A camera flying in the sky took a video of a new tiny piece of land coming out of the water in Japan. This happened because a mountain under the water that can get very hot and angry started to break apart on October 21. A man who knows a lot about these hot mountains said the new land was as big as a soccer field and taller than a house. But the land is made of weak stuff, so it’s getting smaller because the water keeps hitting it.

The new piece of land is not far from a bigger piece of land called Iwo Jima. It came out of the water because the hot mountain under the sea got angry again. It was big and tall at first, but because it’s made of weak stuff, it’s getting smaller. The camera in the sky saw how it’s changing.

Original news source: Japan volcano: Plumes of smoke as new island emerges after eruption (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a blank piece of paper and colored pencils or markers. One student is the “artist” and the other is the “describer.” The describer will explain the scene from the article without using the key words “land,” “water,” “mountain,” or “camera.” The artist will then draw the scene based on the description provided by their partner. Afterward, have students share their drawings with the class and discuss the similarities and differences.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on small pieces of paper, such as “tiny,” “island,” “erupt,” “volcano,” “ocean,” “earth,” “shrink,” and “sky.” Place them in a container. Divide students into two teams. One member from each team will take turns drawing the word they pick from the container without speaking or writing letters or numbers, while their team tries to guess the word. Set a time limit for each turn, and award points for correct guesses.

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Assign students to pairs, designating one as the news reporter and the other as the expert (volcanologist). The news reporter will interview the expert about the new piece of land in Japan, using simple questions prepared by the teacher or created by the students themselves. Encourage the use of the new vocabulary from the article. After the role-play, have students switch roles.

– Word Association
Instructions: Start with a key word from the article, such as “island.” Say the word aloud, and have students take turns quickly saying a word that they associate with it. Go around the class until each student has said a word. This can be repeated with other key terms like “volcano,” “ocean,” or “land.” If a student struggles, encourage classmates to help with suggestions.

– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: After reading the article, create a line in the classroom with one end labeled “Dangerous” and the other “Exciting.” Read out different statements related to the article, such as “Discovering new land is exciting,” or “Living near a volcano is dangerous.” Students will then place themselves along the spectrum based on their opinion. Ask volunteers to explain their position, encouraging them to use new vocabulary and expressions from the lesson.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What did the camera in the sky take a video of?
2. Where did the new tiny piece of land come from?
3. When did the mountain under the water start to break apart?
4. How big was the new land when it first came out of the water?
5. What is the new land taller than?
6. Why is the new piece of land getting smaller?
7. What is the name of the bigger piece of land near the new tiny piece of land?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A camera flying in the sky (1)______ a video of a new (2)______ piece of land coming out of the water in Japan. This happened because a mountain under the water that can get very hot and angry started to break apart on October 21. A man who (3)______ a lot about these hot mountains said the new land was as big as a (4)______ field and taller than a house. But the land is made of weak stuff, so it’s getting smaller because the water keeps (5)______ it.

The new piece of land is not far from a (6)______ piece of land called Iwo Jima. It came out of the water because the hot mountain under the sea got angry again. It was big and tall at first, but because it’s made of weak (7)______, it’s getting smaller. The (8)______ in the sky saw how it’s changing.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a camera?
2. Do you like when you see things flying in the sky? Why or why not?
3. Have you ever seen a mountain? What did it look like?
4. What is land that comes out of water called?
5. How would you feel if you saw new land coming out of the water?
6. Do you think it’s exciting to see new land? Why?
7. What is a soccer field? Is it big or small?
8. Can you imagine something taller than your house? What is it?
9. Have you ever built something with sand? What happened when water touched it?
10. Do you like to watch videos of things changing? Why or why not?
11. Have you ever heard of a mountain that can get hot and angry? What do you think it’s like?
12. Do you think it’s sad that the new land is getting smaller? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. video
2. mountain
3. land
4. water
5. house
6. soccer
7. sea
8. camera

Meanings:
(a) Something you drink and swim in
(b) A big area of salty water
(c) A device that takes moving pictures
(d) A place where people live
(e) A device that takes pictures
(f) A game with a ball and goals
(g) A very big hill
(h) Solid ground, not the ocean
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did the camera flying in the sky take a video of?
(a) A big mountain
(b) A soccer field
(c) A new tiny piece of land
(d) A house

2. What caused the new piece of land to come out of the water?
(a) A hot and angry mountain breaking apart
(b) A big wave
(c) A strong wind
(d) A big fish

3. How big is the new piece of land?
(a) As big as a mountain
(b) As big as a house
(c) As big as a car
(d) As big as a soccer field

4. What is happening to the new piece of land because of the water?
(a) It’s getting smaller
(b) It’s getting bigger
(c) It’s getting taller
(d) It’s staying the same size

5. Where is the new piece of land located?
(a) Near a big city
(b) Near a big forest
(c) Near a bigger piece of land called Iwo Jima
(d) Near a big lake

6. Why did the new piece of land come out of the water?
(a) Because of a big storm
(b) Because of a big earthquake
(c) Because of a big boat
(d) Because the hot mountain under the sea broke apart

7. What is the new piece of land made of?
(a) Strong stuff
(b) Weak stuff
(c) Hard stuff
(d) Soft stuff

8. What did the camera in the sky see happening to the new piece of land?
(a) How it’s staying the same
(b) How it’s changing
(c) How it’s getting bigger
(d) How it’s getting taller

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. A man who knows a lot about cold mountains said the new land came from the happy mountain under the water.
2. The camera on the ground saw how the new land is changing.
3. The new piece of land is far from a bigger piece of land called Iwo Jima.
4. The hot mountain under the sea broke apart on October 21, causing the new land to appear.
5. The new land is as big as a soccer field and taller than a house.
6. The new land was big and tall at first, but it’s getting smaller because it’s made of weak stuff.
7. A camera on the ground saw a new piece of land sinking into the water in Japan.
8. The land is made of weak stuff, so it’s getting smaller because the water keeps hitting it.
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 the camera in the sky see in Japan?
2. Why did the new piece of land come out of the water?
3. How big was the new land when it first appeared?
4. What is the new land made of?
5. Is the new piece of land getting bigger or smaller? Why?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did the camera in the sky take a video of?
The camera took a video of a new tiny piece of land coming out of the water.

2. Where did the new tiny piece of land come from?
The new tiny piece of land came from under the water where there is a hot mountain.

3. When did the mountain under the water start to break apart?
The mountain under the water started to break apart on October 21.

4. How big was the new land when it first came out of the water?
The new land was as big as a soccer field when it first came out of the water.

5. What is the new land taller than?
The new land is taller than a house.

6. Why is the new piece of land getting smaller?
The new piece of land is getting smaller because the water keeps hitting it and it’s made of weak stuff.

7. What is the name of the bigger piece of land near the new tiny piece of land?
The name of the bigger piece of land near the new tiny piece of land is Iwo Jima.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) took
(2) tiny
(3) knows
(4) soccer
(5) hitting
(6) bigger
(7) stuff
(8) camera
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. video
Answer: (c) A device that takes moving pictures

2. mountain
Answer: (g) A very big hill

3. land
Answer: (h) Solid ground, not the ocean

4. water
Answer: (a) Something you drink and swim in

5. house
Answer: (d) A place where people live

6. soccer
Answer: (f) A game with a ball and goals

7. sea
Answer: (b) A big area of salty water

8. camera
Answer: (e) A device that takes pictures
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did the camera flying in the sky take a video of?
Answer: (c) A new tiny piece of land

2. What caused the new piece of land to come out of the water?
Answer: (a) A hot and angry mountain breaking apart

3. How big is the new piece of land?
Answer: (d) As big as a soccer field

4. What is happening to the new piece of land because of the water?
Answer: (a) It’s getting smaller

5. Where is the new piece of land located?
Answer: (c) Near a bigger piece of land called Iwo Jima

6. Why did the new piece of land come out of the water?
Answer: (d) Because the hot mountain under the sea broke apart

7. What is the new piece of land made of?
Answer: (b) Weak stuff

8. What did the camera in the sky see happening to the new piece of land?
Answer: (b) How it’s changing
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. A man who knows a lot about cold mountains said the new land came from the happy mountain under the water. (Answer: False)
2. The camera on the ground saw how the new land is changing. (Answer: False)
3. The new piece of land is far from a bigger piece of land called Iwo Jima. (Answer: False)
4. The hot mountain under the sea broke apart on October 21, causing the new land to appear. (Answer: True)
5. The new land is as big as a soccer field and taller than a house. (Answer: True)
6. The new land was big and tall at first, but it’s getting smaller because it’s made of weak stuff. (Answer: True)
7. A camera on the ground saw a new piece of land sinking into the water in Japan. (Answer: False)
8. The land is made of weak stuff, so it’s getting smaller because the water keeps hitting it. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧