A 14-year-old girl from Australia did something very brave. Her school bus started to move by itself when the bus driver and a teacher were not on it. The bus was going towards a place where cars get gas. But the girl, named Isabelle Miller, took the wheel and stopped the bus from hitting anything.

People are talking about the video of what Isabelle did. She was very brave and knew what to do when there was danger. If the bus had hit the gas station, it could have been a big disaster. Everyone is saying Isabelle is a hero for saving the day.

This story shows us that it’s important to be careful and know what to do on a bus. Big vehicles like buses can be dangerous. The video teaches us a lesson about being brave like Isabelle when something scary happens.

Original news source: Watch: Teen steers runaway bus away from petrol pumps (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article. Then, ask each group to summarize the article in their own words, focusing on the main points. Afterward, have each group share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write a question on the board related to the article, such as “Do you think Isabelle Miller is a hero?” Have the students stand up and move to different areas of the room to indicate their opinion. One side of the room can represent “Yes,” while the other side represents “No.” Give the students a few minutes to discuss their opinions with others who have the same stance. Then, ask a few students from each side to share their reasons for their opinion.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Choose 5-10 vocabulary words from the article, such as “brave,” “disaster,” or “danger.” Write each word on a separate piece of paper or index card. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team comes to the front of the class and picks a word without showing it to their teammates. They then have one minute to draw a picture that represents the word while their team guesses what it is. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Repeat with different students and words until all the vocabulary words have been used.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask the students to think quietly for a minute about a time when they felt brave or had to face a scary situation. Then, ask them to pair up with a partner and share their stories. Afterward, select a few pairs to share their stories with the whole class.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask the students to imagine what might happen after the events in the article. Will Isabelle receive any recognition for her bravery? Will the school take any safety measures to prevent a similar incident? Have the students write down their predictions individually, then pair up and share their ideas. Finally, discuss the predictions as a class and encourage the students to explain their reasoning.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What did Isabelle do when the school bus started to move by itself?
2. Where was the bus going if Isabelle didn’t stop it?
3. Why are people calling Isabelle a hero?
4. What can we learn from this story about buses?
5. Why are big vehicles like buses dangerous?
6. What does the video teach us about being brave?
7. Why is it important to know what to do on a bus?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A 14-year-old girl from (1)______ did something very (2)______. Her school bus started to move by itself when the bus driver and a (3)______ were not on it. The bus was going towards a place where cars get gas. But the girl, named (4)______ (5)______, took the wheel and stopped the bus from hitting anything.

People are (6)______ about the video of what Isabelle did. She was very brave and knew what to do when there was danger. If the bus had hit the gas station, it could have been a big (7)______. Everyone is (8)______ Isabelle is a hero for (9)______ the day.

This story shows us that it’s important to be (10)______ and (11)______ what to do on a bus. Big vehicles like buses can be dangerous. The video teaches us a lesson about being brave like Isabelle when something scary (12)______.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What did Isabelle do when the school bus started moving by itself?
2. How do you think Isabelle felt when she had to take the wheel of the bus?
3. What do you think would have happened if Isabelle hadn’t stopped the bus?
4. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to be brave? Can you tell us about it?
5. What can we learn from Isabelle’s story about being careful on a bus?
6. Do you think Isabelle is a hero? Why or why not?
7. What would you do if you were in Isabelle’s situation?
8. Have you ever seen a video of something brave or amazing? Can you describe it?
9. Why do you think people are talking about Isabelle’s video?
10. How would you feel if you were on the bus when it started moving by itself?
11. Do you like riding on buses? Why or why not?
12. Do you think it’s important to know what to do in dangerous situations? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. brave
2. bus
3. danger
4. gas station
5. disaster
6. hero
7. lesson
8. scary

Meanings:
(a) Someone who does something very brave and helps others
(b) Something that teaches you something important
(c) A place where cars go to get fuel
(d) Something that can hurt you or cause harm
(e) Something very bad that happens
(f) Not afraid to do something difficult or dangerous
(g) A large vehicle that carries many people
(h) Something that makes you feel afraid or frightened
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who took control of the moving school bus?
(a) The bus driver
(b) Isabelle Miller
(c) A teacher
(d) A student

2. Where was the bus heading towards?
(a) The school
(b) A park
(c) A restaurant
(d) A gas station

3. Why is Isabelle being called a hero?
(a) She drove the bus to safety
(b) She called for help
(c) She stopped the bus from hitting anything
(d) She jumped off the bus

4. What could have happened if the bus hit the gas station?
(a) A big disaster
(b) The bus would explode
(c) Isabelle would get hurt
(d) The bus would be damaged

5. What lesson does the video teach us?
(a) To always ride the school bus
(b) To avoid big vehicles like buses
(c) To be brave in scary situations
(d) To stay away from gas stations

6. Why is it important to be careful on a bus?
(a) Big vehicles like buses can be dangerous
(b) Buses are always crowded
(c) Buses are slow and boring
(d) Buses are expensive to ride

7. What did Isabelle do when the bus started moving?
(a) Called the bus driver for help
(b) Jumped off the bus
(c) Closed her eyes and screamed
(d) Took the wheel and stopped the bus

8. Who is talking about the video of Isabelle’s brave act?
(a) Isabelle’s friends
(b) People
(c) The bus driver
(d) Isabelle’s family

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. If the bus had hit the gas station, it could have been a minor inconvenience.
2. People are not talking about a video that shows what Isabelle did.
3. A 14-year-old girl from Australia stopped a school bus from crashing into a gas station.
4. Isabelle Miller is the name of the timid girl who took control of the bus.
5. Isabelle knew exactly what to do when the bus was in danger.
6. Isabelle is being called a villain for ruining the day.
7. This story teaches us the importance of being careful and brave when something scary happens on a bus.
8. The bus driver and a teacher were not on the bus when it started moving by itself.
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 stopped the school bus from hitting the gas station?
2. Why are people calling Isabelle a hero?
3. What can we learn from Isabelle’s actions?
4. Why are big vehicles like buses dangerous?
5. What does the video teach us about being brave?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did Isabelle do when the school bus started to move by itself?
Isabelle took the wheel and stopped the bus from hitting anything.

2. Where was the bus going if Isabelle didn’t stop it?
The bus was going towards a place where cars get gas.

3. Why are people calling Isabelle a hero?
People are calling Isabelle a hero because she saved the day by stopping the bus from hitting anything.

4. What can we learn from this story about buses?
We can learn that it’s important to be careful and know what to do on a bus.

5. Why are big vehicles like buses dangerous?
Big vehicles like buses are dangerous because they can cause a lot of damage if they hit something or if something goes wrong.

6. What does the video teach us about being brave?
The video teaches us that being brave means knowing what to do when something scary happens and taking action to keep everyone safe.

7. Why is it important to know what to do on a bus?
It is important to know what to do on a bus because buses are big and can be dangerous, so knowing how to handle different situations can help keep everyone safe.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Australia
(2) brave
(3) teacher
(4) Isabelle
(5) Miller
(6) talking
(7) disaster
(8) saying
(9) saving
(10) careful
(11) know
(12) happens
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. brave
Answer: (f) Not afraid to do something difficult or dangerous

2. bus
Answer: (g) A large vehicle that carries many people

3. danger
Answer: (d) Something that can hurt you or cause harm

4. gas station
Answer: (c) A place where cars go to get fuel

5. disaster
Answer: (e) Something very bad that happens

6. hero
Answer: (a) Someone who does something very brave and helps others

7. lesson
Answer: (b) Something that teaches you something important

8. scary
Answer: (h) Something that makes you feel afraid or frightened
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who took control of the moving school bus?
Answer: (b) Isabelle Miller

2. Where was the bus heading towards?
Answer: (d) A gas station

3. Why is Isabelle being called a hero?
Answer: (c) She stopped the bus from hitting anything

4. What could have happened if the bus hit the gas station?
Answer: (a) A big disaster

5. What lesson does the video teach us?
Answer: (c) To be brave in scary situations

6. Why is it important to be careful on a bus?
Answer: (a) Big vehicles like buses can be dangerous

7. What did Isabelle do when the bus started moving?
Answer: (d) Took the wheel and stopped the bus

8. Who is talking about the video of Isabelle’s brave act?
Answer: (b) People
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. If the bus had hit the gas station, it could have been a minor inconvenience. (Answer: False)
2. People are not talking about a video that shows what Isabelle did. (Answer: False)
3. A 14-year-old girl from Australia stopped a school bus from crashing into a gas station. (Answer: True)
4. Isabelle Miller is the name of the timid girl who took control of the bus. (Answer: False)
5. Isabelle knew exactly what to do when the bus was in danger. (Answer: True)
6. Isabelle is being called a villain for ruining the day. (Answer: False)
7. This story teaches us the importance of being careful and brave when something scary happens on a bus. (Answer: True)
8. The bus driver and a teacher were not on the bus when it started moving by itself. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧