India wants to send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040, and they also plan to build a space station by 2035. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, made this announcement. India is also thinking about going to Venus and Mars.

India has already done some cool stuff in space. In August, they landed a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole, which no one had done before. They also launched a rocket in September to study the Sun. They did all this with the help of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).

Isro is working on a project called Gaganyaan. They want to send people into space and bring them back safely. They will do a big test for this on Saturday. After that, they will send a robot into space before the final mission with people in 2024.

India is showing that they are really good at space stuff. They want to be a big player in the space industry. It’s an exciting time for India and space exploration.

Original news source: India aims to send astronaut to the Moon by 2040 (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article. Then, ask them to work together to write a summary of the article, focusing on the main points. After a designated time, have each group share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Ask the students to form pairs or small groups. Assign each group a specific question related to the article, such as “Do you think India will be successful in sending an astronaut to the Moon by 2040?” or “Should India prioritize space exploration over other national priorities?” Instruct the groups to discuss the question and come up with their own opinions. After a few minutes, have each group share their opinions with the class and facilitate a class discussion.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board, such as “astronaut,” “space station,” “spacecraft,” “south pole,” etc. Divide the class into teams. One student 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 teammates try to guess the word. The team who guesses correctly gets a point. Continue until all the words have been guessed or time runs out.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Assign each group a specific image or concept from the article, such as “landing a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole” or “launching a rocket to study the Sun.” Instruct the groups to create a sketch or drawing to represent their assigned image or concept. After a designated time, have each group present their sketch to the class and explain their drawing.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Assign each group a specific topic related to the article, such as “India’s plans to send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040” or “India’s ambition to be a big player in the space industry.” Instruct the groups to discuss the pros and cons of their assigned topic and come up with a list. After a few minutes, have each group share their lists with the class and facilitate a class discussion.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What are India’s plans for space exploration by 2040?
2. Who made the announcement about India’s plans for space exploration?
3. What cool things has India already accomplished in space?
4. What is the name of the organization that helped India with their space missions?
5. What is the goal of Isro’s project called Gaganyaan?
6. When will Isro send a robot into space?
7. What does India want to become in the space industry?
8. Why is it an exciting time for India and space exploration?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

(1)______ wants to send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040, and they also plan to build a space (2)______ by 2035. The Prime Minister, (3)______ Modi, made this announcement. India is also thinking about (4)______ to Venus and Mars.

India has already done some cool stuff in space. In August, they landed a spacecraft on the Moon’s (5)______ pole, which no one had done before. They also (6)______ a (7)______ in (8)______ to study the Sun. They did all this with the help of the Indian (9)______ Research (10)______ (Isro).

Isro is (11)______ on a project (12)______ Gaganyaan. They want to send people into space and bring them back safely. They will do a big test for this on Saturday. After that, they will send a robot into (13)______ before the final (14)______ with (15)______ in 2024.

India is showing that they are really good at space stuff. They want to be a big player in the space industry. It’s an exciting time for India and space (16)______.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What do you think about India’s plans to send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040?
2. How would you feel if you had the opportunity to go into space?
3. Do you think it’s important for countries to explore space? Why or why not?
4. What is the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and what do they do?
5. How do you think landing a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole is a cool achievement?
6. Do you like learning about space exploration? Why or why not?
7. How do you think India’s plans to build a space station by 2035 will benefit their country?
8. What is your opinion on India’s goal to go to Venus and Mars?
9. Do you think it’s possible for humans to live on other planets in the future? Why or why not?
10. How do you think the Gaganyaan project will contribute to India’s space exploration efforts?
11. What would you do if you were the Prime Minister and had the opportunity to make announcements about space exploration?
12. How do you think India’s advancements in space technology will impact their economy?
13. Do you think other countries will be inspired by India’s achievements in space? Why or why not?
14. What are some challenges that India might face in their journey to become a big player in the space industry?
15. How do you think space exploration can benefit humanity as a whole?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. astronaut
2. space station
3. spacecraft
4. rocket
5. Gaganyaan
6. test
7. robot
8. exploration

Meanings:
(a) A place where people live and work in space
(b) A trial to see if something works
(c) The act of discovering and learning about new things in space
(d) A vehicle that goes up into space
(e) A project to send people into space
(f) A machine that can do tasks automatically
(g) A person who goes to space
(h) A vehicle that travels in space
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is India planning to do by 2040?
(a) Build a space station on Mars
(b) Launch a rocket to study the Sun
(c) Send an astronaut to the Moon
(d) Explore the south pole of Venus

2. Who made the announcement about India’s space plans?
(a) Narendra Modi
(b) The President of India
(c) The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro)
(d) The Prime Minister of Russia

3. What cool thing did India do in space in August?
(a) Sent a robot to Venus
(b) Landed a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole
(c) Built a space station on Mars
(d) Launched a rocket to study the Sun

4. Which organization helped India with their space achievements?
(a) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
(b) European Space Agency (ESA)
(c) Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro)
(d) Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos)

5. What is the name of the project that Isro is working on?
(a) Gaganyaan
(b) Moon Mission 2040
(c) Venus Exploration Project
(d) Mars Space Station Initiative

6. What will Isro test on Saturday?
(a) Landing a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole
(b) Launching a rocket to study the Sun
(c) Sending a robot to Venus
(d) Sending people into space and bringing them back safely

7. When does India plan to send people into space for the final mission?
(a) 2035
(b) 2040
(c) 2050
(d) 2024

8. What does India want to be in the space industry?
(a) A small participant
(b) A big player
(c) A leading country
(d) A follower

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, did not make this announcement.
2. India plans to send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040 and build a space station by 2035.
3. India recently failed to achieve a significant milestone by landing a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole, a feat no one had accomplished before.
4. In September, India launched a rocket to study the Sun.
5. Isro is not currently working on a project called Gaganyaan, aiming to send people into space and bring them back safely.
6. India aims to establish itself as a minor player in the space industry, lacking prowess in space exploration.
7. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has been instrumental in these space missions.
8. India is considering missions to Venus and Mars.
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 are India’s plans for space exploration in the future?
2. What cool achievements has India already made in space?
3. What is the purpose of the Gaganyaan project?
4. What is India’s goal in the space industry?
5. Why is this an exciting time for India and space exploration?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. India plans to send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040 and build a space station by 2035.
2. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, made the announcement about India’s plans for space exploration.
3. India has landed a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole, which had never been done before, and they also launched a rocket to study the Sun.
4. The organization that helped India with their space missions is called the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).
5. The goal of Isro’s project called Gaganyaan is to send people into space and bring them back safely.
6. Isro will send a robot into space before the final mission with people in 2024.
7. India wants to become a big player in the space industry.
8. It is an exciting time for India and space exploration because they are showing their capabilities in space and have ambitious plans for future missions.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) India
(2) station
(3) Narendra
(4) going
(5) south
(6) launched
(7) rocket
(8) September
(9) Space
(10) Organisation
(11) working
(12) called
(13) space
(14) mission
(15) people
(16) exploration
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. astronaut
Answer: (g) A person who goes to space

2. space station
Answer: (a) A place where people live and work in space

3. spacecraft
Answer: (h) A vehicle that travels in space

4. rocket
Answer: (d) A vehicle that goes up into space

5. Gaganyaan
Answer: (e) A project to send people into space

6. test
Answer: (b) A trial to see if something works

7. robot
Answer: (f) A machine that can do tasks automatically

8. exploration
Answer: (c) The act of discovering and learning about new things in space
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is India planning to do by 2040?
Answer: (c) Send an astronaut to the Moon

2. Who made the announcement about India’s space plans?
Answer: (a) Narendra Modi

3. What cool thing did India do in space in August?
Answer: (b) Landed a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole

4. Which organization helped India with their space achievements?
Answer: (c) Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro)

5. What is the name of the project that Isro is working on?
Answer: (a) Gaganyaan

6. What will Isro test on Saturday?
Answer: (d) Sending people into space and bringing them back safely

7. When does India plan to send people into space for the final mission?
Answer: (d) 2024

8. What does India want to be in the space industry?
Answer: (b) A big player
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, did not make this announcement. (Answer: False)
2. India plans to send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040 and build a space station by 2035. (Answer: True)
3. India recently failed to achieve a significant milestone by landing a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole, a feat no one had accomplished before. (Answer: False)
4. In September, India launched a rocket to study the Sun. (Answer: True)
5. Isro is not currently working on a project called Gaganyaan, aiming to send people into space and bring them back safely. (Answer: False)
6. India aims to establish itself as a minor player in the space industry, lacking prowess in space exploration. (Answer: False)
7. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has been instrumental in these space missions. (Answer: True)
8. India is considering missions to Venus and Mars. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧