Off-road, off-grid: the modern nomads wandering America’s back country

Level: Advanced

1
  Warmer
Brainstorm reasons why people might become homeless and where they might live when they no longer have
a home of their own.

Reasons for homelessness Places homeless people might live

2
  Key words
a. Match the words in the box to the definitions below.

accessible    concede    contributing    dignity    dwelling
insulation    mission    nomad    prospect    resilient
self-sufficiency     sponsors     spousal maintenance     thriving     tribe

1. someone from a group of people moving from place to place

2. an aim that is very important to someone

3. money that someone pays to support an ex-husband or ex-wife

4. something that you think or know is going to happen in the future

5. material used to prevent heat, cold or noise from passing through

6. the act of living somewhere

7. easy for anyone to use or do

8. helping to make a plan or activity successful

9. people or organizations that support projects with money or items

10. the act of being able to provide everything that you need by yourself

11. respect that other people have for you or that you have for yourself

12. being or feeling successful, happy and healthy

13. a group of people with its own ways of living or behaving, etc.

14. admit that something is true

15. able to quickly become healthy or strong again after a problem

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 Off-road, off-grid: the modern nomads wandering America’s back country
Level: Advanced

b. Use some of the key words above to complete these sentences.

1. My new houseplant is on the bright windowsill.

2. Matt that he probably made a mistake.

3. A great deal of Jeff’s money went on for his three former wives.

4. Rescuing donkeys was Gina’s in life.

5. When I fell over in the street, I felt I’d lost my .

6. Spending a week at his cousin’s farm was an exciting . He was

really looking forward to it.

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 Off-road, off-grid: the modern nomads wandering America’s back country
Level: Advanced
Across US public lands,
­thousands of people are taking
to van life
Stevie Trujillo
4 February, 2021
1 If you look closely on city streets, campsites
and stretches of desert run by the Bureau of
Land Management, you’ll see more Americans
living in vehicles than ever before.
2 “I wasn’t prepared when I had to move into
my SUV*. I had no money saved. I was really
scared,” said April Craren, 52.
3 She shows me photos of the camp stove she
uses to make coffee and her view of the sun
rising over the Colorado River. She has no
toilet, shower or fridge.
4 After separating from her husband, April found
herself homeless in June 2020.
“I could have gotten an apartment but in an
unsafe place with no money to do anything
at all,” she explained.
5 April lived in Missouri, where the average rent
for a flat was $762, slightly less than the national
average. Like nearly half of American renters,
she would have been crippled by the cost.
6 It’s not surprising, then, that job loss, divorce
or a health or financial crisis can push so many
over the edge.
7 Bob Wells, 65, helped April to adopt the nomad
way of life and change her life in the process.
8 Today, he lives on public lands in his GMC
Savana fitted with 400 watts of solar power
and a 12-volt refrigerator. His life mission is
to promote nomadic tribalism in a car, van or
RV as a way to prevent homelessness and live
more sustainably.
9 Before becoming a nomad in 1995, Bob lived
in Alaska, with his wife and two boys.
Bob had a job he hated and worked with
people he didn’t like, to buy things he didn’t
want. He knew he wasn’t happy, but it never
occurred to him to live differently.
10 Then, when he was 40 years old, he got
divorced. After paying spousal maintenance
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and child support, he was taking home $1,200
a month, $800 of which went towards rent.
11 One day, worrying about impossible finances,
he saw a green box van for sale and thought:
“Why don’t I buy that van and move into it?”
The idea struck him as crazy, but with
the prospect of homelessness closing in,
he drained the last $1,500 in his savings
account and bought the van.
12 Then came the first of the month, and he didn’t
have to pay rent. As his finances improved,
he installed insulation, a proper bed, even
a PlayStation fortress for his boys. He started
working fewer hours and spent more time
camping with his kids, which helped his outlook
on life.
13 Realizing he had something valuable to share,
he bought the domain name Cheap RV**
Living. He posted tips and tricks about better
vehicle-dwelling – a road map to a better life.
14 Many Americans are interested in van life as
an answer to the affordable housing crisis,
an idea made accessible by Bob on his
YouTube channel.
15 Bob’s videos make him a beloved celebrity
in the nomad community. With 460,000
subscribers, the videos are also making him
money via ad and affiliate sales. His most
popular video, Living in a Car on $800 a month,
has more than 4m views.
16 Bob founded the Home on Wheels Alliance
(HOWA) charity in 2018. With the help of his
team and volunteers, Bob helps people who
can no longer afford traditional housing into
becoming contributing members of the mobile
community.
17 To date, funded by sponsors and donations,
HOWA has given away seven minivans,
two trailers, one school bus and many tents,
brake pads and tyres.
18 April had been watching Bob’s videos for years
when a nomad friend suggested she apply
to HOWA for assistance. At the time, she was
living in her car.
19 To join HOWA’s programme, April had to sign
a three-year contract, prove she had sufficient
income to regularly maintain her vehicle and
agree to put $200 a month in an account until
she reached the value of the minivan, after
which the vehicle title would be released to her.
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 Off-road, off-grid: the modern nomads wandering America’s back country
Level: Advanced
20 “Most of HOWA’s applicants are older women.
They’re disabled, or retired and divorced,
or simply don’t earn enough to afford rent,”
Bob explained.
21 By learning to save money and live rent-free
in their vehicles, HOWA’s clients preserve their
independence, self-sufficiency and dignity
while also making friends within the larger
nomad community.
22 Today, April camps on public land alongside
Cliff, a veteran nomad and HOWA volunteer.
Together, they make runs to a nearby
laundrette, grocery shop and gym where she
works out and showers. She’s lost 20lb and
feels healthier, thanks to eating fresh foods and
living a more active outdoor lifestyle. “I’m not
just surviving; I’m thriving,” she said.
23 Bob’s dream for the tribe is to see the
expansion of Long-Term Visitor Land (LTVA),
including areas in national forests. Most public
lands allow visitors to camp for only two weeks,
but LTVA campers can stay for as long as
seven months.
24 While Bob concedes the limits of his solution –
it doesn’t address PTSD***, mental illness
or drug addiction, three main causes of
homelessness – he does see it as a way
to lower our carbon footprint and make
ourselves more financially resilient in trying
times ahead.
25 “I want to leave a world behind that’s habitable.
For every person I’m able to help into
a vehicle, that’s one less person in a house,”
he reasoned.
© Guardian News and Media 2021
First published in The Guardian, 04/02/2021

Glossary
*SUV = sport utility vehicle
** RV = recreational vehicle
*** PTSD = post-traumatic stress disorder
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 Off-road, off-grid: the modern nomads wandering America’s back country
Level: Advanced
3
  Comprehension check
a. Find the facts.
1. What caused April to become homeless?

2. How did April get the minivan that she lives in now?

3. Where does she live now?

4. How does April feel about her new lifestyle?

b. Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the article? Correct any that are false.
1. Bob became homeless after he lost his job in Alaska. T / F

2. Bob has not seen his children since he moved into his van. T / F

3. Bob’s aim in life is to help other people lead the best alternative lifestyle that they can. T / F

4. The HOWA charity offers special help to people who become homeless due to mental
health problems. T / F

5. Bob’s biggest success has been to secure permanent long-term access to visitor land for
homeless people. T / F

6. Bob believes that the more people who decide to live in a vehicle, the better it will be for
our world. T / F

4
  Phrases and expressions
a. M
 atch the beginnings and endings of these phrases and then find and underline them in
the article.
1. crippled by a. in

2. push someone over b. occurred to someone

3. it never c. date

4. close d. the edge

5. to e. the cost

b. Talk about what the phrases mean. Look up the meanings of any phrases you do not know.

c. Use the phrases in sentences of your own. Which is the most useful phrase for you?

5
  Discussion
• What do you imagine would be the biggest challenges associated with vehicle-dwelling?
• What attitude do the authorities and people in general in your country have towards people
who live in vehicles?
• What other alternative ways of living can you think of? Who is likely to choose these,
and why?
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 Off-road, off-grid: the modern nomads wandering America’s back country
Level: Advanced
6
  In your own words
Watch the video from Cheap RV Living: Living in a car on $800 a month.

Make notes so that you will later be able to retell the information to someone that has not watched
the video. In particular, make notes about:
• the adaptions Dee has made to her vehicle
• Dee’s essential equipment and how she stores it
• the danger and discomforts Dee might have to deal with
• the (possibly unexpected) ‘comforts and luxuries’ Dee has
• Dee’s most useful tips
• questions you would still like to ask Dee about aspects that were not addressed in the video.

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 Off-road, off-grid: the modern nomads wandering America’s back country
Level: Advanced – Teacher’s notes

Article summary: Homeless people are

coming together in the United States to help 12. thriving
make the best of their alternative way of living. 13. tribe
14. concede
Time: Approximately 90 minutes 15. resilient

Skills: Reading, Speaking, Writing b. Before reading the article carefully, students
use some of the key words to fill the gaps in the
Language focus: Vocabulary sentences to ensure that they understand the words
and know how they are used in other contexts.
Materials needed: One copy of the
worksheet per student
Key:
1. thriving
2. concedes
Note: Bob Wells, one of the people in this 3. spousal maintenance
article, plays himself in the film Nomadland, 4. mission
which won a 2021 Golden Globe for Drama 5. dignity
Motion Picture. 6. prospect

3. Comprehension check
1. Warmer
a. In the first part of this two-part comprehension
Give students five to ten minutes to work with a partner task, students find information in the text to answer
and write their ideas into the table. Then ask them to the questions.
share their answers with the rest of the class before
scanning the article to see what reasons are given for Key:
why people might lose their home. 1. She separated from her husband and couldn’t
afford to pay rent in a safe area, so she had to
2. Key words move into her car.
2. She applied to HOWA’s programme and signed
a. Students read the words in the box and match them a three-year contract promising to maintain her
to the definitions below. Tell them to scan the article vehicle and to save 200 US dollars a month,
and underline the words as they find them. This will which will be exchanged for the vehicle title
help them check their answers as well as see how when she has saved enough.
the words are used in context. 3. She camps on public land alongside a man
called Cliff.
Key: 4. She feels happier and healthier than before. She
1. nomad says she is thriving now and not just surviving.
2. mission
3. spousal maintenance b. In the second part, they decide whether the
4. prospect statements are true or false according to the
5. insulation information in the article. They correct any
6. dwelling statements that are false.
7. accessible
8. contributing Key:
9. sponsors 1. False. He decided to move into a van to save
10. self-sufficiency money on rent after he got divorced.
11. dignity
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 Off-road, off-grid: the modern nomads wandering America’s back country
Level: Advanced – Teacher’s notes

2. False. He spends more time with his children
now that he works fewer hours. He’s even
installed a PlayStation fortress in his van for
his boys.
3. True.
4. False. Unfortunately, HOWA’s charity is currently
unable to help people with PTSD, mental health
problems or drug addiction.
5. False. His dream would be to see this happen.
6. True.
4. Phrases and expressions
a. Students first match the words on the left and right
to make phrases from the article. Then they should
find and underline them in the article and read them
again in context paying particular attention to the
words that come before and after each phrase.
6. In your own words
Either have all the students watch the complete
21-minute video and make notes for a follow-up
discussion, or have the students work in pairs and divide
the video up between them so that one watches the
first 11 minutes of the video and the other watches the
second 11 minutes – both making notes on the half of
the video they are watching. After this, they should get
together, exchange information about what they watched,
the notes they made and the questions they still have.
The video can be found in the Guardian article (link
below), or by typing Living in a car on $800 a month
into YouTube.
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/feb/04/modern-
nomads-nomadland-van-life-us-public-lands

Key:
1. e
2. d
3. b
4. a
5. c

b. Students should try to explain to each other what

the phrases mean. If they are unsure of any of the
meanings, make sure they find example sentences
from dictionaries and online before they write their
own sentences.

c. Students then write personalized sentences, one for

each phrase that they would like to learn to integrate
into their active vocabulary. Ask them to make the
sentences relevant to their own lives if possible as
this will make it easier for them to remember the new
language and use it correctly in the future.

5. Discussion

Students discuss the questions that are directly related to

the topic of the article.
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