Maximus Trest, a 13-year-old boy from Canada, has caught the attention of the PlayStation team with his own game called Astrolander. He's so talented that he's decided to take a year off from school to focus on developing his game. Astrolander will be released on PlayStation 5 in 2024.
At a festival where he showed off his game, Max impressed the PlayStation team with his skills and creativity. Even though he's young, Max is already doing well in his classes, which gives him more time to work on his passion for making games.
Astrolander is a cool game where you can play with friends and go on exciting missions in different worlds. It's expected to be really popular among PlayStation 5 users when it comes out next year.
Max's hard work and talent have made him famous in the gaming industry at such a young age. His decision to take a break from school and focus on his game shows how determined he is to succeed in the world of game development.
It's really inspiring to see young people like Max following their passions and accomplishing great things. Max's story reminds us that age doesn't stop you from being successful, and with dedication and hard work, anyone can achieve their dreams. We're excited to see what Max will do with Astrolander and in his future projects.
Original news source: Meet the 13-year-old with his own PlayStation 5 game (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Students are divided into pairs. One student plays the role of a news reporter, while the other is Maximus Trest. The reporter interviews Maximus about his journey creating Astrolander, his decision to take a year off school, and his future plans. Encourage the use of reported speech and interviewing techniques.
– Headline Creation
Instructions: Ask students to write an eye-catching newspaper headline for an article about Maximus Trest and his game Astrolander. Then, have them explain why they chose that headline and what information it conveys about the story.
– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: Line up the students on an opinion spectrum from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree" in response to statements such as "Taking a year off school for personal projects is beneficial" or "Age is not a barrier to success." Discuss the reasons for their positions and encourage them to use language for agreeing and disagreeing politely.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Students work in small groups to predict the future of gaming and young developers like Maximus Trest. They should consider questions like "What kind of games will be popular?" and "How will young talent shape the future of the industry?" Afterward, groups share their predictions and discuss the likelihood of each one.
– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Challenge students to summarize the article in under one minute, focusing on the key points about Maximus Trest, his game Astrolander, and his decision to focus on game development. They can do this in pairs or small groups, taking turns to practice their oral summarization skills.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Maximus Trest is a 13-year-old boy from Canada who has created a game called Astrolander, which has caught the attention of the PlayStation team.
The game is called Astrolander and it will be released on the PlayStation 5.
Maximus has decided to take a year off from school to focus on developing his game, Astrolander.
Maximus impressed the PlayStation team at a festival where he showcased his game.
In Astrolander, players can go on exciting missions in different worlds with their friends.
Astrolander is expected to be released in 2024.
Maximus has become known in the gaming industry for his hard work and talent in game development, especially for creating Astrolander at a young age.
Max's story suggests that age doesn't limit someone's ability to be successful, and with dedication and hard work, anyone, regardless of age, can achieve their dreams.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is your dream job and why do you want to do it?
2. How would you feel if you had the chance to take a year off school to follow your passion?
3. Do you think it's a good idea to take a break from education to pursue personal projects? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever tried to create something like a game or a story? What was it about?
5. What qualities do you think are important to be successful at a young age?
6. Do you like playing video games with friends? What makes it fun for you?
7. If you could design your own video game, what kind of game would it be?
8. How do you balance schoolwork with other activities that you're passionate about?
9. Do you think it's important to be really good at school subjects to be successful in life? Why or why not?
10. Have you ever been to a festival or fair where you got to show something you created? What was it like?
11. What do you think are the biggest challenges for young people who want to achieve big things?
12. Do you admire people who are dedicated to their goals? Can you name someone you look up to for their dedication?
13. What kind of support do you think is important for young talents like Max?
14. Would you like to be famous for something you're good at? What would it be and why?
15. What do you think Max's life will be like after his game is released? Do you think it will change a lot?
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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