A big church leader named Pope Francis is helping start a new project to teach kids how to make computer programs. A man named Miron Mironiuk, who knows a lot about technology, made this project so kids from 11 to 15 years old in places where many people are Catholic can learn to code for free. They want to help kids learn important computer skills because soon there will be many technology jobs but not enough people who know how to do them.
Mironiuk’s project is very important because there are going to be a lot of technology jobs and not enough people who know how to do them. He hopes that with the Pope’s help, more kids in Catholic places will want to learn how to code. They will teach a coding language called Python, which many people use. Kids in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia will be able to learn from this project.
The Pope has helped with things like this before because he thinks it’s good for young people to learn coding. Mironiuk is going to meet the Pope, and he thinks that the Pope’s help will make more kids want to join the program. They want to make sure all kids have the chance to learn these computer skills because they are very important today.
Original news source: Pope Francis encourages more children to code, especially in Catholic countries (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group discusses whether they believe learning to code is important for their future. Afterward, each group will share their opinions with the class, and a class vote will be taken on whether coding should be a part of every child’s education.
– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Pair up the students and assign one the role of a news reporter and the other the role of Miron Mironiuk or Pope Francis. The reporter will ask questions about the new project for teaching kids to code, and the interviewee will answer based on information from the article. Then, have the pairs present their role-play to the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article (e.g., project, technology, coding, Python, Catholic, skills). Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will draw the word on the board without speaking or writing letters or numbers, while their team guesses the word. Alternate turns between teams.
– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: Write down words from the article that may have synonyms (e.g., important, teach, learn, kids, help). Students work in pairs to come up with as many synonyms as they can for each word. Then discuss the synonyms as a class, and talk about the nuances or slight differences in meaning.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask students to imagine it’s ten years from now, and the project to teach kids coding has been a huge success. Students will write a short paragraph predicting how the world has changed because many more people know how to code. They can share their predictions with a partner or with the class.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Who is starting a new project to teach kids how to make computer programs?
2. What is the name of the man who created the project?
3. How old are the kids who can learn to code for free in this project?
4. Why is it important for kids to learn computer skills according to the article?
5. What coding language will the kids learn in the project?
6. Which parts of the world will the kids be from who can learn from this project?
7. Why does the Pope think it’s good for young people to learn coding?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
A big (1)______ leader named Pope Francis is helping start a new project to teach kids how to make computer programs. A man named Miron Mironiuk, who knows a lot about technology, made this project so kids from 11 to 15 years old in places where many (2)______ are Catholic can learn to (3)______ for free. They want to help kids learn important computer skills because soon there will be (4)______ (5)______ jobs but not enough people who know how to do them.
Mironiuk’s project is very important because there are (6)______ to be a lot of technology jobs and not enough people who know how to do them. He hopes that with the Pope’s help, more (7)______ in Catholic places will want to learn how to code. They will teach a coding language called Python, which many people use. (8)______ in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia will be (9)______ to learn from this project.
The Pope has helped with things like this before because he thinks it’s good for young people to learn coding. Mironiuk is going to meet the Pope, and he thinks that the Pope’s help will make (10)______ kids want to join the (11)______. They want to make sure all kids have the chance to learn these computer skills because they are very important (12)______.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is a computer program?
2. Do you like to use computers? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if you could make your own computer game?
4. What do you think about learning to code for free?
5. Do you think learning to code is important? Why or why not?
6. Have you ever tried to learn something new like coding? How was it?
7. Do you think the Pope helping with the project will make more kids want to learn? Why?
8. What is a job that uses a lot of technology that you know?
9. Would you like to learn a coding language like Python? Why or why not?
10. Do you think all kids should learn how to code? Why or why not?
11. How do you think knowing how to code can help people in the future?
12. If you could learn anything about computers, what would you want to learn?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. project
2. technology
3. coding
4. Python
5. skills
6. Catholic
7. Southeast
8. important
Meanings:
(a) Things like computers, smartphones, and the internet
(b) A direction that is between the south and the east
(c) Things you are good at doing
(d) A plan or activity with a specific purpose
(e) Something that is very necessary or significant
(f) Writing instructions for a computer to follow
(g) Relating to the Christian religion
(h) A type of coding language used by many people
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Who is helping to start the project to teach kids how to make computer programs?
(a) Bill Gates
(b) Mark Zuckerberg
(c) Pope Francis
(d) Steve Jobs
2. What age group is the project aiming to teach how to code?
(a) 5 to 10 years old
(b) 11 to 15 years old
(c) 16 to 20 years old
(d) 21 to 25 years old
3. What coding language will the kids learn in the project?
(a) Spanish
(b) French
(c) Python
(d) Chinese
4. In which continents will kids be able to learn from this project?
(a) South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia
(b) Europe, North America, and Australia
(c) Asia, Europe, and Africa
(d) South America, North America, and Europe
5. Why is Mironiuk’s project important?
(a) There will be many farming jobs but not enough people who know how to do them
(b) There will be many sports jobs but not enough people who know how to do them
(c) There will be many cooking jobs but not enough people who know how to do them
(d) There will be many technology jobs but not enough people who know how to do them
6. What does Mironiuk hope the Pope’s help will do for the project?
(a) Make more adults want to join the program
(b) Make more kids want to play sports
(c) Make more kids want to learn how to cook
(d) Make more kids want to join the program
7. Why does the Pope think it’s good for young people to learn coding?
(a) Because it’s not important for today’s world
(b) Because it’s important for today’s world
(c) Because it’s only for boys
(d) Because it’s only for girls
8. What is the main goal of the project?
(a) To make sure all kids have the chance to learn important computer skills
(b) To make sure all kids have the chance to learn how to cook
(c) To make sure all kids have the chance to learn how to play sports
(d) To make sure all kids have the chance to learn how to paint
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. The Pope believes it’s important for young people to learn coding and has supported similar projects in the past.
2. The project hopes to encourage more kids in Catholic places to learn how to code.
3. Kids in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia will not have the opportunity to learn coding from this project.
4. The coding language they will teach is not called Python, which is widely used.
5. The project aims to help kids learn coding for free because there will be many technology jobs in the future.
6. Mironiuk believes that the Pope’s support will not encourage more kids to join the program and learn important computer skills.
7. Pope Francis is working on a new project to teach kids how to make computer programs.
8. Miron Mironiuk, an expert in technology, did not create the project for kids aged 11 to 15 in Catholic areas.
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 starting a new project to teach kids about computers?
2. How old are the kids who can learn to make computer programs in this project?
3. Why is Mironiuk’s project important for kids to join?
4. What is the name of the coding language that the kids will learn?
5. Why does Pope Francis think it’s good for kids to learn coding?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. Who is starting a new project to teach kids how to make computer programs?
Pope Francis is helping to start the new project.
2. What is the name of the man who created the project?
The man’s name is Miron Mironiuk.
3. How old are the kids who can learn to code for free in this project?
Kids who are 11 to 15 years old can learn to code for free.
4. Why is it important for kids to learn computer skills according to the article?
It’s important because there will be many technology jobs and not enough people who can do them.
5. What coding language will the kids learn in the project?
The kids will learn the coding language called Python.
6. Which parts of the world will the kids be from who can learn from this project?
Kids from South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia will be able to learn.
7. Why does the Pope think it’s good for young people to learn coding?
The Pope thinks it’s good because coding is an important skill for young people today.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) church
(2) people
(3) code
(4) many
(5) technology
(6) going
(7) kids
(8) Kids
(9) able
(10) more
(11) program
(12) today
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. project
Answer: (d) A plan or activity with a specific purpose
2. technology
Answer: (a) Things like computers, smartphones, and the internet
3. coding
Answer: (f) Writing instructions for a computer to follow
4. Python
Answer: (h) A type of coding language used by many people
5. skills
Answer: (c) Things you are good at doing
6. Catholic
Answer: (g) Relating to the Christian religion
7. Southeast
Answer: (b) A direction that is between the south and the east
8. important
Answer: (e) Something that is very necessary or significant
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Who is helping to start the project to teach kids how to make computer programs?
Answer: (c) Pope Francis
2. What age group is the project aiming to teach how to code?
Answer: (b) 11 to 15 years old
3. What coding language will the kids learn in the project?
Answer: (c) Python
4. In which continents will kids be able to learn from this project?
Answer: (a) South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia
5. Why is Mironiuk’s project important?
Answer: (d) There will be many technology jobs but not enough people who know how to do them
6. What does Mironiuk hope the Pope’s help will do for the project?
Answer: (d) Make more kids want to join the program
7. Why does the Pope think it’s good for young people to learn coding?
Answer: (b) Because it’s important for today’s world
8. What is the main goal of the project?
Answer: (a) To make sure all kids have the chance to learn important computer skills
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. The Pope believes it’s important for young people to learn coding and has supported similar projects in the past. (Answer: True)
2. The project hopes to encourage more kids in Catholic places to learn how to code. (Answer: True)
3. Kids in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia will not have the opportunity to learn coding from this project. (Answer: False)
4. The coding language they will teach is not called Python, which is widely used. (Answer: False)
5. The project aims to help kids learn coding for free because there will be many technology jobs in the future. (Answer: True)
6. Mironiuk believes that the Pope’s support will not encourage more kids to join the program and learn important computer skills. (Answer: False)
7. Pope Francis is working on a new project to teach kids how to make computer programs. (Answer: True)
8. Miron Mironiuk, an expert in technology, did not create the project for kids aged 11 to 15 in Catholic areas. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧
