India wants to send a person to the Moon by 2040. The country’s leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also said they plan to build a space station by 2035 and send missions to Venus and Mars. Last year, India was the first country to land a spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon. Now, they are working on a project called Gaganyaan to send people into space and bring them back safely by the end of 2024.

India’s space dreams are getting bigger. They have already sent successful missions to the Moon and the Sun. Now, they want to send a person to the Moon and build a space station. They also want to send missions to Venus and Mars. The Gaganyaan project, which will send people into space, is a big step towards these goals.

India’s space program has done some amazing things recently. They landed a spacecraft on the Moon and sent a rocket to study the Sun. These wins have made India more confident and ready to aim for bigger goals. The next big step is the Gaganyaan project, which will send a robot into space before sending people. India is ready to do big things in space exploration in the next few years.

Original news source: India aims to send astronaut to the Moon by 2040 (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down key words related to the article on small pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. One student from each team will come up and pick a word from the bowl without showing it to their team. They must then act out the word without speaking, and their team must guess what word it is. The team who guesses correctly gets a point.

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Each pair must read the article and then write a short summary of the main points. After a few minutes, have one person from each pair share their summary with the class. Encourage students to use their own words and to focus on the most important information.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write the following statement on the board: “Do you think India will achieve its space exploration goals?” Have the class stand up and move to one side of the room if they agree with the statement, and to the other side if they disagree. Once everyone has chosen a side, ask a few students to explain why they agree or disagree. Facilitate a short discussion on the topic.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a set of vocabulary words related to space exploration, taken from the article. One person from each group will come to the front of the class and draw a picture to represent one of the words. The rest of the group must guess what word it is. The group who guesses correctly gets a point.

– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Have each student think of two true statements and one false statement related to space exploration. They can be based on the article or their own knowledge. In pairs or small groups, students take turns sharing their statements and the others must guess which one is the lie. Encourage students to use their English language skills to explain their choices.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What does India want to do by the year 2040?
2. What did India do last year that no other country had done before?
3. What is the name of the project that will send people into space?
4. What are some of the big goals India has for their space program?
5. Why is India feeling more confident about their space program?
6. What is the next big step for India’s space program?
7. What does India plan to send into space before sending people?
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

India wants to send a person to the (1)______ by 2040. The (2)______’s leader, Prime Minister Narendra (3)______, also said they plan to build a space station by 2035 and send missions to Venus and Mars. Last year, India was the first country to land a spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon. Now, they are working on a project called Gaganyaan to send people into (4)______ and bring them back safely by the end of 2024.

India’s space dreams are getting bigger. They have already sent (5)______ missions to the Moon and the Sun. Now, they (6)______ to send a person to the Moon and build a space station. They also want to (7)______ (8)______ to (9)______ and Mars. The Gaganyaan project, which will send people into space, is a big step towards these goals.

India’s space program has done some amazing things recently. They landed a spacecraft on the Moon and sent a (10)______ to study the Sun. These wins have made India more confident and ready to aim for bigger goals. The (11)______ big step is the Gaganyaan (12)______, which will send a robot into space before sending people. India is ready to do big things in space exploration in the next few years.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What do you think about India’s plan to send a person to the Moon?
2. How would you feel if you had the chance to go into space? Why?
3. Do you like learning about space exploration? Why or why not?
4. What is a space station? Can you explain it in your own words?
5. How do you think India landing a spacecraft on the Moon will help their space program?
6. Do you think it’s important for countries to explore space? Why or why not?
7. What is the Gaganyaan project? Can you explain it in your own words?
8. How do you think sending a robot into space before sending people is a good idea?
9. Do you think India will be successful in their space exploration goals? Why or why not?
10. How do you think India’s recent achievements in space have made the country more confident?
11. What other planets do you think it would be interesting to explore? Why?
12. How do you think space exploration can benefit our everyday lives?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. India
2. Moon
3. space
4. Venus
5. Mars
6. Gaganyaan
7. spacecraft
8. goals

Meanings:
(a) The area outside of Earth where the planets are
(b) A vehicle that can travel in space
(c) The planet that is closest to the Sun
(d) The big round thing in the sky at night
(e) The planet that is next to Earth
(f) The things that India wants to achieve in space exploration
(g) The name of a project to send people into space
(h) A country in Asia that wants to explore space
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is India’s plan for space exploration by 2040?
(a) Build a space station on Mars
(b) Send a person to the Moon
(c) Land a spacecraft on Venus
(d) Study the Sun’s surface

2. What was India’s achievement last year?
(a) Sending a rocket to study the Sun
(b) Building a space station
(c) Sending a person to Mars
(d) Landing a spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon

3. What is the Gaganyaan project?
(a) Landing a spacecraft on Venus
(b) Sending people into space and bringing them back safely
(c) Building a space station on the Moon
(d) Sending a robot to study the Sun

4. What has made India more confident in space exploration?
(a) Building a space station on Mars
(b) Landing a spacecraft on Venus
(c) Successful missions to the Moon and the Sun
(d) Sending people into space

5. What is the next big step for India’s space program?
(a) The Gaganyaan project
(b) Building a space station on the Moon
(c) Landing a spacecraft on Mars
(d) Sending a robot to study the Sun

6. What did India achieve by landing a spacecraft on the Moon?
(a) Building a space station on the Moon
(b) Landing a spacecraft on Venus
(c) A successful mission to the Moon’s south pole
(d) Sending people into space

7. What is India’s plan for a space station?
(a) Build it by 2035
(b) Build it by 2040
(c) Build it on Mars
(d) Build it on the Moon

8. What is India’s plan for missions to Venus and Mars?
(a) Send missions only to Venus
(b) Send missions only to Mars
(c) Send missions to the Moon and the Sun
(d) Send missions to both Venus and Mars

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Last year, India did not land a spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon.
2. India’s Prime Minister wants to send a person to the Moon by 2040.
3. India is working on a project called Gaganyaan to send people into space by 2024.
4. India is not confident and ready to aim for bigger goals in space exploration.
5. India wants to send missions to Venus and Mars.
6. India has not already sent successful missions to the Moon and the Sun.
7. The Gaganyaan project is a big step towards India’s space goals.
8. India does not plan to build a space station by 2035.
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 does India want to do by 2040?
2. What was India the first country to do on the Moon last year?
3. What is the Gaganyaan project?
4. What has made India more confident in their space program?
5. What is the next big step for India in space exploration?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What does India want to do by the year 2040?
India wants to send a person to the Moon by the year 2040.

2. What did India do last year that no other country had done before?
India was the first country to land a spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon.

3. What is the name of the project that will send people into space?
The project that will send people into space is called Gaganyaan.

4. What are some of the big goals India has for their space program?
Some of the big goals for India’s space program are to build a space station, send missions to Venus and Mars, and send a person to the Moon.

5. Why is India feeling more confident about their space program?
India is feeling more confident about their space program because they have had successful missions to the Moon and the Sun, which have made them believe they can achieve bigger goals.

6. What is the next big step for India’s space program?
The next big step for India’s space program is the Gaganyaan project, which will send a robot into space before sending people.

7. What does India plan to send into space before sending people?
India plans to send a robot into space before sending people.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Moon
(2) country
(3) Modi
(4) space
(5) successful
(6) want
(7) send
(8) missions
(9) Venus
(10) rocket
(11) next
(12) project
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. India
Answer: (h) A country in Asia that wants to explore space

2. Moon
Answer: (d) The big round thing in the sky at night

3. space
Answer: (a) The area outside of Earth where the planets are

4. Venus
Answer: (c) The planet that is closest to the Sun

5. Mars
Answer: (e) The planet that is next to Earth

6. Gaganyaan
Answer: (g) The name of a project to send people into space

7. spacecraft
Answer: (b) A vehicle that can travel in space

8. goals
Answer: (f) The things that India wants to achieve in space exploration
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is India’s plan for space exploration by 2040?
Answer: (b) Send a person to the Moon

2. What was India’s achievement last year?
Answer: (d) Landing a spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon

3. What is the Gaganyaan project?
Answer: (b) Sending people into space and bringing them back safely

4. What has made India more confident in space exploration?
Answer: (c) Successful missions to the Moon and the Sun

5. What is the next big step for India’s space program?
Answer: (a) The Gaganyaan project

6. What did India achieve by landing a spacecraft on the Moon?
Answer: (c) A successful mission to the Moon’s south pole

7. What is India’s plan for a space station?
Answer: (a) Build it by 2035

8. What is India’s plan for missions to Venus and Mars?
Answer: (d) Send missions to both Venus and Mars
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Last year, India did not land a spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon. (Answer: False)
2. India’s Prime Minister wants to send a person to the Moon by 2040. (Answer: True)
3. India is working on a project called Gaganyaan to send people into space by 2024. (Answer: True)
4. India is not confident and ready to aim for bigger goals in space exploration. (Answer: False)
5. India wants to send missions to Venus and Mars. (Answer: True)
6. India has not already sent successful missions to the Moon and the Sun. (Answer: False)
7. The Gaganyaan project is a big step towards India’s space goals. (Answer: True)
8. India does not plan to build a space station by 2035. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧