Reginald Beckford used to be scared of sharks, but now he’s helping to protect the third-largest barrier reef in the world from a dangerous coral disease. The Turks and Caicos Islands, where Reginald lives, got hit by a disease called stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) in 2019. It spread quickly and is now in 28 countries in the Caribbean. Reginald and other volunteers from the TC Reef Fund are working hard to stop the disease from spreading by putting a special medicine on the infected corals. This medicine doesn’t stop the corals from getting sick again, but it gives them enough time to have babies before they die.

Arenthia Baker used to be a teacher, but now she helps fight against SCTLD after moving to the islands from Florida. She volunteers with the Reef Fund as a fish scientist and diving expert. Even though the reef has a lot of problems, like coral bleaching from warm water, Arenthia stays positive about their ability to fight SCTLD. Scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History found a special bacteria that can help treat the disease. This is good news because using antibiotics too much can make bacteria resistant to them.

The Turks and Caicos Islands are doing a lot of research to restore the reef. They made two special places in the water to grow new corals and a special building on land to keep healthy coral pieces. This is the first building like this in the British Caribbean islands. The building, paid for by the John Ellerman Foundation, keeps the coral pieces safe until they can be put back on the reef. It’s important to keep different types of corals safe because they have different genes. The Reef Fund’s leader, Alizee Zimmermann, makes sure the corals have everything they need to grow. They even made special tanks to hold the most at-risk coral species, like a “coral ark.” The team also makes fake seawater with the right stuff to help the corals grow.

Alizee Zimmermann really cares about the corals and can tell if they’re happy or hungry. The corals get food from algae that live in them, and the team also feeds them special food made from conch and algae. Even though the reef has a lot of problems, the work of volunteers like Reginald and Arenthia, along with the new discoveries in research, give hope for the future of the coral reef ecosystem.

Original news source: Coral reef: How divers are using antibiotics to save sick corals (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs. Give each pair a few minutes to read the article. Then, ask them to summarize the main points of the article in their own words. Afterward, have each pair share their summaries with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the students into small groups. Assign each group a specific topic related to the article (e.g. coral bleaching, coral restoration, volunteer work). In their groups, have the students discuss their opinions on the topic and come up with a list of reasons to support their opinions. Then, ask each group to present their opinions and reasons to the class, and facilitate a class discussion based on the different viewpoints.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the students into pairs or small groups. Give each group a set of vocabulary words. One student from each group will choose a word and draw a picture representing that word, while the other student(s) guess what the word is. Encourage the use of English only during the activity.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs or small groups. Ask them to create catchy headlines for the article, using their creativity and the main ideas from the text. Afterward, have each group share their headlines with the class and discuss the different approaches they took.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have a class discussion about the future of coral reefs and the actions being taken to protect them. Ask the students to make predictions about the future of coral reefs based on the information in the article. They can discuss potential challenges, advancements in research, or possible outcomes. Encourage the students to provide reasons for their predictions and engage in a lively discussion.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is Reginald Beckford and what is he doing to help protect the barrier reef?
2. What disease hit the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2019 and how many countries is it now in?
3. What is the special medicine that Reginald and other volunteers are putting on the infected corals for?
4. What is Arenthia Baker’s role in fighting against SCTLD?
5. What is the good news that scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History found?
6. What special places and building have the Turks and Caicos Islands made to restore the reef?
7. Why is it important to keep different types of corals safe?
8. How does Alizee Zimmermann care for the corals and what do they feed them?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

(1)______ Beckford used to be scared of sharks, but now he’s helping to protect the third-largest barrier reef in the world from a dangerous coral (2)______. The Turks and (3)______ Islands, where Reginald lives, got hit by a disease called stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) in 2019. It spread quickly and is now in 28 countries in the Caribbean. Reginald and other volunteers from the TC Reef Fund are working hard to stop the disease from spreading by putting a special medicine on the (4)______ corals. This medicine doesn’t stop the corals from getting sick again, but it gives them enough time to have babies before they die.

Arenthia Baker used to be a teacher, but now she helps fight against SCTLD after moving to the islands from (5)______. She volunteers with the Reef Fund as a fish scientist and diving expert. Even though the reef has a lot of problems, like coral bleaching from warm water, Arenthia stays positive about their (6)______ to fight SCTLD. Scientists at the Smithsonian’s (7)______ Museum of Natural History found a special (8)______ that can help treat the disease. This is good news because using antibiotics too much can make bacteria resistant to them.

The (9)______ and Caicos Islands are doing a lot of research to restore the reef. They made two special places in the water to grow new (10)______ and a special building on land to keep healthy (11)______ pieces. This is the first building like this in the British Caribbean islands. The building, paid for by the John Ellerman Foundation, keeps the coral pieces safe until they can be put back on the reef. It’s important to keep different types of corals safe because they have different genes. The Reef Fund’s (12)______, Alizee Zimmermann, makes sure the corals have everything they need to grow. They even made special tanks to hold the most at-risk coral species, like a “coral ark.” The team also makes fake seawater with the (13)______ stuff to help the corals grow.

Alizee Zimmermann really (14)______ about the corals and can tell if they’re happy or hungry. The corals get food from algae that live in them, and the team also feeds them special food made from conch and algae. Even though the reef has a lot of problems, the work of volunteers like Reginald and (15)______, along with the new discoveries in research, give hope for the (16)______ of the coral reef ecosystem.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) and why is it dangerous for coral reefs?
2. How do volunteers like Reginald and Arenthia help protect the coral reef ecosystem?
3. Do you think it’s important to protect coral reefs? Why or why not?
4. What are some of the problems that the coral reef in the Turks and Caicos Islands face?
5. How do scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History contribute to fighting against SCTLD?
6. What are some ways that the Turks and Caicos Islands are working to restore the reef?
7. Why is it important to keep different types of corals safe?
8. How does the Reef Fund leader, Alizee Zimmermann, ensure that the corals have everything they need to grow?
9. Do you think it’s possible to make corals happy or hungry? Why or why not?
10. How do corals get their food and what special food do the volunteers feed them?
11. How does the work of volunteers and new research discoveries give hope for the future of the coral reef ecosystem?
12. Have you ever seen a coral reef in person? If so, what was your experience like?
13. How would you feel if you were a volunteer helping to protect coral reefs?
14. Do you like marine life? Why or why not?
15. What do you think is the biggest threat to coral reefs around the world? Why?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. barrier
2. disease
3. volunteers
4. infected
5. medicine
6. antibiotics
7. resistant
8. restore
9. genes
10. tanks
11. species
12. algae
13. ecosystem
14. coral
15. ark

Meanings:
(A) A group of living organisms that are similar to each other
(B) A place of safety or refuge, often used in a biblical context
(C) People who offer to do something without getting paid for it
(D) Drugs that kill or stop the growth of bacteria
(E) Simple plants that live in water and don’t have true stems, roots, or leaves
(F) Large containers that hold liquids
(G) A substance used for treating illness or injury
(H) Having harmful microorganisms present that can cause illness
(I) A type of marine animal with a hard, colorful skeleton
(J) An illness that affects a person, animal, or plant
(K) To bring something back to its original condition or to improve it
(L) A community of living things and their environment
(M) A natural or man-made structure that blocks or protects an area
(N) The basic building blocks of living organisms that determine their traits
(O) Able to withstand or not affected by something
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What disease is Reginald Beckford helping to protect the coral reef from?
(a) Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD)
(b) Coral bleaching
(c) Shark attacks
(d) Algae overgrowth

2. Where did the disease SCTLD originate?
(a) Florida
(b) Caribbean
(c) Turks and Caicos Islands
(d) British Caribbean islands

3. What is the role of Arenthia Baker in fighting against SCTLD?
(a) Coral researcher
(b) Medicine distributor
(c) Algae specialist
(d) Fish scientist and diving expert

4. Why is the discovery of special bacteria important in treating the disease?
(a) It can make bacteria resistant to antibiotics
(b) It can cure the disease completely
(c) It can prevent the disease from spreading to other countries
(d) It can help treat the disease without using antibiotics

5. What is the purpose of the special building on land in the Turks and Caicos Islands?
(a) To keep healthy coral pieces safe
(b) To house volunteers from the Reef Fund
(c) To conduct research on coral bleaching
(d) To provide shelter for marine animals

6. Why is it important to keep different types of corals safe?
(a) Because they are more resistant to diseases
(b) Because they can survive in warmer water
(c) Because they have different genes
(d) Because they attract more tourists

7. What do the corals get their food from?
(a) Special food made from conch and algae
(b) Algae that live in them
(c) Fish that swim near them
(d) Seawater with the right nutrients

8. What gives hope for the future of the coral reef ecosystem?
(a) The use of antibiotics to treat the disease
(b) The work of volunteers and new research discoveries
(c) The building of special tanks for coral species
(d) The presence of algae in the water

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The Turks and Caicos Islands were not hit by a coral disease called stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) in 2019.
2. Scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History have not found a special bacteria that can help treat the disease.
3. The disease has spread to 28 countries in the Caribbean.
4. The Turks and Caicos Islands are conducting research to restore the reef, including creating special places to grow new corals and a building to keep healthy coral pieces.
5. Reginald Beckford used to be scared of sharks but now he helps protect a large barrier reef from a dangerous coral disease.
6. Arenthia Baker used to be a teacher but now she does not help fight against SCTLD as a fish scientist and diving expert.
7. Reginald and other volunteers from the TC Reef Fund are not working to stop the disease from spreading by using a special medicine on infected corals.
8. The medicine doesn’t prevent the corals from getting sick again, but it gives them enough time to reproduce before they die.
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 disease is threatening the third-largest barrier reef in the world?
2. How are volunteers like Reginald and Arenthia helping to stop the spread of the disease?
3. Why is it important to keep different types of corals safe?
4. What is the purpose of the special building on land in the Turks and Caicos Islands?
5. How do the volunteers ensure that the corals have everything they need to grow?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Reginald Beckford used to be scared of sharks, but now he’s helping to protect the third-largest barrier reef in the world. He is part of the TC Reef Fund and he and other volunteers are putting a special medicine on the infected corals to stop the spread of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD).

2. The disease that hit the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2019 is called stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD). It is now in 28 countries in the Caribbean.

3. The special medicine that Reginald and other volunteers are putting on the infected corals gives them enough time to have babies before they die. It doesn’t stop the corals from getting sick again, but it helps in their reproduction.

4. Arenthia Baker used to be a teacher, but now she helps fight against SCTLD. She volunteers with the Reef Fund as a fish scientist and diving expert.

5. Scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History found a special bacteria that can help treat the disease. This is good news because using antibiotics too much can make bacteria resistant to them.

6. The Turks and Caicos Islands have made two special places in the water to grow new corals and a special building on land to keep healthy coral pieces. The building, paid for by the John Ellerman Foundation, keeps the coral pieces safe until they can be put back on the reef.

7. It is important to keep different types of corals safe because they have different genes. By preserving different types of corals, we can maintain biodiversity and genetic diversity in the reef ecosystem.

8. Alizee Zimmermann cares for the corals by making sure they have everything they need to grow. She can tell if the corals are happy or hungry. The corals get food from algae that live in them, and the team also feeds them special food made from conch and algae.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Reginald
(2) disease
(3) Caicos
(4) infected
(5) Florida
(6) ability
(7) National
(8) bacteria
(9) Turks
(10) corals
(11) coral
(12) leader
(13) right
(14) cares
(15) Arenthia
(16) future
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. barrier
Answer: (M) A natural or man-made structure that blocks or protects an area

2. disease
Answer: (J) An illness that affects a person, animal, or plant

3. volunteers
Answer: (C) People who offer to do something without getting paid for it

4. infected
Answer: (H) Having harmful microorganisms present that can cause illness

5. medicine
Answer: (G) A substance used for treating illness or injury

6. antibiotics
Answer: (D) Drugs that kill or stop the growth of bacteria

7. resistant
Answer: (O) Able to withstand or not affected by something

8. restore
Answer: (K) To bring something back to its original condition or to improve it

9. genes
Answer: (N) The basic building blocks of living organisms that determine their traits

10. tanks
Answer: (F) Large containers that hold liquids

11. species
Answer: (A) A group of living organisms that are similar to each other

12. algae
Answer: (E) Simple plants that live in water and don’t have true stems, roots, or leaves

13. ecosystem
Answer: (L) A community of living things and their environment

14. coral
Answer: (I) A type of marine animal with a hard, colorful skeleton

15. ark
Answer: (B) A place of safety or refuge, often used in a biblical context
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What disease is Reginald Beckford helping to protect the coral reef from?
Answer: (a) Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD)

2. Where did the disease SCTLD originate?
Answer: (c) Turks and Caicos Islands

3. What is the role of Arenthia Baker in fighting against SCTLD?
Answer: (d) Fish scientist and diving expert

4. Why is the discovery of special bacteria important in treating the disease?
Answer: (d) It can help treat the disease without using antibiotics

5. What is the purpose of the special building on land in the Turks and Caicos Islands?
Answer: (a) To keep healthy coral pieces safe

6. Why is it important to keep different types of corals safe?
Answer: (c) Because they have different genes

7. What do the corals get their food from?
Answer: (b) Algae that live in them

8. What gives hope for the future of the coral reef ecosystem?
Answer: (b) The work of volunteers and new research discoveries
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The Turks and Caicos Islands were not hit by a coral disease called stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) in 2019. (Answer: False)
2. Scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History have not found a special bacteria that can help treat the disease. (Answer: False)
3. The disease has spread to 28 countries in the Caribbean. (Answer: True)
4. The Turks and Caicos Islands are conducting research to restore the reef, including creating special places to grow new corals and a building to keep healthy coral pieces. (Answer: True)
5. Reginald Beckford used to be scared of sharks but now he helps protect a large barrier reef from a dangerous coral disease. (Answer: True)
6. Arenthia Baker used to be a teacher but now she does not help fight against SCTLD as a fish scientist and diving expert. (Answer: False)
7. Reginald and other volunteers from the TC Reef Fund are not working to stop the disease from spreading by using a special medicine on infected corals. (Answer: False)
8. The medicine doesn’t prevent the corals from getting sick again, but it gives them enough time to reproduce before they die. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧