Breaking News English Lesson: Chips
Beach-goers saw a strange sight this week. A beach was covered in French fries. They fell off of ships because of bad weather. Bags of chips reached a beach in England. A local man said: "From a distance, it looked like the golden sand of a Caribbean beach." He said the chips were 75 cm deep in some places.
Volunteers are now cleaning the beach. The chips are a danger to the environment. Seals live near the beach. If the seals see the chips, they might try to eat them. A local official warned people to be careful. She said any food on the beach might be harmful. She asked people to report any food they see on the beach.
Try the same news story at these levels:
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0lxkl3gd6jo
- https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/nothing-compares-to-this-locals-left-stunned-after-thousands-of-chips-wash-up-on-sussex-beach/ar-AA1UtVyx
- https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/25775185.thousands-bags-chips-wash-beachy-head/
Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)
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News
"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."
The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)
"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and. history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."
Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)
"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels. In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."
Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.
Phrase Matching Paragraph 1- Beach-goers saw a strange
- A beach was covered
- They fell off
- bad
- Bags
- a local
- From a
- 75 cm deep in
- of chips
- of ships
- distance
- some places
- weather
- sight
- man
- in French fries
- Volunteers are now
- a danger to the
- Seals live
- If the seals see
- they might try to
- a local
- food on the beach might
- She asked people to report any
- eat them
- near the beach
- be harmful
- environment
- food they see
- the chips
- official
- cleaning the beach
Beach-goers (1) _________________________________________________ sight this week. A beach (2) _________________________________________________ French fries. They fell off of ships because (3) _________________________________________________. Bags of chips (4) _______________________________________________ in England. A local man said: "From a distance, it looked like the (5) _________________________________________________ a Caribbean beach." He said the chips were 75 cm (6) _________________________________________________ places.
Volunteers are (7) _________________________________________________ beach. The chips are a (8) _________________________________________________ environment. Seals live near the beach. If the (9) _________________________________________________ chips, they might try to eat them. (10) _________________________________________________ warned people to be careful. She (11) _________________________________________________ on the beach might be harmful. She asked (12) _________________________________________________ any food they see on the beach.
Put a slash (/) where the spaces areBeach-goerssawastrangesightthisweek.AbeachwascoveredinFren chfries.Theyfelloffofshipsbecauseofbadweather.Bagsofchipsreache dabeachinEngland.Alocalmansaid:"Fromadistance,itlookedliketheg oldensandofaCaribbeanbeach."Hesaidthechipswere75cmdeepinso meplaces.Volunteersarenowcleaningthebeach.Thechipsareadanger totheenvironment.Sealslivenearthebeach.Ifthesealsseethechips,th eymighttrytoeatthem.Alocalofficialwarnedpeopletobecareful.Shesa idanyfoodonthebeachmightbeharmful.Sheaskedpeopletoreportany foodtheyseeonthebeach.
Student surveyWrite five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.
(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)
Discussion — Write your own questionsSTUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
(a) ________________
(b) ________________
(c) ________________
(d) ________________
(e) ________________
(f) ________________
(g) ________________
(h) ________________
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
(i) ________________
(j) ________________
(k) ________________
(l) ________________
(m) ________________
(n) ________________
(o) ________________
(p) ________________
Free writingWrite about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.
Answers(Please check your answers against the article above.
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