A plane in Japan had to go back because it had a crack in the window at the front where the pilot sits. The crack was only on the outside part, so the plane was still okay to fly. No one got hurt, and the plane landed without any problems. We don’t know why the window cracked. It might have been because of a bird or a big ice ball from the sky.

This happened after some other planes, called Boeing 737 MAX 9, were stopped from flying because they were not safe. The plane with the cracked window was not one of these planes. A person who knows a lot about planes said the window needs to be changed to be safe. The people flying in the plane were put on different planes to go where they needed to go. There were 59 people and 6 people working on the plane.

Original news source: Cockpit window crack forces ANA Boeing flight in Japan to turn back (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into teams. Each team will take turns acting out a word or phrase related to the article, such as “plane,” “cracked window,” or “pilot.” The other teams must guess what they are acting out. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner. Encourage them to use their own words and keep their summary concise. After both partners have shared, they can compare their summaries and discuss any differences.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Have students individually write down their opinion on whether they would feel safe flying on a plane with a cracked window. Then, divide the class into small groups and have them share their opinions and discuss their reasons. Afterward, conduct a class poll to see the overall opinion of the class.

– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write down a list of keywords from the article on separate pieces of paper. One student will hold up a keyword and try to describe it without using the word itself. The rest of the class must guess what the keyword is. This activity helps students practice their vocabulary and descriptive skills.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Give each student a small whiteboard or a piece of paper and a marker. Choose a keyword from the article and have students draw a picture that represents that word. The rest of the class must guess the word based on the drawing. This activity helps reinforce vocabulary and encourages creativity.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened to the plane in Japan?
2. Where was the crack in the window?
3. Was anyone hurt?
4. How did the plane land?
5. Why do we not know why the window cracked?
6. What kind of planes were stopped from flying?
7. What happened to the people on the plane with the cracked window?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A (1)______ in Japan had to go back because it had a crack in the window at the front where the pilot sits. The crack was only on the (2)______ part, so the plane was still okay to fly. No one got hurt, and the plane (3)______ without any problems. We don’t know why the (4)______ cracked. It might have been because of a bird or a big ice ball from the sky.

This happened after some other planes, (5)______ Boeing 737 MAX 9, were stopped from flying because they were not safe. The plane with the (6)______ window was not one of these planes. A person who knows a lot about planes said the window needs to be changed to be (7)______. The (8)______ flying in the plane were put on different planes to go where they needed to go. There were 59 people and 6 people working on the plane.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a crack in a window?
2. How would you feel if you were on a plane and there was a crack in the window?
3. Do you think it’s safe to fly in a plane with a cracked window? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever seen a bird in the sky? What do you think would happen if a bird hit a plane?
5. What is an ice ball? Have you ever seen one?
6. Do you think it’s scary to fly in a plane? Why or why not?
7. What is a Boeing 737 MAX 9? Have you ever heard of it before?
8. Do you think it’s important for planes to be safe? Why or why not?
9. How do you think the people on the plane felt when they found out there was a crack in the window?
10. Have you ever been on a plane? Did you like it? Why or why not?
11. What do you think the people on the plane did when they had to change planes?
12. How do you think the pilot felt when they saw the crack in the window?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. plane
2. crack
3. pilot
4. landed
5. bird
6. ice
7. Boeing
8. safe
9. changed
10. flying

Meanings:
(A) A name of a company that makes big machines that go in the sky
(B) The person who drives the big machine in the sky
(C) When you make something different or new
(D) When the big machine in the sky comes down and stops on the ground
(E) A line that shows something is broken or split
(F) Moving through the air without touching the ground
(G) A big machine that goes up in the sky like a bird
(H) When you are not in danger and you feel okay
(I) An animal with wings that sings and flies
(J) Cold, hard water that you can hold
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why did the plane in Japan have to go back?
(a) The pilot wanted to go back
(b) It ran out of fuel
(c) It was too hot inside the plane
(d) It had a crack in the window

2. Where was the crack in the window?
(a) At the front where the pilot sits
(b) At the back of the plane
(c) On the wings of the plane
(d) Inside the plane

3. Was the plane still safe to fly?
(a) Yes, because the crack was only on the outside part
(b) No, because the crack was on the inside part
(c) Yes, because the crack was on the wings
(d) No, because the crack was on the back of the plane

4. How did the plane land?
(a) With a big crash
(b) Without any problems
(c) With a loud noise
(d) With a lot of smoke

5. Why did the other planes, Boeing 737 MAX 9, stop flying?
(a) Because they were too old
(b) Because they were not safe
(c) Because they were too small
(d) Because they were too slow

6. Was the plane with the cracked window one of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes?
(a) Yes
(b) I don’t know
(c) No
(d) Maybe

7. What did the person who knows a lot about planes say about the window?
(a) It doesn’t need to be changed
(b) It needs to be painted
(c) It needs to be cleaned
(d) It needs to be changed to be safe

8. What happened to the people flying in the plane?
(a) They stayed on the same plane
(b) They jumped out of the plane
(c) They were put on different planes
(d) They went back home

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The people on the plane were put on different planes to go to their destinations.
2. The crack was on both the inside and outside parts of the window, so the plane was not safe to fly.
3. Nobody got hurt and the plane landed without any problems.
4. The reason why the window cracked is known, and it was definitely because of a bird or a big ice ball.
5. A plane in Japan had to turn around because the window in the front where the pilot sits had a crack.
6. An expert on planes said that the window does not need to be changed to be safe.
7. Some other planes called Boeing 737 MAX 9 were not safe to fly, but the plane with the cracked window was not one of them.
8. There were 59 passengers and 6 crew members on the train.
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 happened to the plane in Japan?
2. Was anyone hurt when the plane had a crack in the window?
3. Why did the plane have to go back?
4. What might have caused the window to crack?
5. How did the people on the plane get to their destination after the window cracked?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What happened to the plane in Japan?
The plane in Japan had a crack in the window.

2. Where was the crack in the window?
The crack was on the outside part of the window.

3. Was anyone hurt?
No, no one got hurt.

4. How did the plane land?
The plane landed without any problems.

5. Why do we not know why the window cracked?
We don’t know why the window cracked because it could have been caused by a bird or a big ice ball.

6. What kind of planes were stopped from flying?
The planes that were stopped from flying were called Boeing 737 MAX 9.

7. What happened to the people on the plane with the cracked window?
The people on the plane with the cracked window were put on different planes to go where they needed to go.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) plane
(2) outside
(3) landed
(4) window
(5) called
(6) cracked
(7) safe
(8) people
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. plane
Answer: (G) A big machine that goes up in the sky like a bird

2. crack
Answer: (E) A line that shows something is broken or split

3. pilot
Answer: (B) The person who drives the big machine in the sky

4. landed
Answer: (D) When the big machine in the sky comes down and stops on the ground

5. bird
Answer: (I) An animal with wings that sings and flies

6. ice
Answer: (J) Cold, hard water that you can hold

7. Boeing
Answer: (A) A name of a company that makes big machines that go in the sky

8. safe
Answer: (H) When you are not in danger and you feel okay

9. changed
Answer: (C) When you make something different or new

10. flying
Answer: (F) Moving through the air without touching the ground
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why did the plane in Japan have to go back?
Answer: (d) It had a crack in the window

2. Where was the crack in the window?
Answer: (a) At the front where the pilot sits

3. Was the plane still safe to fly?
Answer: (a) Yes, because the crack was only on the outside part

4. How did the plane land?
Answer: (b) Without any problems

5. Why did the other planes, Boeing 737 MAX 9, stop flying?
Answer: (b) Because they were not safe

6. Was the plane with the cracked window one of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes?
Answer: (c) No

7. What did the person who knows a lot about planes say about the window?
Answer: (d) It needs to be changed to be safe

8. What happened to the people flying in the plane?
Answer: (c) They were put on different planes
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The people on the plane were put on different planes to go to their destinations. (Answer: True)
2. The crack was on both the inside and outside parts of the window, so the plane was not safe to fly. (Answer: False)
3. Nobody got hurt and the plane landed without any problems. (Answer: True)
4. The reason why the window cracked is known, and it was definitely because of a bird or a big ice ball. (Answer: False)
5. A plane in Japan had to turn around because the window in the front where the pilot sits had a crack. (Answer: True)
6. An expert on planes said that the window does not need to be changed to be safe. (Answer: False)
7. Some other planes called Boeing 737 MAX 9 were not safe to fly, but the plane with the cracked window was not one of them. (Answer: True)
8. There were 59 passengers and 6 crew members on the train. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧