The US government gave a big company, Dish Network, a fine because they didn’t move an old satellite far enough away from other satellites. This is the first time the government has done this. The old satellite could crash into other satellites and make space junk. Space junk is stuff like old satellites and parts of spaceships that are not used anymore. They can cause problems by crashing into other things in space.
Even though the fine is not a lot of money for Dish Network, it might make other companies think twice about leaving their old satellites in space. There are more and more things in space and this makes it more likely that they will crash into each other. This can make even more space junk. Since 1957, over 10,000 satellites have been sent to space and more than half of them are not used anymore. Even small things like paint chips can be dangerous if they hit astronauts or spaceships because they move very fast.
Original news source: US issues first ever fine for space junk to Dish Network (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will take turns choosing a word or phrase related to space junk from a hat or bag. One person from the group will act out the word or phrase without speaking, while the others try to guess. The group that guesses correctly gets a point. The group with the most points at the end wins.
– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will read the article and take turns summarizing the main points to each other. They should try to include as many details as possible in their summaries. Afterward, as a class, discuss the different summaries and compare the information shared.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a list of vocabulary words related to space junk from the article. One person from each group will choose a word and draw a picture representing the word, while the others try to guess. The group that guesses correctly gets a point. The group with the most points at the end wins.
– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns summarizing the article to each other in 1 minute or less. They should focus on the main points and try to be as concise as possible. Afterward, as a class, discuss any difficulties or challenges they faced in summarizing the article quickly.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns discussing and sharing their thoughts on the importance of removing old satellites from space. They should consider the potential risks and consequences of leaving space junk in orbit. Afterward, as a class, discuss the different perspectives and arguments shared.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Why did the US government give a fine to Dish Network?
2. What is space junk?
3. Why is it a problem if satellites crash into each other?
4. How many satellites have been sent to space since 1957?
5. Why is it dangerous if paint chips hit astronauts or spaceships?
6. What might happen if companies leave their old satellites in space?
7. Why might the fine make other companies think twice?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
The US (1)______ gave a big company, Dish Network, a fine because they didn’t move an old satellite far enough away from other satellites. This is the (2)______ time the government has done this. The old satellite could crash into other satellites and make space junk. Space junk is stuff like old satellites and parts of (3)______ that are not used anymore. They can cause problems by (4)______ into other things in space.
Even though the fine is not a lot of money for Dish Network, it might make other companies think twice about leaving their old (5)______ in space. There are more and more things in space and this makes it more likely that they will (6)______ into each other. This can make even more space junk. Since 1957, over 10,000 satellites have been (7)______ to space and more than half of them are not used anymore. Even small things like paint chips can be dangerous if they hit astronauts or spaceships because they (8)______ very fast.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is space junk?
2. How would you feel if you saw space junk in the sky?
3. Do you like looking at the stars? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to clean up space junk? Why?
5. What do you think might happen if two satellites crash into each other?
6. How would you feel if you were an astronaut and a paint chip hit your spaceship?
7. Do you think it’s fair for the government to give Dish Network a fine? Why or why not?
8. What do you think companies should do with their old satellites?
9. How many satellites do you think have been sent to space since 1957?
10. Do you think it’s a good idea to have more things in space? Why or why not?
11. How can we make sure that space stays clean and safe?
12. What would you do if you saw space junk falling from the sky?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. government
2. company
3. fine
4. satellite
5. space
6. junk
7. crash
8. astronauts
Meanings:
(a) When two things hit each other really hard
(b) The people who make rules and laws
(c) Old things in space that are not used anymore
(d) Money you have to pay when you do something wrong
(e) A machine that goes around the Earth in space
(f) People who go to space in a spaceship
(g) The place outside of Earth where the stars are
(h) A group of people who work together
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Why did the US government give Dish Network a fine?
(a) They launched a new satellite into space.
(b) They didn’t move an old satellite far enough away from other satellites.
(c) They sold their old satellite to another company.
(d) They made a lot of money from their satellite.
2. What is space junk?
(a) Old satellites and parts of spaceships that are not used anymore.
(b) New satellites and parts of spaceships that are still being used.
(c) Rocks and trees that float in space.
(d) Toys and books that astronauts play with in space.
3. Why can space junk cause problems?
(a) It can make the sky look messy.
(b) It can make astronauts feel scared.
(c) It can make the planets disappear.
(d) It can crash into other things in space.
4. How many satellites have been sent to space since 1957?
(a) Less than 100.
(b) Exactly 1,000.
(c) None at all.
(d) Over 10,000.
5. What happens if paint chips hit astronauts or spaceships?
(a) It can be dangerous because they move very fast.
(b) It can make the astronauts feel happy.
(c) It can make the spaceships fly faster.
(d) It can make the astronauts turn into superheroes.
6. What might other companies do after seeing Dish Network get fined?
(a) They might launch more satellites into space.
(b) They might think twice about leaving their old satellites in space.
(c) They might give their old satellites to Dish Network.
(d) They might stop using satellites altogether.
7. What is the first time the government has done this?
(a) Launching a satellite into space.
(b) Making a lot of money from satellites.
(c) Giving a fine to a company for not moving an old satellite far enough away from other satellites.
(d) Creating space junk.
8. What is the capital of France?
(a) London
(b) Berlin
(c) Paris
(d) Tokyo
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. The fine is a lot of money for Dish Network.
2. The old satellite cannot crash into other satellites and make space junk.
3. Space junk does not cause problems by crashing into other things in space.
4. There are not over 10,000 satellites in space and more than half of them are still used.
5. The fine might make other companies think twice about leaving their old satellites in space.
6. Space junk is old satellites and parts of spaceships that are not used anymore.
7. The US government gave Dish Network a fine because they didn’t move an old satellite far enough away from other satellites.
8. This is the first time the government has given a fine like this.
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. Why did the US government give Dish Network a fine?
2. What is space junk?
3. Why is it bad if satellites crash into each other?
4. How many satellites have been sent to space since 1957?
5. Why can even small things like paint chips be dangerous in space?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. Why did the US government give a fine to Dish Network?
Because they didn’t move an old satellite far enough away from other satellites.
2. What is space junk?
Space junk is stuff like old satellites and parts of spaceships that are not used anymore.
3. Why is it a problem if satellites crash into each other?
It can make even more space junk and cause problems in space.
4. How many satellites have been sent to space since 1957?
Over 10,000 satellites have been sent to space since 1957.
5. Why is it dangerous if paint chips hit astronauts or spaceships?
Because they move very fast and can hurt the astronauts or damage the spaceships.
6. What might happen if companies leave their old satellites in space?
There will be more things in space and they might crash into each other.
7. Why might the fine make other companies think twice?
Because they don’t want to get fined too, so they might be more careful with their old satellites.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) government
(2) first
(3) spaceships
(4) crashing
(5) satellites
(6) crash
(7) sent
(8) move
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. government
Answer: (b) The people who make rules and laws
2. company
Answer: (h) A group of people who work together
3. fine
Answer: (d) Money you have to pay when you do something wrong
4. satellite
Answer: (e) A machine that goes around the Earth in space
5. space
Answer: (g) The place outside of Earth where the stars are
6. junk
Answer: (c) Old things in space that are not used anymore
7. crash
Answer: (a) When two things hit each other really hard
8. astronauts
Answer: (f) People who go to space in a spaceship
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Why did the US government give Dish Network a fine?
Answer: (b) They didn’t move an old satellite far enough away from other satellites.
2. What is space junk?
Answer: (a) Old satellites and parts of spaceships that are not used anymore.
3. Why can space junk cause problems?
Answer: (d) It can crash into other things in space.
4. How many satellites have been sent to space since 1957?
Answer: (d) Over 10,000.
5. What happens if paint chips hit astronauts or spaceships?
Answer: (a) It can be dangerous because they move very fast.
6. What might other companies do after seeing Dish Network get fined?
Answer: (b) They might think twice about leaving their old satellites in space.
7. What is the first time the government has done this?
Answer: (c) Giving a fine to a company for not moving an old satellite far enough away from other satellites.
8. What is the capital of France?
Answer: (c) Paris
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. The fine is a lot of money for Dish Network. (Answer: False)
2. The old satellite cannot crash into other satellites and make space junk. (Answer: False)
3. Space junk does not cause problems by crashing into other things in space. (Answer: False)
4. There are not over 10,000 satellites in space and more than half of them are still used. (Answer: False)
5. The fine might make other companies think twice about leaving their old satellites in space. (Answer: True)
6. Space junk is old satellites and parts of spaceships that are not used anymore. (Answer: True)
7. The US government gave Dish Network a fine because they didn’t move an old satellite far enough away from other satellites. (Answer: True)
8. This is the first time the government has given a fine like this. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧
