Fishermen are using new tools to help fish in a better way. A fisherman named Ian Wightman from Scotland is trying out special lights and cameras that help catch only the fish he wants and not other animals like dolphins. A big group that cares about nature, called WWF, is also helping fishermen use lights to keep sea animals safe. These lights make it less likely for animals to get caught by accident.

The new tools are working well to help fishermen catch less of the wrong things and do their job better. A team of people who study things found that lights can help fishermen catch 63% less of what they don’t want. They also don’t have to spend as much time fixing their nets. Fishermen can make more money because they don’t need to be on the water as long and they save on gas. But some people worry that not all fishermen will use these tools because they might cost a lot or be hard to get.

Fishermen have cool new gadgets like the CatchCam, a camera that goes on the net. They can see what’s happening under the water on an app. There’s also something called Enki that keeps track of things like how deep the water is and how warm it is. These new tools help fishermen like Ian understand more about fishing and do their job much better.

Original news source: Sustainable fishing: The tech making it cheaper and greener (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Students will be given a few minutes to read the article independently. Afterward, they will work in pairs to summarize the main points of the article in just three sentences. Each pair will then share their summary with the class to ensure understanding and retention of the article’s key information.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary from the article (e.g., fishermen, tools, cameras, lights, dolphins, WWF, nets, gadgets, CatchCam, Enki) on slips of paper and put them into a hat. Divide the class into two teams. Students take turns drawing a slip and then have to draw the word for their team to guess without speaking or writing any letters or numbers. The team with the most correctly guessed words wins.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements about the use of new fishing tools and conservation (e.g., “All fishermen should use lights to avoid catching dolphins,” “New technology makes fishing much easier,” “The cost of new tools is a problem for small fishermen”). Students will walk around the classroom and poll their classmates to find out if they agree or disagree with each statement. They should use English to explain their opinions and reasons. After polling, discuss the results as a class.

– Sketch It
Instructions: In small groups, students will choose one of the new tools described in the article (such as special lights, cameras, CatchCam, Enki). They will then discuss and sketch how they imagine the tool works, focusing on its design and function. Each group will present their sketch to the class and explain how the tool helps fishermen while practicing relevant vocabulary and descriptive language.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have students work in small groups to discuss and make predictions about the future of fishing based on the article. They might consider questions like: “What other tools might fishermen use in the future?” “How will these changes affect sea life?” or “What challenges might fishermen face?” Each group will then share their predictions with the class, using future tense constructions (“will,” “is going to,” “might”). This will give students practice with future tenses and speculative language.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What new tools are fishermen like Ian Wightman using to help them fish?
2. Who is Ian Wightman and where is he from?
3. What is the big group called that is helping fishermen use lights to protect sea animals?
4. What do the special lights help prevent?
5. How much less of the wrong things do fishermen catch when they use lights?
6. Why can fishermen make more money with these new tools?
7. What are two new gadgets mentioned that fishermen are using, and what do they do?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Fishermen are using new tools to help fish in a better way. A fisherman named Ian Wightman from Scotland is trying out special lights and cameras that help catch only the fish he wants and not other animals like (1)______. A big (2)______ that cares about nature, (3)______ WWF, is also helping fishermen use lights to keep sea (4)______ safe. These lights make it less likely for animals to get caught by accident.

The new tools are working well to help fishermen catch less of the wrong things and do their job better. A team of (5)______ who (6)______ things found that lights can help fishermen catch 63% less of what they don’t want. They also don’t (7)______ to spend as much time fixing their nets. Fishermen can make more money because they don’t need to be on the water as long and they save on gas. But some people worry that not all fishermen will use these tools because they might (8)______ a lot or be hard to get.

Fishermen have (9)______ new gadgets like the (10)______, a camera that goes on the net. They can see what’s happening under the water on an app. There’s also something called Enki that keeps track of things like how (11)______ the water is and how (12)______ it is. These new tools help fishermen like Ian understand more about fishing and do their job much better.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a fisherman?
2. Do you like to eat fish? Why or why not?
3. Have you ever gone fishing? If yes, did you enjoy it? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if you caught an animal that you did not want to catch?
5. What kind of tools do you think fishermen use? Can you name any?
6. Do you think it’s important to keep dolphins and other sea animals safe while fishing? Why or why not?
7. How do you think lights can help fishermen catch only the fish they want?
8. What is a camera? Have you ever used one?
9. Do you think using an app to see under water is a good idea for fishermen? Why or why not?
10. Do you think all fishermen should use these new tools? Why or why not?
11. What do you think could make it hard for fishermen to get these new tools?
12. If you were a fisherman, would you want to use a gadget like the CatchCam? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. fishermen
2. tools
3. lights
4. catch
5. dolphins
6. nets
7. gadgets
8. Enki

Meanings:
(a) To get something you are trying to get
(b) People who catch fish for a living
(c) Things that make things bright
(d) Smart sea animals that look like big fish
(e) Things that help you do a job
(f) Cool new devices or machines
(g) Things that catch fish in the water
(h) A tool that tells you about the water
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is Ian Wightman trying out to help catch only the fish he wants?
(a) Fishing nets
(b) Fishing rods
(c) Bait
(d) Special lights and cameras

2. Who is helping fishermen use lights to keep sea animals safe?
(a) Greenpeace
(b) Red Cross
(c) UNICEF
(d) WWF

3. How much less of what they don’t want can fishermen catch with the help of lights?
(a) 63%
(b) 50%
(c) 75%
(d) 90%

4. What can fishermen see under the water with the CatchCam?
(a) The sky
(b) The moon
(c) What’s happening under the water
(d) The fish market

5. What does Enki keep track of for fishermen?
(a) How many fish are in the net
(b) The weather on land
(c) How deep the water is and how warm it is
(d) The time of day

6. What do the new tools help fishermen like Ian understand more about?
(a) Fishing
(b) Cooking
(c) Gardening
(d) Driving

7. Why can fishermen make more money with the new tools?
(a) They catch more fish
(b) They don’t need to be on the water as long and they save on gas
(c) They sell their old tools
(d) They hire more people

8. What are some people worried about regarding the new tools?
(a) They will make fishing more difficult
(b) Not all fishermen will use them because they might cost a lot or be hard to get
(c) They will scare away the fish
(d) They will break easily

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The WWF, a group that cares about nature, is not helping fishermen use lights to keep sea animals safe.
2. The new tools are not helping fishermen catch 63% less of what they don’t want.
3. The CatchCam is a cool new gadget that goes on the net and lets fishermen see what’s happening under the water on an app.
4. Some people worry that not all fishermen will use these tools because they might cost a lot or be hard to get.
5. Fishermen can make more money because they don’t need to be on the water as long and they save on gas.
6. Fishermen are using special lights and cameras to help catch only the fish they want and not other animals like dolphins.
7. Ian Wightman, a fisherman from Scotland, is not trying out these new tools to fish in a better way.
8. The Enki does not keep track of things like how deep the water is and how warm it is, helping fishermen understand more about fishing.
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 Ian Wightman using to help him catch only the fish he wants?
2. Why is the big group called WWF helping fishermen?
3. How much less of the wrong things do fishermen catch with the new lights?
4. Why can fishermen make more money with these new tools?
5. What are two new gadgets that fishermen have, and what do they do?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What new tools are fishermen like Ian Wightman using to help them fish?
Fishermen are using special lights and cameras to help them catch only the fish they want.

2. Who is Ian Wightman and where is he from?
Ian Wightman is a fisherman from Scotland.

3. What is the big group called that is helping fishermen use lights to protect sea animals?
The big group is called WWF.

4. What do the special lights help prevent?
The special lights help prevent catching animals like dolphins by accident.

5. How much less of the wrong things do fishermen catch when they use lights?
Fishermen catch 63% less of the wrong things when they use lights.

6. Why can fishermen make more money with these new tools?
Fishermen can make more money because they don’t need to stay on the water as long and they save on gas.

7. What are two new gadgets mentioned that fishermen are using, and what do they do?
The two new gadgets are the CatchCam, a camera that shows what’s happening under the water on an app, and Enki, which keeps track of things like how deep and warm the water is.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) dolphins
(2) group
(3) called
(4) animals
(5) people
(6) study
(7) have
(8) cost
(9) cool
(10) CatchCam
(11) deep
(12) warm
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. fishermen
Answer: (b) People who catch fish for a living

2. tools
Answer: (e) Things that help you do a job

3. lights
Answer: (c) Things that make things bright

4. catch
Answer: (a) To get something you are trying to get

5. dolphins
Answer: (d) Smart sea animals that look like big fish

6. nets
Answer: (g) Things that catch fish in the water

7. gadgets
Answer: (f) Cool new devices or machines

8. Enki
Answer: (h) A tool that tells you about the water
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is Ian Wightman trying out to help catch only the fish he wants?
Answer: (d) Special lights and cameras

2. Who is helping fishermen use lights to keep sea animals safe?
Answer: (d) WWF

3. How much less of what they don’t want can fishermen catch with the help of lights?
Answer: (a) 63%

4. What can fishermen see under the water with the CatchCam?
Answer: (c) What’s happening under the water

5. What does Enki keep track of for fishermen?
Answer: (c) How deep the water is and how warm it is

6. What do the new tools help fishermen like Ian understand more about?
Answer: (a) Fishing

7. Why can fishermen make more money with the new tools?
Answer: (b) They don’t need to be on the water as long and they save on gas

8. What are some people worried about regarding the new tools?
Answer: (b) Not all fishermen will use them because they might cost a lot or be hard to get
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The WWF, a group that cares about nature, is not helping fishermen use lights to keep sea animals safe. (Answer: False)
2. The new tools are not helping fishermen catch 63% less of what they don’t want. (Answer: False)
3. The CatchCam is a cool new gadget that goes on the net and lets fishermen see what’s happening under the water on an app. (Answer: True)
4. Some people worry that not all fishermen will use these tools because they might cost a lot or be hard to get. (Answer: True)
5. Fishermen can make more money because they don’t need to be on the water as long and they save on gas. (Answer: True)
6. Fishermen are using special lights and cameras to help catch only the fish they want and not other animals like dolphins. (Answer: True)
7. Ian Wightman, a fisherman from Scotland, is not trying out these new tools to fish in a better way. (Answer: False)
8. The Enki does not keep track of things like how deep the water is and how warm it is, helping fishermen understand more about fishing. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧