A man named Noland Arbaugh showed people how he can play a chess game on a computer without using his hands. He did this by thinking about moving a mouse on the screen. Noland can’t move from his shoulders down because he got hurt in a diving accident. But he used a special brain tool made by a company called Neuralink, which is owned by a man named Elon Musk. Noland thinks this tool is very cool and is happy about it.

In a video, Noland was with a person named Bliss Chapman, who knows a lot about the brain tool. They talked about how this tool can help people who can’t move well to do things by thinking. This video showed that the brain tool could really help people who have trouble moving. It made people excited about how this tool can make life better for people who can’t move parts of their bodies. The video was a way to show everyone how smart people are working to help others.

Original news source: Neuralink patient seen playing chess using brain implant (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. chess game, computer, diving accident). The rest of the class will guess what they are acting out. The team that guesses correctly gets a point.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “brain” on the board. Have students take turns saying a word that they associate with the word “brain” (e.g. smart, think, tool). Encourage students to explain why they made that association.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Choose 5-10 words from the article (e.g. chess, diving, tool) and write them on separate pieces of paper. Divide the class into pairs. One student from each pair will pick a word and draw a picture to represent it. Their partner must guess the word based on the picture.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Choose a keyword from the article (e.g. Neuralink). Draw a series of dashes on the board to represent each letter in the word. Have students take turns guessing letters. If a guessed letter is correct, write it in the corresponding dash. If the letter is incorrect, draw a body part of a hangman. The game continues until the word is guessed or the hangman is completed.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask students to think about how they think the brain tool mentioned in the article can help people who can’t move well. Then, have them pair up with a classmate and share their thoughts. Afterward, ask a few pairs to share their ideas with the whole class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did Noland show people how to do on a computer?
2. Why can’t Noland move from his shoulders down?
3. Who made the special brain tool that Noland used?
4. What did Noland think about the brain tool?
5. Who was Noland with in the video?
6. What did they talk about in the video?
7. Why did the video make people excited?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A man named Noland Arbaugh showed people how he can play a (1)______ game on a computer without using his (2)______. He did this by thinking about moving a mouse on the screen. Noland can’t move from his shoulders down because he got (3)______ in a diving accident. But he used a special brain tool made by a company called Neuralink, which is owned by a man named Elon Musk. (4)______ thinks this tool is very cool and is happy about it.

In a video, Noland was with a person named (5)______ Chapman, who knows a lot about the brain tool. They talked about how this tool can help people who can’t move well to do things by thinking. This (6)______ showed that the brain tool could really help people who have trouble moving. It made people excited about how this tool can (7)______ life better for people who can’t (8)______ parts of their bodies. The video was a way to show everyone how smart people are working to help others.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a chess game?
2. How would you feel if you couldn’t move your hands?
3. Do you think it’s cool that Noland can play chess without using his hands? Why or why not?
4. What is a computer?
5. How would you feel if you couldn’t move from your shoulders down?
6. Do you think the brain tool is helpful? Why or why not?
7. What is a diving accident?
8. How do you think the brain tool works?
9. Do you like playing games on the computer? Why or why not?
10. What is Neuralink?
11. How do you think the brain tool can make life better for people who can’t move?
12. Do you think it’s important to help others? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. chess
2. computer
3. accident
4. brain
5. tool
6. company
7. video
8. move
9. excited
10. smart

Meanings:
(A) To go from one place to another
(B) Knowing a lot of things and being able to solve problems
(C) Moving pictures you watch on a screen
(D) A machine that lets you play games, learn, and find things on the internet
(E) When something bad and unexpected happens
(F) Something you use to fix or make things
(G) A group of people who work together to make or sell things
(H) Feeling very happy and full of energy because something good is happening
(I) The part inside your head that helps you think and dream
(J) A game with little pieces that you move on a board to play
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How does Noland play chess on the computer?
(a) By using his hands
(b) By using his feet
(c) By thinking about moving a mouse on the screen
(d) By using his voice

2. What company made the brain tool?
(a) Apple
(b) Microsoft
(c) Google
(d) Neuralink

3. Why can’t Noland move from his shoulders down?
(a) He was born that way
(b) He doesn’t want to move
(c) He is too tired to move
(d) He got hurt in a diving accident

4. Who was Noland with in the video?
(a) Elon Musk
(b) Bliss Chapman
(c) Steve Jobs
(d) Mark Zuckerberg

5. What does the brain tool help people do?
(a) Do things by thinking
(b) Run fast
(c) Sing songs
(d) Play video games

6. How did the video make people feel?
(a) Sad
(b) Angry
(c) Excited
(d) Bored

7. What did the video show about the brain tool?
(a) It can help people who have trouble moving
(b) It can make people fly
(c) It can make people invisible
(d) It can make people dance

8. What is Noland’s opinion about the brain tool?
(a) He thinks it is boring and doesn’t like it
(b) He thinks it is very cool and is happy about it
(c) He thinks it is scary and doesn’t want to use it
(d) He thinks it is too expensive and can’t afford it

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Noland was not in a video with a person named Bliss Chapman who knows a lot about the brain tool.
2. The brain tool cannot make life better for people who can’t move parts of their bodies.
3. A man named Noland can play chess on a computer without using his hands.
4. The video was made to show how smart people are working to help others.
5. Noland thinks the brain tool is really cool and is happy about it.
6. The video showed how the brain tool can help people who have trouble moving.
7. Noland got hurt in a diving accident and can move from his shoulders down.
8. Noland used a regular brain tool made by a company called Neuralink, owned by Elon Musk.
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 did Noland show people he can do on the computer without using his hands?
2. Why can’t Noland move from his shoulders down?
3. Who made the special brain tool that Noland used?
4. Who was Noland with in the video?
5. Why did the video make people excited?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Noland showed people how to play a chess game on a computer without using his hands.
2. Noland can’t move from his shoulders down because he got hurt in a diving accident.
3. The special brain tool was made by a company called Neuralink, owned by Elon Musk.
4. Noland thinks the brain tool is very cool and is happy about it.
5. Noland was with a person named Bliss Chapman in the video.
6. They talked about how the brain tool can help people who can’t move well to do things by thinking.
7. The video made people excited because it showed how the brain tool can make life better for people who can’t move parts of their bodies.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) chess
(2) hands
(3) hurt
(4) Noland
(5) Bliss
(6) video
(7) make
(8) move
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. chess
Answer: (J) A game with little pieces that you move on a board to play

2. computer
Answer: (D) A machine that lets you play games, learn, and find things on the internet

3. accident
Answer: (E) When something bad and unexpected happens

4. brain
Answer: (I) The part inside your head that helps you think and dream

5. tool
Answer: (F) Something you use to fix or make things

6. company
Answer: (G) A group of people who work together to make or sell things

7. video
Answer: (C) Moving pictures you watch on a screen

8. move
Answer: (A) To go from one place to another

9. excited
Answer: (H) Feeling very happy and full of energy because something good is happening

10. smart
Answer: (B) Knowing a lot of things and being able to solve problems
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How does Noland play chess on the computer?
Answer: (c) By thinking about moving a mouse on the screen

2. What company made the brain tool?
Answer: (d) Neuralink

3. Why can’t Noland move from his shoulders down?
Answer: (d) He got hurt in a diving accident

4. Who was Noland with in the video?
Answer: (b) Bliss Chapman

5. What does the brain tool help people do?
Answer: (a) Do things by thinking

6. How did the video make people feel?
Answer: (c) Excited

7. What did the video show about the brain tool?
Answer: (a) It can help people who have trouble moving

8. What is Noland’s opinion about the brain tool?
Answer: (b) He thinks it is very cool and is happy about it
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Noland was not in a video with a person named Bliss Chapman who knows a lot about the brain tool. (Answer: False)
2. The brain tool cannot make life better for people who can’t move parts of their bodies. (Answer: False)
3. A man named Noland can play chess on a computer without using his hands. (Answer: True)
4. The video was made to show how smart people are working to help others. (Answer: True)
5. Noland thinks the brain tool is really cool and is happy about it. (Answer: True)
6. The video showed how the brain tool can help people who have trouble moving. (Answer: True)
7. Noland got hurt in a diving accident and can move from his shoulders down. (Answer: False)
8. Noland used a regular brain tool made by a company called Neuralink, owned by Elon Musk. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧