There are big cracks in the ground in a place called the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland. The ground has been moving because there might be a volcano waking up. A town nearby has moved down a lot, and some people had to leave their homes. The video from the helicopter shows hot, melted rock under the ground, which means the volcano could start soon. People are working hard to keep important buildings safe from the hot rock.

The Blue Lagoon, a very special pool that many people like to visit, is closed right now. It will stay closed for a little while because of the volcano. The people who take care of the town want to make sure everyone is safe. The video from the helicopter helps everyone see how the ground is changing. It is important to watch the ground and be ready in case the volcano starts.

Original news source: Iceland: Helicopter footage shows giant cracks in earth (BBC)

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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 person from each team will come to the front and act out the word without speaking. The team members will guess the word. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns summarizing the article to each other. They should try to include the main points and key details. After each summary, the listener can ask questions to check understanding.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Give each student a slip of paper with a statement related to the article. For example, “Do you think the volcano will erupt soon?” or “Should people be allowed to visit the Blue Lagoon during this time?” Students will walk around the room and ask their classmates for their opinions. They should record the responses on their paper. After a few minutes, discuss the results as a class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Each pair will receive a set of vocabulary words from the article. One student will draw a picture to represent a word, while the other student tries to guess the word. They should take turns being the drawer and the guesser. The pair with the most correct guesses wins.

– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write a list of keywords from the article on the board. Divide the class into two teams. One person from each team will come to the front and try to describe the keyword to their team without using the word itself. The team members have to guess the keyword. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is happening in the ground in Iceland?
2. Why did some people have to leave their homes?
3. What did the video from the helicopter show?
4. Why is the Blue Lagoon closed right now?
5. Why do the people taking care of the town want to keep everyone safe?
6. What can the video from the helicopter help people see?
7. Why is it important to watch the ground and be ready?
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There are big cracks in the (1)______ in a place called the Reykjanes Peninsula in (2)______. The ground has been moving because there might be a volcano waking up. A town nearby has moved down a lot, and some people had to leave their homes. The video from the helicopter shows hot, melted rock under the ground, which means the volcano could (3)______ soon. People are working hard to keep (4)______ buildings (5)______ from the hot rock.

The Blue Lagoon, a very special pool that many people like to visit, is closed right now. It will stay closed for a little (6)______ because of the volcano. The people who take care of the town want to make sure everyone is safe. The video from the helicopter helps everyone see how the ground is (7)______. It is important to watch the ground and be ready in case the (8)______ starts.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a volcano?
2. How would you feel if you had to leave your home because of a volcano?
3. Do you like visiting pools? Why or why not?
4. What do you think the people in the town are doing to keep important buildings safe?
5. How do you think the ground is changing?
6. Why is it important to watch the ground?
7. Have you ever seen a volcano before? Where?
8. What do you think hot, melted rock looks like?
9. How do you think the people in the town feel about the Blue Lagoon being closed?
10. Do you think the volcano will start soon? Why or why not?
11. How do you think the people in the helicopter feel when they see the hot rock under the ground?
12. What would you do if you saw big cracks in the ground near your home?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. cracks
2. ground
3. volcano
4. town
5. homes
6. video
7. rock
8. buildings

Meanings:
(a) A mountain that can explode and make fire
(b) Moving pictures that show what is happening
(c) Structures where people live or work
(d) A place where people live and work together
(e) Hard, solid material that makes up the earth
(f) Big breaks in the earth’s surface
(g) The solid surface of the earth
(h) The places where people live
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Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Where are the big cracks in the ground?
(a) Paris
(b) London
(c) Berlin
(d) Reykjanes Peninsula

2. Why has a town nearby moved down?
(a) The volcano erupted
(b) The people wanted to move
(c) The ground has been moving
(d) The town was too crowded

3. What does the video from the helicopter show?
(a) Hot, melted rock under the ground
(b) People swimming in the pool
(c) Buildings in the town
(d) Birds flying in the sky

4. Why is the Blue Lagoon closed?
(a) Because it is too crowded
(b) Because it is winter
(c) Because the pool is dirty
(d) Because of the volcano

5. What are people doing to keep important buildings safe?
(a) Going on vacation
(b) Working hard
(c) Playing games
(d) Eating ice cream

6. What is important to watch in case the volcano starts?
(a) The sky
(b) The trees
(c) The ground
(d) The ocean

7. How long will the Blue Lagoon stay closed?
(a) Forever
(b) For a little while
(c) For a long time
(d) For a few minutes

8. Why do the people who take care of the town want to make sure everyone is safe?
(a) Because they care about people
(b) Because they want to go on vacation
(c) Because they want to close the town
(d) Because they want to see the volcano

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True or False Questions:

1. The ground is not moving because there might be a volcano waking up.
2. There are no big cracks in the ground in Iceland.
3. A town nearby has moved down a lot, and some people had to leave their homes.
4. People are not working hard to keep important buildings safe from the hot rock.
5. The people who take care of the town want to make sure everyone is safe.
6. The video from the helicopter shows hot, melted rock under the ground.
7. The volcano could not start soon.
8. The Blue Lagoon, a special pool, is closed because of the volcano.
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 is happening to the ground in Iceland?
2. Why did some people have to leave their homes?
3. What does the video from the helicopter show?
4. Why is the Blue Lagoon closed?
5. Why is it important to watch the ground?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is happening in the ground in Iceland?
There are big cracks in the ground in Iceland.

2. Why did some people have to leave their homes?
Some people had to leave their homes because the ground was moving and it wasn’t safe.

3. What did the video from the helicopter show?
The video from the helicopter showed hot, melted rock under the ground.

4. Why is the Blue Lagoon closed right now?
The Blue Lagoon is closed right now because of the volcano and to keep everyone safe.

5. Why do the people taking care of the town want to keep everyone safe?
The people taking care of the town want to keep everyone safe because they care about their well-being.

6. What can the video from the helicopter help people see?
The video from the helicopter can help people see how the ground is changing.

7. Why is it important to watch the ground and be ready?
It is important to watch the ground and be ready in case the volcano starts so that people can stay safe and be prepared.
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) ground
(2) Iceland
(3) start
(4) important
(5) safe
(6) while
(7) changing
(8) volcano
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. cracks
Answer: (f) Big breaks in the earth’s surface

2. ground
Answer: (g) The solid surface of the earth

3. volcano
Answer: (a) A mountain that can explode and make fire

4. town
Answer: (d) A place where people live and work together

5. homes
Answer: (h) The places where people live

6. video
Answer: (b) Moving pictures that show what is happening

7. rock
Answer: (e) Hard, solid material that makes up the earth

8. buildings
Answer: (c) Structures where people live or work
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Where are the big cracks in the ground?
Answer: (d) Reykjanes Peninsula

2. Why has a town nearby moved down?
Answer: (c) The ground has been moving

3. What does the video from the helicopter show?
Answer: (a) Hot, melted rock under the ground

4. Why is the Blue Lagoon closed?
Answer: (d) Because of the volcano

5. What are people doing to keep important buildings safe?
Answer: (b) Working hard

6. What is important to watch in case the volcano starts?
Answer: (c) The ground

7. How long will the Blue Lagoon stay closed?
Answer: (b) For a little while

8. Why do the people who take care of the town want to make sure everyone is safe?
Answer: (a) Because they care about people
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The ground is not moving because there might be a volcano waking up. (Answer: False)
2. There are no big cracks in the ground in Iceland. (Answer: False)
3. A town nearby has moved down a lot, and some people had to leave their homes. (Answer: True)
4. People are not working hard to keep important buildings safe from the hot rock. (Answer: False)
5. The people who take care of the town want to make sure everyone is safe. (Answer: True)
6. The video from the helicopter shows hot, melted rock under the ground. (Answer: True)
7. The volcano could not start soon. (Answer: False)
8. The Blue Lagoon, a special pool, is closed because of the volcano. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧