The boss of Amazon's robot team, Tye Brady, says people can't be replaced and he doesn't think there will be storage buildings with only robots in the future. He says people are needed because they can think better and fix problems. Digit, the robot, is still being tested to see if it's safe and can work well with people. Amazon has been using more robots to save money. They already use robots on wheels to move things and flying robots to deliver things in some parts of America. Amazon says their robots have made many new jobs, but some people say robots are making people lose their jobs.
Original news source: Amazon trials humanoid robots to 'free up' staff (BBC)
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a slip of paper with a word related to the article (e.g. robot, Amazon, Digit). One person from each group acts out the word without speaking, while the others try to guess what word it is. The group that guesses correctly gets a point.
– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word "robot" on the board. Ask the students to brainstorm and write down as many words as they can think of that are associated with robots. After a few minutes, have the students share their words with the class and discuss the connections between the words.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. robot, Amazon, worker). One person from each group chooses a word and draws a picture representing that word, while the others try to guess what word it is. The group that guesses correctly gets a point.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. Assign one group to brainstorm the pros of using robots in storage buildings, and the other group to brainstorm the cons. After a few minutes, have each group share their ideas with the class. Then, facilitate a class discussion where students can express their opinions and debate the advantages and disadvantages of using robots in the workplace.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Read a statement related to the article (e.g. "Robots are more efficient than humans"). Ask the students to think about whether they agree or disagree with the statement. Then, have them pair up with a partner and discuss their opinions. Finally, have a few pairs share their opinions with the class and facilitate a class discussion.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
The robots are called Digit.
Yes, the robots can move and pick up things just like a person.
Amazon wants to use robots so their workers can help customers better.
The group from the UK says that Amazon has been treating its workers like robots and this has made people lose their jobs.
No, the boss of Amazon's robot team doesn't think people can be replaced by robots.
The boss thinks people are needed in the storage buildings because they can think better and fix problems.
Amazon already uses robots on wheels to move things and flying robots to deliver things in some parts of America.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Amazon is out robots that look like people in their big storage buildings in America. These robots, named Digit, can move and pick up things just like a . Amazon says they want to use robots so their workers can help customers better. But, a group from the UK says Amazon has been treating its workers like and this has made people their jobs. The boss of Amazon's robot team, Tye Brady, says people can't be replaced and he doesn't think there will be storage buildings with only robots in the future. He says people are needed because they can think better and fix problems. , the robot, is still being to see if it's safe and can work well with people. Amazon has been using more robots to save money. They already use robots on wheels to move things and flying robots to deliver things in some of America. Amazon says their robots have made many new jobs, but some say robots are making people lose their jobs.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is a robot?
2. How would you feel if robots were working instead of people in a store?
3. Do you like the idea of robots helping customers in a store? Why or why not?
4. Do you think robots can think like people? Why or why not?
5. Why do you think Amazon is using robots in their storage buildings?
6. How do you think robots can help save money for a company?
7. Do you think robots are making people lose their jobs? Why or why not?
8. How would you feel if robots were delivering things to your house instead of people?
9. Do you think robots can work well with people? Why or why not?
10. Why do you think Amazon is testing the robot Digit to see if it's safe?
11. How do you think robots can help workers in a store?
12. Do you think robots will replace people in the future? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.
Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Check your writing now with the best free AI for English writing!
