A big old building in Tustin, California, that used to hold blimps during World War Two and was later used in movies and TV shows, has burned down. The fire is being looked into, but luckily no one got hurt. The fire department decided it was best to let the building fall down on its own.

The building was really important because it had a lot of history. It’s sad that it’s gone now. The building was used for different things over the years, and losing it is a big deal for the community.

The fire is being investigated to find out how it started and to make sure it doesn’t happen again. The loss of the old building shows how important it is to be safe with fire and to keep old things safe.

The community is feeling the loss of the building, and people might try to find ways to remember it or build something new in its place. It’s a reminder that we need to take care of old buildings for the future. The community might come together to honor the building and think of ways to remember its history.

Original news source: Massive blimp hangar engulfed in flames (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Students are divided into groups of three or four. Each group is given a few minutes to read the article and summarize the main points in their own words, focusing on who, what, where, when, and why. Groups then share their summaries with the class. This activity helps students practice reading comprehension and summarizing skills.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on slips of paper (e.g., blimp, investigate, community, history, fire department). Students take turns picking a word and drawing it on the board without speaking or writing any words or numbers. Their team must guess the word within a given time limit. This activity helps students with vocabulary recall and understanding.

– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: Create a line in the classroom from one end to the other, representing a spectrum of opinions from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Read out statements related to the article (e.g., “It’s crucial to preserve historical buildings,” “Modern structures are more important than old ones,” “The community should rebuild the structure as it was.”). Students position themselves along the spectrum according to their opinions and then discuss their reasons with their nearest classmates. This activity encourages students to express and justify their opinions.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: Students work in pairs to create a compelling newspaper headline that captures the essence of the article. Encourage creativity and conciseness. Each pair then presents their headline to the class, and the class votes on the most effective one. This activity helps students with summarizing and language creativity.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Individually or in pairs, students write a short paragraph predicting what they think will happen next in the community after the loss of the historical building. Will they rebuild, create a memorial, or do something entirely different? After writing, students share their predictions with the class or in small groups, and discuss the possible outcomes. This activity encourages the use of future tenses and imaginative thinking.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What was the big old building in Tustin, California used for during World War Two?
2. Can you name some of the ways the building was used after the war?
3. What happened to the building recently?
4. Why did the fire department decide to let the building collapse on its own?
5. What is the current status of the investigation into the fire?
6. How is the community reacting to the loss of the building?
7. Why is it important to preserve old buildings, according to the article?
8. What might the community do to honor the building’s history?
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a blimp and have you ever seen one in person or in a movie?
2. How would you feel if a historic building in your town was destroyed by fire?
3. Do you like watching movies or TV shows that feature old buildings? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to preserve old buildings? Why or why not?
5. Have you ever visited a place that had a lot of history? What was that like?
6. What do you think makes a building important to a community?
7. If a famous place in your country burned down, how do you think people would react?
8. Is there a building or place in your town that holds special memories for you? What is it?
9. How do communities in your country honor old buildings or places that are no longer there?
10. What do you think could be done to prevent fires in historic buildings?
11. If you could choose, what would you like to see built in the place of a historic building that was destroyed?
12. Do you think modern buildings are as interesting as old ones? Why or why not?
13. Have you ever been involved in a community effort to save or restore a building? What was it like?
14. What is the coolest old building you know of, and what makes it so special?
15. Do you think we lose something important when a historic building is gone? What do we lose?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. building
2. blimps
3. history
4. investigated
5. community
6. remember
7. important
8. future

Meanings:
(a) To keep something in your memory
(b) To look into something to find out the truth
(c) Something that has a lot of value
(d) A group of people living in the same area
(e) The time that is still to come
(f) A structure with walls and a roof
(g) Events from the past
(h) Large airships used for transportation
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was the building in Tustin, California, used for during World War Two?
(a) Storing cars
(b) Housing soldiers
(c) Holding blimps
(d) Growing crops

2. What happened to the building in Tustin, California?
(a) It burned down
(b) It was demolished
(c) It was renovated
(d) It was sold

3. Why is the building important to the community?
(a) It’s the tallest building
(b) It has a lot of history
(c) It’s made of special materials
(d) It’s the newest building

4. What is being done to find out how the fire started?
(a) The fire is being investigated
(b) The building is being rebuilt
(c) The community is holding a memorial
(d) The fire is being ignored

5. What does the loss of the old building show the community?
(a) The need for new buildings
(b) The need for more open spaces
(c) The importance of being safe with fire
(d) The need for more modern buildings

6. How might the community honor the building?
(a) By forgetting about it
(b) By finding ways to remember it or building something new in its place
(c) By building a new shopping mall
(d) By holding a demolition ceremony

7. What is the reminder for the community about old buildings?
(a) The need to tear them down
(b) The need to build more of them
(c) The need to forget about them
(d) The need to take care of them for the future

8. What might the community come together to do in honor of the building?
(a) Hold a memorial service
(b) Build a new park
(c) Ignore its history
(d) Think of ways to remember its history

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The incident does not serve as a reminder of the importance of fire safety and preserving old buildings.
2. People in the community may come together to find ways to commemorate the building and its history.
3. The community is saddened by the loss of the building and is considering ways to honor its memory.
4. The loss of the building has had a significant impact on the community, and there may be discussions about constructing something new in its place.
5. The building had no historical significance and had never been used for various purposes over the years.
6. A modern building in Tustin, California, which used to house blimps during World War Two, has recently burned down.
7. The fire is not currently under investigation and its cause remains unknown.
8. The fire did not cause any injuries, but the building was deemed unsafe and was allowed to collapse on its own by the fire department.
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 was the old building in Tustin, California, used for during World War Two?
2. What happened to the building recently?
3. Why is the building considered important to the community?
4. What are the authorities doing about the fire that destroyed the building?
5. How might the community respond to the loss of the historic building?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What was the big old building in Tustin, California used for during World War Two?
The big old building in Tustin, California was used to hold blimps during World War Two.

2. Can you name some of the ways the building was used after the war?
After the war, the building was used in movies and TV shows.

3. What happened to the building recently?
Recently, the building burned down.

4. Why did the fire department decide to let the building collapse on its own?
The fire department decided it was best to let the building collapse on its own for safety reasons.

5. What is the current status of the investigation into the fire?
The fire is being investigated to find out how it started and to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

6. How is the community reacting to the loss of the building?
The community is feeling the loss of the building and might look for ways to remember it or build something new in its place.

7. Why is it important to preserve old buildings, according to the article?
Preserving old buildings is important because they have historical value and losing them is a big deal for the community.

8. What might the community do to honor the building’s history?
The community might come together to honor the building and think of ways to remember its history, possibly by creating a memorial or incorporating its story into a new project.
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. building
Answer: (f) A structure with walls and a roof

2. blimps
Answer: (h) Large airships used for transportation

3. history
Answer: (g) Events from the past

4. investigated
Answer: (b) To look into something to find out the truth

5. community
Answer: (d) A group of people living in the same area

6. remember
Answer: (a) To keep something in your memory

7. important
Answer: (c) Something that has a lot of value

8. future
Answer: (e) The time that is still to come
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was the building in Tustin, California, used for during World War Two?
Answer: (c) Holding blimps

2. What happened to the building in Tustin, California?
Answer: (a) It burned down

3. Why is the building important to the community?
Answer: (b) It has a lot of history

4. What is being done to find out how the fire started?
Answer: (a) The fire is being investigated

5. What does the loss of the old building show the community?
Answer: (c) The importance of being safe with fire

6. How might the community honor the building?
Answer: (b) By finding ways to remember it or building something new in its place

7. What is the reminder for the community about old buildings?
Answer: (d) The need to take care of them for the future

8. What might the community come together to do in honor of the building?
Answer: (d) Think of ways to remember its history
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The incident does not serve as a reminder of the importance of fire safety and preserving old buildings. (Answer: False)
2. People in the community may come together to find ways to commemorate the building and its history. (Answer: True)
3. The community is saddened by the loss of the building and is considering ways to honor its memory. (Answer: True)
4. The loss of the building has had a significant impact on the community, and there may be discussions about constructing something new in its place. (Answer: True)
5. The building had no historical significance and had never been used for various purposes over the years. (Answer: False)
6. A modern building in Tustin, California, which used to house blimps during World War Two, has recently burned down. (Answer: False)
7. The fire is not currently under investigation and its cause remains unknown. (Answer: False)
8. The fire did not cause any injuries, but the building was deemed unsafe and was allowed to collapse on its own by the fire department. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧