The air in Delhi is very dirty right now, and it's been like that for many days. It gets worse when it's cold because of fires and not much wind. The people who make rules told kids they could stay home from school and told builders to stop working. They hope the big court will say it's okay to try to make it rain. But the weather experts say just making it rain once won't fix everything. They say we need to think carefully and work together to make the air better for a long time.
Original news source: Delhi AQI: Can artificial rain fix toxic air in India's capital? (BBC)
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. On slips of paper, write down key vocabulary words from the article such as "rules," "rain," "clouds," "salt," "air," "cleaner," "weather," "cost," "fires," "wind," "school," "builders," "court," and "experts." One student from a team will draw the word without speaking or writing letters or numbers, while their team guesses the word. Each correct guess earns a point. Switch teams after each word.
– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Pair up students and assign them roles as news reporters and experts on weather or environmental policy. Provide them with phrases and vocabulary from the article. The "reporter" will ask questions about the situation in Delhi, and the "expert" will respond using information from the article. Encourage them to improvise additional details to make the conversation more realistic. Swap roles after a few minutes so that both students get a chance to speak.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write a series of statements or questions on the board related to the article, such as "Making it rain can solve air pollution" or "All schools should close when the air is very dirty." Students walk around the classroom and ask their classmates whether they agree or disagree with each statement. They should tally the responses and present a quick summary of the class opinion to the rest of the group.
– Sketch It
Instructions: Provide students with blank paper and drawing materials. Read sentences from the article aloud slowly and ask students to sketch what they hear. For example, "The people who make rules want to make it rain by putting salt in the clouds" could be sketched with clouds, rain, and a saltshaker. This activity helps reinforce comprehension and gives students a visual connection to the vocabulary.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Give students a moment to think about the problem presented in the article (air pollution in Delhi). Then, have them pair up and share their own ideas about how to solve the problem, using simple English phrases and vocabulary. After sharing with their partner, pairs can volunteer to share their solutions with the class, fostering a discussion on environmental issues and problem-solving.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
They want to make it rain by putting salt in the clouds.
They will put salt in the clouds.
They want the rain to wash the dirty stuff out of the air.
The air is dirty because of fires and not much wind, and it's worse when it's cold.
They told kids to stay home from school and told builders to stop working.
They hope the big court will say it's okay.
No, they say just making it rain once won't fix everything.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
The people who make rules in Delhi want to try something new to make the air cleaner. They want to make it rain by putting salt in the clouds. They think the rain will wash the out of the air. But some people who know a lot about weather say it's hard to do and might a lot of money. They also say we to learn more about what happens when we try to make it rain. The air in Delhi is very dirty right now, and it's been like that for days. It gets worse when it's cold because of and not much wind. The people who make rules told kids they could stay home from school and told builders to stop working. They hope the big court will say it's okay to try to make it rain. But the weather experts say just making it rain once won't fix everything. They say we need to think carefully and together to make the air better for a time.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is dirty air?
2. How do you feel when the air is dirty?
3. Do you like playing in the rain?
4. What is rain?
5. Do you think making rain can clean the air? Why or why not?
6. Have you ever seen very dirty air? Where?
7. How would you feel if you didn't go to school because the air is dirty?
8. What can we do to make the air clean?
9. Do you think it's important to have clean air? Why?
10. Have you ever seen people try to make it rain? What did they do?
11. Do you think it's a good idea to stop building when the air is dirty? Why or why not?
12. What can you do to help make the air cleaner?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.
Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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