A fake robocall impersonating US President Joe Biden has been circulating, urging voters in New Hampshire to skip the primary election. The calls are suspected to be artificially generated, and it is unclear who is behind them. The Trump campaign has denied any involvement. The message in the robocall tells voters to “save” their ballot for the general election in November, claiming that Republicans are trying to push nonpartisan and Democratic voters to participate in their primary. However, there is no rule preventing people from voting in both the primary and general elections. The New Hampshire attorney general’s office has stated that the voice in the robocall sounds like President Biden’s, but the message appears to be artificially generated. They have called the calls an unlawful attempt to disrupt the election and advised voters to disregard the content entirely.

The robocalls were made to appear as if they were coming from the personal mobile phone number of Kathy Sullivan, a former state Democratic chairwoman who is involved in a pro-Biden political group in New Hampshire. Sullivan has expressed outrage at the use of her personal cell phone number without her permission, calling it outright election interference. Anti-robocall application Nomorobo estimates that the calls were made between 5,000 and 25,000 times.

The White House has confirmed that the audio in the robocalls is fake, and Biden’s campaign manager has criticized the calls as an attempt to suppress voting and undermine free and fair elections. In the New Hampshire primary, voters from both main parties are choosing their candidate for the general election. Although Biden’s name will not appear on the primary ballot, a campaign led by state and local Democrats has emerged, encouraging voters to write in his name. This decision was made after Biden approved a new voting calendar that removed New Hampshire’s status as the first state to hold a primary. It is highly likely that Biden will win the state and secure his party’s nomination for a second term in the White House.

Original news source: Fake Biden robocall tells voters to skip New Hampshire primary election (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Ask students to read the article and write a brief summary of the main points. They should focus on key information such as the fake robocalls, the involvement of President Biden, the reaction of the Trump campaign, and the response from the New Hampshire attorney general’s office. After they have written their summaries, have students share their summaries with a partner or in small groups and discuss any differences or similarities they noticed.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a role: supporters of President Biden, supporters of former President Trump, and undecided voters. Have each group discuss and prepare arguments to support their opinion on the robocall incident and whether it will impact the upcoming election. Then, have each group present their arguments to the class and conduct a class-wide poll to see which opinion is most common among the students.

– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write down a list of keywords related to the article on separate index cards. Each student takes turns drawing a card and without saying the keyword, they have to describe it to the class using synonyms or defining characteristics. The rest of the class must guess the keyword based on the student’s description. This activity will help students practice their vocabulary and descriptive skills while reviewing the key concepts from the article.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups: one group representing the supporters of the robocalls and one group representing the opponents of the robocalls. Have each group brainstorm a list of arguments to support their position. Then, have a debate-style discussion where each group presents their arguments and counters the arguments of the opposing group. Encourage students to use persuasive language and provide evidence to support their claims.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask students to imagine the potential consequences and future developments related to the robocall incident. Have them discuss in pairs or small groups and make predictions about the impact on voter turnout, the perception of the involved parties (such as President Biden, the Trump campaign, and Kathy Sullivan), and the overall trust in the electoral process. After the discussion, have students share their predictions with the class and engage in a class-wide discussion to compare and analyze different perspectives.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the purpose of the fake robocalls impersonating Joe Biden?
2. Who is suspected to be behind the artificially generated robocalls?
3. Has the Trump campaign admitted any involvement in the robocalls?
4. What does the message in the robocall tell voters to do?
5. Is there a rule preventing people from voting in both the primary and general elections?
6. How does the New Hampshire attorney general’s office describe the voice in the robocall?
7. Whose personal mobile phone number was used in the robocalls?
8. What is the White House’s response to the fake robocalls?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A fake robocall impersonating US President Joe Biden has been circulating, urging voters in New (1)______ to skip the primary election. The (2)______ are (3)______ to be artificially generated, and it is unclear who is behind them. The Trump campaign has denied any involvement. The (4)______ in the robocall tells voters to “save” their ballot for the general election in November, claiming that Republicans are trying to push nonpartisan and Democratic voters to participate in their primary. However, there is no rule preventing people from voting in both the primary and general (5)______. The New Hampshire attorney general’s office has stated that the voice in the robocall sounds like President Biden’s, but the message appears to be artificially generated. They have called the calls an (6)______ attempt to disrupt the election and advised voters to disregard the content entirely.

The robocalls were made to appear as if they were (7)______ from the personal (8)______ phone number of Kathy Sullivan, a former state Democratic chairwoman who is involved in a pro-Biden political group in New Hampshire. Sullivan has (9)______ outrage at the use of her personal cell phone number without her permission, calling it outright election interference. Anti-robocall (10)______ Nomorobo estimates that the calls were made between 5,000 and 25,000 (11)______.

The White House has confirmed that the audio in the robocalls is fake, and Biden’s (12)______ manager has criticized the calls as an attempt to suppress voting and undermine free and fair elections. In the New Hampshire primary, voters from both main parties are choosing their candidate for the general election. Although Biden’s name will not appear on the primary ballot, a campaign led by (13)______ and local (14)______ has emerged, encouraging voters to write in his name. This decision was made after Biden (15)______ a new voting (16)______ that removed New Hampshire’s status as the first state to hold a primary. It is highly likely that Biden will win the state and secure his party’s nomination for a second term in the White House.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a robocall and have you ever received one before?
2. How would you feel if your personal phone number was used without your permission for political purposes?
3. Do you think it is important for voters to participate in both the primary and general elections? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever encountered any attempts to disrupt an election in your country? If so, how were they handled?
5. What measures do you think should be put in place to prevent fake robocalls during elections?
6. How do you think fake robocalls could potentially suppress voting and undermine free and fair elections?
7. Do you think it is effective for political campaigns to encourage voters to write in a candidate’s name in the primary election? Why or why not?
8. How do you think the removal of New Hampshire’s status as the first state to hold a primary could impact future elections?
9. Have you ever participated in a political campaign or been involved in political activism? If so, what was your experience like?
10. How do you think technology has changed the way political campaigns and elections are conducted?
11. Do you believe that the government should have stricter regulations on robocalls? Why or why not?
12. How do you think the use of artificial intelligence in generating fake robocalls could be prevented or detected?
13. What role do you think social media platforms play in spreading misinformation during elections?
14. How do you think the public’s trust in the electoral process can be maintained despite attempts to disrupt elections?
15. Have you ever encountered any instances of election interference in your country or in other countries? If so, what were the consequences?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. impersonating
2. circulating
3. artificially
4. involvement
5. nonpartisan
6. disrupt
7. unlawful
8. outrage
9. interference
10. suppress
11. undermine
12. emerged
13. ballot
14. nomination
15. secure

Meanings:
(A) To prevent or inhibit someone from acting or speaking out
(B) A strong feeling of shock or anger
(C) To make certain or guarantee something
(D) To weaken or damage the foundation or integrity of something
(E) Not permitted by law
(F) A piece of paper used to record a vote in an election
(G) An act of intervening in a process or situation
(H) Spreading widely among a group of people
(I) Participation or association with an activity or event
(J) The act of formally choosing someone as a candidate for a job or position
(K) Not occurring naturally; created by human intervention
(L) Pretending to be another person
(M) To come into being or become apparent
(N) Not aligned with any political party
(O) To interrupt the normal progress or activity
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the purpose of the fake robocalls?
(a) To urge voters to skip the primary election
(b) To encourage voters to participate in the primary election
(c) To inform voters about the election process
(d) To provide information about the candidates

2. Who is suspected to be behind the fake robocalls?
(a) The Trump campaign
(b) The Biden campaign
(c) The New Hampshire attorney general’s office
(d) It is unclear

3. What does the robocall claim about Republicans?
(a) They are urging voters to skip the primary election
(b) They are trying to suppress voting
(c) They are behind the fake robocalls
(d) They are trying to push nonpartisan and Democratic voters to participate in their primary

4. What is the New Hampshire attorney general’s office’s stance on the robocalls?
(a) They believe they are a legitimate campaign strategy
(b) They advise voters to follow the instructions in the robocalls
(c) They consider them an unlawful attempt to disrupt the election
(d) They have not made a statement about the robocalls

5. Whose personal mobile phone number was used in the robocalls?
(a) Joe Biden, the US President
(b) Kathy Sullivan, a former state Democratic chairwoman
(c) The New Hampshire attorney general
(d) The Trump campaign

6. How many times were the robocalls estimated to have been made?
(a) Less than 1,000 times
(b) More than 50,000 times
(c) Between 5,000 and 25,000 times
(d) The exact number is unknown

7. What has the White House confirmed about the audio in the robocalls?
(a) It is fake
(b) It is authentic
(c) It is unclear
(d) It is distorted

8. What is the main concern raised by Biden’s campaign manager regarding the robocalls?
(a) They are a violation of campaign finance laws
(b) They are an attempt to suppress voting and undermine free and fair elections
(c) They are a distraction from the primary election process
(d) They are a strategy used by the Trump campaign

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. There is a rule preventing people from voting in both the primary and general elections.
2. A genuine robocall impersonating US President Joe Biden has been circulating in New Hampshire.
3. The Trump campaign has denied any involvement in the robocalls.
4. The White House has confirmed that the audio in the robocalls is fake.
5. The robocalls were made to appear as if they were coming from the personal mobile phone number of Kathy Sullivan, a former state Democratic chairwoman.
6. Biden’s campaign manager has criticized the robocalls as an attempt to suppress voting and undermine free and fair elections.
7. The robocalls urge voters to participate in the primary election and not save their ballot for the general election in November.
8. The New Hampshire attorney general’s office has stated that the voice in the robocall does not sound like President Biden’s, but the message appears to be authentic.
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 the purpose of the fake robocalls impersonating US President Joe Biden?
2. Who is suspected to be behind the artificially generated robocalls?
3. What is the message in the robocall and why is it misleading?
4. How has Kathy Sullivan, a former state Democratic chairwoman, responded to the use of her personal cell phone number in the robocalls?
5. What is the White House’s response to the fake robocalls and what impact do they believe it will have on voting?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. The purpose of the fake robocalls impersonating Joe Biden is to urge voters in New Hampshire to skip the primary election.
2. It is unclear who is behind the artificially generated robocalls.
3. The Trump campaign has denied any involvement in the robocalls.
4. The message in the robocall tells voters to “save” their ballot for the general election in November.
5. No, there is no rule preventing people from voting in both the primary and general elections.
6. The New Hampshire attorney general’s office describes the voice in the robocall as sounding like President Biden’s, but the message appears to be artificially generated.
7. The personal mobile phone number of Kathy Sullivan, a former state Democratic chairwoman, was used in the robocalls without her permission.
8. The White House has confirmed that the audio in the robocalls is fake, and Biden’s campaign manager has criticized the calls as an attempt to suppress voting and undermine free and fair elections.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Hampshire
(2) calls
(3) suspected
(4) message
(5) elections
(6) unlawful
(7) coming
(8) mobile
(9) expressed
(10) application
(11) times
(12) campaign
(13) state
(14) Democrats
(15) approved
(16) calendar
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. impersonating
Answer: (L) Pretending to be another person

2. circulating
Answer: (H) Spreading widely among a group of people

3. artificially
Answer: (K) Not occurring naturally; created by human intervention

4. involvement
Answer: (I) Participation or association with an activity or event

5. nonpartisan
Answer: (N) Not aligned with any political party

6. disrupt
Answer: (O) To interrupt the normal progress or activity

7. unlawful
Answer: (E) Not permitted by law

8. outrage
Answer: (B) A strong feeling of shock or anger

9. interference
Answer: (G) An act of intervening in a process or situation

10. suppress
Answer: (A) To prevent or inhibit someone from acting or speaking out

11. undermine
Answer: (D) To weaken or damage the foundation or integrity of something

12. emerged
Answer: (M) To come into being or become apparent

13. ballot
Answer: (F) A piece of paper used to record a vote in an election

14. nomination
Answer: (J) The act of formally choosing someone as a candidate for a job or position

15. secure
Answer: (C) To make certain or guarantee something
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the purpose of the fake robocalls?
Answer: (a) To urge voters to skip the primary election

2. Who is suspected to be behind the fake robocalls?
Answer: (d) It is unclear

3. What does the robocall claim about Republicans?
Answer: (d) They are trying to push nonpartisan and Democratic voters to participate in their primary

4. What is the New Hampshire attorney general’s office’s stance on the robocalls?
Answer: (c) They consider them an unlawful attempt to disrupt the election

5. Whose personal mobile phone number was used in the robocalls?
Answer: (b) Kathy Sullivan, a former state Democratic chairwoman

6. How many times were the robocalls estimated to have been made?
Answer: (c) Between 5,000 and 25,000 times

7. What has the White House confirmed about the audio in the robocalls?
Answer: (a) It is fake

8. What is the main concern raised by Biden’s campaign manager regarding the robocalls?
Answer: (b) They are an attempt to suppress voting and undermine free and fair elections
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. There is a rule preventing people from voting in both the primary and general elections. (Answer: False)
2. A genuine robocall impersonating US President Joe Biden has been circulating in New Hampshire. (Answer: False)
3. The Trump campaign has denied any involvement in the robocalls. (Answer: True)
4. The White House has confirmed that the audio in the robocalls is fake. (Answer: True)
5. The robocalls were made to appear as if they were coming from the personal mobile phone number of Kathy Sullivan, a former state Democratic chairwoman. (Answer: True)
6. Biden’s campaign manager has criticized the robocalls as an attempt to suppress voting and undermine free and fair elections. (Answer: True)
7. The robocalls urge voters to participate in the primary election and not save their ballot for the general election in November. (Answer: False)
8. The New Hampshire attorney general’s office has stated that the voice in the robocall does not sound like President Biden’s, but the message appears to be authentic. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧