There is a place in Iceland where the ground might open up and fire will come out. This has not happened there for a very long time, but now it might start happening again and again. People who live in a small town near the ocean had to leave their homes because the ground is shaking and might break open. Their town is getting lower every day and the roads and houses are breaking. If the fire does come out, it could hurt the things we use every day and make the air bad to breathe.

A long time ago, something like this happened on an island where people lived, and they had to leave too. Now, under the ground in Iceland, there is fire-juice called magma that is very close to the top. The people might have to stay away from their homes for many days. The people who watch the ground say that fire might not shoot up into the sky, but it could come out slowly and go on for a long time. They are trying to make plans to keep people safe, like building walls and closing a place where people swim in warm water.

Original news source: Iceland volcano: Peninsula faces ‘decades’ of instability (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students take turns summarizing the article in their own words, using simple sentences. Each pair should aim to present the main idea within 2-3 sentences. Encourage them to include key information such as location (Iceland), the problem (ground shaking and might break open), and the consequence (people having to leave their homes).

– Sketch It
Instructions: Provide students with blank paper and drawing materials. Ask them to listen as you read the article out loud. Their task is to draw what they imagine is happening. Afterward, have students share their drawings with the class and explain in simple English what they have depicted.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary from the article on slips of paper (e.g., ground, fire, town, ocean, shaking, roads, houses, air, island, magma, safe, walls, swim, warm water). Divide the class into two teams. Players take turns drawing the word they pick for their team to guess. The team has a minute to guess the word correctly before it passes to the other team.

– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Prepare a list of key words from the article (e.g., Iceland, fire, town, ground, homes, magma). Divide students into small groups. One student must describe the keyword to their group without using the word itself or any additional five forbidden words you list. For example, for “magma,” the forbidden words might be “fire,” “lava,” “hot,” “volcano,” and “liquid.” The other group members must guess the word.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask a question related to the article, such as “What would you do if you had to leave your home quickly because of a natural disaster?” Give students a moment to think about their answer, then have them pair up to share their thoughts with a partner. Afterward, bring the class together and ask a few pairs to share their discussions with the whole class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What might open up in the ground in Iceland?
2. Why did the people have to leave their homes?
3. What is happening to the town and the houses every day?
4. What could the fire coming out of the ground do to the air?
5. What happened a long time ago on an island?
6. What is the fire-juice under the ground called?
7. What are the people who watch the ground trying to do to keep people safe?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There is a (1)______ in Iceland where the ground might open up and fire will come out. This has not happened there for a very (2)______ time, but now it might start happening again and again. People who live in a small town near the ocean had to leave their homes because the ground is shaking and might break open. Their town is getting lower every day and the roads and houses are (3)______. If the (4)______ does come out, it could hurt the things we use every day and make the air bad to breathe.

A long time ago, something like this happened on an island where people lived, and they had to leave too. Now, under the ground in Iceland, there is fire-juice called magma that is very (5)______ to the top. The people might have to (6)______ away from their homes for many days. The people who watch the ground say that fire might not shoot up into the sky, but it could come out slowly and go on for a long time. They are trying to make plans to keep people safe, like (7)______ walls and closing a place where people swim in (8)______ water.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a place where fire comes from the ground?
2. How would you feel if you had to leave your home?
3. Do you like to swim in warm water?
4. Do you think it is scary when the ground shakes? Why?
5. What would you take with you if you had to leave your home quickly?
6. Do you think fire from the ground can hurt things? Why or why not?
7. What is fire-juice under the ground?
8. How would you feel if your town got lower every day?
9. Do you think it is important to have plans to keep safe? Why?
10. What would you do if the air was bad to breathe?
11. Do you think walls can stop fire from the ground?
12. What is a place where people watch the ground?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Iceland
2. ground
3. fire
4. town
5. homes
6. roads
7. fire-juice
8. magma

Meanings:
(a) The places where people live
(b) Hot, bright stuff that can burn things
(c) A cold place with lots of ice
(d) The paths where cars and bikes go
(e) Hot, liquid rock under the ground in Iceland
(f) A small place where people live
(g) The place where we walk and stand
(h) Hot, liquid rock under the ground
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What might happen if the ground in Iceland breaks open?
(a) Water might come out
(b) Trees might come out
(c) Rocks might come out
(d) Fire might come out

2. Why did the people in the small town have to leave their homes?
(a) They wanted to go on vacation
(b) They didn’t like their houses anymore
(c) They wanted to live near the ocean
(d) The ground was shaking and might break open

3. What might happen if the fire comes out in Iceland?
(a) It could make the air smell good
(b) It could make the ground stronger
(c) It could hurt the things we use every day
(d) It could make the ocean bigger

4. What is the fire-juice called that is under the ground in Iceland?
(a) Water
(b) Magma
(c) Air
(d) Rocks

5. How long might the people have to stay away from their homes?
(a) Many days
(b) Many weeks
(c) Many months
(d) Many years

6. What might happen if the fire comes out slowly in Iceland?
(a) It could go away quickly
(b) It could go on for a long time
(c) It could make the ground shake more
(d) It could make the air smell bad

7. What are the people trying to do to keep people safe in Iceland?
(a) Building bridges
(b) Building towers
(c) Building walls
(d) Building tunnels

8. What place are the people trying to close in Iceland?
(a) A place where people swim in warm water
(b) A place where people swim in cold water
(c) A place where people play soccer
(d) A place where people eat ice cream

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The town is getting lower every day and the roads and houses are breaking.
2. A long time ago, something different happened on an island where people lived, and they chose to leave too.
3. The people who live in a small town near the ocean had the option to leave their homes because the ground is shaking and might break open.
4. In Iceland, there is a place where the ground can open up and fire comes out.
5. The people might have to stay away from their homes for many days.
6. Under the ground in Iceland, there is fire-liquid called magma that is far from the top.
7. If the fire comes out, it might not affect the things we use every day and make the air bad to breathe.
8. The people who watch the ground say that fire might not shoot up into the sky, but it could come out slowly and go on for a long time.
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. What might come out of the ground in Iceland?
2. Why did the people have to leave their homes?
3. What is happening to the town near the ocean?
4. What is the fire-juice under the ground called?
5. What are the people who watch the ground trying to do to keep people safe?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What might open up in the ground in Iceland?
The ground might open up.

2. Why did the people have to leave their homes?
The ground is shaking and might break open.

3. What is happening to the town and the houses every day?
The town is getting lower and the roads and houses are breaking.

4. What could the fire coming out of the ground do to the air?
It could make the air bad to breathe.

5. What happened a long time ago on an island?
People had to leave because of fire from the ground.

6. What is the fire-juice under the ground called?
It is called magma.

7. What are the people who watch the ground trying to do to keep people safe?
They are making plans like building walls and closing a place where people swim in warm water.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) place
(2) long
(3) breaking
(4) fire
(5) close
(6) stay
(7) building
(8) warm
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Iceland
Answer: (c) A cold place with lots of ice

2. ground
Answer: (g) The place where we walk and stand

3. fire
Answer: (b) Hot, bright stuff that can burn things

4. town
Answer: (f) A small place where people live

5. homes
Answer: (a) The places where people live

6. roads
Answer: (d) The paths where cars and bikes go

7. fire-juice
Answer: (h) Hot, liquid rock under the ground

8. magma
Answer: (e) Hot, liquid rock under the ground in Iceland
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What might happen if the ground in Iceland breaks open?
Answer: (d) Fire might come out

2. Why did the people in the small town have to leave their homes?
Answer: (d) The ground was shaking and might break open

3. What might happen if the fire comes out in Iceland?
Answer: (c) It could hurt the things we use every day

4. What is the fire-juice called that is under the ground in Iceland?
Answer: (b) Magma

5. How long might the people have to stay away from their homes?
Answer: (a) Many days

6. What might happen if the fire comes out slowly in Iceland?
Answer: (b) It could go on for a long time

7. What are the people trying to do to keep people safe in Iceland?
Answer: (c) Building walls

8. What place are the people trying to close in Iceland?
Answer: (a) A place where people swim in warm water
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The town is getting lower every day and the roads and houses are breaking. (Answer: True)
2. A long time ago, something different happened on an island where people lived, and they chose to leave too. (Answer: False)
3. The people who live in a small town near the ocean had the option to leave their homes because the ground is shaking and might break open. (Answer: False)
4. In Iceland, there is a place where the ground can open up and fire comes out. (Answer: True)
5. The people might have to stay away from their homes for many days. (Answer: True)
6. Under the ground in Iceland, there is fire-liquid called magma that is far from the top. (Answer: False)
7. If the fire comes out, it might not affect the things we use every day and make the air bad to breathe. (Answer: False)
8. The people who watch the ground say that fire might not shoot up into the sky, but it could come out slowly and go on for a long time. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧