People in the United Arab Emirates were surprised by a rare weather event – a hailstorm in the desert. Big balls of ice covered roads and caused damage to homes and cars. Some locals were really surprised by this strange thing. But is it really so weird for a desert country to have this kind of weather? BBC Weather's Elizabeth Rizzini has the answer.
The video shows footage of the hailstorm and explains that while it might seem strange, hailstorms can happen in desert areas under certain conditions. Hail is made when there are strong winds in thunderstorms, which can happen in deserts too. These winds carry raindrops up into really cold parts of the sky, where they freeze and become hailstones. When the hailstones get too heavy, they fall to the ground.
Hailstorms in the desert are rare because there isn't much moisture in the air. Deserts are known for being dry, with very little rain. But when the right mix of weather conditions happens, hailstorms can happen even in these dry places. That's why people in the UAE were surprised by the recent hailstorm.
The video ends by saying that while hailstorms in the desert aren't common, they aren't unheard of either. It's a rare weather event that can happen in certain situations. So, while people might have been shocked by the hailstorm, it's not completely unexpected for a desert country like the UAE to have this kind of weather.
Original news source: UAE: A hailstorm in the desert? Rare weather phenomenon shocks residents (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Have each group read the article silently.
3. In their groups, students should discuss the main points and key details of the article.
4. Each group selects a spokesperson to give a concise summary of the article to the class.
5. Encourage the use of English language skills such as summarizing, paraphrasing, and presenting information clearly.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Have each group discuss their opinions on the topic of hailstorms in the desert.
3. Provide a list of discussion questions, such as: Do you think it is strange for a desert country to have hailstorms? Why or why not? Have you ever experienced a rare weather event? How did it make you feel?
4. Each group should take turns asking and answering the questions, recording their responses.
5. After the discussion, conduct a class-wide poll by having each group share their opinions and reasons.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Create a list of key vocabulary words from the article, such as hailstorm, desert, moisture, thunderstorm, etc.
2. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
3. Give each group a set of vocabulary words.
4. In a limited amount of time, each group must take turns drawing a picture to represent one of the words on their list.
5. The other groups must guess the word based on the drawing.
6. Encourage students to use English language skills such as describing, guessing, and using context clues.
– Headline Creation
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Instruct each group to create a catchy headline for the article about the hailstorm in the desert.
3. Encourage creativity and the use of English language skills such as summarizing, paraphrasing, and capturing attention in a headline.
4. After a designated time, have each group present their headline to the class.
5. Discuss the different headlines and why they are effective or interesting.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions:
1. Have the class read the article silently.
2. Instruct students to think about the article and come up with one question or comment about it.
3. Pair up the students and have them share their question or comment with their partner.
4. After the pairs have discussed, bring the class back together and ask for volunteers to share their thoughts with the whole class.
5. Encourage students to use English language skills such as forming questions, expressing opinions, and listening actively to their partners.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
A hailstorm in the desert.
Hailstorms are formed when there are strong winds in thunderstorms. These winds carry raindrops up into really cold parts of the sky, where they freeze and become hailstones.
Hailstorms in the desert are considered rare because there isn't much moisture in the air. Deserts are known for being dry, with very little rain.
When hailstones become too heavy, they fall to the ground.
People in the UAE were surprised by the recent hailstorm because it is not common to have hailstorms in a desert country like the UAE.
Hailstorms in the desert are uncommon.
Yes, hailstorms can happen in dry places like deserts under certain weather conditions.
No, it is not completely unexpected for a desert country like the UAE to have hailstorms, although they are rare occurrences.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
People in the United Arab Emirates were by a rare weather event – a hailstorm in the . Big balls of ice covered roads and caused to and cars. Some locals were really surprised by this strange thing. But is it really so weird for a desert country to have this kind of weather? BBC Weather's Elizabeth Rizzini has the answer. The video shows footage of the hailstorm and explains that while it might seem strange, hailstorms can happen in desert areas under conditions. Hail is made when there are strong winds in , which can happen in deserts too. These winds carry raindrops up into really cold parts of the sky, where they and hailstones. When the get too heavy, they fall to the ground. Hailstorms in the desert are rare because there isn't much moisture in the air. are known for being dry, with very little rain. But when the right mix of weather conditions happens, can happen even in these dry places. That's why in the UAE were surprised by the recent hailstorm. The ends by saying that while hailstorms in the desert aren't common, they aren't unheard of either. It's a rare weather that can happen in certain . So, while people might have been shocked by the hailstorm, it's not completely unexpected for a desert like the UAE to have this kind of weather.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. Have you ever experienced a hailstorm? If so, what was it like?
2. What do you think would be the scariest thing about a hailstorm?
3. How would you feel if you were driving in a car during a hailstorm?
4. Do you think it's strange for a desert country to have a hailstorm? Why or why not?
5. What do you think caused the hailstones to fall to the ground in the desert?
6. Have you ever seen hailstones before? If so, what did they look like?
7. Do you think it's important for people living in desert countries to be prepared for hailstorms? Why or why not?
8. How do you think the hailstorm affected the people living in the UAE?
9. Do you think the hailstorm caused a lot of damage to homes and cars? Why or why not?
10. What kind of weather conditions do you think are needed for a hailstorm to happen in the desert?
11. How do you think the hailstorm in the UAE compares to other weather events that have happened around the world?
12. Do you think it's a good idea for people living in the UAE to have insurance for their homes and cars? Why or why not?
13. What do you think the locals in the UAE were thinking when they saw the hailstorm?
14. Have you ever been surprised by a weather event? If so, what happened?
15. Do you think the hailstorm in the UAE will make people more aware of the possibility of hailstorms in desert countries? 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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