In 2009, there was a big outbreak of swine flu that affected pigs, birds, and people. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is going to keep a closer eye on doctor's offices and hospitals in North Yorkshire. They are also trying to find the people who were in close contact with the person who got sick, so they can stop the infection from spreading. The Health Secretary, Victoria Atkins, believes in the UKHSA's plan to test and watch for the flu and wants the public to trust them too.
If you have flu-like symptoms, it's best to stay away from other people, especially if they are old or have health problems. The Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss, says it's really important to take good care of animals and make sure they are healthy and safe. This way, we can stop diseases from spreading from animals to people. If you have pigs, you should tell your local vet if you see any signs of swine flu in your herd.
The experts say that this new strain of swine flu isn't worse than other types of the flu. They think that this one case isn't a big deal and it's similar to what has happened before. The person who got sick didn't have a bad case of it, which is what usually happens. So, we don't need to worry too much right now.
Original news source: Swine flu: UK detects first human case of new strain (BBC)
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will read the article and summarize the main points in their own words. They will then share their summaries with the class, discussing any differences or similarities in their understanding of the article.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Students will form groups and discuss their opinions on the topic of swine flu and its potential dangers. They will then create an opinion poll with questions such as "Do you think the new strain of swine flu is a cause for concern?" or "Do you believe the government is taking appropriate measures to prevent the spread of swine flu?". Each group will then conduct the poll with other students in the class, tally the results, and present their findings to the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Each team will take turns selecting a vocabulary word from the article and drawing a picture to represent it. The opposing team must guess the word within a certain time limit. This activity will help students reinforce their understanding of key vocabulary from the article.
– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Give each student a copy of the article. Set a timer for 2 minutes. Students must read the article and write a summary in their own words within the time limit. After the timer goes off, students will pair up and share their summaries with each other, discussing any differences or similarities in their understanding. This activity will help students practice their reading comprehension and summarization skills.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Students will individually think about and write down their thoughts on the following question: "What measures do you think should be taken to prevent the spread of swine flu?" After a few minutes, students will pair up and share their ideas with each other. Finally, pairs will join another pair to form a group of four, where they will share their ideas and discuss as a larger group. This activity encourages critical thinking and collaborative discussion.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Health officials in the UK are investigating a new type of swine flu.
Health officials discovered this new type of swine flu during a regular flu test at a doctor's office in North Yorkshire.
Health officials are trying to figure out how the person got infected to understand how the virus spreads and if it poses a danger to others.
There have been 50 cases of swine flu in humans worldwide in the last 20 years.
The UK Health Security Agency will keep a closer eye on doctor's offices and hospitals in North Yorkshire and try to find and monitor people who were in close contact with the infected person.
Victoria Atkins is the Health Secretary. She supports the UKHSA's plan to test and monitor for the flu and wants the public to trust them as well.
The Chief Veterinary Officer advises taking good care of animals, ensuring their health and safety, to prevent diseases from spreading from animals to people.
According to the experts, this new strain of swine flu is not believed to be more dangerous than other types of the flu.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Health officials in the UK are into a new type of flu. They found this infection when they were doing a test for the flu at a doctor's office in North Yorkshire. The person who got sick had problems with their breathing, but they are all better now. They didn't have any contact with pigs, so the officials are trying to figure out how they got the infection and if it's for people. There have been other cases of swine flu in humans before, with 50 cases happening around the world in the last 20 . This new is a bit different from recent cases, but it's similar to viruses found in pigs in the UK. In 2009, there was a big of swine flu that affected pigs, birds, and people. The UK Health Agency (UKHSA) is going to keep a closer eye on doctor's offices and hospitals in North Yorkshire. They are also trying to find the people who were in close contact with the person who got sick, so they can stop the infection from spreading. The Health Secretary, Victoria Atkins, believes in the UKHSA's plan to test and watch for the flu and wants the to trust them too. If you have flu-like symptoms, it's best to stay away from other people, especially if they are old or have health problems. The Veterinary , Middlemiss, says it's really important to take good care of animals and make sure they are healthy and safe. This way, we can stop diseases from spreading from animals to people. If you have pigs, you should tell your vet if you see any of swine flu in your herd. The say that this new strain of swine flu isn't worse than other of the flu. They think that this one case isn't a big deal and it's similar to what has happened before. The person who got sick didn't have a bad case of it, which is what usually happens. So, we don't need to worry too much right now.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is swine flu and how is it different from other types of flu?
2. How would you feel if you found out there was a new type of swine flu in your country?
3. Do you think it's important for health officials to investigate and understand new strains of flu? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever had the flu? What was it like?
5. How would you react if you found out someone you know had swine flu?
6. Do you like pigs? Why or why not?
7. What do you think is the best way to prevent the spread of diseases from animals to humans?
8. How do you feel about the UKHSA's plan to test and watch for the flu? Do you trust them? Why or why not?
9. Have you ever had to stay away from other people because you were sick? How did you feel?
10. Do you think it's important to take good care of animals? Why or why not?
11. Do you have any pets? How do you make sure they stay healthy?
12. How do you think diseases can spread from animals to humans?
13. Do you worry about getting sick from new strains of flu? Why or why not?
14. Have you ever known someone who had a bad case of the flu? How did they recover?
15. How do you think health officials can effectively communicate and reassure the public during outbreaks of flu?
Individual Activities
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π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
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