Some smart people at Microsoft and a place called PNNL found a new thing to use in batteries. This new thing could mean we don’t need as much of something called lithium, which is what makes batteries work. They used a very smart computer to look at lots of different things and pick the best one. It didn’t take them very long to find it. Then they made a battery that could light up a lightbulb.

Batteries are in lots of things like cars and phones, and they need lithium to work. But there might not be enough lithium soon, and getting it from the ground can hurt the earth. The new thing they found is really special because it doesn’t need as much lithium and it can keep a lot of energy. Smart computers will help people find even more new things for batteries. This will help us have more power without using too much lithium.

Original news source: New material found by AI could reduce lithium use in batteries (BBC)

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a set of vocabulary words related to the article. One student from each team will come up to the front and act out the word without speaking. The team members must guess the word within a certain time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “batteries” on the board. Have the students take turns saying a word that is related to batteries. The next student must say a word that is related to the previous word. Keep going until you run out of ideas or time.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and a pencil. In pairs, one student will describe an object related to batteries from the article while the other student tries to draw it. After a certain amount of time, switch roles and repeat. Then, have the students share their drawings with the class and explain what they were trying to draw.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a set of vocabulary words related to the article on small pieces of paper and put them in a hat. Divide the class into two teams. One person from each team will take turns picking a word from the hat and drawing it on the board. Their team members must guess the word within a certain time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Discuss with the class the potential impact of the new battery technology mentioned in the article. Have the students work in pairs or small groups to brainstorm and discuss how this new technology could affect various aspects of their lives in the future. Each group can then present their ideas to the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did some smart people at Microsoft and PNNL find for batteries?
2. Why is lithium important for batteries?
3. What did the smart computer do to help find the new thing for batteries?
4. What did the smart people make with the new thing they found?
5. What are some things that have batteries?
6. Why might there not be enough lithium soon?
7. How will smart computers help people find more new things for batteries?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Some smart people at Microsoft and a place called PNNL found a new thing to use in batteries. This new thing could mean we don’t need as (1)______ of something called lithium, which is what makes batteries (2)______. They used a very smart computer to look at lots of (3)______ (4)______ and pick the best one. It didn’t take them very long to find it. Then they made a battery that could light up a lightbulb.

Batteries are in lots of things like cars and (5)______, and they need lithium to work. But there might not be enough lithium soon, and getting it from the ground can hurt the earth. The new thing they found is really (6)______ because it doesn’t need as much lithium and it can keep a lot of energy. Smart computers will help people (7)______ even more new things for batteries. This will help us have more (8)______ without using too much lithium.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a battery?
2. How would you feel if your phone didn’t have a battery?
3. Do you like using things that need batteries? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to find new things for batteries? Why or why not?
5. What is lithium?
6. How would you feel if there wasn’t enough lithium for batteries?
7. Do you think it’s good to find a new thing that doesn’t need as much lithium? Why or why not?
8. What is a smart computer?
9. How do you think smart computers can help find new things for batteries?
10. How would you feel if there were more new things for batteries in the future?
11. Do you think it’s good to have more power without using too much lithium? Why or why not?
12. How would you feel if you had a battery that could light up a lightbulb?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Microsoft
2. PNNL
3. lithium
4. batteries
5. computer
6. energy
7. special
8. earth
9. power
10. smart

Meanings:
(A) A kind of metal that is used to make batteries work
(B) A place where people make computers and games
(C) What you need to run and jump and for lights to turn on
(D) A place where people think and learn new things
(E) When you know a lot and can solve hard puzzles
(F) Something that is not like other things, very important
(G) Things that make your toys and phone work without a plug
(H) A machine that helps you play games and learn things
(I) What makes things go, like when you ride your bike fast
(J) The ground we walk on and the home where we live
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did the smart people at Microsoft and PNNL find?
(a) A new thing to use in batteries
(b) A new type of car
(c) A new type of phone
(d) A new type of computer

2. What is the new thing they found used for?
(a) Cars
(b) Batteries
(c) Phones
(d) Computers

3. Why is the new thing special?
(a) It is really big and heavy
(b) It is very expensive
(c) It doesn’t need as much lithium and can keep a lot of energy
(d) It is made of gold

4. What do batteries need to work?
(a) Gold
(b) Silver
(c) Lithium
(d) Copper

5. What might happen if we don’t have enough lithium?
(a) We won’t be able to make cars
(b) We won’t be able to make phones
(c) We won’t be able to make computers
(d) We won’t be able to make batteries

6. Why is getting lithium from the ground bad for the earth?
(a) It can make the earth happy
(b) It can make the earth grow
(c) It can make the earth clean
(d) It can hurt the earth

7. What will smart computers help people find?
(a) More new things for batteries
(b) More new things for cars
(c) More new things for phones
(d) More new things for computers

8. What will finding more new things for batteries help us do?
(a) Have more power without using any lithium
(b) Have more power without using too much lithium
(c) Have more power without using any batteries
(d) Have more power without using any energy

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The new thing they found can keep a lot of energy and doesn’t need as much lithium.
2. Smart computers will not help people find even more new things for batteries.
3. They made a battery that could light up a lightbulb.
4. The special thing they found cannot help us have more power without using too much lithium.
5. Batteries are in cars and phones, and they need lithium to work.
6. They did not use a smart computer to find the best thing for batteries, and it took them a long time.
7. There might not be enough lithium soon, and getting it from the ground can hurt the earth.
8. Microsoft and PNNL did not find anything new for batteries that can reduce the usage of lithium.
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 did some smart people at Microsoft and PNNL find for batteries?
2. What is lithium and why do batteries need it?
3. Why might there not be enough lithium soon?
4. Why is it bad to get lithium from the ground?
5. How will smart computers help us find new things for batteries?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did some smart people at Microsoft and PNNL find for batteries?
They found a new thing to use in batteries.

2. Why is lithium important for batteries?
Lithium is important for batteries because it helps them work.

3. What did the smart computer do to help find the new thing for batteries?
The smart computer looked at lots of different things and picked the best one.

4. What did the smart people make with the new thing they found?
They made a battery that could light up a lightbulb.

5. What are some things that have batteries?
Cars, phones, and many other things have batteries.

6. Why might there not be enough lithium soon?
There might not be enough lithium soon because we are using a lot of it and it is running out.

7. How will smart computers help people find more new things for batteries?
Smart computers will help people find more new things for batteries by looking at lots of different things and picking the best ones.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) much
(2) work
(3) different
(4) things
(5) phones
(6) special
(7) find
(8) power
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Microsoft
Answer: (B) A place where people make computers and games

2. PNNL
Answer: (D) A place where people think and learn new things

3. lithium
Answer: (A) A kind of metal that is used to make batteries work

4. batteries
Answer: (G) Things that make your toys and phone work without a plug

5. computer
Answer: (H) A machine that helps you play games and learn things

6. energy
Answer: (C) What you need to run and jump and for lights to turn on

7. special
Answer: (F) Something that is not like other things, very important

8. earth
Answer: (J) The ground we walk on and the home where we live

9. power
Answer: (I) What makes things go, like when you ride your bike fast

10. smart
Answer: (E) When you know a lot and can solve hard puzzles
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did the smart people at Microsoft and PNNL find?
Answer: (a) A new thing to use in batteries

2. What is the new thing they found used for?
Answer: (b) Batteries

3. Why is the new thing special?
Answer: (c) It doesn’t need as much lithium and can keep a lot of energy

4. What do batteries need to work?
Answer: (c) Lithium

5. What might happen if we don’t have enough lithium?
Answer: (d) We won’t be able to make batteries

6. Why is getting lithium from the ground bad for the earth?
Answer: (d) It can hurt the earth

7. What will smart computers help people find?
Answer: (a) More new things for batteries

8. What will finding more new things for batteries help us do?
Answer: (b) Have more power without using too much lithium
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The new thing they found can keep a lot of energy and doesn’t need as much lithium. (Answer: True)
2. Smart computers will not help people find even more new things for batteries. (Answer: False)
3. They made a battery that could light up a lightbulb. (Answer: True)
4. The special thing they found cannot help us have more power without using too much lithium. (Answer: False)
5. Batteries are in cars and phones, and they need lithium to work. (Answer: True)
6. They did not use a smart computer to find the best thing for batteries, and it took them a long time. (Answer: False)
7. There might not be enough lithium soon, and getting it from the ground can hurt the earth. (Answer: True)
8. Microsoft and PNNL did not find anything new for batteries that can reduce the usage of lithium. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧