Two astronauts, Butch and Sunita, went to space on June 5. They were supposed to come back home soon after. But their spaceship had problems, so they are still in space. The spaceship had leaks and other issues. Now, they might stay in space for a long time.
NASA is thinking of different ways to bring them back. They might use another spaceship called Crew Dragon. If they do, Butch and Sunita could come back in February 2025. This means they will stay in space for many months. They are happy to be in space, even if it's longer than planned.
Original news source: They went to space for eight days – and could be stuck until 2025 (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– CHARADES
Instructions: Students take turns acting out words or phrases related to space and astronauts without speaking. The rest of the class guesses what they are acting out. Words can include "astronaut," "spaceship," "leak," "NASA," and "Crew Dragon."
– WORD ASSOCIATION
Instructions: One student says a word related to the article (e.g., "space"). The next student must quickly say a word that relates to the previous word (e.g., "rocket"). This continues around the class, encouraging quick thinking and vocabulary recall.
– VOCABULARY PICTIONARY
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group receives a list of vocabulary words from the article. One student from each group draws a word on the board while their teammates guess what it is. Words can include "astronaut," "space," "problems," and "February."
– THINK-PAIR-SHARE
Instructions: Pose a question to the class, such as "How do you think Butch and Sunita feel about staying in space longer than planned?" Students think about their answer, share it with a partner, and then a few pairs share their thoughts with the class.
– FUTURE PREDICTIONS
Instructions: Ask students to predict what will happen next for Butch and Sunita. Each student shares their prediction about when they think the astronauts might return or what they might do in space. This encourages creativity and use of future tense structures.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Butch and Sunita.
They went to space on June 5.
Their spaceship had problems and leaks.
NASA is thinking of different ways to bring them back.
The other spaceship is called Crew Dragon.
They could come back in February 2025.
They are happy to be in space.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Two , Butch and Sunita, went to space on June 5. They were supposed to come back home soon after. But their had problems, so they are still in space. The spaceship had leaks and other . Now, they might stay in space for a long . NASA is thinking of different ways to bring them back. They might use another spaceship Crew Dragon. If they do, Butch and Sunita could back in 2025. This means they will stay in space for months. They are happy to be in space, even if it's longer than planned.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is space to you?
2. Do you like the idea of going to space? Why?
3. How would you feel if you had to stay in space for a long time?
4. Do you think astronauts are brave? Why or why not?
5. What is your favorite thing about the stars?
6. Do you like watching rockets? Why?
7. How do you think Butch and Sunita feel in space?
8. Do you think space is a fun place? Why or why not?
9. What would you do if you were in space?
10. Do you think it is easy to fix problems in space? Why?
11. How would you feel if you saw Earth from space?
12. Do you think more people should go to space? 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.
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