Scientists in Uganda found that wild chimpanzees eat special plants to help them feel better when they are sick or hurt. They watched the chimpanzees and collected the plants they ate. Most of these plants can kill bacteria. The scientists think that learning from chimpanzees might help us find new medicines.
Dr. Elodie Freymann from the University of Oxford led the study. She and her team watched two groups of chimpanzees for four years. They looked at the chimpanzees' droppings and urine to see if they were sick. They noticed that sick or hurt chimpanzees ate certain plants, so they collected and tested these plants.
Dr. Freymann said they can't be sure if the plants made the chimpanzees better, but the study shows we can learn a lot from animals. She also said it's important to protect these forests. The scientists hope their work will help find new medicines from these plants.
Original news source: Chimpanzees βself-medicateβ with healing plants (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a list of vocabulary words related to the article. One person from each group will act out a word from the list without speaking, while the others in the group try to guess what the word is. The group that guesses the most words correctly wins.
– News Summary
Instructions: Have the students work individually or in pairs to write a summary of the article using their own words. Encourage them to include the main ideas and key details. After they have finished, have them share their summaries with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Have each pair discuss and share their opinions on the following question: "Do you think it's possible to find new medicines by studying animals like chimpanzees?" After they have discussed, have them survey other pairs in the class to gather different opinions. Finally, have a class discussion to share and compare the different viewpoints.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the class into small groups. One person from each group will choose a word from the list and draw a picture to represent that word. The other members of the group will try to guess what word it is based on the drawing. The group that guesses the most words correctly wins.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have the students work individually or in pairs to write a short paragraph predicting what they think might happen in the future as a result of the study mentioned in the article. Encourage them to use their imagination and think creatively. After they have finished, have them share their predictions with the class.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
The scientists found that wild chimpanzees eat special plants when they are sick or hurt.
The scientists collected the plants that the chimpanzees ate.
The scientists think learning from chimpanzees is important because it might help us find new medicines.
Dr. Elodie Freymann from the University of Oxford led the study.
The scientists looked at the chimpanzees' droppings and urine to see if they were sick.
The sick or hurt chimpanzees ate certain plants.
It is important to protect the forests where the chimpanzees live because they provide a home for the chimpanzees and the plants they eat, which could help us find new medicines.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Scientists in found that wild chimpanzees eat plants to help them feel better when they are sick or . They watched the chimpanzees and collected the plants they ate. Most of these plants can kill bacteria. The scientists think that learning from chimpanzees might help us find new medicines. Dr. Elodie from the University of Oxford led the study. She and her team two of chimpanzees for four years. They looked at the chimpanzees' droppings and to see if they were . They noticed that sick or hurt chimpanzees ate plants, so they collected and tested these plants. Dr. Freymann said they can't be sure if the plants the chimpanzees better, but the study shows we can learn a lot from animals. She also said it's important to protect these forests. The scientists their will help find new medicines from these plants.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What did scientists in Uganda find out about wild chimpanzees?
2. How did the scientists collect the plants that the chimpanzees ate?
3. What do the scientists think we can learn from chimpanzees?
4. Who led the study mentioned in the article?
5. How long did the scientists watch the chimpanzees for?
6. What did the scientists look at to see if the chimpanzees were sick?
7. What did the scientists notice about sick or hurt chimpanzees?
8. What did the scientists do with the plants they collected?
9. Can the scientists be sure if the plants made the chimpanzees better?
10. Why did Dr. Freymann say it's important to protect these forests?
11. What do the scientists hope their work will help find?
12. Why is it important to learn from animals, according to Dr. Freymann?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.
Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Check your writing now with the best free AI for English writing!
