Breaking News English Lesson: Water

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Satellite launched to map Earth's water (19th December, 2022)

The Reading / Listening - Water - Level 6

A U.S.-French satellite has been launched with a mission to map all the world's oceans, lakes, reservoirs, rivers and other waterways. The satellite has been dubbed SWOT – Surface Water and Ocean Topography. It went into space just before dawn on Friday. Scientists hope data from the satellite will help them to monitor how climate change is adversely changing water levels. The U.S. broadcaster PBS said: "The satellite is needed more than ever, as climate change worsens droughts, flooding and coastal erosion." A NASA spokesperson spoke of the mission's importance. She said: "It's a pivotal moment.…We're going to see Earth's water like we've never seen it before."

The SWOT satellite is about the size of an SUV (sports utility vehicle). It took 20 years to develop, at a cost of $1.2 billion. High-precision radar equipment will measure the height of water on more than 90 per cent of Earth's surface. It will survey millions of lakes, as well as 2.1 million kilometres of rivers. Scientists will identify potential areas of water loss that could threaten local populations and coastlines. NASA said SWOT is a marked technological upgrade from its predecessors. A spokesperson said: "SWOT will give us a ten-fold improvement in the [accuracy] and spatial resolution of our measurements of water height." It will help scientists to better understand, "the critical role the oceans play in climate change".

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Water - Level 4 or Water - Level 5

Sources

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/u-s-french-satellite-launched-to-map-almost-all-of-the-worlds-oceans-lakes-rivers
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/16/us-france-satellite-to-map-worlds-oceans-rivers-lakes
https://spacenews.com/falcon-9-launches-ocean-science-mission-for-nasa-and-cnes/

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 :-)

Warm-ups

1. WATER: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about water. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
satellite / mission / reservoir / dawn / climate change / water levels / drought / Earth
SUV / radar / surface / scientists / water loss / upgrade / measurements / oceans
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. WATER WARS: Students A strongly believe we should conserve water to avoid water wars in the future; Students B strongly believe water wars will never happen. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. WORLD WATER: What do you know about these bodies of water and waterways? What would you like to know? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	What I Know	What I Want to Know
The Pacific Ocean
The Great Barrier Reef
The River Amazon
The Dead Sea
Loch Ness
The Suez Canal

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

5. OCEAN: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "ocean". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. WATER USES: Rank these with your partner. Put the worst uses of water at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

Hose pipes
Swimming pools
Car washes
Water parks
Golf courses
Bottled water
Water pistols
Fountains

Vocabulary

Paragraph 1

1.	mission	a.	In a way that prevents success or development.
2.	reservoir	b.	A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water.
3.	dubbed	c.	A trip or expedition into space.
4.	adversely	d.	Of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something else.
5.	drought	e.	A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply.
6.	erosion	f.	Gave an unofficial name or nickname to.
7.	pivotal	g.	The process of being worn away by wind, water, or other natural agents.

Paragraph 2

8.	precision	h.	Having a decisive or crucial importance in the success, failure, or existence of something.
9.	measure	i.	The quality, condition, or fact of being exact and accurate.
10.	potential	j.	Find the size, amount, or degree of something by using an instrument or device marked in standard units.
11.	marked	k.	A thing that has been followed or replaced by another.
12.	predecessor	l.	Clearly noticeable.
13.	resolution	m.	Having or showing the capacity to develop into something in the future.
14.	critical	n.	The degree of detail visible in a photographic or television image.

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

A Sino-American satellite will map the world's water. T / F
The satellite is called SWOT - Satellite for Water and Ocean Topography. T / F
The satellite was launched early Friday evening. T / F
The broadcaster PBS said the satellite was very much needed. T / F
The satellite is the size of a sports utility vehicle. T / F
The satellite will survey 2.1 million kilometres of Earth's rivers. T / F
The satellite has the same level of technology as earlier satellites. T / F
The satellite will help scientists understand climate change more. T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

mission
dubbed
dawn
adversely
pivotal
develop
precision
survey
identify
role

daybreak
part
vital
inspect
nicknamed
exactness
journey
recognize
negatively
create

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

The satellite has been dubbed
climate change is adversely
climate change worsens droughts, flooding
It's a pivotal
see Earth's water like we've
sports utility
High-precision
Scientists will identify potential
threaten local populations and
the critical role the oceans

vehicle
never seen it before
coastlines
areas of water loss
and coastal erosion
SWOT
play in climate change
moment
radar equipment
changing water levels

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

dubbed
importance
adversely
pivotal
reservoirs
worsens
mission
dawn

A U.S.-French satellite has been launched with a (1) _____________________ to map all the world's oceans, lakes, (2) _____________________, rivers and other waterways. The satellite has been (3) _____________________ SWOT - Surface Water and Ocean Topography. It went into space just before (4) _____________________ on Friday. Scientists hope data from the satellite will help them to monitor how climate change is (5) _____________________ changing water levels. The U.S. broadcaster PBS said: "The satellite is needed more than ever, as climate change (6) _____________________ droughts, flooding and coastal erosion." A NASA spokesperson spoke of the mission's (7) _____________________. She said: "It's a (8) _____________________ moment....We're going to see Earth's water like we've never seen it before."

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

fold
precision
play
potential
spatial
develop
marked
surface

The SWOT satellite is about the size of an SUV (sports utility vehicle). It took 20 years to (9) _____________________, at a cost of $1.2 billion. High-(10) _____________________ radar equipment will measure the height of water on more than 90 per cent of Earth's (11) _____________________. It will survey millions of lakes, as well as 2.1 million kilometres of rivers. Scientists will identify (12) _____________________ areas of water loss that could threaten local populations and coastlines. NASA said SWOT is a (13) _____________________ technological upgrade from its predecessors. A spokesperson said: "SWOT will give us a ten- (14) _____________________ improvement in the [accuracy] and (15) _____________________ resolution of our measurements of water height." It will help scientists to better understand, "the critical role the oceans (16) _____________________ in climate change".

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) It went into space just before ______
     a. drawn on Friday
     b. down on Friday
     c. dawn on Friday
     d. door on Friday
2) data from the satellite will help them to monitor how climate change ______
     a. is at verse rich dangling
     b. is adversely changing
     c. is ad verse all changing
     d. is add verse really changing
3) more than ever, as climate change worsens droughts, flooding ______
     a. and coast all erosion
     b. and coastal eroding
     c. and coastal erasure
     d. and coastal erosion
4) A NASA spokesperson spoke of the mission's importance. She said it's ______
     a. a pivot all moment
     b. a pivot tall moment
     c. a pivotal moment
     d. a pivot tail moment
5) We're going to see Earth's water like we've never ______
     a. seen it before
     b. see knit before
     c. seen nit before
     d. see nit before

6) measure the height of water on more than 90 per cent ______
     a. of Earth's surface
     b. off Earth surface
     c. oft Earth's surface
     d. of Earth surface
7) Scientists will identify potential areas of water loss that could ______
     a. treat in local populations
     b. threaten low call populations
     c. treating low call populations
     d. threaten local populations
8) NASA said SWOT is a marked technological upgrade ______
     a. from mitts predecessors
     b. fro mitts predecessors
     c. from mites predecessors
     d. from its predecessors
9) a ten-fold improvement in the accuracy ______
     a. and spay shall resolution
     b. and spatial resolution
     c. and spay shell resolution
     d. and space shell resolution
10) It will help scientists to better understand ______
     a. the critical roll
     b. the critical all
     c. the critical rule
     d. the critical role

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A U.S.-French satellite has been launched with a (1) ____________________ all the world's oceans, lakes, (2) ____________________ other waterways. The satellite has been dubbed SWOT - Surface Water and Ocean Topography. It went into space (3) ____________________ on Friday. Scientists hope data from the satellite will help them to monitor how climate change (4) ____________________ water levels. The U.S. broadcaster PBS said: "The satellite is needed more than ever, as climate change (5) ____________________ and coastal erosion." A NASA spokesperson spoke of the mission's importance. She said: "It's (6) ____________________....We're going to see Earth's water like we've never seen it before."

The SWOT satellite is about the size of an SUV ((7) ____________________). It took 20 years to develop, at a cost of $1.2 billion. High-precision radar equipment will (8) ____________________ of water on more than 90 per cent of Earth's surface. It will survey millions of lakes, as well as 2.1 million kilometres of rivers. Scientists will (9) ____________________ of water loss that could threaten local populations and coastlines. NASA said SWOT is a marked technological upgrade (10) ____________________. A spokesperson said: "SWOT will give (11) ____________________ improvement in the [accuracy] and spatial resolution of our measurements of water height." It will help scientists to better understand, "the (12) ____________________ oceans play in climate change".

Comprehension questions

Which two countries developed the satellite?
At what time of the day did the satellite launch into space?
Which broadcaster said the satellite was needed more than ever?
What might climate change erode?
What kind of moment did NASA say the satellite's launch was?
How much did the satellite cost?
How much of the Earth's surface will the satellite map?
What could water losses threaten besides populations?
How much more accurate did NASA say the satellite was?
What critical role of oceans will SWOT help scientists understand?

Multiple choice quiz

1) Which two countries developed the satellite?
a) the USA and the UK
b) China and the USA
c) the US and Italy
d) the USA and France
2) At what time of the day did the satellite launch into space?
a) 6:45am
b) dawn
c) 4pm
d) midnight
3) Which broadcaster said the satellite was needed more than ever?
a) Fox News
b) CNN
c) BBC
d) PBS
4) What might climate change erode?
a) islands
b) clouds
c) coasts
d) water
5) What kind of moment did NASA say the satellite's launch was?
a) a hysterical moment
b) a monumental moment
c) a touching moment
d) a pivotal moment

6) How much did the satellite cost?
a) $1.4 billion
b) $1.1 billion
c) $1.2 billion
d) $1.3 billion
7) How much of the Earth's surface will the satellite map?
a) 90%
b) 80%
c) 70%
d) 60%
8) What could water losses threaten besides populations?
a) water parks
b) gold courses
c) coastlines
d) the bottled water industry
9) How much more accurate did NASA say the satellite was?
a) a lot
b) 10 times
c) many times
d) 100%

10) What critical role of oceans will SWOT help scientists understand?
a) climate change
b) reefs
c) the creation of plankton
d) underwater volcanoes

Role play

Role A – Hose Pipes
You think hose pipes are the biggest waste of this valuable resource. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their uses. Also, tell the others which is the least wasteful of these (and why): swimming pools, golf courses or bottled water.

Role B – Swimming Pools
You think swimming pools are the biggest waste of this valuable resource. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their uses. Also, tell the others which is the least wasteful of these (and why): hose pipes, golf courses or bottled water.

Role C – Golf Courses
You think golf courses are the biggest waste of this valuable resource. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their uses. Also, tell the others which is the least wasteful of these (and why): swimming pools, hose pipes or bottled water.

Role D – Bottled Water
You think bottled water is the biggest waste of this valuable resource. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their uses. Also, tell the others which is the least wasteful of these (and why): swimming pools, golf courses or hose pipes.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'water'

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

and 'satellite'.
________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

• Share your findings with your partners.

• Make questions using the words you found.

• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

•Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

mission

dubbed

dawn

adversely

worsens

moment

size

radar

millions

local

fold

role

Student survey

Write 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 - Water

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

What did you think when you read the headline?
What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'water'?
What do you know about water?
What do you know about satellites?
What do you think of the SWOT satellite?
What is happening to your country's water?
What might spark water wars in the future?
How is climate change affecting water?
How would your country handle a drought?
What water problems has your country had?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
What do you think of when you hear the word 'satellite'?
What do you think about what you read?
What do you think of water?
What threats are there to levels and quality of water?
Is the SWOT satellite good value for money?
What would you do if water became scarce?
What role do oceans play in climate change?
What is climate change doing to the oceans?
What questions would you like to ask the topographers?

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

A U.S.-French satellite has been (1) ____ with a mission to map all the world's oceans, lakes, reservoirs, rivers and other waterways. The satellite has been (2) ____ SWOT - Surface Water and Ocean Topography. It went into space just before (3) ____ on Friday. Scientists hope data from the satellite will help them to monitor how climate change is (4) ____ changing water levels. The U.S. broadcaster PBS said: "The satellite is needed more than ever, as climate change worsens (5) ____, flooding and coastal erosion." A NASA spokesperson spoke of the mission's importance. She said: "It's a (6) ____ moment....We're going to see Earth's water like we've never seen it before."

The SWOT satellite is about the size of an SUV (sports utility vehicle). It took 20 years to develop, at a cost of $1.2 billion. High-(7) ____ radar equipment will measure the height of water on more than 90 per cent of Earth's (8) ____. It will survey millions of lakes, as well as 2.1 million kilometres of rivers. Scientists will (9) ____ potential areas of water loss that could threaten local populations and coastlines. NASA said SWOT is a (10) ____ technological upgrade from its predecessors. A spokesperson said: "SWOT will give us a ten-(11) ____ improvement in the [accuracy] and spatial resolution of our measurements of water height." It will help scientists to better understand, "the (12) ____ role the oceans play in climate change".

Which of these words go in the above text?

(a) latched (b) lurched (c) lunched (d) launched
(a) dibbed (b) daubed (c) dabbed (d) dubbed
(a) drawn (b) dawn (c) down (d) drawing
(a) perversely (b) aversely (c) adversely (d) conversely
(a) draughts (b) drafts (c) droughts (d) doubts
(a) pivotal (b) spigot (c) polyglot (d) capital
(a) precise (b) precision (c) precisely (d) précised
(a) surface (b) suffice (c) suffers (d) safes
(a) identity (b) identify (c) indemnify (d) infantile
(a) parked (b) barked (c) marked (d) harked
(a) bend (b) wrap (c) fold (d) cross
(a) critique (b) critics (c) criticism (d) critical

Spelling

Paragraph 1

a nsisiom to map all the world's oceans
lakes, resroiesvr, rivers and other waterways
climate change is dlrsaevye changing water levels
climate change worsens rguothsd
flooding and coastal ooesirn
It's a ivlotpa moment

Paragraph 2

sports iuttily vehicle
High-enpcosiir radar equipment
identify etptaoiln areas of water loss
upgrade from its cdpeoesersrs
a ten-fold improvement in the yracaccu
tislapa resolution

Put the text back together

(...) Ocean Topography. It went into space just before dawn on Friday. Scientists hope data
( 1 ) A U.S.-French satellite has been launched with a mission to map all the world's oceans, lakes,
(...) from the satellite will help them to monitor how climate change is adversely changing water
(...) areas of water loss that could threaten local populations and coastlines. NASA said SWOT is a marked technological
(...) scientists to better understand, "the critical role the oceans play in climate change".
(...) surface. It will survey millions of lakes, as well as 2.1 million kilometres of rivers. Scientists will identify potential
(...) The SWOT satellite is about the size of an SUV (sports utility vehicle). It took 20 years to develop, at a cost
(...) upgrade from its predecessors. A spokesperson said: "SWOT will give us a ten-fold
(...) reservoirs, rivers and other waterways. The satellite has been dubbed SWOT - Surface Water and
(...) improvement in the [accuracy] and spatial resolution of our measurements of water height." It will help
(...) levels. The U.S. broadcaster PBS said: "The satellite is needed more than ever, as climate change worsens
(...) moment....We're going to see Earth's water like we've never seen it before."
(...) of $1.2 billion. High-precision radar equipment will measure the height of water on more than 90 per cent of Earth's
(...) droughts, flooding and coastal erosion." A NASA spokesperson spoke of the mission's importance. She said: "It's a pivotal

Put the words in the right order

map to mission A oceans . all world's the
went It space into just dawn . before
will Scientists from data satellite hope the help .
change climate is adversely levels . How changing water
the of spoke A mission's spokesperson importance . NASA
measure the water . Radar of height equipment will
potential water loss . Scientists will areas identify of
its predecessors . from upgrade technological marked A
accuracy . ten-fold a Give improvement us the in
critical understand Better the play . the oceans role

Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

A U.S.-French satellite has been launched with a mission to / for map all the world's oceans, lakes, reservoirs / reserves rivers and other waterways. The satellite has been dabbed / dubbed SWOT - Surface Water and Ocean Topography. It went into space just before drawn / dawn on Friday. Scientists hope datum / data from the satellite will help them to monitor how climate change is conversely / adversely changing water levels. The U.S. broadcaster PBS said: "The satellite is needed more than ever / never, as climate change worsens droughts / draughts, flooding and coastal erosion." A NASA spokesperson spoke of the mission's importance. She said: "It's a pivotal / pivot moment....We're going to see Earth's water like we've never seen it / all before."

The SWOT satellite is about the size of an SUV (sports utility / utilized vehicle). It took 20 years to develop, at a cost of / up $1.2 billion. High-precise / precision radar equipment will measure the height of water on more than 90 per cent of Earth's surface. It will survey / scurvy millions of lakes, as well as 2.1 million kilometres of rivers. Scientists will indemnify / identify potential areas to / of water loss that could treat / threaten local populations and coastlines. NASA said SWOT is a marked technological upgrade from / up its predecessors. A spokesperson said: "SWOT will give us a ten-fold improvement on / in the [accuracy] and spatial resolution of our measurements of water height." It will help scientists to better understand, "the critique / critical role the oceans play in climate change".

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct. Look up the definition of new words.

Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

_ _.S.-Fr_nch s_t_ll_t_ h_s b__n l__nch_d w_th _ m_ss__n t_ m_p _ll th_ w_rld's _c__ns, l_k_s, r_s_rv__rs, r_v_rs _nd _th_r w_t_rw_ys. Th_ s_t_ll_t_ h_s b__n d_bb_d SW_T - S_rf_c_ W_t_r _nd _c__n T_p_gr_phy. _t w_nt _nt_ sp_c_ j_st b_f_r_ d_wn _n Fr_d_y. Sc__nt_sts h_p_ d_t_ fr_m th_ s_t_ll_t_ w_ll h_lp th_m t_ m_n_t_r h_w cl_m_t_ ch_ng_ _s _dv_rs_ly ch_ng_ng w_t_r l_v_ls. Th_ _.S. br__dc_st_r PBS s__d: "Th_ s_t_ll_t_ _s n__d_d m_r_ th_n _v_r, _s cl_m_t_ ch_ng_ w_rs_ns dr__ghts, fl__d_ng _nd c__st_l _r_s__n." _ N_S_ sp_k_sp_rs_n sp_k_ _f th_ m_ss__n's _mp_rt_nc_. Sh_ s__d: "_t's _ p_v_t_l m_m_nt....W_'r_ g__ng t_ s__ __rth's w_t_r l_k_ w_'v_ n_v_r s__n _t b_f_r_."

Th_ SW_T s_t_ll_t_ _s _b__t th_ s_z_ _f _n S_V (sp_rts _t_l_ty v_h_cl_). _t t__k 20 y__rs t_ d_v_l_p, _t _ c_st _f $1.2 b_ll__n. H_gh-pr_c_s__n r_d_r _q__pm_nt w_ll m__s_r_ th_ h__ght _f w_t_r _n m_r_ th_n 90 p_r c_nt _f __rth's s_rf_c_. _t w_ll s_rv_y m_ll__ns _f l_k_s, _s w_ll _s 2.1 m_ll__n k_l_m_tr_s _f r_v_rs. Sc__nt_sts w_ll _d_nt_fy p_t_nt__l _r__s _f w_t_r l_ss th_t c__ld thr__t_n l_c_l p_p_l_t__ns _nd c__stl_n_s. N_S_ s__d SW_T _s _ m_rk_d t_chn_l_g_c_l _pgr_d_ fr_m _ts pr_d_c_ss_rs. _ sp_k_sp_rs_n s__d: "SW_T w_ll g_v_ _s _ t_n-f_ld _mpr_v_m_nt _n th_ [_cc_r_cy] _nd sp_t__l r_s_l_t__n _f __r m__s_r_m_nts _f w_t_r h__ght." _t w_ll h_lp sc__nt_sts t_ b_tt_r _nd_rst_nd, "th_ cr_t_c_l r_l_ th_ _c__ns pl_y _n cl_m_t_ ch_ng_".

Punctuate the text and add capitals

a usfrench satellite has been launched with a mission to map all the worlds oceans lakes reservoirs rivers and other waterways the satellite has been dubbed swot surface water and ocean topography it went into space just before dawn on friday scientists hope data from the satellite will help them to monitor how climate change is adversely changing water levels the us broadcaster pbs said the satellite is needed more than ever as climate change worsens droughts flooding and coastal erosion a nasa spokesperson spoke of the missions importance she said its a pivotal momentwere going to see earths water like weve never seen it before

the swot satellite is about the size of an suv sports utility vehicle it took 20 years to develop at a cost of 12 billion highprecision radar equipment will measure the height of water on more than 90 per cent of earths surface it will survey millions of lakes as well as 21 million kilometres of rivers scientists will identify potential areas of water loss that could threaten local populations and coastlines nasa said swot is a marked technological upgrade from its predecessors a spokesperson said swot will give us a tenfold improvement in the accuracy and spatial resolution of our measurements of water height it will help scientists to better understand the critical role the oceans play in climate change

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AU.S.-Frenchsatellitehasbeenlaunchedwithamissiontomapallthewo
rld'soceans,lakes,reservoirs,riversandotherwaterways.Thesatellite
hasbeendubbedSWOT-SurfaceWaterandOceanTopography.Itwent
intospacejustbeforedawnonFriday.Scientistshopedatafromthesatell
itewillhelpthemtomonitorhowclimatechangeisadverselychangingwa
terlevels.TheU.S.broadcasterPBSsaid:"Thesatelliteisneededmoreth
anever,asclimatechangeworsensdroughts,floodingandcoastalerosi
on."ANASAspokespersonspokeofthemission'simportance.Shesaid:"
It'sapivotalmoment....We'regoingtoseeEarth'swaterlikewe'venever
seenitbefore."TheSWOTsatelliteisaboutthesizeofanSUV(sportsutilit
yvehicle).Ittook20yearstodevelop,atacostof$1.2billion.High-prec
isionradarequipmentwillmeasuretheheightofwateronmorethan90p
ercentofEarth'ssurface.Itwillsurveymillionsoflakes,aswellas2.1milli
onkilometresofrivers.Scientistswillidentifypotentialareasofwaterlos
sthatcouldthreatenlocalpopulationsandcoastlines.NASAsaidSWOTis
amarkedtechnologicalupgradefromitspredecessors.Aspokesperson
said:"SWOTwillgiveusaten-foldimprovementinthe[accuracy]andsp
atialresolutionofourmeasurementsofwaterheight."Itwillhelpscientis
tstobetterunderstand,"thecriticalroletheoceansplayinclimatechang
e".

Free writing

Write about SWOT water satellite for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Academic writing

Everyone needs to conserve water immediately. Discuss.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Homework

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. WATER: Make a poster about water. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
4. WATER WARS: Write a magazine article about reducing water consumption now to avoid future water wars. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on water. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your ideas on how to conserve it. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Also...

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

News
Warm ups
Pre-reading / Post-reading
Using headlines
Working with words
While-reading / While-listening
Moving from text to speech
Post-reading / Post-listening
Discussions
Using opinions
Plans
Language
Using lists
Using quotes
Task-based activities
Role plays
Using the central characters in the article
Using themes from the news
Homework

Buy my book

$US 9.99

Answers

(Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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Breaking News English Lesson: Water

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