Scientists at NASA sent a short movie of a cat playing with a light from very, very far away back to Earth. They used a special kind of light, called a laser, to send the movie. The cat in the movie is named Taters, and he is trying to catch a little red dot. The movie had to travel a super long way, even farther than the moon is from us. NASA is happy because they think this new way of sending movies can help them talk to spaceships that are far away in space.

The movie of Taters the cat came to a big telescope on Earth and then to a place in California where NASA scientists work. Even though it was sent from so far away, it got to Earth very fast, faster than the internet at home. NASA is trying to find new ways to send big movies and pictures from space because the old way with radio waves is not strong enough. They think this new way with lasers is a big step to help them talk to spaceships that will go to other planets one day. They want to send more things like this in the future.

Original news source: Nasa beams cat video from deep space with laser (BBC)

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. One person from each team will act out a word or phrase related to the article (e.g. cat, laser, spaceship) without speaking, while their team guesses what it is. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the words “NASA” and “space” on the board. Have students take turns saying a word or phrase that is related to those words. For example, if a student says “moon,” the next student could say “astronaut.” Keep going until no one can think of any more words.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write several words from the article (e.g. cat, laser, telescope) on separate pieces of paper and put them in a hat. Divide the class into pairs. One student from each pair will pick a word and draw a picture of it while their partner guesses what it is. The pair with the most correct guesses wins.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Give each student a copy of the article. Set a timer for one minute. Students must read the article and then summarize it to a partner in one minute or less. After one minute, students switch roles. Encourage students to use their own words and not read directly from the article.

– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: Write several words from the article on the board (e.g. movie, far, catch). Have students work in pairs or small groups to come up with as many synonyms for each word as they can in a given time limit. The group with the most synonyms wins.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did NASA send back to Earth from very, very far away?
2. What kind of light did they use to send the movie?
3. What is the cat’s name in the movie?
4. What is the cat trying to catch in the movie?
5. Did the movie have to travel a long or short way?
6. Where did the movie come to on Earth?
7. Why is NASA happy about this new way of sending movies?
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🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Scientists at NASA sent a short movie of a cat playing with a (1)______ from very, very far away back to Earth. They used a (2)______ kind of light, called a laser, to send the movie. The cat in the movie is named Taters, and he is trying to catch a little red dot. The movie had to travel a super long way, even farther than the (3)______ is from us. NASA is happy because they think this new way of sending movies can help them talk to (4)______ships that are far away in space.

The movie of Taters the cat came to a big telescope on Earth and then to a place in (5)______ where NASA scientists work. Even though it was sent from so far away, it got to Earth very fast, faster than the internet at home. NASA is (6)______ to find new ways to send big movies and pictures from space because the old way with radio waves is not strong enough. They think this new way with lasers is a big (7)______ to help them talk to spaceships that will go to other (8)______ one day. They want to send more things like this in the future.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a laser?
2. How would you feel if you saw a cat playing with a light?
3. Do you like watching movies of cats?
4. How do you think the movie of Taters the cat got back to Earth?
5. Do you think it is important for NASA to find new ways to send movies and pictures from space? Why or why not?
6. What do you think the scientists at NASA will do with the movies and pictures they send from space?
7. Have you ever seen a telescope? What did you see with it?
8. Do you think it is amazing that the movie of Taters the cat got to Earth faster than the internet at home? Why or why not?
9. How do you think the movie of Taters the cat can help NASA talk to spaceships in space?
10. Would you like to go to other planets one day? Why or why not?
11. What other things do you think NASA can send from space using lasers?
12. If you could send a movie from space, what would it be about?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. movie
2. cat
3. laser
4. telescope
5. space
6. California
7. radio waves
8. planets
9. spaceship
10. future

Meanings:
(A) Big round things that go around the sun, like Earth or Mars
(B) A bright beam of light that can go very far
(C) A story you watch on a screen, like on TV
(D) A ship that can fly way up high, beyond the sky
(E) The place where stars, the moon, and other planets are
(F) A small animal with fur, whiskers, and likes to purr
(G) A big tool that helps you see stars and far away things in the sky
(H) Sounds that travel through the air and let you hear music on the radio
(I) A time that hasn’t happened yet, like tomorrow or next year
(J) A sunny place with lots of beaches where people like to surf
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did NASA send back to Earth?
(a) A movie of a cat playing with a light
(b) A picture of the moon
(c) A video of a spaceship
(d) A laser

2. What kind of light did NASA use to send the movie?
(a) Sunlight
(b) Laser
(c) Moonlight
(d) Flashlight

3. What is the name of the cat in the movie?
(a) Whiskers
(b) Taters
(c) Mittens
(d) Fluffy

4. How far did the movie have to travel?
(a) Just a little bit
(b) Not very far
(c) Even farther than the moon is from us
(d) All the way to Mars

5. Where did the movie come to on Earth?
(a) A big telescope
(b) A movie theater
(c) A park
(d) A school

6. How fast did the movie get to Earth?
(a) Slower than a snail
(b) As fast as a rocket
(c) Faster than the internet at home
(d) The same speed as a turtle

7. Why is NASA trying to find new ways to send movies from space?
(a) They want to make more money
(b) They don’t like the old way
(c) They want to play with lasers
(d) The old way with radio waves is not strong enough

8. What does NASA want to send in the future?
(a) More pictures of the moon
(b) More lasers
(c) More spaceships
(d) More things like the movie of Taters the cat

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. They think using lasers is not a big step to help them talk to spaceships that will go to other planets one day.
2. The movie of Taters the cat came to a big telescope on Earth and then to a place in California where NASA scientists work.
3. NASA is looking for new ways to send big movies and pictures from space because the old way with radio waves is not strong enough.
4. Even though it was sent from so far away, the movie got to Earth very fast, faster than the internet at home.
5. The cat in the movie is named Taters and he is not trying to catch a little red dot.
6. NASA is not happy because they think this new way of sending movies can help them talk to spaceships in space.
7. The movie had to travel a really long way, even farther than the moon.
8. NASA scientists did not send a movie of a cat playing with a light back to Earth using a special kind of light called a laser.
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 did NASA send back to Earth?
2. What kind of light did NASA use to send the movie?
3. What is the cat’s name in the movie?
4. How did the movie get to Earth?
5. Why is NASA happy about this new way of sending movies?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did NASA send back to Earth from very, very far away?
NASA sent a movie back to Earth from very, very far away.

2. What kind of light did they use to send the movie?
They used a special kind of light called a laser to send the movie.

3. What is the cat’s name in the movie?
The cat’s name in the movie is Taters.

4. What is the cat trying to catch in the movie?
The cat is trying to catch a little red dot in the movie.

5. Did the movie have to travel a long or short way?
The movie had to travel a long way.

6. Where did the movie come to on Earth?
The movie came to a big telescope on Earth and then to a place in California where NASA scientists work.

7. Why is NASA happy about this new way of sending movies?
NASA is happy because they think this new way of sending movies can help them talk to spaceships that are far away in space.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) light
(2) special
(3) moon
(4) space
(5) California
(6) trying
(7) step
(8) planets
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. movie
Answer: (C) A story you watch on a screen, like on TV

2. cat
Answer: (F) A small animal with fur, whiskers, and likes to purr

3. laser
Answer: (B) A bright beam of light that can go very far

4. telescope
Answer: (G) A big tool that helps you see stars and far away things in the sky

5. space
Answer: (E) The place where stars, the moon, and other planets are

6. California
Answer: (J) A sunny place with lots of beaches where people like to surf

7. radio waves
Answer: (H) Sounds that travel through the air and let you hear music on the radio

8. planets
Answer: (A) Big round things that go around the sun, like Earth or Mars

9. spaceship
Answer: (D) A ship that can fly way up high, beyond the sky

10. future
Answer: (I) A time that hasn’t happened yet, like tomorrow or next year
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did NASA send back to Earth?
Answer: (a) A movie of a cat playing with a light

2. What kind of light did NASA use to send the movie?
Answer: (b) Laser

3. What is the name of the cat in the movie?
Answer: (b) Taters

4. How far did the movie have to travel?
Answer: (c) Even farther than the moon is from us

5. Where did the movie come to on Earth?
Answer: (a) A big telescope

6. How fast did the movie get to Earth?
Answer: (c) Faster than the internet at home

7. Why is NASA trying to find new ways to send movies from space?
Answer: (d) The old way with radio waves is not strong enough

8. What does NASA want to send in the future?
Answer: (d) More things like the movie of Taters the cat
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. They think using lasers is not a big step to help them talk to spaceships that will go to other planets one day. (Answer: False)
2. The movie of Taters the cat came to a big telescope on Earth and then to a place in California where NASA scientists work. (Answer: True)
3. NASA is looking for new ways to send big movies and pictures from space because the old way with radio waves is not strong enough. (Answer: True)
4. Even though it was sent from so far away, the movie got to Earth very fast, faster than the internet at home. (Answer: True)
5. The cat in the movie is named Taters and he is not trying to catch a little red dot. (Answer: False)
6. NASA is not happy because they think this new way of sending movies can help them talk to spaceships in space. (Answer: False)
7. The movie had to travel a really long way, even farther than the moon. (Answer: True)
8. NASA scientists did not send a movie of a cat playing with a light back to Earth using a special kind of light called a laser. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧