Paxson was driving home from his daughter's birthday party when the accident happened. He was in a place he didn't know well. He was using Google Maps to find his way home, but the map was wrong and led him to the broken bridge. He crashed into a creek and drowned.
People living nearby had told Google many times to fix their maps after the bridge broke in 2013. The family's lawsuit also says that barriers that should have been in front of the bridge were not there because of vandalism. The family wants justice for Paxson's death and is upset that the people responsible for the map and the bridge didn't care more about people's safety. Google said they are sorry for the family's loss and that they aim to give correct directions on their maps. They are looking into the lawsuit.
Original news source: Google accused of directing motorist to drive off collapsed bridge (BBC)
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. One student will be the "reporter" and the other student will be the "listener." The reporter will summarize the article in their own words, while the listener takes notes. After a few minutes, have the pairs switch roles. Finally, have a few pairs share their summaries with the whole class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write the following question on the board: "Do you think Google should be held responsible for Philip Paxson's death?" Divide the class into small groups and give each group a few minutes to discuss the question. Then, have each group choose a representative to share their group's opinion with the class. Encourage students to give reasons for their opinions.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board (e.g. bridge, accident, drown, lawsuit). Divide the class into small groups and give each group a whiteboard or a large piece of paper. One student from each group will choose a word from the list and draw a picture to represent it, while the other students in the group try to guess the word. The first group to guess correctly gets a point. Repeat with different words until all the vocabulary has been practiced.
– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write a list of keywords from the article on the board (e.g. Google Maps, broken bridge, lawsuit). Divide the class into pairs and give each pair a set of index cards. One student will be the "explainer" and the other student will be the "guesser." The explainer will choose a card with a keyword on it and try to explain the word to their partner without using the keyword itself. The guesser must try to guess the keyword based on the explanation. After a few minutes, have the pairs switch roles.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups: one group will be in favor of holding Google responsible for Paxson's death, and the other group will be against it. Give each group a few minutes to brainstorm arguments to support their position. Then, have a class debate where each group presents their arguments. Encourage students to use the language of opinion and persuasion.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
A man Philip Paxson died because he off a broken bridge. His family is blaming Google because they say Google Maps didn't show that the bridge was broken. The family is also blaming three local companies for not taking of the bridge. Google is looking into these claims. Paxson was driving home from his daughter's birthday when the accident happened. He was in a place he didn't know well. He was using Maps to find his way home, but the map was and led him to the broken bridge. He crashed into a creek and drowned. People nearby had told Google many times to fix their maps after the bridge in 2013. The family's lawsuit also says that barriers that should have been in front of the bridge were not there because of . The family wants justice for Paxson's death and is that the people responsible for the map and the bridge didn't care more about people's safety. Google said they are for the family's loss and that they aim to give directions on their maps. They are looking into the lawsuit.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is Google Maps?
2. How would you feel if you were driving and the map led you to a broken bridge?
3. Do you think Google should be blamed for this accident? Why or why not?
4. What do you think the family wants from the lawsuit?
5. Do you think the local companies should be blamed for the accident? Why or why not?
6. How do you think the family feels about the people responsible for the map and the bridge?
7. Have you ever used Google Maps? What was your experience like?
8. Do you think Google should fix their maps more quickly when people report errors? Why or why not?
9. How important do you think it is for maps to give correct directions? Why?
10. Have you ever been in a situation where you were lost and needed a map? How did you feel?
11. What do you think Google can do to improve their maps and prevent accidents like this?
12. Do you think the family will win the lawsuit? Why or why not?
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.
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