A man who teaches people how to be safe on ice and his wife made a video of themselves skating on very clear ice in Alaska. The man, Luc Mehl, said the weather made the ice at Rabbit Lake very clear because it got cold fast but there was no snow. In the video, they look like they are floating over the water because the ice is so clear. This special ice is not something you see every day.

This clear ice is called an “ice window” and it doesn’t happen a lot, maybe once every ten years. It happens when the weather gets cold really fast without any snow, so the ice is like glass. People can skate on it and see right down into the water. The video the man and his wife made shows how beautiful it is to skate on ice like this.

Lots of people are watching the video because it’s so pretty and unusual. Skating on this clear ice is a special adventure. The video helps us remember that nature can be amazing. It shows that sometimes you can find something really cool when you don’t expect it.

Original news source: Skating on a once-in-a-decade ‘ice window’ in Alaska (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Before revealing the topic of the article, ask students if they have ever experienced a natural phenomenon that is rare or extraordinary. Let them share their experiences briefly with the class. After sharing, read the article about the “ice window” and then conduct a quick poll to see who would like to skate on such ice if they had the chance.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article (e.g., “ice window,” “skating,” “clear,” “adventure,” “nature”) on separate pieces of paper. Split the class into two teams. Students take turns drawing the words for their teammates to guess within a set time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Assign students to pairs. One student is a news reporter, and the other is Luc Mehl, the man who made the video. The reporter interviews Luc about his experience with the “ice window” and what inspired him to make the video. After the role-play, encourage pairs to present their interview to the class.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Show the students the video mentioned in the article without sound or captions. Pause at different scenes and ask the students to sketch what they see. Afterward, ask them to describe their sketches to a partner using English vocabulary they know. This will encourage them to use descriptive language and practice speaking skills.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: After reading the article, ask students to imagine and discuss what other rare natural phenomena might happen in the future. Encourage them to use future tense constructions such as “will” or “going to” in their predictions. They can share their ideas with the class and discuss the likelihood of these events happening.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What did Luc Mehl and his wife make a video of?
2. Where is Rabbit Lake located?
3. Why was the ice at Rabbit Lake very clear?
4. What does the ice look like in the video?
5. How often does this kind of clear ice happen?
6. What can people do on this “ice window”?
7. Why are many people watching the video?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A man who teaches people how to be (1)______ on ice and his wife (2)______ a video of themselves skating on very (3)______ ice in Alaska. The man, Luc Mehl, said the weather made the ice at Rabbit Lake very clear because it got cold fast but there was no snow. In the (4)______, they look like they are floating over the water because the ice is so clear. This special ice is not something you see every day.

This clear ice is called an “ice window” and it doesn’t (5)______ a lot, maybe once every ten (6)______. It happens when the weather (7)______ cold really fast without any (8)______, so the ice is like glass. People can skate on it and see right down into the water. The video the man and his wife made (9)______ how beautiful it is to skate on ice like this.

Lots of people are watching the video because it’s so pretty and unusual. Skating on this clear ice is a (10)______ adventure. The video helps us remember that nature can be amazing. It shows that sometimes you can (11)______ something really cool when you don’t (12)______ it.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is an adventure you would like to go on?
2. How would you feel if you could see under the ice while you are skating?
3. Do you like to watch videos of beautiful places? Why or why not?
4. Do you think skating on clear ice is dangerous? Why do you think that?
5. Have you ever seen something in nature that surprised you? What was it?
6. What is something special you have seen that doesn’t happen often?
7. Would you like to learn how to be safe on ice? Why or why not?
8. How do you think the man and his wife felt while skating on the clear ice?
9. What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen in nature?
10. Do you think it’s important to make videos of special moments? Why?
11. Have you ever found something really cool when you didn’t expect it? What was it?
12. Do you like to skate? If you do, what do you like about it? If you don’t, why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. video
2. ice
3. clear
4. weather
5. snow
6. skate
7. water
8. nature

Meanings:
(a) When you can see through something easily
(b) White, cold stuff that falls from the sky in winter
(c) Frozen water that you can walk on
(d) A moving picture that you watch on a screen
(e) A liquid that you drink and swim in
(f) What the sky is like outside
(g) To move on ice with special shoes
(h) All the plants, animals, and things in the world
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did Luc Mehl and his wife make a video of?
(a) Themselves skating on clear ice
(b) Themselves skiing in Alaska
(c) Themselves swimming in Rabbit Lake
(d) Themselves hiking in the mountains

2. Why was the ice at Rabbit Lake very clear?
(a) It was warm and sunny
(b) It rained a lot
(c) It was covered in snow
(d) It got cold fast without any snow

3. What does the clear ice look like in the video?
(a) They look like they are sinking in the water
(b) They look like they are flying in the sky
(c) They look like they are floating over the water
(d) They look like they are walking on solid ground

4. How often does the “ice window” phenomenon happen?
(a) Once every month
(b) Once every ten years
(c) Once every year
(d) Once every week

5. What can people do on the clear ice?
(a) Swim in it
(b) Dive into it
(c) Skate on it
(d) Walk on it

6. Why are lots of people watching the video?
(a) Because it’s scary and dangerous
(b) Because it’s boring and normal
(c) Because it’s funny and silly
(d) Because it’s pretty and unusual

7. What does the video help us remember?
(a) That ice is dangerous
(b) That nature can be amazing
(c) That Alaska is a cold place
(d) That skating is a difficult sport

8. What does the video show?
(a) That you can find something cool when you don’t expect it
(b) That you can find something cool when you look for it
(c) That you can find something cool when you ask for it
(d) That you can find something cool when you buy it

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. A woman and her husband made a video of themselves skating on very murky ice in Alaska.
2. Skating on this murky ice is a special adventure.
3. This special kind of ice happens when the weather gets very cold without any snow.
4. Lots of people are watching the video because it is dull and ordinary.
5. The clear ice is called an “ice window” and it is very rare.
6. The video reminds us that nature can be amazing and sometimes we can find something cool when we least expect it.
7. People can skate on this clear ice and see right down into the water.
8. The ice is so opaque that it looks like they are sinking in the water.
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 made a video skating on clear ice in Alaska?
2. Why did the ice at Rabbit Lake become very clear?
3. What is the special name given to this type of clear ice?
4. How often does this kind of clear ice happen?
5. Why do people like watching the video of the man and his wife skating?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did Luc Mehl and his wife make a video of?
They made a video of themselves skating on very clear ice in Alaska.

2. Where is Rabbit Lake located?
Rabbit Lake is located in Alaska.

3. Why was the ice at Rabbit Lake very clear?
The ice was very clear because it got cold very quickly but there was no snow.

4. What does the ice look like in the video?
In the video, the ice looks so clear that they seem to be floating over the water.

5. How often does this kind of clear ice happen?
This kind of clear ice happens maybe once every ten years.

6. What can people do on this “ice window”?
People can skate on it and see right down into the water.

7. Why are many people watching the video?
Many people are watching the video because it’s very pretty and unusual.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) safe
(2) made
(3) clear
(4) video
(5) happen
(6) years
(7) gets
(8) snow
(9) shows
(10) special
(11) find
(12) expect
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. video
Answer: (d) A moving picture that you watch on a screen

2. ice
Answer: (c) Frozen water that you can walk on

3. clear
Answer: (a) When you can see through something easily

4. weather
Answer: (f) What the sky is like outside

5. snow
Answer: (b) White, cold stuff that falls from the sky in winter

6. skate
Answer: (g) To move on ice with special shoes

7. water
Answer: (e) A liquid that you drink and swim in

8. nature
Answer: (h) All the plants, animals, and things in the world
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did Luc Mehl and his wife make a video of?
Answer: (a) Themselves skating on clear ice

2. Why was the ice at Rabbit Lake very clear?
Answer: (d) It got cold fast without any snow

3. What does the clear ice look like in the video?
Answer: (c) They look like they are floating over the water

4. How often does the “ice window” phenomenon happen?
Answer: (b) Once every ten years

5. What can people do on the clear ice?
Answer: (c) Skate on it

6. Why are lots of people watching the video?
Answer: (d) Because it’s pretty and unusual

7. What does the video help us remember?
Answer: (b) That nature can be amazing

8. What does the video show?
Answer: (a) That you can find something cool when you don’t expect it
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. A woman and her husband made a video of themselves skating on very murky ice in Alaska. (Answer: False)
2. Skating on this murky ice is a special adventure. (Answer: False)
3. This special kind of ice happens when the weather gets very cold without any snow. (Answer: True)
4. Lots of people are watching the video because it is dull and ordinary. (Answer: False)
5. The clear ice is called an “ice window” and it is very rare. (Answer: True)
6. The video reminds us that nature can be amazing and sometimes we can find something cool when we least expect it. (Answer: True)
7. People can skate on this clear ice and see right down into the water. (Answer: True)
8. The ice is so opaque that it looks like they are sinking in the water. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧