A young boy, only 12 years old, did something very dangerous in a place called Ann Arbor, Michigan. He took a big machine called a forklift without asking and drove it around. While driving, he hit about 10 cars that were not moving. The police caught him and are trying to understand why this happened.

The police had to follow the boy for a long time, about one hour, to stop him. The boy made a big mess by hitting many cars with the forklift. The police found out that the forklift was not locked and the key was left inside. Now, the boy is with the police, and they are looking more into what he did.

This happened in a town named Ann Arbor. A boy who is not even a teenager took a big machine without permission. He drove it on the streets and hit several cars that were parked. The police are still trying to learn more about why the boy did this and what should happen next.

Original news source: Forklift chase: Ann Arbor Police chase 12-year-old boy (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down key words from the article onto small pieces of paper and put them in a bag or hat. One student from each team will take turns choosing a word from the bag and acting it out without speaking. The team members will try to guess the word based on the student’s actions. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Continue until all the words have been chosen or for a set amount of time. The team with the most points at the end wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have students discuss and summarize the main points of the article. They should try to include the who, what, where, when, and why of the story. After a few minutes, have each group share their summaries with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Ask the students to form pairs or small groups. Give each group a set of questions related to the article, such as “Do you think the boy should be punished? Why or why not?” or “What do you think the consequences should be for taking a machine without permission?” Each group should discuss the questions and come up with their own opinions. Then, have each group share their opinions with the class.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write down key words from the article on the board. Then, have students take turns saying a word that they associate with each key word. For example, if the key word is “forklift,” a student might say “construction” or “heavy machinery.” Continue until all the key words have been used or for a set amount of time.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a set of vocabulary words from the article. One student from each team will come to the board and draw a picture representing one of the words. The rest of their team will try to guess the word based on the drawing. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Continue until all the words have been drawn or for a set amount of time. The team with the most points at the end wins.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What did the 12-year-old boy do in Ann Arbor, Michigan?
2. How many cars did the boy hit while driving the forklift?
3. How long did the police have to follow the boy before they could stop him?
4. What did the police find out about the forklift?
5. Where is the boy now?
6. What is the name of the town where this happened?
7. What are the police trying to figure out about the boy’s actions?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A young boy, only 12 years old, did something very (1)______ in a place (2)______ Ann Arbor, Michigan. He took a big machine called a forklift without asking and drove it around. While driving, he hit about 10 (3)______ that were not moving. The police (4)______ him and are trying to (5)______ why this happened.

The police had to follow the boy for a long time, about one (6)______, to stop him. The boy made a big mess by hitting many cars with the forklift. The police found out that the forklift was not locked and the key was (7)______ inside. Now, the boy is with the police, and they are looking more into what he did.

This (8)______ in a town named Ann (9)______. A boy who is not even a teenager (10)______ a big machine without permission. He drove it on the streets and hit several cars that were parked. The (11)______ are still trying to learn more about why the boy did this and what should (12)______ next.

Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a forklift?
2. How would you feel if someone took something of yours without asking?
3. Do you think it was dangerous for the boy to drive the forklift on the streets? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever driven a vehicle before? How did it feel?
5. What do you think the police should do with the boy now?
6. Do you like driving? Why or why not?
7. How would you feel if your car got hit by a forklift?
8. What do you think the boy’s parents should do about this situation?
9. Have you ever seen a forklift before? Where?
10. Do you think the boy should have asked for permission before driving the forklift? Why or why not?
11. What would you do if you saw someone driving a forklift on the street?
12. Why do you think the boy hit the parked cars with the forklift?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. dangerous
2. forklift
3. machine
4. police
5. cars
6. permission
7. streets
8. parked

Meanings:
(a) A big object that does work for you
(b) Vehicles that people drive on the road
(c) Something that can hurt you or cause harm
(d) A big vehicle used to lift heavy things
(e) When a car is not moving and stays in one place
(f) When you are allowed to do something
(g) People who enforce the law and keep us safe
(h) The roads where cars drive
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How old is the boy who took the forklift without permission?
(a) 12 years old
(b) 15 years old
(c) 10 years old
(d) 8 years old

2. Where did this incident happen?
(a) New York City, New York
(b) Los Angeles, California
(c) Ann Arbor, Michigan
(d) Chicago, Illinois

3. What kind of machine did the boy take without asking?
(a) Forklift
(b) Bulldozer
(c) Crane
(d) Tractor

4. How many cars did the boy hit while driving the forklift?
(a) About 5 cars
(b) About 20 cars
(c) About 15 cars
(d) About 10 cars

5. How long did the police have to follow the boy to stop him?
(a) About 30 minutes
(b) About two hours
(c) About 45 minutes
(d) About one hour

6. Why did the police have to follow the boy for a long time?
(a) To understand why he did it
(b) To learn more about forklifts
(c) To stop him
(d) To catch other criminals

7. What did the police find out about the forklift?
(a) It was locked and the key was missing
(b) It was not locked and the key was left inside
(c) It was broken and couldn’t be driven
(d) It was stolen from a construction site

8. What are the police trying to do now?
(a) Punish the boy without asking any questions
(b) Learn more about why the boy did this and what should happen next
(c) Sell the forklift to make money
(d) Forget about the incident and move on

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The police have closed the investigation as they have gathered all the necessary information about the boy’s actions.
2. A 15-year-old boy in Ann Arbor, Michigan, took a bicycle without permission and rode it around.
3. The boy is not even a teenager yet.
4. The forklift was locked, and the key was not left inside, making it impossible for the boy to take it.
5. The incident happened in a town called Ann Arbor.
6. The police are trying to figure out why the boy did this and what should happen next.
7. The police were able to apprehend the boy quickly without having to chase him.
8. The boy hit about 10 parked cars while driving the forklift.
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 the 12-year-old boy do in Ann Arbor, Michigan?
2. How many cars did the boy hit while driving the forklift?
3. How long did the police have to follow the boy before they could stop him?
4. Why was the forklift easy for the boy to take?
5. What are the police trying to figure out about the boy’s actions?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did the 12-year-old boy do in Ann Arbor, Michigan?
The 12-year-old boy took a forklift without permission and drove it around.

2. How many cars did the boy hit while driving the forklift?
The boy hit about 10 cars while driving the forklift.

3. How long did the police have to follow the boy before they could stop him?
The police had to follow the boy for about one hour before they could stop him.

4. What did the police find out about the forklift?
The police found out that the forklift was not locked and the key was left inside.

5. Where is the boy now?
The boy is with the police.

6. What is the name of the town where this happened?
The town where this happened is called Ann Arbor.

7. What are the police trying to figure out about the boy’s actions?
The police are trying to figure out why the boy did this and what should happen next.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) dangerous
(2) called
(3) cars
(4) caught
(5) understand
(6) hour
(7) left
(8) happened
(9) Arbor
(10) took
(11) police
(12) happen
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. dangerous
Answer: (c) Something that can hurt you or cause harm

2. forklift
Answer: (d) A big vehicle used to lift heavy things

3. machine
Answer: (a) A big object that does work for you

4. police
Answer: (g) People who enforce the law and keep us safe

5. cars
Answer: (b) Vehicles that people drive on the road

6. permission
Answer: (f) When you are allowed to do something

7. streets
Answer: (h) The roads where cars drive

8. parked
Answer: (e) When a car is not moving and stays in one place
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How old is the boy who took the forklift without permission?
Answer: (a) 12 years old

2. Where did this incident happen?
Answer: (c) Ann Arbor, Michigan

3. What kind of machine did the boy take without asking?
Answer: (a) Forklift

4. How many cars did the boy hit while driving the forklift?
Answer: (d) About 10 cars

5. How long did the police have to follow the boy to stop him?
Answer: (d) About one hour

6. Why did the police have to follow the boy for a long time?
Answer: (c) To stop him

7. What did the police find out about the forklift?
Answer: (b) It was not locked and the key was left inside

8. What are the police trying to do now?
Answer: (b) Learn more about why the boy did this and what should happen next
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The police have closed the investigation as they have gathered all the necessary information about the boy’s actions. (Answer: False)
2. A 15-year-old boy in Ann Arbor, Michigan, took a bicycle without permission and rode it around. (Answer: False)
3. The boy is not even a teenager yet. (Answer: True)
4. The forklift was locked, and the key was not left inside, making it impossible for the boy to take it. (Answer: False)
5. The incident happened in a town called Ann Arbor. (Answer: True)
6. The police are trying to figure out why the boy did this and what should happen next. (Answer: True)
7. The police were able to apprehend the boy quickly without having to chase him. (Answer: False)
8. The boy hit about 10 parked cars while driving the forklift. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧