Scientists have done something amazing: they have made a rhino baby start growing in another rhino’s belly using science. This was done in a lab and it’s the first time it has ever happened. They did this to help save a very special kind of rhino, called the northern white rhino, from disappearing forever. Soon, they will try to do the same thing with a baby northern white rhino.

A long time ago, there were many northern white rhinos living in Africa, but bad people killed them for their horns. Now, there are only two girl rhinos left, and they can’t have babies. So, the scientists are using special science tricks to try to make more rhinos. They have to do many hard things, like getting eggs from big rhinos and making baby rhinos in a lab.

The scientists are happy because their plan worked with a rhino that is like the northern white rhino. They want to do the same thing with the real northern white rhino babies they made in the lab. They have 30 frozen baby rhinos waiting. But because the last two girl rhinos can’t have babies, they will put the baby rhinos in a different kind of rhino’s belly. They hope to do this soon and have a baby rhino born while the last northern white rhinos are still alive.

Original news source: World’s first IVF rhino pregnancy ‘could save species’ (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a list of words related to the article (e.g. rhino, baby, lab, scientists). One student from each group will act out the word without speaking, while the others in the group guess what word it is. The group that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner in their own words. After each summary, the partner can ask questions for clarification. Then, they switch roles. Encourage students to use the vocabulary from the article in their summaries.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “rhino” on the board. Ask students to quickly think of as many words as they can that are related to rhinos. Give them 1-2 minutes to brainstorm individually, then have them share their words with a partner. Afterward, ask some students to share their words with the whole class. Encourage students to think creatively and use vocabulary from the article.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Prepare a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. lab, disappearing, horns). Divide the class into small groups. One student from each group will pick a word from the list and draw a picture of it on the board, while the others in the group guess what word it is. The group that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Ask each group to discuss the pros and cons of using science to help save endangered species like the northern white rhino. After the discussion, ask each group to share their thoughts with the whole class. Encourage students to express their opinions and support their arguments with reasons.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did scientists do to help save the northern white rhino?
2. Why are there only two girl rhinos left?
3. How did the scientists make baby rhinos in the lab?
4. Why are the scientists happy?
5. How many frozen baby rhinos are waiting?
6. What will the scientists do with the baby rhinos?
7. What do the scientists hope will happen with the baby rhinos?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Scientists have (1)______ something amazing: they have made a rhino baby start growing in another rhino’s belly using science. This was done in a lab and it’s the first time it has ever happened. They did this to help save a very special kind of rhino, (2)______ the (3)______ white rhino, from disappearing forever. Soon, they will try to do the same thing with a baby northern (4)______ rhino.

A long time ago, there were many northern white (5)______ (6)______ in Africa, but bad people killed them for their horns. Now, there are only two girl rhinos left, and they can’t have babies. So, the scientists are using special science tricks to try to make more rhinos. They (7)______ to do many hard things, like getting eggs from big rhinos and making baby rhinos in a lab.

The scientists are happy because their (8)______ worked with a rhino that is like the northern white rhino. They want to do the same thing with the (9)______ northern white rhino babies they made in the lab. They have 30 frozen baby rhinos waiting. But because the (10)______ two (11)______ rhinos can’t have babies, they will put the baby rhinos in a different (12)______ of rhino’s belly. They hope to do this soon and have a baby rhino born while the last northern white rhinos are still alive.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a rhino baby?
2. How would you feel if you saw a real rhino in person?
3. Do you like animals? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about scientists using science to help save the northern white rhino?
5. How do you think the scientists feel now that their plan worked with a rhino?
6. What do you think about people killing rhinos for their horns?
7. Do you think it’s important to protect endangered animals? Why or why not?
8. How do you think the last two girl rhinos feel knowing they can’t have babies?
9. What would you do if you saw a baby rhino being born?
10. Do you think it’s a good idea to put the baby rhinos in a different kind of rhino’s belly? Why or why not?
11. How do you think the scientists feel about having 30 frozen baby rhinos waiting?
12. Why do you think the scientists want to have a baby rhino born while the last northern white rhinos are still alive?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. amazing
2. scientists
3. lab
4. disappearing
5. horns
6. tricks
7. eggs
8. frozen
9. belly
10. alive
11. different
12. born

Meanings:
(A) Not dead, still having life
(B) A special room where you do science experiments
(C) People who study things and try to learn new facts about the world
(D) Not the same, not like the others
(E) The hard, pointy parts on the head of some animals
(F) Coming into the world, like when a baby is first seen
(G) The stomach area of a person or animal
(H) The round things that can turn into baby animals
(I) Very, very cold, like ice
(J) Something that is so surprising and wonderful, it’s hard to believe
(K) Clever ways to do something that might seem like magic
(L) Going away forever, not being seen anymore
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did scientists do to help save the northern white rhino?
(a) Killed the bad people who were hunting the rhinos
(b) Released the two girl rhinos into the wild
(c) Made a rhino baby start growing in another rhino’s belly using science
(d) Put the baby rhinos in a zoo

2. Why did the scientists do this in a lab?
(a) Because it’s easier to make baby rhinos in a lab
(b) Because the lab is the only place where rhinos can have babies
(c) Because it’s the first time it has ever happened
(d) Because the lab is the only safe place for the rhinos

3. Why did the scientists have to do many hard things?
(a) To find the last two girl rhinos in Africa
(b) To teach the rhinos how to have babies
(c) To find a new home for the baby rhinos
(d) To get eggs from big rhinos and make baby rhinos

4. How many frozen baby rhinos are waiting to be born?
(a) 2
(b) 30
(c) 100
(d) 10

5. What will the scientists do with the baby rhinos?
(a) Release them into the wild
(b) Sell them to a zoo
(c) Keep them in the lab forever
(d) Put them in a different kind of rhino’s belly

6. When do the scientists hope to have a baby rhino born?
(a) While the last northern white rhinos are still alive
(b) After the last northern white rhinos die
(c) In a few years
(d) They are not sure yet

7. Why did bad people kill the northern white rhinos?
(a) Because they didn’t like rhinos
(b) For their horns
(c) Because they wanted to help save the rhinos
(d) For their meat

8. How many girl rhinos are left?
(a) 2
(b) 30
(c) 10
(d) 100

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The scientists hope to have a baby rhino born while the last northern white rhinos are still alive.
2. Currently, there are many female northern white rhinos left, and they can have babies.
3. In the past, few northern white rhinos lived in Africa, but they were killed by good people for their horns.
4. The purpose of this experiment is to save a special kind of rhino called the northern white rhino.
5. The scientists have not yet succeeded in making a rhino similar to the northern white rhino grow in another rhino.
6. The scientists are using ordinary science techniques to try and create fewer rhinos in a lab.
7. Scientists have successfully made a baby rhino grow inside another rhino using science.
8. They have 30 frozen baby rhinos waiting to be implanted into a different kind of rhino’s belly.
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 did scientists do to help save the northern white rhino?
2. Why are there only two girl rhinos left?
3. What did the scientists do in the lab?
4. How many baby rhinos are waiting to be born?
5. Why do the scientists want to have a baby rhino born while the last northern white rhinos are still alive?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did scientists do to help save the northern white rhino?
The scientists made a rhino baby start growing in another rhino’s belly using science.

2. Why are there only two girl rhinos left?
There are only two girl rhinos left because bad people killed the other ones for their horns.

3. How did the scientists make baby rhinos in the lab?
The scientists got eggs from big rhinos and used special science tricks to make baby rhinos in the lab.

4. Why are the scientists happy?
The scientists are happy because their plan worked with a rhino that is like the northern white rhino.

5. How many frozen baby rhinos are waiting?
There are 30 frozen baby rhinos waiting.

6. What will the scientists do with the baby rhinos?
The scientists will put the baby rhinos in a different kind of rhino’s belly.

7. What do the scientists hope will happen with the baby rhinos?
The scientists hope that a baby rhino will be born while the last northern white rhinos are still alive.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) done
(2) called
(3) northern
(4) white
(5) rhinos
(6) living
(7) have
(8) plan
(9) real
(10) last
(11) girl
(12) kind
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. amazing
Answer: (J) Something that is so surprising and wonderful, it’s hard to believe

2. scientists
Answer: (C) People who study things and try to learn new facts about the world

3. lab
Answer: (B) A special room where you do science experiments

4. disappearing
Answer: (L) Going away forever, not being seen anymore

5. horns
Answer: (E) The hard, pointy parts on the head of some animals

6. tricks
Answer: (K) Clever ways to do something that might seem like magic

7. eggs
Answer: (H) The round things that can turn into baby animals

8. frozen
Answer: (I) Very, very cold, like ice

9. belly
Answer: (G) The stomach area of a person or animal

10. alive
Answer: (A) Not dead, still having life

11. different
Answer: (D) Not the same, not like the others

12. born
Answer: (F) Coming into the world, like when a baby is first seen
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did scientists do to help save the northern white rhino?
Answer: (c) Made a rhino baby start growing in another rhino’s belly using science

2. Why did the scientists do this in a lab?
Answer: (c) Because it’s the first time it has ever happened

3. Why did the scientists have to do many hard things?
Answer: (d) To get eggs from big rhinos and make baby rhinos

4. How many frozen baby rhinos are waiting to be born?
Answer: (b) 30

5. What will the scientists do with the baby rhinos?
Answer: (d) Put them in a different kind of rhino’s belly

6. When do the scientists hope to have a baby rhino born?
Answer: (a) While the last northern white rhinos are still alive

7. Why did bad people kill the northern white rhinos?
Answer: (b) For their horns

8. How many girl rhinos are left?
Answer: (a) 2
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The scientists hope to have a baby rhino born while the last northern white rhinos are still alive. (Answer: True)
2. Currently, there are many female northern white rhinos left, and they can have babies. (Answer: False)
3. In the past, few northern white rhinos lived in Africa, but they were killed by good people for their horns. (Answer: False)
4. The purpose of this experiment is to save a special kind of rhino called the northern white rhino. (Answer: True)
5. The scientists have not yet succeeded in making a rhino similar to the northern white rhino grow in another rhino. (Answer: False)
6. The scientists are using ordinary science techniques to try and create fewer rhinos in a lab. (Answer: False)
7. Scientists have successfully made a baby rhino grow inside another rhino using science. (Answer: True)
8. They have 30 frozen baby rhinos waiting to be implanted into a different kind of rhino’s belly. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧