The Spanish ship San José sank off the coast of Colombia in 1708. It carried gold, silver, and emeralds worth billions of dollars. Many groups want to own this treasure, including the Colombian government, Spain, a US company, and indigenous groups. They are arguing about it in court.

The San José was sunk by the British over 300 years ago. Colombia wants to put the treasure in a museum to show its history. Treasure hunters want to sell the treasure for money. Some people think the ship should stay underwater because it is a grave for 600 people who died.

There are many shipwrecks like the San José in the ocean. People argue about who owns these treasures. International laws about shipwrecks are not very clear. The argument about the San José continues, with some wanting to keep it as history and others wanting to sell the treasure.

Original news source: The fierce battle over the 'Holy Grail' of shipwrecks (BBC)

– Charades
Instructions: Write down key words related to the article on small pieces of paper (e.g., shipwreck, treasure, museum, court, history). Have students take turns choosing a word and acting it out without speaking while the others guess what it is.
– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, have students summarize the article in their own words. Encourage them to include key details such as the main events, different groups involved, and the main arguments presented. Then, have pairs share their summaries with the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on the board (e.g., emeralds, treasure hunters, shipwrecks). Have students take turns coming to the board to draw a quick sketch representing the word while their classmates try to guess what it is. This activity will help reinforce vocabulary retention.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a different perspective from the article (e.g., Colombian government, treasure hunters, indigenous groups). Have students discuss and come up with reasons to support their assigned perspective. Then, conduct a class poll to see which perspective has the most support.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: As a class, brainstorm a list of pros and cons related to the different arguments presented in the article (e.g., putting the treasure in a museum, selling the treasure for money, leaving the shipwreck untouched). Have students discuss and debate these points in pairs or small groups, considering different viewpoints.

The Spanish ship San ? sank off the ? of Colombia in 1708. It carried ?, silver, and emeralds worth billions of dollars. Many groups want to own this treasure, including the Colombian government, Spain, a US company, and indigenous groups. They are arguing about it in court. The San José was ? by the British over 300 ? ago. Colombia ? to put the treasure in a museum to show its history. Treasure hunters want to sell the treasure for money. Some ? think the ship should stay ? because it is a grave for 600 people who ?. There are many shipwrecks like the San José in the ocean. People argue about who owns these treasures. International laws about ? are not very ?. The argument about the San José ?, with some wanting to keep it as history and others wanting to sell the treasure.

1. What is a shipwreck?
2. How would you feel if you found a treasure at the bottom of the ocean?
3. Do you think it's important to preserve history? Why or why not?
4. Do you like going to museums? Why or why not?
5. What do you think should happen to the treasure from the San José?
6. How would you feel if you were a treasure hunter looking for the San José's treasure?
7. Do you think it's right to sell treasures from shipwrecks? Why or why not?
8. What is a grave?
9. How would you feel if you knew a shipwreck was also a grave for people who died?
10. Do you think it's fair for different groups to argue over who owns the treasure? Why or why not?
11. What would you do if you found a sunken ship full of treasure?
12. Why do you think some people want to keep the San José as history while others want to sell the treasure?

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