A 13-year-old boy from Canada named Max made his own game for the PlayStation 5. His game is called Astrolander. Max is very smart and does well in school, but he decided to stop going to school for one year. He wants to spend that time making his game better. His game will be ready to play in 2024.

Max showed his game to people at a big event. The people who make PlayStation games saw Max’s game and liked it a lot. They said Max could make his game for the PlayStation. His game is about going on adventures and playing with friends. People can play Max’s game in 2024.

Original news source: Meet the 13-year-old with his own PlayStation 5 game (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Write down various actions from the article such as “playing a game,” “going on adventures,” and “presenting.” Students take turns acting out these actions without speaking while the other students guess the action. This will help reinforce vocabulary from the article.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide students into pairs and give each pair a word or a simple sentence related to the article, like “PlayStation 5,” “game development,” or “Astrolander.” One student draws the word or sentence on a board or piece of paper without writing any words or numbers, while their partner has to guess what it is. This activity helps with word recognition and understanding the context of the article.

– Word Association
Instructions: Start with the word “game” and ask a student to say a word that they associate with “game.” The next student must then say a word associated with the previous student’s word. Continue this chain, ensuring each word relates to the article’s context. This will help students practice vocabulary and thinking quickly in English.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have the students imagine what Max’s game Astrolander will be like and how it will impact the gaming world in 2024. They can discuss in pairs or small groups and then share their ideas with the class. This encourages them to use future tense and descriptive language.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a few statements about the article, such as “Taking a year off school is a good idea to work on personal projects,” and “Video games are important for learning.” Students walk around the classroom and ask their classmates whether they agree or disagree with each statement, tallying the results. This activity gets beginners to practice asking and answering questions and expressing opinions.

Comprehension Questions:

1. How old is Max from Canada?
2. What is the name of Max’s game?
3. What did Max decide to do for one year instead of going to school?
4. When will Max’s game be ready to play?
5. Where did Max show his game to people?
6. What did the people who make PlayStation games think about Max’s game?
7. What can you do in Max’s game?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A 13-year-old boy from Canada named Max made his own game for the PlayStation 5. His game is (1)______ Astrolander. Max is very (2)______ and does well in school, but he decided to stop going to school for one year. He (3)______ to spend that time (4)______ his game better. His game will be ready to play in 2024.

Max (5)______ his game to people at a big event. The people who make (6)______ games saw Max’s game and liked it a lot. They said Max could make his game for the PlayStation. His game is about going on adventures and (7)______ing with friends. (8)______ can play Max’s game in 2024.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a game you like to play?
2. How would you feel if you made your own game?
3. Do you like to play games with friends?
4. What is your favorite game to play on a computer or TV?
5. Do you think making a game is easy or hard? Why?
6. Would you like to stop school to do something fun? What would you do?
7. What is something very smart you can do?
8. Do you like to go on adventures? Where do you go?
9. How do you feel when you try something new?
10. Would you like to show something you made to many people? What is it?
11. Do you think you would like to play Max’s game, Astrolander? Why or why not?
12. If you could make a game, what would your game be about?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. boy
2. game
3. PlayStation
4. smart
5. school
6. year
7. adventures
8. friends

Meanings:
(a) A type of video game console
(b) Exciting and fun experiences
(c) Clever or intelligent
(d) A place where children learn
(e) Something you play for fun
(f) People you enjoy spending time with
(g) A young male child
(h) A period of 365 days
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the boy who made his own game for the PlayStation 5?
(a) Max
(b) Alex
(c) Sam
(d) Jake

2. How old is Max?
(a) 15
(b) 10
(c) 8
(d) 13

3. What is the name of Max’s game?
(a) Astrolander
(b) Space Invaders
(c) Super Mario
(d) Minecraft

4. Why did Max decide to stop going to school for one year?
(a) To play video games all day
(b) To make his game better
(c) To spend time with friends
(d) To go on adventures

5. When will Max’s game be ready to play?
(a) 2022
(b) 2023
(c) 2024
(d) 2025

6. Who liked Max’s game a lot?
(a) Max’s friends
(b) Max’s parents
(c) The people who make PlayStation games
(d) Max’s teachers

7. What is Max’s game about?
(a) Solving math problems
(b) Going on adventures and playing with friends
(c) Cooking delicious food
(d) Building houses

8. When can people play Max’s game?
(a) In 2021
(b) In 2022
(c) In 2023
(d) In 2024

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Max is average and struggles in school.
2. Max’s game is about going on adventures and playing with friends.
3. A 13-year-old boy named Max made a game for the PlayStation 5.
4. Max decided to continue going to school for one year to make his game better.
5. People will be able to play Max’s game in 2024.
6. The people who make Xbox games liked Max’s game a lot.
7. Max’s game is called Astroglider.
8. Max showed his game to people at a big event.
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. How old is Max from Canada?
2. What did Max make for the PlayStation 5?
3. What is Max’s game called?
4. Why did Max stop going to school for one year?
5. When can people play Max’s game?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. How old is Max from Canada?
Max is 13 years old.

2. What is the name of Max’s game?
The name of Max’s game is Astrolander.

3. What did Max decide to do for one year instead of going to school?
Max decided to stop going to school for one year to make his game better.

4. When will Max’s game be ready to play?
Max’s game will be ready to play in 2024.

5. Where did Max show his game to people?
Max showed his game to people at a big event.

6. What did the people who make PlayStation games think about Max’s game?
The people who make PlayStation games liked Max’s game a lot.

7. What can you do in Max’s game?
In Max’s game, you can go on adventures and play with friends.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) called
(2) smart
(3) wants
(4) making
(5) showed
(6) PlayStation
(7) play
(8) People
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. boy
Answer: (g) A young male child

2. game
Answer: (e) Something you play for fun

3. PlayStation
Answer: (a) A type of video game console

4. smart
Answer: (c) Clever or intelligent

5. school
Answer: (d) A place where children learn

6. year
Answer: (h) A period of 365 days

7. adventures
Answer: (b) Exciting and fun experiences

8. friends
Answer: (f) People you enjoy spending time with
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the boy who made his own game for the PlayStation 5?
Answer: (a) Max

2. How old is Max?
Answer: (d) 13

3. What is the name of Max’s game?
Answer: (a) Astrolander

4. Why did Max decide to stop going to school for one year?
Answer: (b) To make his game better

5. When will Max’s game be ready to play?
Answer: (c) 2024

6. Who liked Max’s game a lot?
Answer: (c) The people who make PlayStation games

7. What is Max’s game about?
Answer: (b) Going on adventures and playing with friends

8. When can people play Max’s game?
Answer: (d) In 2024
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Max is average and struggles in school. (Answer: False)
2. Max’s game is about going on adventures and playing with friends. (Answer: True)
3. A 13-year-old boy named Max made a game for the PlayStation 5. (Answer: True)
4. Max decided to continue going to school for one year to make his game better. (Answer: False)
5. People will be able to play Max’s game in 2024. (Answer: True)
6. The people who make Xbox games liked Max’s game a lot. (Answer: False)
7. Max’s game is called Astroglider. (Answer: False)
8. Max showed his game to people at a big event. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧