In Uganda, there are big monkeys called mountain gorillas that are in trouble because the weather is getting warmer. This is bad for where they live and can make them sick. A woman named Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, who is a vet for wild animals, is trying to help them. She has helped the gorillas grow from 300 to about 500, so they are not as close to disappearing forever.

Gladys started a group that helps both people and wild animals stay healthy together. She has been working for 30 years to keep the mountain gorillas safe and help more of them be born. But now, because the weather is changing, it’s harder to keep the gorillas safe. People need to find good ways to protect these big monkeys and the places they live.

Gladys’s story and the stories of other women who help animals with the weather changes are very encouraging. They show us that people and groups can do a lot to look after our world’s animals and plants. If we tell more people about these problems and do things to help, we can save animals like the mountain gorillas in Uganda.

Original news source: Climate change: Saving Uganda’s mountain gorillas (BBC)

Listen

Slow

Normal

Fast

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– NEWS SUMMARY
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Provide each group with copies of the article. Instruct the groups to read the article and then summarize the main points in their own words. After they have finished, have each group share their summaries with the class.

– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a few minutes to discuss their opinions on the following question: “Do you think it is important to protect endangered animals like the mountain gorillas in Uganda? Why or why not?” After they have discussed, ask each pair to share their opinions with the class. Encourage them to use reasons and examples to support their opinions.

– VOCABULARY PICTIONARY
Instructions: Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board (e.g. mountain gorillas, vet, disappearing, weather changes, etc.). Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a few minutes to choose one word from the list and draw a picture to represent that word. Once they have finished, have each group take turns presenting their drawings to the class. The rest of the class must guess which word the drawing represents.

– KEYWORD HANGMAN
Instructions: Choose a few key words from the article and write spaces for each letter on the board. Divide the class into two teams. Choose a student from the first team to come to the front of the class. Give them a category (e.g. animals) and then give them a clue for one of the words from the article in that category. The student must guess the word by guessing letters. If they guess a correct letter, write it in the appropriate space. If they guess a wrong letter, start drawing a hangman. If they guess the word correctly before the hangman is complete, their team gets a point. If the hangman is complete before they guess the word, the other team gets a point. Repeat with a student from the second team and continue until all the words have been guessed.

– THINK-PAIR-SHARE
Instructions: Pose the following question to the class: “What are some ways that people can help protect endangered animals and their habitats?” Give the students a few minutes to think individually about their ideas. Then, pair them up with a partner and give them a few more minutes to discuss their ideas. Finally, have each pair share their ideas with the class. Encourage them to listen to and learn from each other’s ideas.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What kind of monkeys are in trouble in Uganda?
2. Why is the weather getting warmer bad for the mountain gorillas?
3. Who is Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka and what does she do?
4. How many gorillas has Gladys helped grow?
5. What kind of group did Gladys start?
6. Why is it harder to keep the gorillas safe now?
7. What can people do to help save animals like the mountain gorillas in Uganda?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In Uganda, there are big (1)______ called mountain gorillas that are in trouble because the (2)______ is getting warmer. This is bad for where they live and can make them sick. A woman (3)______ Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, who is a vet for wild animals, is trying to help them. She has helped the gorillas grow from 300 to about 500, so they are not as close to disappearing forever.

Gladys started a group that helps both people and wild (4)______ stay (5)______ together. She has been (6)______ for 30 years to keep the mountain gorillas safe and help more of them be born. But now, because the weather is changing, it’s harder to keep the gorillas safe. People need to (7)______ good ways to protect these big monkeys and the (8)______ they live.

Gladys’s story and the (9)______ of other women who help animals with the weather changes are very (10)______. They show us that people and (11)______ can do a lot to (12)______ after our world’s animals and plants. If we tell more people about these problems and do things to help, we can save animals like the mountain gorillas in Uganda.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a mountain gorilla?
2. How do you think the weather getting warmer can make the gorillas sick?
3. Do you think it’s important to protect animals like the mountain gorillas? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if you saw a mountain gorilla in real life?
5. Do you like animals? Why or why not?
6. What do you think would happen if the mountain gorillas disappeared forever?
7. Have you ever seen a wild animal up close? How did it make you feel?
8. What do you think are some good ways to protect animals and the places they live?
9. Do you think it’s important for people to work together to help animals? Why or why not?
10. Have you ever heard of any other animals that are in danger? Which ones?
11. How would you feel if you were a vet for wild animals like Gladys?
12. What can you do to help protect animals and the environment?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Uganda
2. monkeys
3. weather
4. warmer
5. sick
6. vet
7. disappearing
8. protect

Meanings:
(a) Not feeling well
(b) A doctor for animals
(c) The condition of the air outside
(d) Not as cold as before
(e) Keep safe from harm
(f) A country in Africa
(g) Animals that are similar to humans
(h) Going away forever
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What kind of animals are in trouble in Uganda?
(a) Lions
(b) Mountain gorillas
(c) Elephants
(d) Zebras

2. Why are the mountain gorillas in trouble?
(a) They are getting sick
(b) They are too big
(c) They are disappearing forever
(d) The weather is getting warmer

3. Who is trying to help the mountain gorillas?
(a) A vet for domestic animals
(b) A group of hunters
(c) Nobody
(d) Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka

4. How many mountain gorillas are there now?
(a) About 300
(b) About 1000
(c) About 500
(d) About 200

5. What does Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka do for a living?
(a) She is a teacher
(b) She is a farmer
(c) She is a vet for wild animals
(d) She is a scientist

6. How long has Gladys been working to keep the mountain gorillas safe?
(a) 30 years
(b) 10 years
(c) 5 years
(d) 50 years

7. Why is it harder to keep the gorillas safe now?
(a) The weather is changing
(b) The gorillas are getting bigger
(c) Gladys is not doing her job
(d) The gorillas are moving to a different place

8. What can people do to help protect the mountain gorillas?
(a) Ignore the problem
(b) Find good ways to protect them and their homes
(c) Hunt the gorillas
(d) Tell more people about the problem

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. It is becoming harder to keep the gorillas safe because of the changing weather.
2. By ignoring the issue and not taking any action, we can save animals like the mountain gorillas in Uganda.
3. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is a vet for wild animals.
4. Gladys has been working for 30 years to endanger the mountain gorillas.
5. There are small monkeys in Uganda called mountain gorillas.
6. The weather getting cooleer is causing trouble for the mountain gorillas.
7. Gladys started a group that helps both people and wild animals stay healthy together.
8. Gladys has helped the gorillas grow in number from 300 to about 500.
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 is Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka and what does she do?
2. Why are the mountain gorillas in trouble?
3. How many mountain gorillas are there now compared to before?
4. What kind of group did Gladys start?
5. What can people do to help protect the mountain gorillas and their homes?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What kind of monkeys are in trouble in Uganda?
Mountain gorillas are in trouble in Uganda.

2. Why is the weather getting warmer bad for the mountain gorillas?
The warmer weather can make the gorillas sick and it’s not good for where they live.

3. Who is Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka and what does she do?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is a vet for wild animals. She helps take care of the mountain gorillas.

4. How many gorillas has Gladys helped grow?
Gladys has helped the gorillas grow from 300 to about 500.

5. What kind of group did Gladys start?
Gladys started a group that helps both people and wild animals stay healthy together.

6. Why is it harder to keep the gorillas safe now?
It’s harder to keep the gorillas safe because the weather is changing and getting warmer.

7. What can people do to help save animals like the mountain gorillas in Uganda?
People can help by learning about the problems and doing things to protect the gorillas and their homes.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) monkeys
(2) weather
(3) named
(4) animals
(5) healthy
(6) working
(7) find
(8) places
(9) stories
(10) encouraging
(11) groups
(12) look
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Uganda
Answer: (f) A country in Africa

2. monkeys
Answer: (g) Animals that are similar to humans

3. weather
Answer: (c) The condition of the air outside

4. warmer
Answer: (d) Not as cold as before

5. sick
Answer: (a) Not feeling well

6. vet
Answer: (b) A doctor for animals

7. disappearing
Answer: (h) Going away forever

8. protect
Answer: (e) Keep safe from harm
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What kind of animals are in trouble in Uganda?
Answer: (b) Mountain gorillas

2. Why are the mountain gorillas in trouble?
Answer: (d) The weather is getting warmer

3. Who is trying to help the mountain gorillas?
Answer: (d) Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka

4. How many mountain gorillas are there now?
Answer: (c) About 500

5. What does Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka do for a living?
Answer: (c) She is a vet for wild animals

6. How long has Gladys been working to keep the mountain gorillas safe?
Answer: (a) 30 years

7. Why is it harder to keep the gorillas safe now?
Answer: (a) The weather is changing

8. What can people do to help protect the mountain gorillas?
Answer: (b) Find good ways to protect them and their homes
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. It is becoming harder to keep the gorillas safe because of the changing weather. (Answer: True)
2. By ignoring the issue and not taking any action, we can save animals like the mountain gorillas in Uganda. (Answer: False)
3. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is a vet for wild animals. (Answer: True)
4. Gladys has been working for 30 years to endanger the mountain gorillas. (Answer: False)
5. There are small monkeys in Uganda called mountain gorillas. (Answer: False)
6. The weather getting cooleer is causing trouble for the mountain gorillas. (Answer: False)
7. Gladys started a group that helps both people and wild animals stay healthy together. (Answer: True)
8. Gladys has helped the gorillas grow in number from 300 to about 500. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧