In England, many kids and young people are getting sick with measles. It’s a sickness that spreads very easily from person to person. In the last month, 166 people got measles, and 56 of those were just last week. The place with the most sick people is called the West Midlands, and a city named Birmingham is where lots of them are.

Doctors say that measles can be stopped if kids get a special shot called the MMR vaccine. This shot protects them from getting measles, mumps, and rubella. But, there are still lots of kids who haven’t gotten this shot. Doctors are asking parents to make sure their kids get vaccinated to keep them safe.

Measles makes people feel really bad. They get a high fever, red eyes, and a rash that starts on the face and then spreads. It can also lead to very serious problems like pneumonia and meningitis. Getting two shots of the MMR vaccine can protect almost everyone from getting measles and mumps. But right now, not enough kids are getting these shots by the time they turn five years old.

Original news source: England now seeing clusters of measles cases (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Have students read the article and then summarize the main points in their own words. They can share their summaries with a partner or in small groups.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Give each student a vocabulary word from the article (e.g. measles, vaccine, fever) and ask them to draw a picture to represent the word. They can then take turns showing their drawings to their classmates and see if they can guess the word.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask students to think about the following question: “Why is it important for kids to get vaccinated?” Then, have them pair up with a partner and discuss their thoughts. Finally, ask some pairs to share their ideas with the whole class.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Write a keyword from the article on the board, but replace the letters with dashes. Have students take turns guessing letters to try and uncover the word. For each incorrect guess, draw a body part of a hangman. If the class can guess the word before the hangman is complete, they win.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. One group will discuss the pros (benefits) of getting vaccinated, while the other group will discuss the cons (drawbacks). After a few minutes of discussion, have each group share their ideas with the class. Then, facilitate a class discussion to explore both sides of the argument.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What is happening to many kids and young people in England?
2. How does measles spread from person to person?
3. How many people got measles in the last month?
4. Where is the place with the most sick people?
5. What can stop measles from spreading?
6. What are some symptoms of measles?
7. How many shots of the MMR vaccine can protect almost everyone from measles and mumps?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In England, many kids and young people are getting (1)______ with measles. It’s a sickness that spreads very easily from person to person. In the last (2)______, 166 people got measles, and 56 of those were just last (3)______. The place with the most sick people is called the (4)______ Midlands, and a city (5)______ Birmingham is where lots of them are.

(6)______ say that measles can be stopped if kids get a special shot called the MMR vaccine. This shot protects them from getting measles, mumps, and rubella. But, there are still lots of (7)______ who haven’t gotten this shot. Doctors are asking parents to make sure their kids get vaccinated to keep them safe.

Measles (8)______ people feel really bad. They get a high (9)______, red eyes, and a rash that starts on the face and then spreads. It can also lead to very serious (10)______ like (11)______ and meningitis. (12)______ two shots of the MMR vaccine can protect almost everyone from getting measles and mumps. But right now, not enough kids are getting these shots by the time they turn five years old.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is measles and how does it spread?
2. Have you ever had measles? How did it make you feel?
3. Do you know anyone who has had measles? How did it affect them?
4. How would you feel if you got sick with measles?
5. Have you ever had a vaccine? What was it for?
6. Do you think it’s important for kids to get vaccinated? Why or why not?
7. Do you know anyone who hasn’t gotten the MMR vaccine? Why do you think they haven’t gotten it?
8. How can we make sure that all kids get vaccinated?
9. Do you think the government should make vaccines mandatory for all kids? Why or why not?
10. What can parents do to keep their kids safe from measles?
11. Do you think it’s fair that some kids haven’t gotten the MMR vaccine? Why or why not?
12. How can we spread awareness about the importance of vaccines?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. measles
2. vaccine
3. vaccinated
4. rash
5. pneumonia
6. meningitis
7. spreads
8. fever
9. rubella
10. mumps
11. Birmingham
12. Midlands

Meanings:
(A) When someone has gotten the shot to help protect them from getting sick
(B) When something moves or goes from one person to another
(C) Red spots on your skin that can be itchy or painful
(D) A sickness that can make your cheeks swell up and hurt
(E) A sickness that can give you a high temperature, red spots on your skin, and make you feel very unwell
(F) A region in England where the most people are getting sick
(G) A special shot that helps your body fight off certain sicknesses
(H) When your body gets really hot because you’re sick
(I) A sickness that can cause a rash and fever, and is prevented by the same shot that prevents measles
(J) A very serious sickness that causes swelling in the brain
(K) A serious sickness that makes it hard to breathe because it affects your lungs
(L) A city in England where a lot of people are getting sick
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What sickness are many kids and young people in England getting?
(a) Chickenpox
(b) Influenza
(c) Mumps
(d) Measles

2. How many people got measles in the last month?
(a) 166
(b) 56
(c) 122
(d) 78

3. Which city in England has the most sick people?
(a) London
(b) Manchester
(c) Birmingham
(d) Liverpool

4. What shot can protect kids from getting measles, mumps, and rubella?
(a) Flu shot
(b) Chickenpox vaccine
(c) MMR vaccine
(d) Tetanus shot

5. What are the symptoms of measles?
(a) Cough, sore throat, and headache
(b) High fever, red eyes, and a rash
(c) Stomachache, vomiting, and diarrhea
(d) Dizziness, muscle pain, and fatigue

6. What serious problems can measles lead to?
(a) Asthma and allergies
(b) Diabetes and heart disease
(c) Cancer and Alzheimer’s
(d) Pneumonia and meningitis

7. How many shots of the MMR vaccine can protect almost everyone from measles and mumps?
(a) One
(b) Two
(c) Three
(d) Four

8. By what age should kids get the two shots of the MMR vaccine?
(a) Five years old
(b) Ten years old
(c) Three years old
(d) Eight years old

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Many kids and young people in England are getting sick with measles, which spreads easily from person to person.
2. Measles can lead to serious problems like pneumonia and meningitis.
3. Doctors say that the MMR vaccine can’t stop measles if kids get it. This vaccine also doesn’t protect against mumps and rubella.
4. Measles makes people feel really bad, with symptoms like a high fever, red eyes, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads.
5. Getting two shots of the MMR vaccine can protect almost everyone from getting measles and mumps, but not enough kids are getting these shots by the time they turn five years old.
6. There are still few kids who haven’t received the MMR vaccine, so doctors are asking parents to make sure their kids get vaccinated.
7. In the last month, 166 people in England got measles, and 56 of those cases were just last month.
8. The East Midlands in England has the most sick people, with a city named Birmingham having a lot of cases.
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 sickness are many kids and young people in England getting?
2. How does measles spread from person to person?
3. How many people got measles in the last month?
4. What is the name of the city where lots of people are getting sick with measles?
5. What shot can protect kids from getting measles, mumps, and rubella?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is happening to many kids and young people in England?
Many kids and young people in England are getting sick with measles.

2. How does measles spread from person to person?
Measles spreads very easily from person to person.

3. How many people got measles in the last month?
166 people got measles in the last month.

4. Where is the place with the most sick people?
The place with the most sick people is the West Midlands in England.

5. What can stop measles from spreading?
The MMR vaccine can stop measles from spreading.

6. What are some symptoms of measles?
Some symptoms of measles are a high fever, red eyes, and a rash that starts on the face and then spreads.

7. How many shots of the MMR vaccine can protect almost everyone from measles and mumps?
Two shots of the MMR vaccine can protect almost everyone from measles and mumps.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) sick
(2) month
(3) week
(4) West
(5) named
(6) Doctors
(7) kids
(8) makes
(9) fever
(10) problems
(11) pneumonia
(12) Getting
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. measles
Answer: (E) A sickness that can give you a high temperature, red spots on your skin, and make you feel very unwell

2. vaccine
Answer: (G) A special shot that helps your body fight off certain sicknesses

3. vaccinated
Answer: (A) When someone has gotten the shot to help protect them from getting sick

4. rash
Answer: (C) Red spots on your skin that can be itchy or painful

5. pneumonia
Answer: (K) A serious sickness that makes it hard to breathe because it affects your lungs

6. meningitis
Answer: (J) A very serious sickness that causes swelling in the brain

7. spreads
Answer: (B) When something moves or goes from one person to another

8. fever
Answer: (H) When your body gets really hot because you’re sick

9. rubella
Answer: (I) A sickness that can cause a rash and fever, and is prevented by the same shot that prevents measles

10. mumps
Answer: (D) A sickness that can make your cheeks swell up and hurt

11. Birmingham
Answer: (L) A city in England where a lot of people are getting sick

12. Midlands
Answer: (F) A region in England where the most people are getting sick
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What sickness are many kids and young people in England getting?
Answer: (d) Measles

2. How many people got measles in the last month?
Answer: (a) 166

3. Which city in England has the most sick people?
Answer: (c) Birmingham

4. What shot can protect kids from getting measles, mumps, and rubella?
Answer: (c) MMR vaccine

5. What are the symptoms of measles?
Answer: (b) High fever, red eyes, and a rash

6. What serious problems can measles lead to?
Answer: (d) Pneumonia and meningitis

7. How many shots of the MMR vaccine can protect almost everyone from measles and mumps?
Answer: (b) Two

8. By what age should kids get the two shots of the MMR vaccine?
Answer: (a) Five years old
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Many kids and young people in England are getting sick with measles, which spreads easily from person to person. (Answer: True)
2. Measles can lead to serious problems like pneumonia and meningitis. (Answer: True)
3. Doctors say that the MMR vaccine can’t stop measles if kids get it. This vaccine also doesn’t protect against mumps and rubella. (Answer: False)
4. Measles makes people feel really bad, with symptoms like a high fever, red eyes, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads. (Answer: True)
5. Getting two shots of the MMR vaccine can protect almost everyone from getting measles and mumps, but not enough kids are getting these shots by the time they turn five years old. (Answer: True)
6. There are still few kids who haven’t received the MMR vaccine, so doctors are asking parents to make sure their kids get vaccinated. (Answer: False)
7. In the last month, 166 people in England got measles, and 56 of those cases were just last month. (Answer: False)
8. The East Midlands in England has the most sick people, with a city named Birmingham having a lot of cases. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧