The Amazon rainforest had its worst drought ever in 2023, and it caused a lot of damage to the villages, animals, and plants there. Scientists are worried that this is a sign that the Amazon is in big trouble. Oliveira Tikuna, who lives in a village in the middle of the forest, couldn't believe how bad the drought was. He said he had never seen anything like it before. Because there's no water, the crops are ruined, and the villagers are feeling more isolated. The drought happened because of the El NiΓ±o weather pattern, which is made worse by climate change.
FlΓ‘via Costa is a scientist who studies plants, and she has been studying the rainforest for a long time. She says that each drought has been worse than the one before it, and it has caused a lot of damage to the plants. In 2015, there was a really bad drought called the "Godzilla drought," and it killed billions of trees and plants. The Amazon rainforest is really important because it has a lot of different kinds of plants and animals, and it also helps to take carbon out of the air. But scientists are scared that if we cut down too many trees and the Earth gets too hot, the forest will change into something else, like a savannah.
Carlos Nobre is a scientist from Brazil, and he is really worried about what will happen to the Amazon. He says that we need to do more to stop the greenhouse gases that are causing climate change. Right now, 17% of the Amazon has been cut down, and the Earth is already 1.1-1.2Β°C hotter than it was before people started using a lot of machines and factories. But there is some hope because the rate of deforestation is going down in all the countries that have the Amazon, and they have promised to stop cutting down trees completely by 2030.
Some scientists think that parts of the forest might survive even if things get really bad, but there are already signs that things are getting worse. People are starting fires to clear land, but sometimes the fires get out of control and burn parts of the forest that were supposed to be protected. Also, because the water is getting hotter, hundreds of dolphins have been found dead in lakes. The changing climate and what it's doing to the Amazon has surprised scientists and the people who live there. It's really important that we do everything we can to protect and save the rainforest.
Original news source: Amazon drought: 'We've never seen anything like this' (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Assign each group a different aspect of the article (e.g. the drought, the role of climate change, deforestation). Instruct them to read their assigned section and summarize it in 2-3 sentences. Then, have each group share their summary with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write the following question on the board: "Do you think enough is being done to protect the Amazon rainforest? Why or why not?" Give students a few minutes to think about their answer, and then have them discuss their opinions in pairs or small groups. Afterward, conduct a class poll by having students raise their hands to indicate their answer, and encourage a few students to share their reasoning.
– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word "Amazon" on the board and instruct students to brainstorm as many words or phrases related to the Amazon rainforest as they can in 2 minutes. Afterward, have students share their words or phrases with the class, and create a word association web on the board.
– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a few minutes to read and discuss the article together. Then, instruct one student in each pair to describe a scene or image from the article without showing the text to their partner. The other student must listen and sketch what they imagine based on the description. Afterward, have pairs compare their sketches and discuss any differences or similarities.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Instruct students to imagine themselves as environmental activists working to protect the Amazon rainforest. Ask them to write a short paragraph describing what they think will happen to the Amazon in the future if no action is taken, and what they would do to prevent it. Afterward, have a few students share their predictions and ideas with the class.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
The worst drought in the Amazon rainforest was caused by the El NiΓ±o weather pattern, which was made worse by climate change.
The drought ruined the crops in the villages and made the villagers feel more isolated due to the lack of water.
FlΓ‘via Costa is concerned because each drought has been worse than the previous one, causing significant damage to the plants. This is a threat to the biodiversity and overall health of the rainforest.
The Amazon rainforest is significant because it has a wide variety of plants and animals, making it one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. Additionally, the rainforest helps absorb carbon dioxide from the air, which helps combat climate change.
Carlos Nobre is worried about the future of the Amazon rainforest because of deforestation and climate change. He believes that more needs to be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the rainforest.
17% of the Amazon has been deforested so far. This deforestation, along with the increase in greenhouse gases, has contributed to the Earth's temperature rising by 1.1-1.2Β°C.
Some current threats to the Amazon rainforest include deforestation, fires, and rising temperatures. These threats are causing damage to the ecosystem, including the loss of plant and animal species and the destruction of protected areas.
It is important to take action and protect the Amazon rainforest because it plays a crucial role in maintaining global biodiversity, regulating the climate, and absorbing carbon dioxide. If we don't protect the rainforest, it could lead to irreversible damage to the environment and have a negative impact on the planet as a whole.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
The Amazon rainforest had its worst ever in 2023, and it caused a lot of damage to the , animals, and plants there. Scientists are worried that this is a sign that the Amazon is in big trouble. Oliveira Tikuna, who lives in a village in the of the forest, couldn't believe how bad the drought was. He said he had never seen anything like it before. Because there's no water, the crops are ruined, and the villagers are feeling more isolated. The drought happened because of the El NiΓ±o weather pattern, which is made worse by climate change. Costa is a scientist who studies , and she has been studying the rainforest for a long time. She says that each drought has been worse than the one before it, and it has caused a lot of to the plants. In 2015, there was a really bad drought called the "Godzilla drought," and it killed billions of and plants. The Amazon rainforest is really important because it has a lot of different kinds of plants and animals, and it also to take carbon out of the air. But scientists are scared that if we cut down too many trees and the Earth gets too hot, the forest will change into something else, like a . Carlos Nobre is a scientist from Brazil, and he is really worried about what will happen to the Amazon. He says that we need to do more to stop the greenhouse gases that are causing climate change. Right now, 17% of the Amazon has been cut down, and the Earth is already 1.1-1.2Β°C than it was before people using a lot of machines and factories. But there is some hope because the rate of deforestation is going down in all the countries that have the Amazon, and they have to stop cutting down trees completely by 2030. Some scientists think that of the forest might survive even if get really bad, but there are already signs that things are getting worse. People are starting fires to clear land, but sometimes the fires get out of control and burn parts of the forest that were supposed to be protected. Also, because the water is getting hotter, hundreds of dolphins have been found dead in . The changing climate and what it's doing to the Amazon has surprised scientists and the who live there. It's really important that we do everything we can to protect and save the rainforest.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is a drought and why is it bad for the Amazon rainforest?
2. How would you feel if your crops were ruined because of a drought?
3. Do you think it's important to protect the Amazon rainforest? Why or why not?
4. What do you think will happen if too many trees are cut down in the Amazon?
5. How do you think climate change is affecting the Amazon rainforest?
6. Do you like studying about plants and animals? Why or why not?
7. Why do you think the rate of deforestation is going down in the countries with the Amazon?
8. How would you feel if you lived in a village in the middle of the rainforest and felt isolated?
9. What do you think can be done to stop climate change and protect the Amazon?
10. How do you think the changing climate is affecting the people who live in the Amazon?
11. What is a greenhouse gas and why is it causing climate change?
12. How do you think the changing climate is affecting the animals in the Amazon?
13. Do you think the Amazon rainforest will survive in the future? Why or why not?
14. How would you feel if you saw parts of the rainforest on fire?
15. What can individuals do to help protect and save the rainforest?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
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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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