about the Detox
#Leaders – companies spearheading the path to a toxic-free future.

Use your power as a consumer by supporting brands that are honest and are truly working to
eliminate all releases of hazardous chemicals into our water. Explore the #DetoxCatwalk now.

Use Guide to Greener Electronics to ask questions about the environmental impact of
electronic products.
With the Christmas bonus in your hands, you can always think of a thousand ways to justify
the need for a new gadget. You don’t need to be a techie to know which electronic products
are “green.” You just need to check out the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics.

15 | P a g e
Remember however, that the most sustainable devices are the ones you don’t actually buy!
Work to extend the life of your existing electronic gadgets and only purchase what you truly
need.

FACT: It takes 1.3 kg of coal to produce 1 kg of wrapping paper, and the manufacturing
process emits 3.5 kg of CO2 — and that excludes the carbon footprint of packaging and then
transporting the wrapping paper around the country.
We encourage you to use reusable and/or personalized gift-wraps instead. Rather than buying
new gift boxes, why not encase your goodies in used cans or cylinders you painted yourself?
You can even wrap your present in a scarf or handkerchief; this way, the wrapper itself can be
part of your gift.

The Christmas holidays are one of those long holidays that travelers look forward to every
year. But do you know that traveling adds to your carbon footprint especially when you ride a
plane, use disposable utensils for eating, and stay at posh resorts?
Be a responsible traveler this holiday season. Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but
pictures, and check out this green travel tips before you go on holiday!

It’s exactly a week before Christmas! Have you done your shopping for Noche Buena? If not,
here’s something to consider: Why not do your shopping at the nearest organic market and try
to come up with a Noche Buena feast made from organic and GMO-free food?
You can also ask your friends to do the same and have a challenge on who can come up with
the most number of healthy ingredients on their Noche Buena table. Remember, you can have
a healthy and environment-friendly Noche Buena for your friends and family.

Impress your friends and family this year with a low-cost, creative, green holiday bash. Here
are some suggestions on how you can upgrade your traditional gathering into an Earth-friendly
one:
• Use electronic invitations to get the word out
• Set the ambiance with personalized decors out of recycled materials (get creative!), and
energy-efficient LED fairy lights
• Start the party early to make use of natural light
• Serve organic dishes made from fresh food bought from the local market. Food from the
markets generally has less packaging than supermarket foods and has not travelled as far
• Use reusable dinnerware instead of disposables as much as possible
• Place clearly marked recycling and non-recycling bins out for your guests

16 | P a g e