The Amazon forest didn’t get enough rain this year. It was the driest it has ever been. Because of this, the rivers got very low, and it was hard for people to get to some places. Big fires started, and plants that people grow for food got ruined. Scientists are worried that the forest might get very sick and not be able to get better.

People who live in the forest are having a hard time. They can’t get to important things they need because the rivers are too low. Some people even had to move to be closer to doctors. The trees and plants in the forest are also not doing well. If the forest gets too sick, it might stop helping the air stay clean, and that would be very bad for everyone.

Original news source: Amazon drought: ‘We’ve never seen anything like this’ (BBC)

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down key words from the article on separate pieces of paper. Each team takes turns selecting a word and acting it out without speaking. The other team has to guess what the word is based on the actions. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a different word from the article. One person from each pair has to draw a picture to represent the word, while the other person tries to guess what the word is. The pairs can switch roles after each word.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write down key words from the article on the board. Have the students take turns saying a word that is associated with the one on the board. For example, if the word is “forest,” the next student might say “trees.” Continue until all the words have been used or until the students can’t think of any more words.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Ask the students how they feel about the situation described in the article. Have them stand on one side of the room if they agree, the other side if they disagree, or in the middle if they are unsure. Give them a chance to explain their opinions to the class.

– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Have each student come up with two true statements and one false statement about the article. They can take turns sharing their statements with the class, and the rest of the students have to guess which one is the lie. This activity can help with reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why didn’t the Amazon forest get enough rain this year?
2. What happened to the rivers when the forest didn’t get enough rain?
3. Why was it hard for people to get to some places in the forest?
4. What happened to the plants that people grow for food?
5. Why are scientists worried about the forest?
6. Why are people who live in the forest having a hard time?
7. What might happen if the forest gets too sick?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The (1)______ forest didn’t get (2)______ rain this year. It was the driest it has ever been. Because of this, the rivers got very low, and it was hard for people to get to some places. Big fires started, and plants that people (3)______ for food got ruined. Scientists are (4)______ that the forest might get very sick and not be able to get better.

People who (5)______ in the forest are having a hard time. They can’t get to (6)______ things they need because the rivers are too low. Some people even had to move to be closer to doctors. The trees and plants in the forest are also not doing well. If the forest gets too (7)______, it might (8)______ helping the air stay clean, and that would be very bad for everyone.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is the Amazon forest?
2. How do you think people feel when they can’t get to important things they need?
3. Do you like plants? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if the forest stopped helping the air stay clean?
5. Do you think it’s important to take care of the forest? Why or why not?
6. What do you think might happen if the forest gets very sick?
7. Have you ever seen a river? What was it like?
8. How do you think the people who had to move feel about being closer to doctors?
9. Do you think it’s good or bad that the rivers got very low? Why or why not?
10. What do you think scientists can do to help the forest get better?
11. Have you ever seen a big fire? What was it like?
12. How would you feel if the plants you grow for food got ruined?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Amazon
2. rivers
3. scientists
4. important
5. forest
6. sick
7. plants
8. clean
9. worried
10. fires

Meanings:
(A) Things that grow in the ground, like flowers or things you eat
(B) Not dirty, like when you wash your hands
(C) People who know a lot about things and try to learn more
(D) A big bunch of trees and plants, like a really big garden
(E) Not feeling good, like when you have to stay in bed
(F) A big place with lots of trees where animals live
(G) When you feel something might go wrong and it makes you a little scared
(H) Water that moves and can be big or small
(I) Something that you really need or that is very special
(J) Hot, bright, and orange things that can burn wood and stuff
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why was the Amazon forest very dry this year?
(a) It had too much rain
(b) It didn’t get enough rain
(c) The rivers were too high
(d) The plants used up all the water

2. What happened to the rivers in the Amazon forest?
(a) They got very high
(b) They disappeared completely
(c) They got very low
(d) They became polluted

3. What happened to the plants that people grow for food in the Amazon forest?
(a) They got ruined
(b) They grew very big
(c) They became healthier
(d) They disappeared completely

4. Why are scientists worried about the Amazon forest?
(a) It might become too crowded with people
(b) It might become too hot for animals to live there
(c) It might get very sick and not be able to get better
(d) It might start raining too much

5. Why are people who live in the forest having a hard time?
(a) They have too many things they need
(b) The rivers are too high and they can’t swim
(c) They don’t like the forest anymore
(d) They can’t get to important things they need because the rivers are too low

6. What are some people in the Amazon forest doing because they can’t get to doctors?
(a) They are building their own hospitals
(b) They are moving to be closer to doctors
(c) They are learning to be doctors themselves
(d) They are waiting for the rivers to get higher

7. What is happening to the trees and plants in the Amazon forest?
(a) They are growing very fast
(b) They are becoming taller and stronger
(c) They are disappearing completely
(d) They are not doing well

8. Why would it be very bad for everyone if the Amazon forest stops helping the air stay clean?
(a) The air would become very dirty and hard to breathe
(b) The air would become too cold to breathe
(c) The air would become too hot to breathe
(d) The air would become too smelly to breathe

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The plants that people grow for food got ruined because of the lack of rain.
2. If the forest gets too healthy, it might stop helping the air stay clean, and that would be very bad for everyone.
3. People who live in the city are having a hard time because they can’t get to important things they need.
4. The rivers in the Amazon forest got very low because of the lack of rain.
5. The Amazon forest got enough rain this year.
6. Some people had to move closer to doctors because they couldn’t get the help they needed in the city.
7. Scientists are worried that the forest might get very sick and not be able to get better.
8. Big fires started in the Amazon forest because of the dryness.
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. Why didn’t the Amazon forest get enough rain this year?
2. What happened to the rivers when the Amazon forest didn’t get enough rain?
3. Why did big fires start in the Amazon forest?
4. Why are scientists worried about the forest getting sick?
5. Why are people who live in the forest having a hard time?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why didn’t the Amazon forest get enough rain this year?
Because it was the driest it has ever been.

2. What happened to the rivers when the forest didn’t get enough rain?
They got very low.

3. Why was it hard for people to get to some places in the forest?
Because the rivers were too low.

4. What happened to the plants that people grow for food?
They got ruined.

5. Why are scientists worried about the forest?
Because they think it might get very sick and not be able to get better.

6. Why are people who live in the forest having a hard time?
Because they can’t get to important things they need and some had to move closer to doctors.

7. What might happen if the forest gets too sick?
It might stop helping the air stay clean, and that would be bad for everyone.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Amazon
(2) enough
(3) grow
(4) worried
(5) live
(6) important
(7) sick
(8) stop
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Amazon
Answer: (F) A big place with lots of trees where animals live

2. rivers
Answer: (H) Water that moves and can be big or small

3. scientists
Answer: (C) People who know a lot about things and try to learn more

4. important
Answer: (I) Something that you really need or that is very special

5. forest
Answer: (D) A big bunch of trees and plants, like a really big garden

6. sick
Answer: (E) Not feeling good, like when you have to stay in bed

7. plants
Answer: (A) Things that grow in the ground, like flowers or things you eat

8. clean
Answer: (B) Not dirty, like when you wash your hands

9. worried
Answer: (G) When you feel something might go wrong and it makes you a little scared

10. fires
Answer: (J) Hot, bright, and orange things that can burn wood and stuff
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why was the Amazon forest very dry this year?
Answer: (b) It didn’t get enough rain

2. What happened to the rivers in the Amazon forest?
Answer: (c) They got very low

3. What happened to the plants that people grow for food in the Amazon forest?
Answer: (a) They got ruined

4. Why are scientists worried about the Amazon forest?
Answer: (c) It might get very sick and not be able to get better

5. Why are people who live in the forest having a hard time?
Answer: (d) They can’t get to important things they need because the rivers are too low

6. What are some people in the Amazon forest doing because they can’t get to doctors?
Answer: (b) They are moving to be closer to doctors

7. What is happening to the trees and plants in the Amazon forest?
Answer: (d) They are not doing well

8. Why would it be very bad for everyone if the Amazon forest stops helping the air stay clean?
Answer: (a) The air would become very dirty and hard to breathe
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The plants that people grow for food got ruined because of the lack of rain. (Answer: True)
2. If the forest gets too healthy, it might stop helping the air stay clean, and that would be very bad for everyone. (Answer: False)
3. People who live in the city are having a hard time because they can’t get to important things they need. (Answer: False)
4. The rivers in the Amazon forest got very low because of the lack of rain. (Answer: True)
5. The Amazon forest got enough rain this year. (Answer: False)
6. Some people had to move closer to doctors because they couldn’t get the help they needed in the city. (Answer: False)
7. Scientists are worried that the forest might get very sick and not be able to get better. (Answer: True)
8. Big fires started in the Amazon forest because of the dryness. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧