In September 2019, a gold toilet was stolen from Blenheim Palace in England. The toilet was made by an Italian artist and was very valuable, worth $6 million. Thieves took it in just five minutes, using sledgehammers to break in. The toilet was a working one and was on display for people to see.
The thieves planned the theft carefully. They came in two stolen cars early in the morning. They broke through gates and a window to get inside. They knew where the toilet was and quickly took it, leaving water spilling everywhere.
Now, three men are on trial for the theft. One man says he is not guilty, while the others are accused of trying to sell the gold. Another person has already admitted to being part of the crime. People are very interested in the case as it unfolds in court.
Original news source: Thieves stole Β£2.8m gold toilet at Blenheim Palace in just five minutes, court hears (Sky News)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– CHARADES
Instructions: Students take turns acting out key phrases or words from the article without speaking, while the rest of the class guesses what they are. Phrases can include "gold toilet," "stolen cars," "sledgehammers," and "trial."
– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Create a list of statements based on the article (e.g., "Stealing is never okay," "Art should be displayed in public"). Students move to one side of the room for "agree" and the other side for "disagree," then discuss their opinions with a partner.
– HEADLINE CREATION
Instructions: Students work in pairs to come up with a catchy headline for the article. After they create their headlines, they share them with the class, and the teacher can select a few to write on the board.
– VOCABULARY PICTIONARY
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group takes a key vocabulary word from the article (e.g., "thief," "valuable," "trial") and draws it on the board. The other groups guess the word based on the drawing.
– THINK-PAIR-SHARE
Instructions: Pose a question related to the article, such as "Why do you think people steal valuable items?" Students think individually, then pair up to discuss their thoughts before sharing with the larger group.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
A gold toilet was stolen.
It was worth $6 million.
It took the thieves five minutes to steal it.
The thieves used sledgehammers to break in.
The thieves came in two stolen cars.
Water was spilling everywhere when they took the toilet.
Three men are on trial for the theft.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
In September 2019, a gold toilet was from Blenheim Palace in England. The toilet was made by an Italian and was very valuable, worth $6 million. Thieves it in just five minutes, using sledgehammers to break in. The toilet was a working one and was on display for people to see. The thieves the theft carefully. They came in two stolen early in the . They broke through gates and a to get inside. They where the toilet was and quickly took it, leaving water spilling everywhere. Now, three men are on for the theft. One man says he is not guilty, while the others are accused of to sell the . Another person has already admitted to being part of the . People are very interested in the case as it unfolds in court.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is your favorite type of art?
2. How would you feel if someone stole something valuable from you?
3. Do you think it is okay to take something that does not belong to you? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever seen a famous piece of art? What was it?
5. What is a valuable item you would like to own?
6. How do you think the thieves felt after stealing the gold toilet?
7. Do you like going to museums or art galleries? Why?
8. What would you do if you saw someone stealing something?
9. Do you think it is important to protect valuable things? Why?
10. How would you feel if you were in a court watching a trial?
11. What is a funny or strange thing you have seen in a museum?
12. Do you think people should be allowed to make art from unusual materials? Why or why not?
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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