Big water floods have hit Kinshasa, a big city in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Congo River is higher than it has been in 60 years, and water is everywhere, even inside people's houses. People are using boats instead of cars on the streets because they are full of water. Many people have died because of the water, and places like schools and hospitals have been destroyed.
Kinshasa has lots of little rivers that are very dirty and make the floods worse. The Congo River is almost as high as it was a long time ago in 1961. In another city called Kisangani, lots of houses are under water. The floods are also causing problems in a nearby country, hurting lots of people and making it hard for them to stay healthy.
The weather is changing and making it rain a lot, which causes the floods. When the air gets warmer, it can hold more water and then it rains really hard. Kinshasa had bad floods before, just last year, and many people died then too.
Original news source: DR Congo floods: Chaos in Kinshasa as river rises to near-record level (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Have students read the article and write a summary of the main points in their own words. They should focus on the cause and effects of the floods, as well as the impact on the people and infrastructure in Kinshasa.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a list of vocabulary words from the article (such as floods, destroyed, under water, etc.). One student from each group will choose a word and draw a quick picture to represent it, while the other students try to guess the word. The group with the most correct guesses wins.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Ask students to think about the article and form an opinion on whether or not they think the government should do more to prevent the floods in Kinshasa. Have them write down their opinion and then divide the class into groups to discuss their views. Each group should appoint a spokesperson to present their group's opinion to the class.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. One team will be assigned the task of listing the pros (positive aspects) of the floods in Kinshasa, while the other team lists the cons (negative aspects). Give them a few minutes to brainstorm and then have a class discussion where each team presents their list. Encourage students to think critically and consider different perspectives.
– Headline Creation
Instructions: Ask students to imagine they are journalists reporting on the floods in Kinshasa. In small groups or individually, have them create a catchy headline for a news article about the floods. They should try to capture the attention of readers and summarize the main points of the article. Afterward, have students share their headlines and discuss why they chose them.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
There have been big water floods in Kinshasa recently.
People are using boats instead of cars on the streets because the streets are full of water.
Schools and hospitals have been destroyed because of the floods.
The floods are worse in Kinshasa because there are lots of little dirty rivers that make the floods worse.
In Kisangani, lots of houses are under water because of the floods.
The floods are causing problems in a nearby country because they are hurting lots of people and making it hard for them to stay healthy.
It is raining a lot in Kinshasa because the weather is changing and when the air gets warmer, it can hold more water and then it rains really hard.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Big water have hit Kinshasa, a big city in the Republic of Congo. The Congo River is higher than it has been in 60 , and water is everywhere, even inside people's houses. People are using boats instead of cars on the streets because they are full of . Many people have died because of the water, and places like and hospitals have been destroyed. Kinshasa has lots of little rivers that are very dirty and make the floods . The Congo River is almost as as it was a long time ago in 1961. In another city called Kisangani, lots of houses are under water. The floods are also causing problems in a country, hurting lots of people and it hard for them to stay healthy. The weather is and making it a lot, which causes the floods. When the air warmer, it can hold more water and then it rains really hard. Kinshasa had bad floods before, just last year, and many people died then too.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is a flood?
2. How would you feel if your house was filled with water?
3. Do you like rainy weather? Why or why not?
4. Do you think the floods in Kinshasa are a big problem? Why or why not?
5. What do you think can be done to help the people affected by the floods?
6. How do you think the floods have affected the daily lives of the people in Kinshasa?
7. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster? If yes, how did it make you feel?
8. Do you think the government should do more to prevent floods in Kinshasa? Why or why not?
9. How do you think the floods have impacted the economy of Kinshasa?
10. What can individuals do to prepare for a flood?
11. How do you think the floods have affected the education of students in Kinshasa?
12. Do you think climate change is causing more frequent and severe floods? Why or why not?
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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