Canada is having many big fires because it is very dry and hot. These fires are making many people leave their homes in places like Alberta and British Columbia. The fires start from lightning and sometimes from people, like when a tree hits a power line. Right now, there are 135 fires burning, and 39 of them are very hard to control.

The fire season in Canada is starting earlier every year. Before, it started in July or August, but now it starts in May. Last year, Canada had the worst fires ever, burning a lot of land. This year, the fires started early again, but it might not be as bad as last year. Still, the government is worried because the weather is warmer than usual.

Original news source: Why is Canada having so many wildfires this season? (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and act out a word or phrase related to the article (e.g. “firefighter,” “evacuation”). The team members have to guess what the word or phrase is within a certain time limit (e.g. 1 minute). The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: Provide the students with a simplified version of the article. In pairs or small groups, they have to summarize the main points of the article in their own words. Afterwards, they can share their summaries with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Ask the students to think about their opinions on the topic of wildfires. Give them a list of statements related to the article (e.g. “Wildfires are a natural disaster,” “Climate change is causing more wildfires”). Have them indicate whether they agree or disagree with each statement by placing themselves on a spectrum in the classroom (e.g. agree on one side, disagree on the other side). Afterwards, they can explain their reasoning to the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper and put them in a hat. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will pick a word from the hat and have to draw it on the board without using any words or letters. The team members have to guess what the word is within a certain time limit (e.g. 1 minute). The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have the students brainstorm and discuss what they think will happen in the future regarding wildfires in Canada. They can base their predictions on the information from the article and their own knowledge. Afterwards, they can share their predictions with the class and discuss their reasoning.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why are there many big fires in Canada?
2. What makes people leave their homes during the fires?
3. How do the fires start?
4. How many fires are burning right now?
5. When did the fire season in Canada used to start?
6. When does the fire season in Canada start now?
7. Why is the government worried about the fires this year?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Canada is having (1)______ big fires because it is very dry and hot. These fires are (2)______ many people leave their homes in places like Alberta and British Columbia. The fires start from (3)______ and sometimes from (4)______, like when a tree hits a power line. Right now, there are 135 fires burning, and 39 of them are very hard to control.

The fire season in Canada is starting earlier every year. Before, it started in July or August, but now it (5)______ in May. Last year, Canada had the worst fires ever, (6)______ a lot of land. This year, the fires started early again, but it might not be as bad as last year. Still, the (7)______ is (8)______ because the weather is warmer than usual.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a fire?
2. How would you feel if you had to leave your home because of a fire?
3. Do you like hot weather? Why or why not?
4. What do you think causes fires in Canada?
5. How do you think the government can control the fires?
6. Have you ever seen a fire? What did it look like?
7. Do you think it’s important to protect the land from fires? Why or why not?
8. How do you think the fires affect the animals in the area?
9. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to leave your home? How did you feel?
10. What do you think the government should do to prevent fires in the future?
11. Do you think the weather is getting hotter where you live? Why or why not?
12. How would you help someone who lost their home in a fire?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. fires
2. dry
3. lightning
4. control
5. season
6. government
7. worried
8. weather
9. power
10. usual

Meanings:
(A) Something that happens often or normally
(B) Not wet, without water
(C) A time of the year, like summer or winter
(D) A flash of light in the sky during a storm
(E) To make something do what you want
(F) How hot or cold, rainy or sunny it is outside
(G) Feeling scared or nervous about something
(H) Big flames that burn things
(I) The group of people who run a country
(J) The ability to do something
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why are there many fires in Canada?
(a) It is very dry and hot.
(b) It is very cold and wet.
(c) It is very windy and stormy.
(d) It is very snowy and icy.

2. How do the fires start?
(a) From rain and sometimes from animals.
(b) From wind and sometimes from cars.
(c) From lightning and sometimes from people.
(d) From snow and sometimes from buildings.

3. How many fires are burning right now?
(a) 50
(b) 135
(c) 20
(d) 5

4. When did the fire season in Canada used to start?
(a) May or June
(b) September or October
(c) November or December
(d) July or August

5. When did the fire season in Canada start this year?
(a) July
(b) May
(c) August
(d) October

6. Were last year’s fires worse than this year’s fires?
(a) Maybe
(b) Yes
(c) No
(d) I don’t know

7. Why is the government worried?
(a) The weather is colder than usual.
(b) The weather is windier than usual.
(c) The weather is warmer than usual.
(d) The weather is rainier than usual.

8. What is the article about?
(a) Fires in the United States
(b) Fires in Europe
(c) Fires in Asia
(d) Fires in Canada

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Last year, Canada had the best fires ever.
2. Canada is having big fires because it is very dry and hot.
3. The government is worried because the weather is warmer than usual.
4. Right now, there are 235 fires burning in Canada.
5. The fires are prompting people to return to their homes in places like Alberta and British Columbia.
6. The fires start from lightning and sometimes from people.
7. The fire season in Canada is starting later every year.
8. Some of the fires are very hard to control.
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 are there many big fires in Canada?
2. How do the fires start?
3. How many fires are burning right now?
4. When did the fire season used to start in Canada?
5. Why is the government worried about the fires this year?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why are there many big fires in Canada?
Because it is very dry and hot.

2. What makes people leave their homes during the fires?
The fires are very dangerous and can burn their homes down.

3. How do the fires start?
They start from lightning or when something like a tree hits a power line.

4. How many fires are burning right now?
There are 135 fires burning right now.

5. When did the fire season in Canada used to start?
It used to start in July or August.

6. When does the fire season in Canada start now?
Now it starts in May.

7. Why is the government worried about the fires this year?
They are worried because the weather is warmer than usual.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) many
(2) making
(3) lightning
(4) people
(5) starts
(6) burning
(7) government
(8) worried
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. fires
Answer: (H) Big flames that burn things

2. dry
Answer: (B) Not wet, without water

3. lightning
Answer: (D) A flash of light in the sky during a storm

4. control
Answer: (E) To make something do what you want

5. season
Answer: (C) A time of the year, like summer or winter

6. government
Answer: (I) The group of people who run a country

7. worried
Answer: (G) Feeling scared or nervous about something

8. weather
Answer: (F) How hot or cold, rainy or sunny it is outside

9. power
Answer: (J) The ability to do something

10. usual
Answer: (A) Something that happens often or normally
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why are there many fires in Canada?
Answer: (a) It is very dry and hot.

2. How do the fires start?
Answer: (c) From lightning and sometimes from people.

3. How many fires are burning right now?
Answer: (b) 135

4. When did the fire season in Canada used to start?
Answer: (d) July or August

5. When did the fire season in Canada start this year?
Answer: (b) May

6. Were last year’s fires worse than this year’s fires?
Answer: (a) Maybe

7. Why is the government worried?
Answer: (c) The weather is warmer than usual.

8. What is the article about?
Answer: (d) Fires in Canada
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Last year, Canada had the best fires ever. (Answer: False)
2. Canada is having big fires because it is very dry and hot. (Answer: True)
3. The government is worried because the weather is warmer than usual. (Answer: True)
4. Right now, there are 235 fires burning in Canada. (Answer: False)
5. The fires are prompting people to return to their homes in places like Alberta and British Columbia. (Answer: False)
6. The fires start from lightning and sometimes from people. (Answer: True)
7. The fire season in Canada is starting later every year. (Answer: False)
8. Some of the fires are very hard to control. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧