Virtual reality (VR) is being used to help train people who investigate fires. Researchers from the University of Dundee are working with emergency services to make this happen. They create fake crime scenes and set controlled fires to study how fires behave. Then, they use this information to make a virtual world where investigators can learn more about how fires start and spread.

Using VR helps investigators understand fires better. It makes it easier for new investigators to learn and for experts to share important information. The goal is to make VR a normal part of training for fire investigators. This could lead to better investigations and finding out what causes fires more accurately.

VR is becoming more popular in many areas, not just fire investigation. Researchers and emergency services are working together to use new technology in training. This shows how VR can make learning more interesting and helpful, especially in important situations. The research being done now could change how fire investigations are done in the future.

Original news source: Investigating crime scenes in virtual reality (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– CHARADES
Instructions: Students will take turns acting out key terms related to the article (e.g., “virtual reality,” “fire investigation,” “emergency services”) without speaking, while the rest of the class guesses the word or phrase. This will help reinforce vocabulary in a fun way.

– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Students will discuss and express their opinions on the use of virtual reality in training for fire investigations. Pose questions like “Do you think VR is a good tool for learning?” and have students vote with thumbs up or down, followed by a brief discussion.

– VOCABULARY PICTIONARY
Instructions: Select key vocabulary words from the article (e.g., “investigate,” “controlled fires,” “researchers”) and have students draw these words on the board while their classmates guess what they are. This encourages creative thinking and reinforces vocabulary.

– THINK-PAIR-SHARE
Instructions: Ask students to think about how virtual reality can be used in other fields besides fire investigation. They will first think individually, then pair up to discuss their ideas, and finally share their thoughts with the class. This promotes speaking skills and idea sharing.

– HEADLINE CREATION
Instructions: Students will work in small groups to create a catchy headline for the article. They should focus on summarizing the key points of the article in an engaging way. Each group will then present their headline to the class. This activity encourages summarization and creative thinking.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What is virtual reality (VR) being used for in this article?
2. Who are the researchers working with to create VR training for fire investigators?
3. What do researchers create to study how fires behave?
4. How does VR help new investigators learn about fires?
5. What is the goal of using VR in fire investigation training?
6. Besides fire investigation, where else is VR becoming popular?
7. How might the research being done now change fire investigations in the future?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Virtual reality (VR) is being used to help (1)______ people who investigate fires. Researchers from the University of Dundee are working with emergency services to (2)______ this happen. They create fake crime (3)______ and set controlled fires to study how fires behave. Then, they use this (4)______ to make a virtual world where investigators can learn more about how fires start and (5)______.

Using VR helps investigators understand fires better. It makes it easier for new investigators to learn and for (6)______ to share important information. The goal is to make VR a normal (7)______ of training for (8)______ investigators. This could lead to better investigations and finding out what causes (9)______ more accurately.

VR is becoming more popular in many areas, not just fire investigation. Researchers and emergency services are working together to use new technology in training. This shows how VR can make learning more interesting and (10)______, especially in (11)______ situations. The research being done now could change how fire (12)______ are done in the future.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is virtual reality (VR) to you?
2. Do you like using technology like VR? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if you could use VR to learn about something new?
4. Have you ever seen a fire? How did you feel when you saw it?
5. Do you think using VR is a good way to learn about fires? Why?
6. What is something you would like to learn using VR?
7. How do you think learning with VR is different from learning in a classroom?
8. Do you think more people should use VR for training? Why or why not?
9. How would you feel if you had to investigate a fire?
10. Do you think it is important to understand how fires start? Why?
11. What other jobs do you think could use VR for training?
12. How do you think VR could change learning in the future?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. virtual
2. investigate
3. researchers
4. emergency
5. controlled
6. spread
7. accurately
8. technology
9. training
10. popular
11. situations
12. future

Meanings:
(A) Tools or machines made using science
(B) A serious and urgent event that needs quick action
(C) People who study and find out new things
(D) Managed or kept in check
(E) Events or things that happen
(F) Doing something in a correct or exact way
(G) The time that is yet to come
(H) Something that exists on a computer or in a digital form
(I) To look into something carefully to find out the truth
(J) Liked by many people
(K) To move or grow over a larger area
(L) Learning how to do something through practice
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is virtual reality (VR) used for in this article?
(a) To play video games
(b) To help train fire investigators
(c) To watch movies
(d) To create music

2. Which university is mentioned in the article?
(a) University of London
(b) University of Oxford
(c) University of Cambridge
(d) University of Dundee

3. What do researchers create to study how fires behave?
(a) Real fires
(b) Movies about fires
(c) Books about fires
(d) Fake crime scenes

4. How does VR help new fire investigators?
(a) It makes them stronger
(b) It makes learning easier
(c) It gives them more time
(d) It makes them faster

5. What is the goal of using VR in fire investigation training?
(a) To make it harder to learn
(b) To make it more boring
(c) To make it a normal part of training
(d) To make it less important

6. Who is working together with researchers to use VR?
(a) Schools
(b) Hospitals
(c) Emergency services
(d) Businesses

7. What can VR make learning about fires?
(a) More interesting and helpful
(b) More difficult and confusing
(c) More boring and slow
(d) More expensive and hard

8. What could the research on VR change in the future?
(a) How fire investigations are done
(b) How people cook food
(c) How people play sports
(d) How people travel

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The research now could change how fire investigations are done in the future.
2. They do not create fake crime scenes or set controlled fires to study how fires behave.
3. The information they gather does not contribute to creating a virtual world for training.
4. Researchers from the University of Dundee are working with emergency services.
5. The goal is to make VR a normal part of training for fire investigators.
6. VR is becoming popular in many areas, not just fire investigation.
7. Using VR does not help new investigators understand fires easily.
8. Virtual reality (VR) is not being used to help train people who investigate fires.
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 virtual reality (VR) being used for in fire investigations?
2. Who is working together to create VR training for fire investigators?
3. How does VR help new investigators learn about fires?
4. Why is it important to understand how fires start and spread?
5. In what other areas is VR becoming popular besides fire investigation?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is virtual reality (VR) being used for in this article?
VR is being used to help train people who investigate fires.

2. Who are the researchers working with to create VR training for fire investigators?
The researchers are working with emergency services.

3. What do researchers create to study how fires behave?
Researchers create fake crime scenes and set controlled fires.

4. How does VR help new investigators learn about fires?
VR helps new investigators understand fires better and makes learning easier.

5. What is the goal of using VR in fire investigation training?
The goal is to make VR a normal part of training for fire investigators.

6. Besides fire investigation, where else is VR becoming popular?
VR is becoming popular in many areas, not just fire investigation.

7. How might the research being done now change fire investigations in the future?
The research could change how fire investigations are done and help find out what causes fires more accurately.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) train
(2) make
(3) scenes
(4) information
(5) spread
(6) experts
(7) part
(8) fire
(9) fires
(10) helpful
(11) important
(12) investigations
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. virtual
Answer: (H) Something that exists on a computer or in a digital form

2. investigate
Answer: (I) To look into something carefully to find out the truth

3. researchers
Answer: (C) People who study and find out new things

4. emergency
Answer: (B) A serious and urgent event that needs quick action

5. controlled
Answer: (D) Managed or kept in check

6. spread
Answer: (K) To move or grow over a larger area

7. accurately
Answer: (F) Doing something in a correct or exact way

8. technology
Answer: (A) Tools or machines made using science

9. training
Answer: (L) Learning how to do something through practice

10. popular
Answer: (J) Liked by many people

11. situations
Answer: (E) Events or things that happen

12. future
Answer: (G) The time that is yet to come
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is virtual reality (VR) used for in this article?
Answer: (b) To help train fire investigators

2. Which university is mentioned in the article?
Answer: (d) University of Dundee

3. What do researchers create to study how fires behave?
Answer: (d) Fake crime scenes

4. How does VR help new fire investigators?
Answer: (b) It makes learning easier

5. What is the goal of using VR in fire investigation training?
Answer: (c) To make it a normal part of training

6. Who is working together with researchers to use VR?
Answer: (c) Emergency services

7. What can VR make learning about fires?
Answer: (a) More interesting and helpful

8. What could the research on VR change in the future?
Answer: (a) How fire investigations are done
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The research now could change how fire investigations are done in the future. (Answer: True)
2. They do not create fake crime scenes or set controlled fires to study how fires behave. (Answer: False)
3. The information they gather does not contribute to creating a virtual world for training. (Answer: False)
4. Researchers from the University of Dundee are working with emergency services. (Answer: True)
5. The goal is to make VR a normal part of training for fire investigators. (Answer: True)
6. VR is becoming popular in many areas, not just fire investigation. (Answer: True)
7. Using VR does not help new investigators understand fires easily. (Answer: False)
8. Virtual reality (VR) is not being used to help train people who investigate fires. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧