Some people were worried about the high fee for the pandas, and wondered if they were brought to Scotland to help the pandas or just to make money. An animal activist named Yvonne Taylor compared the pandas to rock stars because they attracted big crowds wherever they went. But it's important to know that no pandas born in captivity have ever been successfully released back into the wild. The person in charge of the pandas at Edinburgh Zoo, Iain Valentine, said that working with the pandas in the zoo made people care more about protecting nature.

When the pandas arrived, they became really famous, and the zoo had to make a lot of changes to take care of them. Even though they had their own separate spaces, people hoped that Tian Tian and Yang Guang would have babies. But female giant pandas can only get pregnant for a short time each year, just 36 hours. In early April 2012, they tried to get the pandas to mate, but Tian Tian's tail got in the way. They tried artificial insemination many times, but Tian Tian didn't stay pregnant.

Some people who care about animals say that the zoo cared more about making money than taking care of the pandas. The zoo made extra money in the years after the pandas came, but fewer people have been coming to the zoo lately, and the Covid pandemic made things even worse. Because of the pandemic, the pandas' stay in the UK was extended by two years, but it was announced that they would be going back to China in December. Now more people are coming to the zoo because they know they won't have a chance to see the pandas for much longer. In the end, the pandas' story was more like having noisy neighbors than a love story.

Original news source: Rock star' pandas – not exactly a love story (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Provide each group with a copy of the article.
3. Instruct the groups to read the article and summarize the main points in a news summary format.
4. Encourage them to include important details and key events.
5. After a designated amount of time, have each group share their news summaries with the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Write down a list of vocabulary words from the article on separate cards or pieces of paper.
2. Divide the class into two teams.
3. Choose a student from the first team to come to the front of the class.
4. Show the student a vocabulary word and have them draw a picture to represent that word.
5. The student's team members have to guess the word based on the drawing within a certain time limit.
6. If the team guesses correctly, they earn a point. If not, the other team has a chance to steal the point.
7. Repeat the process with students from the second team, taking turns until all the vocabulary words have been used.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Assign each group the task of discussing the pros and cons of having giant pandas in a zoo.
3. Instruct them to consider factors such as conservation efforts, public interest, financial costs, and ethical considerations.
4. Give the groups time to brainstorm and discuss their ideas.
5. Have each group present their arguments to the class, taking turns to share their points.
6. Encourage respectful discussion and debate among the students.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions:
1. Choose a thought-provoking question related to the article, such as "Should zoos prioritize conservation efforts over profit?"
2. Pose the question to the class and give them a few minutes to think about their response individually.
3. Pair up the students and ask them to share their thoughts with their partner, discussing their reasons and supporting arguments.
4. After a designated amount of time, bring the class back together and invite a few pairs to share their discussions with the whole group.
5. Encourage students to actively listen and respond to each other's ideas, fostering a respectful and engaging conversation.
– Future Predictions
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Ask each group to brainstorm and discuss what they think will happen to the giant pandas in the future.
3. Instruct them to consider factors such as conservation efforts, captivity vs. wild environments, and public interest.
4. Give the groups time to share their predictions and discuss their reasoning.
5. Have each group present their predictions to the class, allowing for a brief discussion after each presentation.
6. Encourage students to support their predictions with evidence from the article and their own knowledge.

The UK's only giant pandas, Tian Tian and Yang Guang, are ? back to China without having any babies, even though they tried to make it happen with ? insemination. The pandas, also known as Sweetie and Sunshine, came to Edinburgh in 2011 and were ? like famous people. It took five years to work out the deal for the pandas to come to the zoo, and Edinburgh Zoo had to pay China one million dollars every year. They also ? that any baby pandas born in Edinburgh would go back to China when they turned two. Some people were worried about the high fee for the pandas, and wondered if they were brought to Scotland to help the pandas or just to make money. An ? activist named Yvonne ? compared the pandas to rock stars because they attracted big crowds wherever they went. But it's important to know that no pandas born in captivity have ever been successfully released back into the wild. The person in charge of the pandas at Edinburgh Zoo, Iain Valentine, said that working with the pandas in the zoo made ? care more about ? nature. When the pandas arrived, they became really famous, and the zoo had to make a lot of ? to take care of them. Even though they had their own separate spaces, people hoped that Tian Tian and Yang Guang would have ?. But female giant pandas can only get pregnant for a short time each year, just 36 hours. In early April 2012, they tried to get the pandas to mate, but Tian Tian's tail got in the way. They tried artificial ? many ?, but Tian Tian didn't stay pregnant. Some people who care about animals say that the zoo cared more about making money than taking care of the pandas. The zoo made extra money in the ? after the pandas came, but fewer people have been coming to the zoo lately, and the Covid ? made things even ?. Because of the pandemic, the pandas' stay in the UK was extended by two years, but it was announced that they would be going back to China in December. Now more people are coming to the zoo because they know they won't have a chance to see the pandas for much ?. In the end, the pandas' story was more like having noisy neighbors than a love story.

1. What is artificial insemination and why do you think the zoo tried it with the pandas?
2. How would you feel if you were in charge of taking care of the pandas at the zoo?
3. Do you think it was fair for the zoo to have to pay one million dollars every year for the pandas? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about the idea of keeping animals in captivity for the purpose of entertainment?
5. How do you think the pandas felt being in a zoo instead of in the wild?
6. Do you like going to the zoo? Why or why not?
7. How do you think the pandas being in the zoo helped people care more about protecting nature?
8. What is your opinion on the decision to send the pandas back to China?
9. How do you think the pandas' fame affected the zoo's decision-making?
10. Why do you think fewer people have been coming to the zoo lately?
11. Do you think the pandas' stay being extended due to the pandemic was a good thing? Why or why not?
12. How do you think the pandas feel about going back to China after living in the UK for so long?
13. What do you think about the comparison between the pandas and rock stars?
14. How would you feel if you were one of the people who got to see the pandas before they left?
15. Do you think it's important for zoos to focus more on conservation and protecting animals, or on making money? Why or why not?

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