A coral reef near Mnemba Island was almost dead because of climate change and too much fishing. The people on the island started a project to save the reef. They made underwater gardens to grow new coral. Local divers plant the coral back on the reef. Now, 80% of the reef is healthy again, and new reefs help fish and tourists.

The project worked because the island people, a tourism group, and the government worked together. The government made the sea around the island a protected area. They stopped fishing near the reef and taught fishermen better ways to fish. More tourists come now, and they pay more money to visit. The government wants to do the same in other places to save more reefs.

Original news source: How islanders are saving their Indian Ocean coral reef (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down key words from the article on separate pieces of paper and put them in a hat. One student from each team will take turns picking a word from the hat and acting it out without speaking. The rest of their team needs to guess the word. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a list of vocabulary words from the article. One student will choose a word and draw a picture to represent it, while the other student tries to guess the word. They can only communicate through drawing. After a set amount of time, switch roles. The pair with the most correct guesses wins.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: Give each student a blank piece of paper. Instruct them to create a headline for the article using the vocabulary words they learned. They can be as creative as they want. After they have created their headline, have them share it with a partner and explain why they chose it. Then, have a few students share their headlines with the whole class.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask the students to think about the following question: “Why is it important to protect coral reefs?” Give them a few minutes to think about their answer. Then, have them pair up with a partner and share their thoughts. After they have discussed, ask a few pairs to share their answers with the whole class.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask the students to imagine that they are government officials responsible for protecting the environment. Instruct them to write down three things they would do to protect coral reefs in their country. After they have finished writing, have them share their ideas with a partner and discuss why they think their ideas would be effective. Finally, ask a few students to share their ideas with the whole class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened to the coral reef near Mnemba Island?
2. What did the people on the island do to save the reef?
3. How much of the reef is healthy again now?
4. How did the project work?
5. What did the government do to help save the reef?
6. Why do more tourists come now?
7. What does the government want to do in other places?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A coral reef near Mnemba Island was almost dead because of climate (1)______ and too much fishing. The people on the island started a (2)______ to save the reef. They made underwater gardens to (3)______ new coral. Local divers plant the coral back on the reef. Now, 80% of the reef is healthy again, and new (4)______ help fish and tourists.

The project worked because the island people, a tourism group, and the government (5)______ together. The government made the sea around the island a protected (6)______. They stopped fishing near the reef and taught fishermen better ways to fish. More tourists come now, and they pay more money to visit. The government wants to do the (7)______ in other (8)______ to save more reefs.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a coral reef?
2. How would you feel if you saw a dead coral reef?
3. Do you like swimming in the ocean? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about the people on the island working together to save the reef?
5. How do you think the underwater gardens helped the coral?
6. Do you think it’s important to protect the sea and the creatures that live in it? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever seen a coral reef? What did it look like?
8. What do you think about the government making the sea around the island a protected area?
9. How do you think the fishermen felt when they learned better ways to fish?
10. Do you like going on vacation? Why or why not?
11. What do you think about more tourists coming to visit the island?
12. Do you think it’s a good idea for the government to do the same in other places to save more reefs? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. climate
2. project
3. underwater
4. divers
5. protected
6. fishermen
7. tourists
8. government
9. area
10. healthy

Meanings:
(A) People who catch fish for a living
(B) People who visit places for fun
(C) Feeling good and not sick
(D) The usual weather in a place
(E) A part of a place or space
(F) Kept safe from harm
(G) A plan to do something
(H) The group of people who make rules for a country
(I) People who swim deep in the water with special gear
(J) Below the surface of the water
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was happening to the coral reef near Mnemba Island?
(a) It was growing bigger and healthier every day.
(b) It was being protected by the government.
(c) It was being moved to a different location.
(d) It was almost dead because of climate change and too much fishing.

2. What did the people on the island do to save the reef?
(a) They made underwater gardens to grow new coral.
(b) They started fishing more near the reef.
(c) They ignored the problem and did nothing.
(d) They built a hotel on the reef.

3. Who planted the new coral back on the reef?
(a) Local divers.
(b) Tourists.
(c) Government officials.
(d) Fishermen.

4. How much of the reef is healthy again?
(a) 50%
(b) 20%
(c) 80%
(d) 100%

5. What did the government do to protect the sea around the island?
(a) They started fishing more near the reef.
(b) They ignored the problem and did nothing.
(c) They made it a protected area.
(d) They built a hotel on the reef.

6. What did the government teach the fishermen?
(a) How to destroy the coral reef.
(b) How to catch more fish.
(c) How to swim underwater.
(d) Better ways to fish.

7. Why do more tourists come to the island now?
(a) Because the government built a hotel on the reef.
(b) Because the reef is healthier and more beautiful.
(c) Because the fishermen stopped fishing.
(d) Because the government stopped protecting the sea.

8. What does the government want to do in other places?
(a) Destroy more reefs.
(b) Save more reefs.
(c) Build more hotels.
(d) Teach more fishermen.

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The people on the island started a project to save the reef.
2. Now, 80% of the reef is healthy again.
3. The government declared the sea around the island an unprotected area.
4. The coral reef near Mnemba Island was almost dead because of climate change and too much fishing.
5. Local divers plant the coral back on the reef.
6. The project failed because the island people, a tourism group, and the government did not collaborate.
7. The new reefs harm fish and tourists.
8. They created underwater gardens to eliminate coral.
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 was happening to the coral reef near Mnemba Island?
2. What did the people on the island do to try and save the reef?
3. How did the local divers help with the project?
4. Why did the government make the sea around the island a protected area?
5. What do the government and the people want to do in other places to save more reefs?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What happened to the coral reef near Mnemba Island?
The coral reef near Mnemba Island was almost dead because of climate change and too much fishing.

2. What did the people on the island do to save the reef?
The people on the island made underwater gardens to grow new coral and planted it back on the reef.

3. How much of the reef is healthy again now?
80% of the reef is healthy again now.

4. How did the project work?
The project worked because the island people, a tourism group, and the government worked together.

5. What did the government do to help save the reef?
The government made the sea around the island a protected area, stopped fishing near the reef, and taught fishermen better ways to fish.

6. Why do more tourists come now?
More tourists come now because the reef is healthy again and they want to see it.

7. What does the government want to do in other places?
The government wants to do the same in other places to save more reefs.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) change
(2) project
(3) grow
(4) reefs
(5) worked
(6) area
(7) same
(8) places
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. climate
Answer: (D) The usual weather in a place

2. project
Answer: (G) A plan to do something

3. underwater
Answer: (J) Below the surface of the water

4. divers
Answer: (I) People who swim deep in the water with special gear

5. protected
Answer: (F) Kept safe from harm

6. fishermen
Answer: (A) People who catch fish for a living

7. tourists
Answer: (B) People who visit places for fun

8. government
Answer: (H) The group of people who make rules for a country

9. area
Answer: (E) A part of a place or space

10. healthy
Answer: (C) Feeling good and not sick
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was happening to the coral reef near Mnemba Island?
Answer: (d) It was almost dead because of climate change and too much fishing.

2. What did the people on the island do to save the reef?
Answer: (a) They made underwater gardens to grow new coral.

3. Who planted the new coral back on the reef?
Answer: (a) Local divers.

4. How much of the reef is healthy again?
Answer: (c) 80%

5. What did the government do to protect the sea around the island?
Answer: (c) They made it a protected area.

6. What did the government teach the fishermen?
Answer: (d) Better ways to fish.

7. Why do more tourists come to the island now?
Answer: (b) Because the reef is healthier and more beautiful.

8. What does the government want to do in other places?
Answer: (b) Save more reefs.
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The people on the island started a project to save the reef. (Answer: True)
2. Now, 80% of the reef is healthy again. (Answer: True)
3. The government declared the sea around the island an unprotected area. (Answer: False)
4. The coral reef near Mnemba Island was almost dead because of climate change and too much fishing. (Answer: True)
5. Local divers plant the coral back on the reef. (Answer: True)
6. The project failed because the island people, a tourism group, and the government did not collaborate. (Answer: False)
7. The new reefs harm fish and tourists. (Answer: False)
8. They created underwater gardens to eliminate coral. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧