The people who make rules in Delhi want to try something new to make the air cleaner. They want to make it rain by putting salt in the clouds. They think the rain will wash the dirty stuff out of the air. But some people who know a lot about weather say it’s hard to do and might cost a lot of money. They also say we need to learn more about what happens when we try to make it rain.

The air in Delhi is very dirty right now, and it’s been like that for many days. It gets worse when it’s cold because of fires and not much wind. The people who make rules told kids they could stay home from school and told builders to stop working. They hope the big court will say it’s okay to try to make it rain. But the weather experts say just making it rain once won’t fix everything. They say we need to think carefully and work together to make the air better for a long time.

Original news source: Delhi AQI: Can artificial rain fix toxic air in India’s capital? (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. On slips of paper, write down key vocabulary words from the article such as “rules,” “rain,” “clouds,” “salt,” “air,” “cleaner,” “weather,” “cost,” “fires,” “wind,” “school,” “builders,” “court,” and “experts.” One student from a team will draw the word without speaking or writing letters or numbers, while their team guesses the word. Each correct guess earns a point. Switch teams after each word.

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Pair up students and assign them roles as news reporters and experts on weather or environmental policy. Provide them with phrases and vocabulary from the article. The “reporter” will ask questions about the situation in Delhi, and the “expert” will respond using information from the article. Encourage them to improvise additional details to make the conversation more realistic. Swap roles after a few minutes so that both students get a chance to speak.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write a series of statements or questions on the board related to the article, such as “Making it rain can solve air pollution” or “All schools should close when the air is very dirty.” Students walk around the classroom and ask their classmates whether they agree or disagree with each statement. They should tally the responses and present a quick summary of the class opinion to the rest of the group.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Provide students with blank paper and drawing materials. Read sentences from the article aloud slowly and ask students to sketch what they hear. For example, “The people who make rules want to make it rain by putting salt in the clouds” could be sketched with clouds, rain, and a saltshaker. This activity helps reinforce comprehension and gives students a visual connection to the vocabulary.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Give students a moment to think about the problem presented in the article (air pollution in Delhi). Then, have them pair up and share their own ideas about how to solve the problem, using simple English phrases and vocabulary. After sharing with their partner, pairs can volunteer to share their solutions with the class, fostering a discussion on environmental issues and problem-solving.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What do the people who make rules in Delhi want to try to make the air cleaner?
2. What will they put in the clouds to try to make it rain?
3. Why do they want to make it rain?
4. Why is the air in Delhi very dirty right now?
5. What did the rule makers tell kids and builders to do because of the dirty air?
6. Who do the rule makers hope will say it’s okay to try to make it rain?
7. Do the weather experts think making it rain once will make the air clean forever?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The people who make rules in Delhi want to try something new to make the air cleaner. They want to make it rain by putting salt in the clouds. They think the rain will wash the (1)______ (2)______ out of the air. But some people who know a lot about weather say it’s hard to do and might (3)______ a lot of money. They also say we (4)______ to learn more about what happens when we try to make it rain.

The air in Delhi is very dirty right now, and it’s been like that for (5)______ days. It gets worse when it’s cold because of (6)______ and not much wind. The people who make rules told kids they could stay home from school and told builders to stop working. They hope the big court will say it’s okay to try to make it rain. But the weather experts say just making it rain once won’t fix everything. They say we need to think carefully and (7)______ together to make the air better for a (8)______ time.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is dirty air?
2. How do you feel when the air is dirty?
3. Do you like playing in the rain?
4. What is rain?
5. Do you think making rain can clean the air? Why or why not?
6. Have you ever seen very dirty air? Where?
7. How would you feel if you didn’t go to school because the air is dirty?
8. What can we do to make the air clean?
9. Do you think it’s important to have clean air? Why?
10. Have you ever seen people try to make it rain? What did they do?
11. Do you think it’s a good idea to stop building when the air is dirty? Why or why not?
12. What can you do to help make the air cleaner?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. rules
2. air
3. rain
4. dirty
5. money
6. weather
7. wind
8. school

Meanings:
(a) Moving air
(b) What happens outside, like sun and rain
(c) The stuff we breathe
(d) A place where kids go to learn
(e) Water that falls from the sky
(f) Things you have to follow
(g) Something you use to buy things
(h) Not clean
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What are the people in Delhi trying to make happen?
(a) Snow
(b) Sunshine
(c) Rain
(d) Wind

2. Why do the people in Delhi want it to rain?
(a) To make the air dirtier
(b) To make the air colder
(c) To make the air hotter
(d) To make the air cleaner

3. What do some weather experts say about making it rain in Delhi?
(a) It will be very easy to do
(b) It won’t help make the air cleaner
(c) We already know everything about making it rain
(d) It might cost a lot of money

4. What happens to the air in Delhi when it’s cold?
(a) It gets cleaner
(b) It gets windier
(c) It gets dirtier
(d) It stays the same

5. What did the people who make rules tell kids and builders to do?
(a) Stay home from school and stop working
(b) Go to school and keep working
(c) Stay home from school and keep working
(d) Go to school and stop working

6. What do the weather experts say about just making it rain once?
(a) It will fix everything
(b) It won’t fix everything
(c) It will make everything worse
(d) It will make everything the same

7. What do the weather experts say we need to do to make the air better for a long time?
(a) Think carefully and work together
(b) Do nothing and hope for the best
(c) Make it rain every day
(d) Make it snow instead of rain

8. What do the people in Delhi want the big court to say?
(a) It’s not okay to try to make it rain
(b) It’s okay to try to make it rain
(c) It’s okay to make the air dirtier
(d) It’s not okay to make the air cleaner

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. They want to put salt in the clouds to make it rain.
2. The weather experts say just making it snow once won’t fix everything and we need to work together to make the air worse for a long time.
3. The air gets worse when it’s cold because of fires and not much wind.
4. The people who make rules told kids they could stay home from school and builders to stop working because of the dirty air.
5. The people in Delhi want to try something new to make the air cleaner.
6. Some people who know about weather say it’s easy to make it rain and might not cost a lot of money.
7. The people hope the big court will say it’s not okay to try to make it rain.
8. The air in Delhi is very clean right now and has been like that for many days.
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 do the people who make rules in Delhi want to do to clean the air?
2. What will they put in the clouds to try to make it rain?
3. Why is the air very dirty in Delhi right now?
4. What did the people who make rules say to the kids and builders?
5. What do the weather experts say about making it rain just once?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What do the people who make rules in Delhi want to try to make the air cleaner?
They want to make it rain by putting salt in the clouds.

2. What will they put in the clouds to try to make it rain?
They will put salt in the clouds.

3. Why do they want to make it rain?
They want the rain to wash the dirty stuff out of the air.

4. Why is the air in Delhi very dirty right now?
The air is dirty because of fires and not much wind, and it’s worse when it’s cold.

5. What did the rule makers tell kids and builders to do because of the dirty air?
They told kids to stay home from school and told builders to stop working.

6. Who do the rule makers hope will say it’s okay to try to make it rain?
They hope the big court will say it’s okay.

7. Do the weather experts think making it rain once will make the air clean forever?
No, they say just making it rain once won’t fix everything.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) dirty
(2) stuff
(3) cost
(4) need
(5) many
(6) fires
(7) work
(8) long
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. rules
Answer: (f) Things you have to follow

2. air
Answer: (c) The stuff we breathe

3. rain
Answer: (e) Water that falls from the sky

4. dirty
Answer: (h) Not clean

5. money
Answer: (g) Something you use to buy things

6. weather
Answer: (b) What happens outside, like sun and rain

7. wind
Answer: (a) Moving air

8. school
Answer: (d) A place where kids go to learn
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What are the people in Delhi trying to make happen?
Answer: (c) Rain

2. Why do the people in Delhi want it to rain?
Answer: (d) To make the air cleaner

3. What do some weather experts say about making it rain in Delhi?
Answer: (d) It might cost a lot of money

4. What happens to the air in Delhi when it’s cold?
Answer: (c) It gets dirtier

5. What did the people who make rules tell kids and builders to do?
Answer: (a) Stay home from school and stop working

6. What do the weather experts say about just making it rain once?
Answer: (b) It won’t fix everything

7. What do the weather experts say we need to do to make the air better for a long time?
Answer: (a) Think carefully and work together

8. What do the people in Delhi want the big court to say?
Answer: (b) It’s okay to try to make it rain
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. They want to put salt in the clouds to make it rain. (Answer: True)
2. The weather experts say just making it snow once won’t fix everything and we need to work together to make the air worse for a long time. (Answer: False)
3. The air gets worse when it’s cold because of fires and not much wind. (Answer: True)
4. The people who make rules told kids they could stay home from school and builders to stop working because of the dirty air. (Answer: True)
5. The people in Delhi want to try something new to make the air cleaner. (Answer: True)
6. Some people who know about weather say it’s easy to make it rain and might not cost a lot of money. (Answer: False)
7. The people hope the big court will say it’s not okay to try to make it rain. (Answer: False)
8. The air in Delhi is very clean right now and has been like that for many days. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧