This contest is called Bird of the Year and a group that cares about nature runs it. More than 350,000 people from all over the world voted. The pลซteketeke wasn't expected to win at first, but it did because it looks different and takes good care of its babies. Some people didn't like that John Oliver, who is from America and Britain, got involved.
Even though some people argued about the contest, it was good for the birds. It made more people know about the birds in New Zealand that need help. Most of these birds are in danger and could disappear. The pลซteketeke winning shows that we need to take care of these special birds.
Original news source: Bird of Century: Pลซteketeke wins NZ poll after campaign by John Oliver (BBC)
๐ Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Students are divided into pairs. One student plays the role of a news reporter, and the other is an expert on New Zealand birds. The reporter interviews the expert about the recent win of the pลซteketeke in the Bird of the Year contest. The expert should explain why the pลซteketeke is special and why it won, and also mention the controversy about John Oliver's involvement. Encourage the use of new vocabulary from the article.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements about the article, such as "The Bird of the Year contest is important for bird conservation" or "Celebrities should not influence voting contests." Students walk around the room and ask their classmates whether they agree or disagree with each statement. After collecting the opinions, discuss the results as a class and encourage students to explain their reasons.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on small pieces of paper (e.g., contest, nature, vote, endangered). Students take turns drawing a word from a hat and then drawing the word on the board without speaking. Their classmates must guess the word. This helps reinforce new vocabulary and involves the whole class in a fun activity.
– Headline Creation
Instructions: Students work in small groups to create a catchy and informative headline for a news article about the pลซteketeke winning the Bird of the Year contest. Encourage creativity and the use of adjectives. Afterward, each group presents their headline to the class, and the class votes on which one they find most engaging.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have students work in small groups to discuss and write down predictions about the future of the Bird of the Year contest and the pลซteketeke. They should consider questions like: Will the pลซteketeke's win increase awareness and help conservation efforts? Will celebrities continue to influence the contest? Afterward, groups can share their predictions with the class and discuss the potential outcomes.
๐ค Comprehension Questions:
The name of the bird is pลซteketeke.
The bird was named the Bird of the Century.
The famous man is John Oliver. He talked about the bird on his TV show and made jokes about it.
The contest is called Bird of the Year.
More than 350,000 people voted.
Some people didn't like it because John Oliver is from America and Britain, not from New Zealand.
The important message is that we need to take care of the special birds in New Zealand because they are in danger and could disappear.
๐งโ๏ธ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
A special bird from New Zealand called the won a big contest. It was the Bird of the Century because many people voted for it. A man from America, John Oliver, helped the bird win by talking about it on his show. He made laugh by calling the bird "weird" and saying it has a funny haircut. This contest is called Bird of the Year and a group that about nature runs it. than 350,000 people from all over the world voted. The pลซteketeke wasn't expected to win at first, but it did because it looks different and takes good care of its babies. Some people didn't that John Oliver, who is from and , got involved. Even though some people argued about the contest, it was good for the birds. It more people know about the birds in New Zealand that need . Most of these birds are in danger and could disappear. The pลซteketeke winning shows that we need to take of these special birds.
๐ฌ Discussion Questions:
1. What is your favorite bird and why do you like it?
2. How would you feel if a bird from your country won a big contest?
3. Do you think it's important to have contests for birds? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever seen a bird with a funny haircut? What did it look like?
5. Do you like when famous people talk about animals? Why or why not?
6. Can you think of a special animal from your country that needs help?
7. Why do you think people from all over the world care about a bird contest in New Zealand?
8. Do you think it's okay for someone from another country to help a bird win a contest? Why or why not?
9. What can we do to help birds that are in danger in our own country?
10. Have you ever voted for something like a contest? What was it like?
11. Do you think a bird can be "weird"? What makes a bird weird to you?
12. If you could tell everyone about one animal that needs help, which animal would you choose and why?
Individual Activities
๐๐ญ 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
๐ก Multiple Choice Questions:
๐ต๏ธ True or False Questions:
๐ Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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