Coral reefs are in trouble because the ocean is getting too hot. This is called coral bleaching, where the coral turns white and gets sick. Itβs happening in many oceans like the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean. Coral reefs are important for sea life and help people make money from fishing and tourism.
Last year, the first signs of coral bleaching were seen in the Caribbean. Now, more than half of the worldβs coral is affected, including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The ocean's temperature has been very high since last August. Climate change and a natural event called El NiΓ±o are making the water even warmer.
Scientists are worried because coral reefs help fish find food. They say coral reefs show how bad climate change can be for nature. Some deeper water corals are surviving, but most coral needs help. Scientists want people to reduce greenhouse gases to protect coral reefs.
Original news source: World's coral turns white from deadly ocean heat (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. Instruct them to read the article together and then write a summary of the main points. Encourage them to use their own words and keep it concise. Afterward, have pairs share their summaries with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a set of statements related to the article, such as "Coral reefs are important for the environment" or "Climate change is the main cause of coral bleaching." Instruct the groups to discuss each statement and come to a consensus on whether they agree or disagree. Then, have each group present their opinions to the class and facilitate a class discussion.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board, such as "coral bleaching," "greenhouse gases," and "Great Barrier Reef." Divide the class into small teams and give each team a whiteboard or a large piece of paper. One member from each team will come to the front of the class and choose a vocabulary word. They must then draw a picture to represent that word while their team tries to guess what it is. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Repeat with different team members and vocabulary words.
– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: Prepare a list of key vocabulary words from the article on individual cards, such as "coral bleaching," "temperature," and "climate change." Give each student a card and tell them not to show it to anyone. Instruct the students to walk around the classroom and find a partner. They must then take turns giving synonyms for the word on their card until their partner guesses the correct word. Once their partner guesses correctly, they can switch cards and find a new partner to play with.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Instruct each pair to imagine they are scientists studying coral reefs in the future. They should discuss and make predictions about what will happen to coral reefs in the next 10 years due to climate change and other factors. Afterward, have pairs share their predictions with the class and lead a class discussion on the potential future of coral reefs.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Coral reefs are getting sick and turning white because the ocean is getting too hot.
When the coral turns white and gets sick, it is called coral bleaching.
Coral bleaching is happening in many oceans like the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean.
Coral reefs are important for sea life because they help fish find food. They are also important for people because they can make money from fishing and tourism.
The first signs of coral bleaching were seen in the Caribbean last year.
Climate change and a natural event called El NiΓ±o are making the water even warmer.
Scientists are worried about coral reefs because they show how bad climate change can be for nature. They want to protect coral reefs by reducing greenhouse gases.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
reefs are in trouble because the ocean is getting too hot. This is called bleaching, where the coral turns white and gets sick. Itβs happening in many oceans like the Atlantic, , and Indian Ocean. Coral reefs are important for sea life and help people make money from and tourism. Last , the first signs of coral bleaching were seen in the Caribbean. Now, than half of the worldβs coral is affected, including the Great Reef in Australia. The ocean's has been very high since last August. Climate change and a natural event called El NiΓ±o are making the water even warmer. are worried because coral reefs help fish find food. They say coral reefs show how bad change can be for nature. Some water corals are surviving, but most coral needs help. Scientists want people to reduce greenhouse gases to coral reefs.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is coral bleaching and why is it a problem for coral reefs?
2. How do coral reefs help sea life and people?
3. Have you ever seen a coral reef? If so, how did it make you feel?
4. Do you think it's important to protect coral reefs? Why or why not?
5. How would you feel if you couldn't go fishing or swimming near a coral reef anymore?
6. What do you think can be done to reduce greenhouse gases and protect coral reefs?
7. Do you think climate change is a serious problem? Why or why not?
8. Have you ever heard of El NiΓ±o? What do you know about it?
9. How do you think coral reefs can show the effects of climate change?
10. Do you like learning about marine life and ecosystems? Why or why not?
11. What are some ways we can educate others about the importance of protecting coral reefs?
12. Have you ever done anything to help the environment? If so, what did you do? If not, what do you think you could do?
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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