A very special white whale was seen in the ocean near a place called Phuket. People think it is a very rare kind of whale called an Omura’s whale, but it is all white. This is the first time people in Thailand have seen a white one like this. People who know a lot about the ocean are now trying to find this white whale and others like it. They have found some, but not the white one yet.

The Omura’s whale is a kind of whale that not many people know about. It was only found for the first time in 2003. In 2015, people saw a living one for the first time. Seeing a white one is very special. People who were on boats saw the white whale and made a video. Now, the ocean experts are very happy and want to learn more about these whales. They are still looking for the white whale and want to know more about it.

Original news source: Extremely rare white whale sighted off Thailand (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down animal names on separate pieces of paper and put them in a hat. One student from each team will take turns picking a piece of paper and acting out the animal without speaking. The team members must guess the animal. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: Have the students read the article individually. Then, in pairs, have them summarize the article in their own words. After that, ask a few pairs to share their summaries with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Ask each group to discuss and write down their opinions about the white whale. For example, “Do you think it is important to protect rare animals like the white whale?” After they have discussed, have each group present their opinions to the rest of the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper. Put them in a hat. Each student will take turns picking a word and drawing a picture of it on the board. The rest of the class must guess what the word is. The student who guesses correctly gets a point. The student with the most points wins.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Have the students think about and write down two questions they have about the white whale. Then, pair them up and have them share their questions with their partner. After that, ask a few pairs to share their questions with the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What kind of whale did people see in the ocean near Phuket?
2. Is the white whale a very rare kind of whale?
3. Is this the first time people in Thailand have seen a white whale like this?
4. Are people who know a lot about the ocean trying to find the white whale?
5. When was the Omura’s whale first found?
6. Did people see a living Omura’s whale for the first time in 2015?
7. Are the ocean experts happy about seeing the white whale?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A very special (1)______ whale was seen in the ocean near a place called Phuket. People think it is a very rare kind of whale called an Omura’s whale, but it is all white. This is the first (2)______ people in Thailand have seen a white one like this. People who (3)______ a lot about the (4)______ are now trying to find this white whale and others like it. They have found some, but not the white one yet.

The Omura’s whale is a kind of whale that not many people know about. It was only found for the (5)______ time in 2003. In 2015, people saw a living one for the first time. Seeing a white one is very special. (6)______ who were on (7)______ saw the white whale and (8)______ a video. Now, the ocean experts are very happy and want to learn more about these whales. They are still looking for the white whale and want to know more about it.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a white whale?
2. Have you ever seen a white whale before?
3. How would you feel if you saw a white whale in the ocean?
4. Do you think it is rare to see a white whale?
5. Why do you think the ocean experts are happy about finding the white whale?
6. Do you like watching videos of animals in the ocean?
7. What do you think the ocean experts will learn from studying the white whale?
8. Have you ever been on a boat before?
9. Do you think it is important to protect whales?
10. Why or why not?
11. How do you think the white whale feels being all alone?
12. What other animals do you like to see in the ocean?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. special
2. ocean
3. rare
4. experts
5. video
6. happy
7. learn
8. looking
9. white
10. living

Meanings:
(A) Something that is not pretend, it’s real and alive
(B) The color of snow or milk
(C) To get new information about something by studying or watching
(D) People who know a lot about something because they have studied it
(E) A very big place with salt water where fish and other water animals live
(F) Feeling really good and smiling because something nice happened
(G) Something that is not like the others, it’s very different and not usual
(H) A way to save moving pictures so you can watch them again
(I) Trying to find something by searching carefully
(J) Something that is not easy to find because there is not much of it
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Where was the white whale seen?
(a) Bangkok
(b) Chiang Mai
(c) Phuket
(d) Pattaya

2. What kind of whale is the white whale?
(a) Blue whale
(b) Omura’s whale
(c) Humpback whale
(d) Killer whale

3. When was the Omura’s whale first found?
(a) 1990
(b) 2010
(c) 1985
(d) 2003

4. When did people see a living Omura’s whale for the first time?
(a) 2000
(b) 2012
(c) 2015
(d) 1998

5. Who saw the white whale and made a video?
(a) People on boats
(b) People on planes
(c) People on trains
(d) People on cars

6. What are the ocean experts trying to learn more about?
(a) Dolphins
(b) The white whale
(c) Sharks
(d) Octopuses

7. Are the ocean experts still looking for the white whale?
(a) No
(b) Maybe
(c) I don’t know
(d) Yes

8. What do people think about the white whale?
(a) It is very special
(b) It is very big
(c) It is very small
(d) It is very scary

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. This is not the first time people in Thailand have seen a white whale like this.
2. Ocean experts are trying to find the white whale and others like it.
3. People think the white whale is a very rare kind called an Omura’s whale.
4. There is no special white whale in the ocean near Phuket.
5. It was only found for the first time in 2003.
6. The Omura’s whale is a type of whale that many people know about.
7. The ocean experts want to learn more about the white whale and are still looking for it.
8. In 2015, people did not see a living Omura’s whale for the first 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 kind of whale did people see in the ocean near Phuket?
2. Is the white whale a very rare kind of whale?
3. When was the Omura’s whale first found?
4. Did people see a living Omura’s whale in 2015?
5. Are the ocean experts happy about finding the white whale?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What kind of whale did people see in the ocean near Phuket?
People saw an Omura’s whale in the ocean near Phuket.

2. Is the white whale a very rare kind of whale?
Yes, the white whale is a very rare kind of whale.

3. Is this the first time people in Thailand have seen a white whale like this?
Yes, this is the first time people in Thailand have seen a white whale like this.

4. Are people who know a lot about the ocean trying to find the white whale?
Yes, people who know a lot about the ocean are trying to find the white whale.

5. When was the Omura’s whale first found?
The Omura’s whale was first found in 2003.

6. Did people see a living Omura’s whale for the first time in 2015?
Yes, people saw a living Omura’s whale for the first time in 2015.

7. Are the ocean experts happy about seeing the white whale?
Yes, the ocean experts are happy about seeing the white whale.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) white
(2) time
(3) know
(4) ocean
(5) first
(6) People
(7) boats
(8) made
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. special
Answer: (G) Something that is not like the others, it’s very different and not usual

2. ocean
Answer: (E) A very big place with salt water where fish and other water animals live

3. rare
Answer: (J) Something that is not easy to find because there is not much of it

4. experts
Answer: (D) People who know a lot about something because they have studied it

5. video
Answer: (H) A way to save moving pictures so you can watch them again

6. happy
Answer: (F) Feeling really good and smiling because something nice happened

7. learn
Answer: (C) To get new information about something by studying or watching

8. looking
Answer: (I) Trying to find something by searching carefully

9. white
Answer: (B) The color of snow or milk

10. living
Answer: (A) Something that is not pretend, it’s real and alive
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Where was the white whale seen?
Answer: (c) Phuket

2. What kind of whale is the white whale?
Answer: (b) Omura’s whale

3. When was the Omura’s whale first found?
Answer: (d) 2003

4. When did people see a living Omura’s whale for the first time?
Answer: (c) 2015

5. Who saw the white whale and made a video?
Answer: (a) People on boats

6. What are the ocean experts trying to learn more about?
Answer: (b) The white whale

7. Are the ocean experts still looking for the white whale?
Answer: (d) Yes

8. What do people think about the white whale?
Answer: (a) It is very special
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. This is not the first time people in Thailand have seen a white whale like this. (Answer: False)
2. Ocean experts are trying to find the white whale and others like it. (Answer: True)
3. People think the white whale is a very rare kind called an Omura’s whale. (Answer: True)
4. There is no special white whale in the ocean near Phuket. (Answer: False)
5. It was only found for the first time in 2003. (Answer: True)
6. The Omura’s whale is a type of whale that many people know about. (Answer: False)
7. The ocean experts want to learn more about the white whale and are still looking for it. (Answer: True)
8. In 2015, people did not see a living Omura’s whale for the first time. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧