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Helping Sick Sea Rocks: Special Medicine for Corals

Divers in the Turks and Caicos Islands are using antibiotics to save sick corals from the deadliest coral sickness ever recorded, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD).

Try this article at a different level?

 

Some people are helping sick sea rocks called corals. They are using special medicine to make them better. The sea rocks are in a big water place with lots of fish. The people put the medicine on the rocks so they can have baby rocks. They need money from kind people to help them do this.

The sick rocks can die very fast. But one teacher decided to help and learn about fish. She is happy to help the sea rocks. There is a new good medicine that can make the sea rocks better. People hope this will help a lot.

Original news source: Coral reef: How divers are using antibiotics to save sick corals (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

1coralsSea rocks that are alive and can be many colors
2medicineSomething that makes you feel better when you are sick
3fishAnimals that swim in the water and have fins
4babyA very small child or animal
5moneyWhat you use to buy things
6teacherSomeone who helps you know new things at school
7happyWhen you feel really good inside and smile a lot
8learnTo get new knowledge about something
9hopeTo want something good to happen very much
10dieTo stop being alive

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group takes turns choosing a word or phrase related to the article and acting it out without speaking. The other groups have to guess what they are acting out. This activity helps students practice vocabulary and encourages creativity and communication skills.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and a pen. Choose some key vocabulary words from the article and write them on the board. In pairs or small groups, students take turns choosing a word and drawing it on their paper without speaking. The other students have to guess what the word is. This activity helps students practice vocabulary and encourages visual communication and critical thinking skills.

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Each pair reads the article together and then writes a summary of the main points. They can use bullet points or short sentences. After a few minutes, pairs can share their summaries with the class. This activity helps students practice reading comprehension and summarizing skills.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group discusses the following questions related to the article:
1. Do you think it is important to help sick sea rocks?
2. How can we raise money to help them?
3. What other ways can we protect the ocean and its creatures?
After the discussion, each group shares their opinions with the class. This activity helps students practice speaking and expressing opinions.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Give each student a few minutes to think about the following question: “What can we do to help sick sea rocks?” Then, students pair up and share their ideas with each other. After a few minutes, pairs can share their ideas with the class. This activity helps students practice speaking and critical thinking skills.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What are some people doing to help the sick sea rocks called corals?
2. What are the people using to make the sea rocks better?
3. Where are the sea rocks located?
4. Why do the people need money from kind people?
5. Why can the sick rocks die very fast?
6. Who decided to help and learn about fish?
7. What are people hoping the new medicine will do for the sea rocks?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Some people are helping sick sea rocks called (1)______. They are using special (2)______ to make them better. The sea rocks are in a big (3)______ place with lots of fish. The people put the medicine on the rocks so they can have baby rocks. They need (4)______ from kind people to help them do this.

The (5)______ rocks can die very fast. But one teacher (6)______ to help and learn about fish. She is happy to help the sea (7)______. There is a new good medicine that can make the sea rocks better. People (8)______ this will help a lot.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What are some ways people are helping the sick sea rocks called corals?
2. How do you think the sick rocks feel when they get the special medicine?
3. Do you like fish? Why or why not?
4. Why do you think the people need money to help the sea rocks?
5. How would you feel if you were a sick sea rock and someone helped you get better?
6. What do you think the teacher is learning about fish?
7. How do you think the teacher feels about helping the sea rocks?
8. Do you think the new medicine will help the sea rocks a lot? Why or why not?
9. What do you think the sea rocks look like?
10. Have you ever seen a sea rock before? Where?
11. Do you think it’s important to take care of the sea rocks? Why or why not?
12. If you could help the sea rocks, what would you do?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. corals
2. medicine
3. fish
4. baby
5. money
6. teacher
7. happy
8. learn
9. hope
10. die

Meanings:
(A) Animals that swim in the water and have fins
(B) To stop being alive
(C) Sea rocks that are alive and can be many colors
(D) What you use to buy things
(E) Something that makes you feel better when you are sick
(F) A very small child or animal
(G) To get new knowledge about something
(H) When you feel really good inside and smile a lot
(I) To want something good to happen very much
(J) Someone who helps you know new things at school
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What are the people helping in the water?
(a) Big fish
(b) Sick sea rocks called corals
(c) Small shells
(d) Blue water

2. What are the people putting on the rocks?
(a) Medicine
(b) Food
(c) Toys
(d) Clothes

3. Why do the people want the sea rocks to have baby rocks?
(a) So they can sell the baby rocks
(b) So they can play with the baby rocks
(c) So there can be more sea rocks
(d) So they can eat the baby rocks

4. What can happen to the sick rocks?
(a) They can grow very big
(b) They can change color
(c) They can swim away
(d) They can die very fast

5. Who decided to help and learn about fish?
(a) A teacher
(b) A doctor
(c) A student
(d) A chef

6. What is the new medicine for the sea rocks?
(a) A bad medicine
(b) A good medicine
(c) A tasty medicine
(d) A funny medicine

7. What do people hope the new medicine will do?
(a) Make the sea rocks sick
(b) Change the sea rocks into fish
(c) Help the sea rocks a lot
(d) Make the sea rocks disappear

8. What do the people need from kind people?
(a) Food
(b) Clothes
(c) Toys
(d) Money

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The people put the medicine on the rocks so they can have baby fish.
2. One teacher decided to hinder and ignore fish.
3. Some people are helping sick sea rocks called corals.
4. The healthy rocks can die very slowly.
5. The teacher is happy to help the sea rocks.
6. There is a new bad medicine that can make the sea rocks worse.
7. The sea rocks are in a big water place with lots of fish.
8. They are using special medicine to make the sea rocks better.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.




Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What are some people doing to help the sick sea rocks called corals?
2. Where do the sea rocks live?
3. What do the people put on the rocks to help them have baby rocks?
4. Why do the sea rocks need money from kind people?
5. Who is happy to help the sea rocks and learn about fish?

Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What are some people doing to help the sick sea rocks called corals?
They are using special medicine to make them better.

2. What are the people using to make the sea rocks better?
They are using special medicine.

3. Where are the sea rocks located?
They are located in a big water place with lots of fish.

4. Why do the people need money from kind people?
They need money to help them do this.

5. Why can the sick rocks die very fast?
The sick rocks can die very fast because they are sick.

6. Who decided to help and learn about fish?
A teacher decided to help and learn about fish.

7. What are people hoping the new medicine will do for the sea rocks?
They are hoping that the new medicine will make the sea rocks better.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) corals
(2) medicine
(3) water
(4) money
(5) sick
(6) decided
(7) rocks
(8) hope
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. corals
Answer: (C) Sea rocks that are alive and can be many colors

2. medicine
Answer: (E) Something that makes you feel better when you are sick

3. fish
Answer: (A) Animals that swim in the water and have fins

4. baby
Answer: (F) A very small child or animal

5. money
Answer: (D) What you use to buy things

6. teacher
Answer: (J) Someone who helps you know new things at school

7. happy
Answer: (H) When you feel really good inside and smile a lot

8. learn
Answer: (G) To get new knowledge about something

9. hope
Answer: (I) To want something good to happen very much

10. die
Answer: (B) To stop being alive
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What are the people helping in the water?
Answer: (b) Sick sea rocks called corals

2. What are the people putting on the rocks?
Answer: (a) Medicine

3. Why do the people want the sea rocks to have baby rocks?
Answer: (c) So there can be more sea rocks

4. What can happen to the sick rocks?
Answer: (d) They can die very fast

5. Who decided to help and learn about fish?
Answer: (a) A teacher

6. What is the new medicine for the sea rocks?
Answer: (b) A good medicine

7. What do people hope the new medicine will do?
Answer: (c) Help the sea rocks a lot

8. What do the people need from kind people?
Answer: (d) Money
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The people put the medicine on the rocks so they can have baby fish. (Answer: False)
2. One teacher decided to hinder and ignore fish. (Answer: False)
3. Some people are helping sick sea rocks called corals. (Answer: True)
4. The healthy rocks can die very slowly. (Answer: False)
5. The teacher is happy to help the sea rocks. (Answer: True)
6. There is a new bad medicine that can make the sea rocks worse. (Answer: False)
7. The sea rocks are in a big water place with lots of fish. (Answer: True)
8. They are using special medicine to make the sea rocks better. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

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