Two cars crashed in Canada. One car was big and full of fireworks. When the cars hit, the fireworks started to go off. This made a big, colorful show in the sky. People watched and took videos of the fireworks.

The video shows the cars hitting and then the fireworks going up into the sky. The fireworks went on for one hour. There was lots of smoke and sparks, but no one got hurt. People are still trying to find out why the cars crashed. This reminds us that carrying fireworks in cars can be dangerous. But this time, it just made a pretty show.

Original news source: Car crash leads to fireworks show on Canadian motorway (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a list of vocabulary words related to the article (e.g. cars, fireworks, crashed, sky, smoke). One student from each pair will choose a word and draw a picture to represent it, while their partner tries to guess the word. After a set amount of time, switch roles and continue until all the words have been guessed.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: In small groups, ask students to create a catchy headline for the article. Encourage them to use vocabulary words from the article in their headlines. After a few minutes, have each group share their headline with the class and discuss why they chose it.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Pair up the students and give each pair a copy of the article. Set a timer for 2 minutes and ask the students to take turns summarizing the article to their partner. After the time is up, have the pairs switch roles. Then, have a few volunteers share their partner’s summary with the class.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Write the following sentence on the board, replacing some of the words with underscores: “Two cars crashed in ______. One car was big and full of ________. When the cars hit, the fireworks started to go off. This made a big, colorful show in the _______. People watched and took videos of the fireworks.” Divide the class into two teams. Each team takes turns guessing letters to fill in the blanks. If a guessed letter is correct, write it in the appropriate space. If it is incorrect, draw a part of a hangman. The first team to correctly guess all the missing words wins.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask students to think about a time when they witnessed or heard about a car accident. In pairs, have them share their stories with each other and discuss the potential dangers of carrying fireworks in cars. After a few minutes, encourage a few pairs to share their stories and insights with the class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened when the two cars crashed in Canada?
2. What was in one of the cars that made a colorful show in the sky?
3. What did people do when they saw the fireworks?
4. How long did the fireworks go on for?
5. Was anyone hurt when the cars crashed?
6. What are people still trying to find out?
7. Is it usually safe to carry fireworks in cars?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Two cars crashed in (1)______. One car was big and full of fireworks. When the cars hit, the fireworks started to go off. This (2)______ a big, colorful show in the sky. (3)______ watched and took videos of the fireworks.

The video (4)______ the cars hitting and then the fireworks going up into the sky. The (5)______ went on for one hour. There was lots of smoke and (6)______, but no one got hurt. People are still trying to find out why the cars crashed. This (7)______ us that carrying fireworks in cars can be dangerous. But this time, it just made a (8)______ show.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What happened when the two cars crashed?
2. How did the fireworks make the sky look?
3. Did anyone get hurt when the fireworks went off?
4. What do you think about carrying fireworks in cars?
5. How would you feel if you saw a big, colorful show in the sky?
6. Have you ever seen fireworks before? Did you like them?
7. Do you think it’s safe to carry fireworks in cars? Why or why not?
8. What do you think the people watching the fireworks felt like?
9. How long did the fireworks go on for?
10. What do you think the people who took videos of the fireworks will do with them?
11. Have you ever been in a car crash? How did you feel?
12. Do you like watching fireworks? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. cars
2. crashed
3. big
4. fireworks
5. show
6. sky
7. hurt
8. dangerous

Meanings:
(a) When someone gets injured or feels pain
(b) The area above the Earth where the sun, moon, and stars are
(c) Things that people drive on the road
(d) Something that can cause harm or be unsafe
(e) Very large in size
(f) When two things hit each other really hard
(g) A performance or display for people to watch
(h) Things that make loud noises and bright lights
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What happened when the cars crashed?
(a) Fireworks started to go off in the sky
(b) The cars exploded
(c) People got hurt
(d) The cars disappeared

2. How long did the fireworks go on for?
(a) One minute
(b) One hour
(c) One day
(d) One week

3. Did anyone get hurt?
(a) Yes
(b) Maybe
(c) No
(d) I don’t know

4. What did people do when they saw the fireworks?
(a) Watched and took videos
(b) Ran away
(c) Closed their eyes
(d) Called the police

5. Why are people still trying to find out why the cars crashed?
(a) Because they are bored
(b) Because they want to know
(c) Because they like fireworks
(d) Because they are firefighters

6. What does the article say about carrying fireworks in cars?
(a) It is always safe
(b) It is fun
(c) It is illegal
(d) It can be dangerous

7. What did the fireworks make in the sky?
(a) A loud noise
(b) A big fire
(c) A big mess
(d) A big, colorful show

8. Did the cars disappear after the crash?
(a) Yes
(b) Maybe
(c) No
(d) I don’t know

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Two cars crashed in Mexico and none of them had fireworks inside.
2. Many people watched the fireworks and took videos of them.
3. However, this time it just made a noisy mess on the street.
4. Luckily, nobody got hurt in the car crash.
5. When the cars crashed, the fireworks failed to go off and didn’t make a colorful show in the sky.
6. This accident reminds us that it can be dangerous to carry fireworks in cars.
7. People have already figured out why the cars crashed.
8. The fireworks lasted for one hour and there was lots of smoke and sparks.
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 when the two cars crashed in Canada?
2. What did the fireworks do when the cars hit?
3. Did anyone get hurt when the fireworks went off?
4. Why are people still trying to find out why the cars crashed?
5. Why is it dangerous to carry fireworks in cars?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What happened when the two cars crashed in Canada?
The cars crashed into each other.

2. What was in one of the cars that made a colorful show in the sky?
Fireworks were in one of the cars.

3. What did people do when they saw the fireworks?
They watched and took videos of the fireworks.

4. How long did the fireworks go on for?
The fireworks went on for one hour.

5. Was anyone hurt when the cars crashed?
No, no one got hurt when the cars crashed.

6. What are people still trying to find out?
People are still trying to find out why the cars crashed.

7. Is it usually safe to carry fireworks in cars?
No, it is not usually safe to carry fireworks in cars.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Canada
(2) made
(3) People
(4) shows
(5) fireworks
(6) sparks
(7) reminds
(8) pretty
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. cars
Answer: (c) Things that people drive on the road

2. crashed
Answer: (f) When two things hit each other really hard

3. big
Answer: (e) Very large in size

4. fireworks
Answer: (h) Things that make loud noises and bright lights

5. show
Answer: (g) A performance or display for people to watch

6. sky
Answer: (b) The area above the Earth where the sun, moon, and stars are

7. hurt
Answer: (a) When someone gets injured or feels pain

8. dangerous
Answer: (d) Something that can cause harm or be unsafe
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What happened when the cars crashed?
Answer: (a) Fireworks started to go off in the sky

2. How long did the fireworks go on for?
Answer: (b) One hour

3. Did anyone get hurt?
Answer: (c) No

4. What did people do when they saw the fireworks?
Answer: (a) Watched and took videos

5. Why are people still trying to find out why the cars crashed?
Answer: (b) Because they want to know

6. What does the article say about carrying fireworks in cars?
Answer: (d) It can be dangerous

7. What did the fireworks make in the sky?
Answer: (d) A big, colorful show

8. Did the cars disappear after the crash?
Answer: (c) No
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Two cars crashed in Mexico and none of them had fireworks inside. (Answer: False)
2. Many people watched the fireworks and took videos of them. (Answer: True)
3. However, this time it just made a noisy mess on the street. (Answer: False)
4. Luckily, nobody got hurt in the car crash. (Answer: True)
5. When the cars crashed, the fireworks failed to go off and didn’t make a colorful show in the sky. (Answer: False)
6. This accident reminds us that it can be dangerous to carry fireworks in cars. (Answer: True)
7. People have already figured out why the cars crashed. (Answer: False)
8. The fireworks lasted for one hour and there was lots of smoke and sparks. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧