A white alligator at a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, had a big problem. It ate 70 coins that people threw into its home. The zoo doctors had to do surgery to take out the coins. The alligator, named Thibodaux, is now feeling better.

The zoo doctors found the coins when they were checking the alligators. They quickly helped Thibodaux by taking the coins out. They made sure the alligator was asleep and safe during the surgery. The zoo wants people to know that throwing coins at animals is very bad.

This story teaches us to be careful and kind to animals at the zoo. The zoo is trying to tell people not to throw things at animals. Thibodaux getting better reminds us to act nicely when we visit animals. It’s important to keep animals safe and happy.

Original news source: US zoo extracts 70 coins from white alligator (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a set of animal cards, including a card with the word “coin” on it. One member from each team will come to the front of the class and act out the word on the card without speaking. The team members must guess the word within a certain time limit. The team that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: After reading the article together, have students work in pairs to write a summary of the article using their own words. Encourage them to include the main ideas and key details. Afterward, have pairs share their summaries with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article, such as “Throwing coins at animals is wrong” or “Visiting zoos helps people learn about animals.” Have students stand up and move to one side of the room if they agree with the statement, and to the other side if they disagree. Once everyone has chosen a side, encourage students to discuss their opinions in small groups.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the class into small teams. One member from each team will come to the front of the class and choose a word from the list. They must then draw a picture on the board to represent the word, while their team members try to guess the word. The team that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Assign each group a role, either “pro” or “con,” and have them discuss the statement “Throwing coins at animals is a form of entertainment.” Each group must come up with at least three reasons to support their assigned position. Afterward, have groups share their arguments with the class and facilitate a class discussion on the topic.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What was the problem that the white alligator had?
2. What did the zoo doctors have to do to help the alligator?
3. How did the doctors make sure the alligator was safe during the surgery?
4. Why does the zoo want people to know that throwing coins at animals is bad?
5. What is the lesson we can learn from this story?
6. What does it mean to act nicely when we visit animals?
7. Why is it important to keep animals safe and happy?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A white (1)______ at a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, had a big problem. It ate 70 (2)______ that people (3)______ into its home. The zoo doctors had to do surgery to take out the coins. The alligator, named Thibodaux, is now feeling better.

The zoo doctors (4)______ the coins when they were checking the (5)______. They quickly helped Thibodaux by taking the coins out. They made (6)______ the alligator was asleep and safe during the surgery. The zoo wants (7)______ to (8)______ that (9)______ coins at animals is very bad.

This story teaches us to be careful and kind to animals at the zoo. The zoo is trying to tell people not to throw (10)______ at (11)______. (12)______ getting better reminds us to act nicely when we visit animals. It’s important to keep animals safe and happy.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a zoo?
2. How do you think Thibodaux felt when it ate the coins?
3. How would you feel if you were Thibodaux?
4. Do you think it’s okay to throw coins at animals? Why or why not?
5. What do you think the zoo doctors did to help Thibodaux?
6. Have you ever been to a zoo? What animals did you see?
7. How do you think the zoo wants people to act when they visit animals?
8. Do you like going to the zoo? Why or why not?
9. What are some ways we can keep animals safe and happy?
10. Have you ever seen an alligator before? What did it look like?
11. Why do you think it’s important to be kind to animals?
12. What can we learn from Thibodaux’s story?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. alligator
2. zoo
3. surgery
4. coins
5. doctors
6. asleep
7. safe
8. animals
9. teaches
10. careful
11. kind
12. happy

Meanings:
(A) Being very careful to avoid danger or mistakes
(B) Feeling joy or pleasure
(C) Creatures that are not humans, including birds, fish, and insects
(D) An operation done by a doctor to fix something inside your body
(E) People who are trained to help sick or injured people and animals get better
(F) A big reptile with a long tail and sharp teeth that lives in water
(G) Small round pieces of metal used as money
(H) Shows or tells you how to do something or what happens because of something
(I) Being nice and showing you care about others
(J) Sleeping, not awake
(K) A place where you can see many different kinds of animals
(L) Not in danger, protected
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did people throw into the alligator’s home?
(a) Coins
(b) Toys
(c) Food
(d) Rocks

2. Where did the surgery take place?
(a) At a zoo in New York City
(b) At a zoo in Los Angeles, California
(c) At a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska
(d) At a zoo in Chicago, Illinois

3. How many coins did the alligator eat?
(a) 50
(b) 100
(c) 30
(d) 70

4. What did the zoo doctors do to help the alligator?
(a) They gave the alligator medicine
(b) They took the coins out through surgery
(c) They fed the alligator more coins
(d) They left the alligator alone

5. Why is throwing coins at animals bad?
(a) Animals don’t like coins
(b) It’s against the law
(c) The coins can get lost
(d) It can hurt the animals

6. What is the main lesson of this story?
(a) To be careful and kind to animals at the zoo
(b) To throw coins at animals
(c) To visit the zoo every day
(d) To ignore animals at the zoo

7. What does the zoo want people to know?
(a) To bring lots of coins to the zoo
(b) To take pictures of the alligators
(c) Not to throw things at animals
(d) To feed the alligators coins

8. What is important when we visit animals?
(a) To be loud and noisy
(b) To act nicely
(c) To run around and play
(d) To throw things at them

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The zoo wants people to know that throwing coins at animals is not acceptable.
2. This story reminds us to be cautious and compassionate to animals at the zoo.
3. A white alligator in a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, had a problem because it ate 70 coins that people threw into its home.
4. The doctors found the coins when they were checking the alligators at the zoo.
5. Thibodaux recovering reminds us to treat animals properly when we visit and ensure their safety and well-being.
6. The doctors ensured Thibodaux was unconscious and secure during the surgery.
7. The doctors at the zoo had to do surgery to remove the coins from the alligator’s stomach.
8. The alligator’s name is Thibodaux and it is feeling better now.
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 problem did the white alligator have?
2. How did the zoo doctors help the alligator?
3. Why is it bad to throw coins at animals?
4. What is the zoo trying to teach people?
5. Why is it important to keep animals safe and happy?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What was the problem that the white alligator had?
The white alligator had a problem because it ate 70 coins that people threw into its home.

2. What did the zoo doctors have to do to help the alligator?
The zoo doctors had to do surgery to take out the coins and help the alligator.

3. How did the doctors make sure the alligator was safe during the surgery?
The doctors made sure the alligator was safe by making sure it was asleep during the surgery.

4. Why does the zoo want people to know that throwing coins at animals is bad?
The zoo wants people to know that throwing coins at animals is bad because it can hurt them.

5. What is the lesson we can learn from this story?
The lesson we can learn from this story is to be careful and kind to animals at the zoo.

6. What does it mean to act nicely when we visit animals?
Acting nicely when we visit animals means treating them with respect and not throwing things at them.

7. Why is it important to keep animals safe and happy?
It is important to keep animals safe and happy because they deserve to be treated well and live a good life.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) alligator
(2) coins
(3) threw
(4) found
(5) alligators
(6) sure
(7) people
(8) know
(9) throwing
(10) things
(11) animals
(12) Thibodaux
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. alligator
Answer: (F) A big reptile with a long tail and sharp teeth that lives in water

2. zoo
Answer: (K) A place where you can see many different kinds of animals

3. surgery
Answer: (D) An operation done by a doctor to fix something inside your body

4. coins
Answer: (G) Small round pieces of metal used as money

5. doctors
Answer: (E) People who are trained to help sick or injured people and animals get better

6. asleep
Answer: (J) Sleeping, not awake

7. safe
Answer: (L) Not in danger, protected

8. animals
Answer: (C) Creatures that are not humans, including birds, fish, and insects

9. teaches
Answer: (H) Shows or tells you how to do something or what happens because of something

10. careful
Answer: (A) Being very careful to avoid danger or mistakes

11. kind
Answer: (I) Being nice and showing you care about others

12. happy
Answer: (B) Feeling joy or pleasure
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did people throw into the alligator’s home?
Answer: (a) Coins

2. Where did the surgery take place?
Answer: (c) At a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska

3. How many coins did the alligator eat?
Answer: (d) 70

4. What did the zoo doctors do to help the alligator?
Answer: (b) They took the coins out through surgery

5. Why is throwing coins at animals bad?
Answer: (d) It can hurt the animals

6. What is the main lesson of this story?
Answer: (a) To be careful and kind to animals at the zoo

7. What does the zoo want people to know?
Answer: (c) Not to throw things at animals

8. What is important when we visit animals?
Answer: (b) To act nicely
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The zoo wants people to know that throwing coins at animals is not acceptable. (Answer: False)
2. This story reminds us to be cautious and compassionate to animals at the zoo. (Answer: False)
3. A white alligator in a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, had a problem because it ate 70 coins that people threw into its home. (Answer: True)
4. The doctors found the coins when they were checking the alligators at the zoo. (Answer: True)
5. Thibodaux recovering reminds us to treat animals properly when we visit and ensure their safety and well-being. (Answer: False)
6. The doctors ensured Thibodaux was unconscious and secure during the surgery. (Answer: False)
7. The doctors at the zoo had to do surgery to remove the coins from the alligator’s stomach. (Answer: True)
8. The alligator’s name is Thibodaux and it is feeling better now. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧