Carlos Vasquez is a special video game player who plays games without seeing. He is blind and listens to the sounds in the game to know what to do. Carlos started playing games when he was little, but he lost his sight when he was 11. He plays a fighting game called Mortal Kombat because he can hear the different sounds very well.
Now, some new video games are made so that people who can't see can still play. There is a racing game that talks to the player to help them drive the car. In Mortal Kombat, they added new sounds to help players know where they are and what the other player is doing. These special sounds help players who can't see understand where things are in the game.
A long time ago, it was hard to make games for players who can't see, and big companies didn't do it much. But some people who make games for fun started to add special things to help blind players. One person made a popular game easier to play for blind people by adding sounds that give information. Carlos now helps make games better for people with disabilities and says that game companies should talk to disabled players to make sure their games can be played by everyone.
Original news source: The pro gamer who has to rely upon sound alone (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a word or phrase related to the article (e.g. "video game," "blind player," "special sounds"). One student from each group will act out the word or phrase without speaking, while the rest of the group tries to guess what it is.
– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, have students take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner. Encourage them to use their own words and keep their summaries concise.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article (e.g. "Video games should be made accessible for all players," "Blind people can't enjoy video games"). Have students walk around the room and ask their classmates for their opinions on each statement. They can mark whether they agree or disagree on a scale of 1 to 5. Afterwards, discuss the results as a class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Provide students with a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. "blind," "sound," "disabilities"). In pairs, one student chooses a word and draws a picture to represent it, while the other student tries to guess the word based on the drawing. They can also use gestures and actions to help convey the meaning.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: In groups of 3-4, have students discuss and make predictions about the future of video games for players with disabilities. They should consider what improvements might be made, what new technologies could be developed, and how these changes could impact the gaming industry. Afterwards, each group can share their predictions with the class.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Carlos Vasquez is a special video game player who is blind.
Carlos plays video games by listening to the sounds in the game.
Carlos likes to play a fighting game called Mortal Kombat.
The new video games help people who can't see by adding special sounds and talking to the player to give them information about the game.
Big companies didn't used to make games for players who can't see because it was difficult to do and they didn't think there were enough players who would want to play.
Some people made games easier for blind players by adding special sounds and features that give information to the player.
Carlos thinks game companies should talk to disabled players to make sure their games can be played by everyone.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Carlos Vasquez is a special video game player who plays games without seeing. He is blind and listens to the sounds in the game to know what to do. Carlos playing games when he was , but he lost his sight when he was 11. He plays a fighting game called Kombat because he can hear the different sounds very well. Now, some new video s are made so that people who can't see can still play. There is a racing game that to the player to help them drive the car. In Mortal Kombat, they added new sounds to help players know where they are and what the other player is doing. These sounds help players who can't see where things are in the game. A time ago, it was hard to make games for players who can't see, and big companies didn't do it much. But some people who make games for fun started to add special things to help players. One made a popular game easier to play for blind people by adding sounds that give information. now helps make games better for people with disabilities and says that game companies should talk to disabled players to make sure their games can be played by everyone.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is a video game player?
2. How would you feel if you couldn't see but still wanted to play video games?
3. Do you like playing video games? Why or why not?
4. What is Mortal Kombat?
5. How do you think Carlos knows what to do in the game if he can't see?
6. Do you think it's important for video games to be accessible to people with disabilities? Why or why not?
7. What do you think about the idea of adding special sounds to video games to help blind players?
8. How do you think the special sounds in Mortal Kombat help players who can't see?
9. What do you think about Carlos helping make games better for people with disabilities?
10. Why do you think game companies should talk to disabled players?
11. Have you ever played a video game that had special features for people with disabilities? How did you feel about it?
12. Do you think it's fair that everyone should be able to play video games, even if they have disabilities? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
ππ 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
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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