A long time ago, a big ship called the San José sank in the ocean near Colombia. It had lots of gold, silver, and shiny green stones called emeralds. Many people want to own this treasure because it is worth a lot of money. The Colombian government, people from Spain, a company from the US, and some native groups all say the treasure should be theirs. Now, a special court is trying to decide who should get the treasure.

Some people think the treasure should be put in a museum for everyone to see. Others want to sell the treasure to make money. Some people believe the treasure should stay in the ocean because it is like a grave for the people who died when the ship sank. This is a big argument, and no one knows what will happen yet. Many other ships are also at the bottom of the ocean, and people are not sure who should own those treasures either.

Original news source: The fierce battle over the ‘Holy Grail’ of shipwrecks (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Provide each team with a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g., ship, treasure, ocean, museum). One person from each team will come to the board to draw the word while their team tries to guess what it is. Set a time limit for each round and award points for correct guesses.

– Charades
Instructions: Write down actions related to the article (e.g., sinking, searching for treasure, arguing) on small pieces of paper. Have students take turns choosing a paper and acting out the action without speaking while the rest of the class guesses what it is. This will help reinforce vocabulary and encourage creativity.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have students create a catchy headline for a news article about the San José treasure. Encourage them to use key vocabulary from the article and be creative with their headlines. Afterward, have each group share their headline with the class and explain why they chose it.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Pose a discussion question related to the article (e.g., “What do you think should happen to the San José treasure?”) Ask students to think about their response individually, then pair up with a classmate to share their thoughts. Finally, open up the discussion to the whole class, allowing students to share their ideas and hear different perspectives.

– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write down key words from the article on separate index cards (e.g., Colombia, treasure, museum). One student from each team will pick a card and describe the word without using the word itself while their team tries to guess what it is. This activity will help students practice defining vocabulary terms and improve their communication skills.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What sank in the ocean near Colombia a long time ago?
2. Why do many people want to own the treasure from the San José ship?
3. Who is trying to decide who should get the treasure?
4. Where do some people think the treasure should be put?
5. Why do some people believe the treasure should stay in the ocean?
6. What are people not sure about with many other ships at the bottom of the ocean?
7. Do people know yet what will happen with the treasure from the San José ship?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A long time ago, a big ship (1)______ the San José sank in the ocean near Colombia. It had lots of gold, silver, and shiny green stones called emeralds. Many people (2)______ to own this treasure because it is worth a lot of money. The Colombian government, (3)______ from Spain, a company from the US, and some native groups all say the treasure should be theirs. Now, a special court is trying to (4)______ who should get the treasure.

Some people (5)______ the treasure should be put in a museum for everyone to see. Others want to sell the treasure to (6)______ money. Some people believe the treasure should stay in the ocean because it is like a grave for the people who (7)______ when the ship sank. This is a big argument, and no one knows what will happen yet. Many other ships are also at the bottom of the ocean, and people are not (8)______ who should own those treasures either.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a treasure?
2. How would you feel if you found a treasure chest?
3. Do you like shiny things like gold and emeralds?
4. Do you think the treasure should be sold for money?
5. Why do you think some people want the treasure to be in a museum?
6. What do you think about the treasure staying in the ocean?
7. Why or why not should the treasure be given to the Colombian government?
8. What is a court and what does it do?
9. How do you think the people who died when the ship sank would feel about the treasure?
10. Do you think it’s fair for different groups to argue about who gets the treasure?
11. Why do you think some people believe the treasure should belong to native groups?
12. How would you feel if you saw a real treasure for the first time?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. treasure
2. sank
3. emeralds
4. government
5. court
6. museum
7. argument
8. grave
9. ocean
10. decide

Meanings:
(A) A building where you can see old and special things
(B) A group of people who make rules for a country
(C) Something very valuable, like gold or jewels
(D) Went down under the water
(E) Shiny green stones
(F) To make a choice about something
(G) A place where people go to solve problems with rules
(H) A place where you put someone who has died
(I) When people talk loudly because they don’t agree
(J) A big, salty water where fish live
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What kind of stones were on the San José ship?
(a) Rubies
(b) Sapphires
(c) Emeralds
(d) Diamonds

2. Where did the San José sink?
(a) Near Spain
(b) Near the US
(c) Near Mexico
(d) Near Colombia

3. Who is trying to decide who should get the treasure?
(a) A school
(b) A special court
(c) A restaurant
(d) A park

4. What do some people want to do with the treasure?
(a) Throw it away
(b) Eat it
(c) Put it in a museum
(d) Hide it

5. Why do some people think the treasure should stay in the ocean?
(a) Because it is like a grave
(b) Because it is fun
(c) Because it is shiny
(d) Because it smells good

6. What are some people not sure about?
(a) What to eat for dinner
(b) What color the treasure is
(c) How to swim
(d) Who should own other sunken ship treasures

7. Who thinks the treasure should be sold to make money?
(a) No one
(b) Some people
(c) Everyone
(d) Animals

8. What is the big argument about?
(a) Who should get the treasure
(b) What to watch on TV
(c) What to play with
(d) What to wear to a party

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Some people think the treasure should stay in the ocean as a grave for the people who died.
2. Some people want the treasure in a private collection for a select few to see.
3. Many other ships are also at the top of the ocean with treasures, and it’s unclear who should own them.
4. The Colombian government, people from Spain, a US company, and native groups all think they should have the treasure.
5. A small ship sank recently with plastic toys and old newspapers inside.
6. Others want to sell the treasure to make money.
7. A special court is deciding who should get the treasure.
8. Many people want the treasure because it is not worth a lot of money.
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. Who sank in the ocean near Colombia a long time ago?
2. Why do many people want to own the treasure from the San José ship?
3. What are some of the things the treasure from the San José ship had?
4. Where do some people think the treasure should be put?
5. Why do some people believe the treasure should stay in the ocean?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What sank in the ocean near Colombia a long time ago?
A big ship called the San José sank in the ocean near Colombia.

2. Why do many people want to own the treasure from the San José ship?
Because it has lots of gold, silver, and shiny green stones called emeralds, which are worth a lot of money.

3. Who is trying to decide who should get the treasure?
A special court is trying to decide who should get the treasure.

4. Where do some people think the treasure should be put?
Some people think the treasure should be put in a museum for everyone to see.

5. Why do some people believe the treasure should stay in the ocean?
Some people believe the treasure should stay in the ocean because it is like a grave for the people who died when the ship sank.

6. What are people not sure about with many other ships at the bottom of the ocean?
People are not sure who should own the treasures from many other ships at the bottom of the ocean.

7. Do people know yet what will happen with the treasure from the San José ship?
No, people do not know yet what will happen with the treasure from the San José ship.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) called
(2) want
(3) people
(4) decide
(5) think
(6) make
(7) died
(8) sure
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. treasure
Answer: (C) Something very valuable, like gold or jewels

2. sank
Answer: (D) Went down under the water

3. emeralds
Answer: (E) Shiny green stones

4. government
Answer: (B) A group of people who make rules for a country

5. court
Answer: (G) A place where people go to solve problems with rules

6. museum
Answer: (A) A building where you can see old and special things

7. argument
Answer: (I) When people talk loudly because they don’t agree

8. grave
Answer: (H) A place where you put someone who has died

9. ocean
Answer: (J) A big, salty water where fish live

10. decide
Answer: (F) To make a choice about something
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What kind of stones were on the San José ship?
Answer: (c) Emeralds

2. Where did the San José sink?
Answer: (d) Near Colombia

3. Who is trying to decide who should get the treasure?
Answer: (b) A special court

4. What do some people want to do with the treasure?
Answer: (c) Put it in a museum

5. Why do some people think the treasure should stay in the ocean?
Answer: (a) Because it is like a grave

6. What are some people not sure about?
Answer: (d) Who should own other sunken ship treasures

7. Who thinks the treasure should be sold to make money?
Answer: (b) Some people

8. What is the big argument about?
Answer: (a) Who should get the treasure
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Some people think the treasure should stay in the ocean as a grave for the people who died. (Answer: True)
2. Some people want the treasure in a private collection for a select few to see. (Answer: False)
3. Many other ships are also at the top of the ocean with treasures, and it’s unclear who should own them. (Answer: False)
4. The Colombian government, people from Spain, a US company, and native groups all think they should have the treasure. (Answer: True)
5. A small ship sank recently with plastic toys and old newspapers inside. (Answer: False)
6. Others want to sell the treasure to make money. (Answer: True)
7. A special court is deciding who should get the treasure. (Answer: True)
8. Many people want the treasure because it is not worth a lot of money. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧