Sony made a special game controller for people who have a hard time using the regular one. This new controller can change to fit what each person needs. Sony asked people who know a lot about helping people with disabilities to help make it. They thought about how to make it easier to use the sticks and buttons. The goal is to make it so everyone can play games without needing extra parts.

The people who will use the new controller helped Sony make it. They even made the box easy to open. You can change how the controller works for different games. But some things might be confusing, like not having a stick on the right side like most controllers do. Sony’s new controller is a big step to help more people play games, even though it’s not perfect yet.

Original news source: Sony debuts first PS5 controller for disabled gamers (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 come to the front of the class and act out a word or phrase related to the article (e.g. “game controller”, “hard time”, “buttons”). The rest of the class will try to guess what they are acting out. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Repeat with different students from each team until all students have had a turn.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner. They should try to use their own words and keep their summary brief. After both partners have had a chance to summarize, they can compare their summaries and discuss any differences or questions they have.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and a pencil. Choose a word or phrase from the article and write it on the board. Students should draw a picture to represent the word or phrase without using any letters or numbers. The rest of the class will try to guess what they are drawing. The student who guesses correctly gets a point. Repeat with different students and words/phrases from the article.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. One student will be the “speaker” and the other will be the “listener”. The speaker will have one minute to summarize the article to their partner. They should try to include as much information as possible in that time. After one minute, the listener should summarize what they heard back to the speaker. They can compare their summaries and discuss any differences or questions they have.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write a question related to the article on the board (e.g. “Do you think the new controller will help more people play games?”). Have students raise their hands to indicate their opinion (e.g. thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for no, thumbs to the side for unsure). Then, ask a few students to share their opinion and explain their reasoning. Encourage them to use complete sentences and provide supporting details.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What did Sony make for people who have a hard time using the regular game controller?
2. Who did Sony ask to help make the new controller?
3. What did they think about when making the new controller?
4. What is the goal of the new controller?
5. Who helped Sony make the new controller?
6. What did they make easy to open?
7. Can you change how the controller works for different games?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

(1)______ made a special game controller for (2)______ who have a hard time using the regular one. This new controller can change to fit what each person needs. Sony asked people who know a lot about helping people with disabilities to help make it. They thought about how to make it easier to use the sticks and (3)______. The (4)______ is to make it so everyone can play games without needing extra parts.

The people who will use the new controller helped Sony make it. They even (5)______ the box (6)______ to open. You can change how the controller works for different games. But some things might be confusing, like not having a stick on the right side like most controllers do. Sony’s new controller is a big step to (7)______ more people play (8)______, even though it’s not perfect yet.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a game controller?
2. How would you feel if you had a hard time using a regular game controller?
3. Do you like playing games? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about Sony making a special game controller for people who have a hard time using the regular one?
5. How do you think the new controller can change to fit what each person needs?
6. Do you think it’s important for everyone to be able to play games without needing extra parts? Why or why not?
7. What do you think about the people who will use the new controller helping Sony make it?
8. How do you think changing how the controller works for different games can be helpful?
9. Do you think it’s confusing to not have a stick on the right side like most controllers do? Why or why not?
10. What do you think about Sony’s new controller being a big step to help more people play games?
11. How do you think the new controller can be improved to be even better?
12. Would you like to try using the new controller? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. controller
2. disabilities
3. sticks
4. buttons
5. parts
6. box
7. confusing
8. perfect
9. step
10. games

Meanings:
(A) When something is just right and doesn’t need any changes
(B) When your body doesn’t work like most people’s bodies
(C) Things that you need to add to the controller to make it work better
(D) Hard to understand or figure out
(E) Long things that you move to make the controller work
(F) Something you hold to play a game on the TV
(G) A small move forward to make things better
(H) Fun things you play on the TV
(I) Small things that you press to make the controller work
(J) Something that holds the controller and is easy to open
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did Sony make a special controller for?
(a) People who love playing games
(b) People who have a hard time using the regular one
(c) People who want extra parts
(d) People who don’t like playing games

2. Who helped Sony make the new controller?
(a) People who don’t like playing games
(b) People who love playing games
(c) People who know a lot about helping people with disabilities
(d) People who want extra parts

3. What did Sony think about when making the new controller?
(a) How to make it harder to use the sticks and buttons
(b) How to make it more confusing to use the sticks and buttons
(c) How to make it more expensive to use the sticks and buttons
(d) How to make it easier to use the sticks and buttons

4. What is the goal of the new controller?
(a) To make it so only some people can play games with extra parts
(b) To make it so everyone can play games without needing extra parts
(c) To make it so no one can play games with extra parts
(d) To make it so everyone can play games with extra parts

5. Who helped Sony make the box easy to open?
(a) The people who don’t like playing games
(b) The people who love playing games
(c) The people who will use the new controller
(d) The people who want extra parts

6. Can you change how the controller works for different games?
(a) Yes
(b) No
(c) Maybe
(d) I don’t know

7. What might be confusing about the new controller?
(a) Having a stick on the right side like most controllers do
(b) Having extra buttons
(c) Having extra parts
(d) Not having a stick on the right side like most controllers do

8. Is Sony’s new controller perfect?
(a) No, it’s not perfect yet
(b) Yes, it’s perfect
(c) Maybe, it might be perfect
(d) I don’t know if it’s perfect or not

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The goal is to make it so everyone can play games without needing extra parts.
2. Sony’s new controller is a big step to help more people play games, even though it’s not perfect yet.
3. Sony asked people who know a lot about helping people with disabilities to help make it.
4. The box for the new controller is difficult to open.
5. They didn’t think about how to make it easier to use the sticks and buttons.
6. The people who will use the new controller didn’t help Sony make it.
7. Sony made a special game controller for people who have a hard time using the regular one.
8. The new controller cannot change to fit what each person needs.
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 Sony make for people who have a hard time using the regular game controller?
2. Who did Sony ask to help make the new controller?
3. What did they think about when making the new controller?
4. Who helped Sony make the new controller?
5. Is the new controller perfect?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Sony made a special game controller for people who have a hard time using the regular one.
2. Sony asked people who know a lot about helping people with disabilities to help make it.
3. They thought about how to make it easier to use the sticks and buttons.
4. The goal is to make it so everyone can play games without needing extra parts.
5. The people who will use the new controller helped Sony make it.
6. They even made the box easy to open.
7. Yes, you can change how the controller works for different games.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Sony
(2) people
(3) buttons
(4) goal
(5) made
(6) easy
(7) help
(8) games
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. controller
Answer: (F) Something you hold to play a game on the TV

2. disabilities
Answer: (B) When your body doesn’t work like most people’s bodies

3. sticks
Answer: (E) Long things that you move to make the controller work

4. buttons
Answer: (I) Small things that you press to make the controller work

5. parts
Answer: (C) Things that you need to add to the controller to make it work better

6. box
Answer: (J) Something that holds the controller and is easy to open

7. confusing
Answer: (D) Hard to understand or figure out

8. perfect
Answer: (A) When something is just right and doesn’t need any changes

9. step
Answer: (G) A small move forward to make things better

10. games
Answer: (H) Fun things you play on the TV
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did Sony make a special controller for?
Answer: (b) People who have a hard time using the regular one

2. Who helped Sony make the new controller?
Answer: (c) People who know a lot about helping people with disabilities

3. What did Sony think about when making the new controller?
Answer: (d) How to make it easier to use the sticks and buttons

4. What is the goal of the new controller?
Answer: (b) To make it so everyone can play games without needing extra parts

5. Who helped Sony make the box easy to open?
Answer: (c) The people who will use the new controller

6. Can you change how the controller works for different games?
Answer: (a) Yes

7. What might be confusing about the new controller?
Answer: (d) Not having a stick on the right side like most controllers do

8. Is Sony’s new controller perfect?
Answer: (a) No, it’s not perfect yet
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The goal is to make it so everyone can play games without needing extra parts. (Answer: True)
2. Sony’s new controller is a big step to help more people play games, even though it’s not perfect yet. (Answer: True)
3. Sony asked people who know a lot about helping people with disabilities to help make it. (Answer: True)
4. The box for the new controller is difficult to open. (Answer: False)
5. They didn’t think about how to make it easier to use the sticks and buttons. (Answer: False)
6. The people who will use the new controller didn’t help Sony make it. (Answer: False)
7. Sony made a special game controller for people who have a hard time using the regular one. (Answer: True)
8. The new controller cannot change to fit what each person needs. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧