A boy named Oliver, who is 16, saw a baby cow in a very cold pond and jumped in to save her. The cow’s name is Wynonna, and she was stuck in the ice on Oliver’s family’s farm. Oliver did not wait to think; he just wanted to help the cow. People took a video of Oliver running from a car to the cold water and helping Wynonna. Everyone thinks Oliver did a very brave thing because he could have been hurt, but he saved the cow.

The story makes people feel good because it shows that some people really care about animals. Oliver did something very kind and did not think about himself. His story tells us that it is important to care for others, even when it might be scary. Oliver’s brave act is something people are talking about a lot. It reminds us to be nice and help when someone needs it.

Original news source: Teenager jumps into frozen pond to rescue calf (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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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 small slips of paper and put them in a bowl or hat. One student from each team will come up and pick a slip of paper. They must then act out the word without speaking, while their team tries to guess what it is. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Repeat with different students and words from the article.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “cow” on the board. Have students take turns saying a word that they associate with cows. Encourage them to think of words related to the article, such as “farm,” “animal,” or “brave.” Write each word on the board as they are mentioned. Discuss the different associations and how they relate to the article.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a set of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. Oliver, Wynonna, cold, pond, cow, farm). One student from each pair will choose a word and draw a picture to represent it, while their partner tries to guess the word. Encourage students to use their creativity and draw the words in a way that relates to the article.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a copy of the article. Set a timer for 3 minutes, and tell the groups they must read the article and summarize it as quickly as possible. After 3 minutes, have each group share their summary with the class. Discuss any differences or similarities between the summaries and the main points of the article.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask the students to think about a time when they have helped someone or witnessed someone helping others. Give them a few minutes to reflect. Then, have them pair up with a partner and share their stories with each other. Afterward, ask a few students to share their partner’s story with the class and discuss the importance of helping others, using examples from the article.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who saw a baby cow in a cold pond?
2. What was the cow’s name?
3. Why did Oliver jump in the water?
4. What did people do when they saw Oliver helping the cow?
5. How did Oliver’s brave act make people feel?
6. What does Oliver’s story teach us?
7. Why are people talking about Oliver’s brave act?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A boy named Oliver, who is 16, saw a (1)______ cow in a very cold pond and (2)______ in to save her. The cow’s name is Wynonna, and she was stuck in the ice on Oliver’s family’s farm. Oliver did not wait to think; he just wanted to (3)______ the cow. People (4)______ a video of Oliver running from a car to the cold water and helping Wynonna. Everyone thinks Oliver did a very brave thing because he could have been hurt, but he saved the cow.

The story makes (5)______ feel (6)______ because it shows that some people really care about animals. Oliver did something very kind and did not think about himself. His story tells us that it is important to care for others, even when it might be (7)______. Oliver’s brave act is something people are (8)______ about a lot. It reminds us to be nice and help when someone needs it.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What did Oliver see in the pond?
2. How old is Oliver?
3. What did Oliver do when he saw the baby cow?
4. What do people think about Oliver’s actions?
5. How does the story make people feel?
6. Why do people think Oliver was brave?
7. Why is it important to care for others?
8. What can we learn from Oliver’s story?
9. Do you think Oliver did a good thing? Why or why not?
10. What would you do if you saw an animal in trouble?
11. Do you like animals? Why or why not?
12. How would you feel if someone helped you when you needed it?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Oliver
2. cow
3. pond
4. ice
5. farm
6. video
7. brave
8. care
9. act
10. reminds

Meanings:
(A) A boy’s name
(B) Water that is very hard and cold, like a rock
(C) A small place with water where ducks can swim
(D) Something you do
(E) A big animal that gives us milk
(F) A movie made with a camera
(G) Makes you think about something again
(H) A place with lots of land where food grows and animals live
(I) To love and look after someone or something
(J) When you are not afraid to do something hard or scary
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How old is Oliver?
(a) 10
(b) 5
(c) 16
(d) 20

2. What did Oliver see in the pond?
(a) A dog
(b) A baby cow
(c) A cat
(d) A bird

3. What is the name of the cow Oliver saved?
(a) Wynonna
(b) Oliver
(c) Cowy
(d) Moo

4. What did Oliver do to help the cow?
(a) Ran away
(b) Jumped in the cold water
(c) Called for help
(d) Took a video

5. Why do people think Oliver is brave?
(a) He ran fast
(b) He was hurt
(c) He didn’t like the cow
(d) He saved the cow

6. What does Oliver’s story remind us to do?
(a) Run away from animals
(b) Ignore people who need help
(c) Be nice and help others
(d) Be scared of cows

7. What did people do when they saw Oliver helping the cow?
(a) Laughed at him
(b) Ran away
(c) Called the police
(d) Took a video

8. What is the main idea of the article?
(a) Oliver saved a cow and people think he is brave
(b) Oliver saw a baby cow in a pond
(c) Oliver’s family has a farm
(d) Oliver is 16 years old

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Oliver saw a baby cow stuck in a cold pond and decided not to save her.
2. Everyone thinks Oliver did something very brave.
3. Oliver’s family owns the farm where the cow was stuck.
4. The baby cow’s name is Wyatt.
5. Oliver didn’t think twice and immediately went to help the cow.
6. People ignored a video of Oliver helping the cow.
7. People are talking a lot about Oliver’s brave act.
8. Oliver’s story teaches us to ignore others, even when it’s scary.
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. Who saw a baby cow in a cold pond?
2. What was the cow’s name?
3. What did Oliver do to help the cow?
4. Why do people think Oliver is brave?
5. What does Oliver’s story teach us about being nice to others?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who saw a baby cow in a cold pond?
Oliver saw the baby cow in the cold pond.

2. What was the cow’s name?
The cow’s name was Wynonna.

3. Why did Oliver jump in the water?
Oliver jumped in the water to save the cow.

4. What did people do when they saw Oliver helping the cow?
People took a video of Oliver helping the cow.

5. How did Oliver’s brave act make people feel?
Oliver’s brave act made people feel good.

6. What does Oliver’s story teach us?
Oliver’s story teaches us to be kind and help others.

7. Why are people talking about Oliver’s brave act?
People are talking about Oliver’s brave act because it was very impressive and inspiring.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) baby
(2) jumped
(3) help
(4) took
(5) people
(6) good
(7) scary
(8) talking
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Oliver
Answer: (A) A boy’s name

2. cow
Answer: (E) A big animal that gives us milk

3. pond
Answer: (C) A small place with water where ducks can swim

4. ice
Answer: (B) Water that is very hard and cold, like a rock

5. farm
Answer: (H) A place with lots of land where food grows and animals live

6. video
Answer: (F) A movie made with a camera

7. brave
Answer: (J) When you are not afraid to do something hard or scary

8. care
Answer: (I) To love and look after someone or something

9. act
Answer: (D) Something you do

10. reminds
Answer: (G) Makes you think about something again
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How old is Oliver?
Answer: (c) 16

2. What did Oliver see in the pond?
Answer: (b) A baby cow

3. What is the name of the cow Oliver saved?
Answer: (a) Wynonna

4. What did Oliver do to help the cow?
Answer: (b) Jumped in the cold water

5. Why do people think Oliver is brave?
Answer: (d) He saved the cow

6. What does Oliver’s story remind us to do?
Answer: (c) Be nice and help others

7. What did people do when they saw Oliver helping the cow?
Answer: (d) Took a video

8. What is the main idea of the article?
Answer: (a) Oliver saved a cow and people think he is brave
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Oliver saw a baby cow stuck in a cold pond and decided not to save her. (Answer: False)
2. Everyone thinks Oliver did something very brave. (Answer: True)
3. Oliver’s family owns the farm where the cow was stuck. (Answer: True)
4. The baby cow’s name is Wyatt. (Answer: False)
5. Oliver didn’t think twice and immediately went to help the cow. (Answer: True)
6. People ignored a video of Oliver helping the cow. (Answer: False)
7. People are talking a lot about Oliver’s brave act. (Answer: True)
8. Oliver’s story teaches us to ignore others, even when it’s scary. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧