Scientists have said that the Gulf Stream system might stop working soon. This system helps decide the weather in western Europe. If it stops, it could make temperatures lower and change the climate in a big way. But, other scientists are not sure if this will happen. A group called the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change thinks the system won’t stop as fast as the study says.
The person who wrote the study, Prof Peter Ditlevsen, knows that other scientists have been worried about the Gulf Stream system for a long time. This system moves warm water to the north, but melting ice is making it harder for the system to work. If it stops, it could make Europe colder, make the sea level rise in the eastern US, and change the rain needed for growing food. The study says the system might stop working between 2025 and 2095. But, other scientists think there is not enough proof to say the system is getting weaker. They think it might stop one day, but they are not sure when. They say we should be careful with these predictions, but we should still think about them.
Original news source: Will the Gulf Stream really collapse by 2025? (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the students into small groups. Give each group a slip of paper with a word related to the article (e.g. Gulf Stream, climate change, temperature). One student from each group will act out the word without speaking, while the others try to guess what it is. The group that guesses correctly gets a point. Rotate the actors and continue playing until all the words have been used.
– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, have the students take turns summarizing the main points of the article to each other. Encourage them to use their own words and try to include as many details as they can remember. After they have both summarized the article, have them share their summaries with the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a selection of vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper and put them in a hat or bowl. Divide the students into two teams. One student from each team will come up and pick a word from the hat, then they must draw a picture to represent that word while their team tries to guess what it is. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Continue playing until all the words have been used.
– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Choose a keyword from the article and write the number of letters it has on the board using dashes. Have the students take turns guessing letters to try and figure out the word. If a guessed letter is in the word, write it in the correct position(s). If a guessed letter is not in the word, draw a body part of a stick figure on the hangman. The students must try to guess the word before the hangman is completed.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Have the students think about their own opinions on the topic of the article. Then, pair them up and have them share their thoughts with each other. After they have discussed their opinions, ask a few pairs to share their thoughts with the class. Encourage the students to ask each other questions and engage in a conversation about the topic.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What is the Gulf Stream system?
2. What might happen if the Gulf Stream system stops working?
3. Why are some scientists worried about the Gulf Stream system?
4. What could happen if the Gulf Stream system stops?
5. When might the Gulf Stream system stop working, according to the study?
6. What do other scientists think about the study’s predictions?
7. What should we do with these predictions, according to the other scientists?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Scientists have said that the Gulf (1)______ system might stop working soon. This system helps decide the weather in western (2)______. If it stops, it could make temperatures lower and change the climate in a big way. But, other scientists are not sure if this will happen. A group called the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change thinks the system won’t stop as fast as the study says.
The (3)______ who wrote the study, Prof Peter Ditlevsen, (4)______ that other scientists have been worried about the Gulf Stream system for a long time. This system moves warm (5)______ to the north, but melting ice is making it harder for the system to work. If it (6)______s, it could make Europe colder, make the sea level rise in the eastern US, and change the rain needed for growing food. The study says the system might stop working between 2025 and 2095. But, other scientists think there is not enough proof to say the system is getting weaker. They think it might stop one day, but they are not (7)______ when. They say we should be (8)______ with these predictions, but we should still think about them.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is the Gulf Stream system?
2. How would you feel if the Gulf Stream system stopped working?
3. Do you like warm or cold weather? Why?
4. Do you think the Gulf Stream system is important for the climate? Why or why not?
5. How do you think melting ice could affect the Gulf Stream system?
6. What do you think might happen if the Gulf Stream system stops working?
7. Do you think the study’s prediction about the Gulf Stream system is accurate? Why or why not?
8. What do you think other scientists mean when they say there is not enough proof?
9. Why do you think we should be careful with predictions about the Gulf Stream system?
10. How do you think the climate in western Europe would change if the Gulf Stream system stops?
11. Do you think it’s important to protect the Gulf Stream system? Why or why not?
12. What do you think we can do to help prevent the Gulf Stream system from stopping?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. Scientists
2. Gulf Stream
3. temperatures
4. climate
5. study
6. ice
7. proof
8. predictions
Meanings:
(a) Guesses about what might happen in the future
(b) A piece of work that tells us new things
(c) How hot or cold it is outside
(d) A big river of warm water in the ocean
(e) People who study and learn about things
(f) Frozen water that is very cold
(g) Something that shows us that something is true
(h) The kind of weather a place has over a long time
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What does the Gulf Stream system help decide?
(a) the weather in eastern Europe
(b) the weather in Asia
(c) the weather in Africa
(d) the weather in western Europe
2. What could happen if the Gulf Stream system stops working?
(a) temperatures could become higher
(b) temperatures will stay the same
(c) temperatures could become lower
(d) temperatures will become unpredictable
3. Who thinks the Gulf Stream system won’t stop as fast as the study says?
(a) Prof Peter Ditlevsen
(b) other scientists
(c) the study
(d) the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
4. What does the Gulf Stream system do?
(a) moves warm water to the north
(b) moves cold water to the north
(c) moves warm water to the south
(d) moves cold water to the south
5. What is making it harder for the Gulf Stream system to work?
(a) rising sea levels
(b) melting ice
(c) changing rain patterns
(d) warmer temperatures
6. What could happen if the Gulf Stream system stops?
(a) Europe could become colder
(b) Europe could become hotter
(c) Europe will stay the same temperature
(d) Europe will become unpredictable
7. When does the study say the Gulf Stream system might stop working?
(a) between 2000 and 2020
(b) between 2025 and 2095
(c) between 2100 and 2200
(d) between 1900 and 1950
8. What do other scientists think about the study’s predictions?
(a) They think the predictions are accurate.
(b) They think the predictions are wrong.
(c) They think there is not enough proof.
(d) They think the predictions are impossible.
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. If the Gulf Stream system stops, it could make Europe colder and the sea level rise in the eastern US.
2. The Gulf Stream system has no effect on the weather in western Europe.
3. Scientists are not worried that the Gulf Stream system might stop working soon.
4. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change doesn’t think the Gulf Stream system will stop as fast as the study says.
5. If the Gulf Stream system continues, it could make temperatures higher and change the climate in a big way.
6. Some scientists think the Gulf Stream system might stop one day, but they are not sure when.
7. Prof Peter Ditlevsen wrote the study about the Gulf Stream system.
8. Melting ice is not affecting the Gulf Stream system’s ability to work.
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 happen if the Gulf Stream system stops working?
2. Why are some scientists worried about the Gulf Stream system?
3. When might the Gulf Stream system stop working, according to the study?
4. What do other scientists think about the study’s predictions?
5. What should we do about the predictions, according to the other scientists?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What is the Gulf Stream system?
The Gulf Stream system is a current of warm water that moves from the Gulf of Mexico to the North Atlantic Ocean.
2. What might happen if the Gulf Stream system stops working?
If the Gulf Stream system stops working, it could make the weather in western Europe colder and change the climate in a big way.
3. Why are some scientists worried about the Gulf Stream system?
Some scientists are worried about the Gulf Stream system because melting ice is making it harder for the system to work, and if it stops, it could have big effects on the weather and climate.
4. What could happen if the Gulf Stream system stops?
If the Gulf Stream system stops, it could make Europe colder, make the sea level rise in the eastern US, and change the rain needed for growing food.
5. When might the Gulf Stream system stop working, according to the study?
According to the study, the Gulf Stream system might stop working between 2025 and 2095.
6. What do other scientists think about the study’s predictions?
Other scientists are not sure if the Gulf Stream system will stop as fast as the study says. They think there is not enough proof to say the system is getting weaker.
7. What should we do with these predictions, according to the other scientists?
According to the other scientists, we should be careful with these predictions, but we should still think about them.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) Stream
(2) Europe
(3) person
(4) knows
(5) water
(6) stop
(7) sure
(8) careful
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. Scientists
Answer: (e) People who study and learn about things
2. Gulf Stream
Answer: (d) A big river of warm water in the ocean
3. temperatures
Answer: (c) How hot or cold it is outside
4. climate
Answer: (h) The kind of weather a place has over a long time
5. study
Answer: (b) A piece of work that tells us new things
6. ice
Answer: (f) Frozen water that is very cold
7. proof
Answer: (g) Something that shows us that something is true
8. predictions
Answer: (a) Guesses about what might happen in the future
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What does the Gulf Stream system help decide?
Answer: (d) the weather in western Europe
2. What could happen if the Gulf Stream system stops working?
Answer: (c) temperatures could become lower
3. Who thinks the Gulf Stream system won’t stop as fast as the study says?
Answer: (d) the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
4. What does the Gulf Stream system do?
Answer: (a) moves warm water to the north
5. What is making it harder for the Gulf Stream system to work?
Answer: (b) melting ice
6. What could happen if the Gulf Stream system stops?
Answer: (a) Europe could become colder
7. When does the study say the Gulf Stream system might stop working?
Answer: (b) between 2025 and 2095
8. What do other scientists think about the study’s predictions?
Answer: (c) They think there is not enough proof.
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. If the Gulf Stream system stops, it could make Europe colder and the sea level rise in the eastern US. (Answer: True)
2. The Gulf Stream system has no effect on the weather in western Europe. (Answer: False)
3. Scientists are not worried that the Gulf Stream system might stop working soon. (Answer: False)
4. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change doesn’t think the Gulf Stream system will stop as fast as the study says. (Answer: True)
5. If the Gulf Stream system continues, it could make temperatures higher and change the climate in a big way. (Answer: False)
6. Some scientists think the Gulf Stream system might stop one day, but they are not sure when. (Answer: True)
7. Prof Peter Ditlevsen wrote the study about the Gulf Stream system. (Answer: True)
8. Melting ice is not affecting the Gulf Stream system’s ability to work. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧
