A new vaccine for a sickness spread by mosquitoes got a thumbs-up from the health bosses in the United States. This sickness can make people feel very hot and make their joints hurt. It can be very dangerous, especially for little babies. Now that the vaccine is okay to use, more people around the world can get it.
This sickness, called chikungunya, has made millions of people sick since 2008. There is no special medicine to cure it, and people can feel sick for a long time. It mostly happens in hot places where there are lots of mosquitoes. The health bosses are worried because now it is showing up in new places.
The new vaccine is a big deal because it can help stop people from getting very sick. It is especially good for older people or people who already have health problems. This is an important step in fighting this sickness that is spreading around the world.
Original news source: Chikungunya vaccine: US approves first shot against mosquito-borne virus (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Students will work in pairs to summarize the article in their own words, focusing on the main points: the new vaccine, the sickness it prevents, and its global impact. Each pair will then share their summary with the class, and the class will vote on which summary was the most clear and concise.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary from the article on slips of paper (e.g., vaccine, sickness, mosquitoes, joints, hot, dangerous, health bosses, chikungunya, cure, medicine). Students will take turns picking a slip of paper and drawing the word on the board without speaking. Their team must guess the word within a set time limit. This helps with word recognition and understanding key concepts from the article.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements about the new vaccine and its importance (e.g., “The new vaccine is essential for global health,” “The vaccine should be available to everyone,” “Mosquitoes are the main problem in spreading diseases”). Students will walk around the room and poll their classmates’ opinions on these statements, practicing question formation and expressing agreement or disagreement. They will tally the results and discuss as a class.
– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Choose keywords from the article (e.g., vaccine, mosquitoes, sickness, chikungunya, health bosses) and play a game of hangman with the class, where students guess the letters in the words. This will help students remember the vocabulary and reinforce spelling.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Students will write a short paragraph predicting the future impact of the new vaccine on global health. They can discuss whether they think the vaccine will successfully reduce the spread of the sickness, how it might affect people in different parts of the world, and any other possible outcomes. After writing, they will share their predictions with a partner and discuss the likelihood of these scenarios.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What kind of sickness is the new vaccine for?
2. How does this sickness make people feel?
3. Who said the new vaccine is okay to use?
4. Why is the sickness dangerous for little babies?
5. Since what year has the sickness called chikungunya made people sick?
6. Where does this sickness mostly happen?
7. Who will benefit a lot from the new vaccine?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
A new vaccine for a sickness spread by (1)______ got a thumbs-up from the health bosses in the United States. This sickness can make people (2)______ very hot and make their (3)______ hurt. It can be very dangerous, especially for little babies. Now that the vaccine is okay to use, more (4)______ around the world can get it.
This (5)______, (6)______ chikungunya, has made millions of people sick since 2008. There is no special medicine to cure it, and people can feel (7)______ for a long time. It mostly (8)______ in hot (9)______ where there are lots of mosquitoes. The health bosses are worried because now it is showing up in new places.
The new vaccine is a big deal because it can help (10)______ people from getting very sick. It is especially good for (11)______ people or people who already have health (12)______. This is an important step in fighting this sickness that is spreading around the world.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is a vaccine?
2. Do you like getting shots from the doctor? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if you got a sickness from a mosquito?
4. Do you think vaccines are important? Why?
5. What do you do to keep mosquitoes away?
6. Have you or someone you know ever been very sick? How did it make you feel?
7. Do you think it’s a good idea to take medicine to stop getting sick? Why?
8. Are there many mosquitoes where you live? What do you think about that?
9. How do you feel when you are very hot and your body hurts?
10. Do you think older people should get this new vaccine first? Why or why not?
11. What can we do to help people who are sick and don’t have medicine?
12. Do you think scientists should keep making new vaccines? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. vaccine
2. mosquitoes
3. dangerous
4. chikungunya
5. cure
6. worried
7. older
8. fighting
Meanings:
(a) People who are not young, usually over 60
(b) A sickness spread by mosquitoes
(c) Something that can make you better when you are sick
(d) Something that can hurt you or cause harm
(e) Feeling uneasy or concerned about something
(f) A special shot to keep you from getting sick
(g) Taking action to try to overcome something
(h) Bugs that can bite and make you sick
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Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What is the sickness spread by mosquitoes that the new vaccine is for?
(a) Malaria
(b) Dengue fever
(c) Zika virus
(d) Chikungunya
2. Why is the new vaccine important?
(a) It can cure the sickness completely
(b) It can only be used by little babies
(c) It can help stop people from getting very sick
(d) It is not effective against the sickness
3. Since when has chikungunya made millions of people sick?
(a) 2010
(b) 2015
(c) 2008
(d) 2020
4. What is one of the symptoms of chikungunya?
(a) Making people feel very hot and making their joints hurt
(b) Causing a runny nose and cough
(c) Giving people a rash all over their body
(d) Making people feel very cold and sleepy
5. Where does chikungunya mostly happen?
(a) Cold places with lots of snow
(b) Hot places with lots of mosquitoes
(c) Dry places with no water
(d) High places with mountains
6. Who is the new vaccine especially good for?
(a) Teenagers who are very active
(b) Babies who are just born
(c) Athletes who are in good shape
(d) Older people or people who already have health problems
7. Why are health bosses worried about chikungunya?
(a) It is showing up in new places
(b) It is easy to cure
(c) It only affects a small number of people
(d) It only affects healthy young adults
8. What is the new vaccine a big deal?
(a) It is very expensive
(b) It is an important step in fighting the sickness
(c) It is only for people in the United States
(d) It is not effective against the sickness
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. Chikungunya has made millions of people sick since 2008 and there is no special medicine to cure it.
2. The new vaccine is not important because it cannot help stop people from getting very sick, especially older people or those with health problems.
3. The sickness, called chikungunya, can make people feel very hot and cause joint pain.
4. The sickness mostly happens in hot places with lots of mosquitoes.
5. Health bosses are not worried because chikungunya is showing up in new places.
6. A new vaccine for a sickness spread by mosquitoes has not been approved in the United States.
7. The vaccine approval means more people around the world can get it.
8. The sickness is not very dangerous, especially for little babies.
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. What is the new vaccine for?
2. Who said the vaccine is okay to use?
3. Why is the sickness dangerous for little babies?
4. Where does the sickness mostly happen?
5. Who can the new vaccine help the most?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What kind of sickness is the new vaccine for?
The new vaccine is for a sickness spread by mosquitoes called chikungunya.
2. How does this sickness make people feel?
This sickness can make people feel very hot and make their joints hurt.
3. Who said the new vaccine is okay to use?
The health bosses in the United States said the new vaccine is okay to use.
4. Why is the sickness dangerous for little babies?
The article doesn’t say exactly why, but it suggests that the sickness can be very dangerous for little babies.
5. Since what year has the sickness called chikungunya made people sick?
The sickness called chikungunya has made people sick since 2008.
6. Where does this sickness mostly happen?
This sickness mostly happens in hot places where there are lots of mosquitoes.
7. Who will benefit a lot from the new vaccine?
Older people or people who already have health problems will benefit a lot from the new vaccine.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) mosquitoes
(2) feel
(3) joints
(4) people
(5) sickness
(6) called
(7) sick
(8) happens
(9) places
(10) stop
(11) older
(12) problems
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. vaccine
Answer: (f) A special shot to keep you from getting sick
2. mosquitoes
Answer: (h) Bugs that can bite and make you sick
3. dangerous
Answer: (d) Something that can hurt you or cause harm
4. chikungunya
Answer: (b) A sickness spread by mosquitoes
5. cure
Answer: (c) Something that can make you better when you are sick
6. worried
Answer: (e) Feeling uneasy or concerned about something
7. older
Answer: (a) People who are not young, usually over 60
8. fighting
Answer: (g) Taking action to try to overcome something
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What is the sickness spread by mosquitoes that the new vaccine is for?
Answer: (d) Chikungunya
2. Why is the new vaccine important?
Answer: (c) It can help stop people from getting very sick
3. Since when has chikungunya made millions of people sick?
Answer: (c) 2008
4. What is one of the symptoms of chikungunya?
Answer: (a) Making people feel very hot and making their joints hurt
5. Where does chikungunya mostly happen?
Answer: (b) Hot places with lots of mosquitoes
6. Who is the new vaccine especially good for?
Answer: (d) Older people or people who already have health problems
7. Why are health bosses worried about chikungunya?
Answer: (a) It is showing up in new places
8. What is the new vaccine a big deal?
Answer: (b) It is an important step in fighting the sickness
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. Chikungunya has made millions of people sick since 2008 and there is no special medicine to cure it. (Answer: True)
2. The new vaccine is not important because it cannot help stop people from getting very sick, especially older people or those with health problems. (Answer: False)
3. The sickness, called chikungunya, can make people feel very hot and cause joint pain. (Answer: True)
4. The sickness mostly happens in hot places with lots of mosquitoes. (Answer: True)
5. Health bosses are not worried because chikungunya is showing up in new places. (Answer: False)
6. A new vaccine for a sickness spread by mosquitoes has not been approved in the United States. (Answer: False)
7. The vaccine approval means more people around the world can get it. (Answer: True)
8. The sickness is not very dangerous, especially for little babies. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧
