Scientists studied a tiny fly’s brain. The fly’s brain has lots of tiny parts, like 130,000 cells and 50 million connections. They looked at where each part is and how they connect. This helps them learn how brains work, even human brains. They want to know how we think and how our brains do things.

The scientists found different parts of the fly’s brain do different jobs, like seeing and moving. This helps them understand how a healthy brain works. They hope to make maps of bigger brains, like mice and humans, to learn more. They had to cut the fly’s brain into many tiny pieces to study it. Now, other scientists can use this map to learn more about brains.

Original news source: Fly brain breakthrough ‘huge leap’ to unlock human mind (BBC)

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g., brain, cells, connections, parts, study). One person from each team will come to the board and draw the word while their team tries to guess what it is. Set a time limit for each round. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Charades
Instructions: Write down actions or concepts related to the article on pieces of paper (e.g., studying, thinking, moving, seeing). Have students take turns picking a paper and acting out the word without speaking while the rest of the class guesses. This will help reinforce vocabulary and encourage students to use body language to communicate.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Have them discuss and share their opinions on the importance of studying the brain and understanding how it works. Then, as a class, conduct a mini opinion poll by asking each group to share a summary of their discussions. This will encourage students to express their thoughts and practice speaking English.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “brain” on the board. Ask students to call out words that they associate with it (e.g., think, study, memory). Write down their responses and create a word web on the board. Discuss how the words are connected to the main topic. This activity will help students expand their vocabulary and make connections between words.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Ask each group to imagine and discuss potential future discoveries about the human brain based on the study of the fly’s brain. Have them write down their predictions and share them with the class. Encourage them to use vocabulary from the article and to explain their reasoning. This activity will promote critical thinking and creativity while practicing English language skills.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did scientists study?
2. How many cells are in the fly’s brain?
3. What did scientists learn by studying the fly’s brain?
4. What are some jobs different parts of the fly’s brain do?
5. Why did scientists have to cut the fly’s brain into tiny pieces?
6. What do scientists hope to make maps of next?
7. Why is it helpful for other scientists to use the map of the fly’s brain?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Scientists (1)______ a tiny fly’s brain. The fly’s brain has lots of tiny parts, like 130,000 cells and 50 million (2)______. They looked at where each part is and how they connect. This helps them learn how brains (3)______, even (4)______ brains. They want to know how we think and how our brains do things.

The scientists found different (5)______ of the fly’s brain do different jobs, like seeing and moving. This helps them understand how a healthy brain (6)______. They hope to make maps of bigger brains, like (7)______ and humans, to learn more. They had to cut the fly’s brain into many tiny pieces to study it. Now, other (8)______ can use this map to learn more about brains.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a brain?
2. How would you feel if you had to study a tiny fly’s brain?
3. Do you like learning about how brains work?
4. Do you think it’s important to understand how our brains think?
5. What do you think scientists can learn from studying a fly’s brain?
6. Why do you think scientists study different parts of the brain?
7. How do you think a map of a brain can help scientists?
8. What do you think it means to cut the brain into tiny pieces to study it?
9. Why do you think scientists want to study bigger brains like mice and humans?
10. How do you think the fly’s brain is different from a human brain?
11. Do you think it’s cool that scientists can learn from studying a tiny fly’s brain?
12. Why or why not do you think it’s good that other scientists can use the map to learn more about brains?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. scientists
2. tiny
3. brain
4. cells
5. connections
6. healthy
7. maps
8. studied
9. understand
10. pieces

Meanings:
(A) People who learn about things by doing tests
(B) Links between things
(C) Small parts of something bigger
(D) Feeling good and not sick
(E) The part of your head that helps you think
(F) Knowing what something means
(G) Small parts that make up living things
(H) Very small
(I) Drawings that show where things are
(J) Looked at something carefully to learn about it
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How many cells are in the tiny fly’s brain?
(a) 1,000,000
(b) 50,000
(c) 500,000
(d) 130,000

2. What did scientists study in the fly’s brain?
(a) Parts and connections
(b) Colors and shapes
(c) Sizes and sounds
(d) Tastes and smells

3. What do scientists hope to learn by studying the fly’s brain?
(a) How to fly
(b) How to swim
(c) How brains work
(d) How to dance

4. What do different parts of the fly’s brain do?
(a) The same job
(b) Different jobs
(c) No job
(d) Play games

5. How do scientists plan to learn more about bigger brains like mice and humans?
(a) Go on a trip
(b) Make maps
(c) Watch TV
(d) Eat ice cream

6. What did scientists have to do to study the fly’s brain?
(a) Paint it different colors
(b) Sing to it
(c) Give it a bath
(d) Cut it into tiny pieces

7. What can other scientists do now that the map of the fly’s brain is made?
(a) Learn more about brains
(b) Learn to fly
(c) Learn to swim
(d) Learn to dance

8. How many connections are in the tiny fly’s brain?
(a) 10 million
(b) 100 million
(c) 50 million
(d) 1 million

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The fly’s brain has many small parts.
2. Different parts of the fly’s brain do similar jobs.
3. Scientists looked at a tiny fly’s brain.
4. They had to study the fly’s brain without cutting it into tiny pieces.
5. Other scientists can use the map to learn more about brains.
6. There are 13,000 cells in the fly’s brain.
7. Scientists want to learn how human brains work.
8. The fly’s brain has 5 million connections.
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 scientists study?
2. How many cells does the tiny fly’s brain have?
3. What does studying the fly’s brain help scientists learn about?
4. What do different parts of the fly’s brain do?
5. How do scientists study the fly’s brain?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did scientists study?
Scientists studied a tiny fly’s brain.

2. How many cells are in the fly’s brain?
The fly’s brain has 130,000 cells.

3. What did scientists learn by studying the fly’s brain?
Scientists learned how different parts of the brain work together.

4. What are some jobs different parts of the fly’s brain do?
Different parts of the fly’s brain do jobs like seeing and moving.

5. Why did scientists have to cut the fly’s brain into tiny pieces?
Scientists had to cut the fly’s brain into tiny pieces to study it better.

6. What do scientists hope to make maps of next?
Scientists hope to make maps of bigger brains like mice and humans.

7. Why is it helpful for other scientists to use the map of the fly’s brain?
It is helpful for other scientists to use the map of the fly’s brain to learn more about brains.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) studied
(2) connections
(3) work
(4) human
(5) parts
(6) works
(7) mice
(8) scientists
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. scientists
Answer: (A) People who learn about things by doing tests

2. tiny
Answer: (H) Very small

3. brain
Answer: (E) The part of your head that helps you think

4. cells
Answer: (G) Small parts that make up living things

5. connections
Answer: (B) Links between things

6. healthy
Answer: (D) Feeling good and not sick

7. maps
Answer: (I) Drawings that show where things are

8. studied
Answer: (J) Looked at something carefully to learn about it

9. understand
Answer: (F) Knowing what something means

10. pieces
Answer: (C) Small parts of something bigger
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How many cells are in the tiny fly’s brain?
Answer: (d) 130,000

2. What did scientists study in the fly’s brain?
Answer: (a) Parts and connections

3. What do scientists hope to learn by studying the fly’s brain?
Answer: (c) How brains work

4. What do different parts of the fly’s brain do?
Answer: (b) Different jobs

5. How do scientists plan to learn more about bigger brains like mice and humans?
Answer: (b) Make maps

6. What did scientists have to do to study the fly’s brain?
Answer: (d) Cut it into tiny pieces

7. What can other scientists do now that the map of the fly’s brain is made?
Answer: (a) Learn more about brains

8. How many connections are in the tiny fly’s brain?
Answer: (c) 50 million
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The fly’s brain has many small parts. (Answer: True)
2. Different parts of the fly’s brain do similar jobs. (Answer: False)
3. Scientists looked at a tiny fly’s brain. (Answer: True)
4. They had to study the fly’s brain without cutting it into tiny pieces. (Answer: False)
5. Other scientists can use the map to learn more about brains. (Answer: True)
6. There are 13,000 cells in the fly’s brain. (Answer: False)
7. Scientists want to learn how human brains work. (Answer: True)
8. The fly’s brain has 5 million connections. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧