Breaking News English Lesson: Bald Eagles

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Dogs wear body armour to stop eagle attacks (20th May, 2021)

The Reading / Listening - Bald Eagles - Level 3

Dog owners in Alaska and Canada are buying special vests for their pets. The vests are to protect the pets from attacks by bald eagles. In recent weeks, a number of pet dogs have been taken away by the birds of prey. The number of bald eagles has risen greatly in Alaska. There have been many conservation efforts, which has seen the bald eagle population increase. Conservationists estimate there are now around 30,000 of the eagles in Alaska. While bird lovers are happy about this, pet owners are worried. The eagles have a 2.4-metre wingspan. They are strong enough to pick up and fly away with a 6-kilogram animal. The eagles are already a nuisance for farmers as they are killing chickens.

The special vest that pet owners are buying is called the CoyoteVest. It is a protective jacket that was designed to protect small dogs from coyotes. A coyote is a wild dog that is similar to a wolf. It is common across North America. The CoyoteVest has a variety of spikes and other sharp things on it to protect the pet. Some of the vests have brightly coloured whiskers that are meant to scare birds away. It is made of a material called Kevlar, which is used in bulletproof vests. The Kevlar protects a small dog from the teeth of a larger dog. The CoyoteVest company said its vest helps to, "slow down or prevent a surprise attack and give you enough time to react before serious injury occurs" to a pet.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Bald Eagles - Level 0, Bald Eagles - Level 1 or Bald Eagles - Level 2

Sources

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/coyote-vests-a-trend-among-small-dog-owners-in-vancouver
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9580945/Pet-owners-putting-dogs-cats-spiked-body-armour-protect-bald-eagles.html
https://people.com/pets/coyote-vest-for-dogs/

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. EAGLES: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about eagles. 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?
dog owners / vests / pets / attacks / eagles / bird lovers / conservation / chickens /
jacket / wolf / coyote / bulletproof / material / teeth / surprise / time / injury
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. DOG ARMOUR: Students A strongly believe all dogs should wear armour to protect themselves; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. NUISANCES: What actions can farmers take to deal with these nuisances? How good would these actions be? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	Actions	How Good?
Eagles
Campers
Mice
Global warming
Locusts
Fungus

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. BALD: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "bald". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. PETS: Rank these with your partner. Put the best pets at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

An eagle
A dog
A cat
A snake
A goldfish
A tortoise
A rabbit
A tarantula

Vocabulary

Paragraph 1

1.	protect	a.	The protection of the natural environment and of wildlife.
2.	bald	b.	Roughly calculate or judge the value, number, quantity, or extent of.
3.	bird of prey	c.	Keep safe from harm or injury.
4.	conservation	d.	A person, thing, or situation that is very annoying.
5.	estimate	e.	Having no hair on your head.
6.	lover	f.	A bird that hunts, has a hooked bill and sharp talons, for example an eagle, owl or hawk.
7.	nuisance	g.	A person who really likes or enjoys something.

Paragraph 2

8.	wild	h.	An instance of being harmed or hurt.
9.	common	i.	Of an animal or plant living or growing in the natural environment; not in people's homes.
10.	variety	j.	Occurring, found, or done often; prevalent.
11.	scare	k.	Able to stop bullets from a gun passing through.
12.	bulletproof	l.	Cause great fear or nervousness in people or animals; frighten.
13.	prevent	m.	A number of things of the same type that are different from each other.
14.	injury	n.	Stop.

Before reading / listening

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

Dog owners in Alaska are making special vests for their pets. T / F
Eagles have not yet taken any pet dogs away. T / F
The number of bald eagles in Alaska has gone up by around 30,000. T / F
A bald eagle is powerful enough to fly off with a 6-kilogram dog. T / F
The vest pet owners are buying was made to protect dogs from coyotes. T / F
Some vests have brightly coloured whiskers on them. T / F
Some pet owners are making their dogs wear bulletproof vests. T / F
The vest gives owners time to stop pets from being harmed. T / F

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

buying
protect
risen
worried
nuisance
designed
common
variety
scare
injury

created
increased
range
annoyance
widespread
purchasing
harm
concerned
safeguard
frighten

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

The vests are to protect
birds of
bird
fly away with a
The eagles are already a nuisance
The special vest that pet
A coyote is a wild dog that is
scare birds
slow down or prevent
give you enough

away
for farmers
owners are buying
time to react
the pets from attacks
lovers are happy
a surprise attack
6-kilogram animal
similar to a wolf
prey

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

happy
wingspan
efforts
owners
farmers
prey
estimate
protect

Dog (1) _____________________ in Alaska and Canada are buying special vests for their pets. The vests are to (2) _____________________ the pets from attacks by bald eagles. In recent weeks, a number of pet dogs have been taken away by the birds of (3) _____________________. The number of bald eagles has risen greatly in Alaska. There have been many conservation (4) _____________________, which has seen the bald eagle population increase. Conservationists (5) _____________________ there are now around 30,000 of the eagles in Alaska. While bird lovers are (6) _____________________ about this, pet owners are worried. The eagles have a 2.4-metre (7) _____________________. They are strong enough to pick up and fly away with a 6-kilogram animal. The eagles are already a nuisance for (8) _____________________ as they are killing chickens.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

brightly
similar
bulletproof
variety
serious
designed
teeth
scare

The special vest that pet owners are buying is called the CoyoteVest. It is a protective jacket that was (9) _____________________ to protect small dogs from coyotes. A coyote is a wild dog that is (10) _____________________ to a wolf. It is common across North America. The CoyoteVest has a (11) _____________________ of spikes and other sharp things on it to protect the pet. Some of the vests have (12) _____________________ coloured whiskers that are meant to (13) _____________________ birds away. It is made of a material called Kevlar, which is used in (14) _____________________ vests. The Kevlar protects a small dog from the (15) _____________________ of a larger dog. The CoyoteVest company said its vest helps to, "slow down or prevent a surprise attack and give you enough time to react before (16) _____________________ injury occurs" to a pet.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) In recent weeks, a number of pet dogs have been taken away by the ______
     a. birds of pray
     b. birds of prey
     c. birds of play
     d. birds of pry
2) greatly in Alaska. There have been many ______
     a. conservation effects
     b. conservation efforts
     c. conservation affronts
     d. conservation essence
3) While bird lovers are happy about this, pet ______
     a. downers are worried
     b. disowns are worried
     c. avows are worried
     d. owners are worried
4) eagles have a 2.4-metre wingspan. They are strong enough to pick up ______ with
     a. and fly all way
     b. and fly a whey
     c. and fly a weigh
     d. and fly away
5) The eagles are already a ______
     a. new séance for farmers
     b. nnew stance for farmers
     c. nuisance for farmers
     d. news ants for farmers

6) It is a protective jacket that was designed to ______
     a. project small dogs
     b. protect small dogs
     c. protest small dogs
     d. protract small dogs
7) The CoyoteVest has a variety of spikes and ______
     a. others sharp things
     b. other sharpen things
     c. other sharp thing
     d. other sharp things
8) Some of the vests have brightly coloured whiskers that are meant ______
     a. too scare birds
     b. to scare birds
     c. two scared birds
     d. two scary birds
9) The Kevlar protects a small dog from the teeth of ______
     a. a largesse dog
     b. a lager dog
     c. a larger dog
     d. enlarged dog
10) prevent a surprise attack and give you enough time to react before ______
     a. serious injury occurs
     b. seriously injury occurs
     c. serious injured occurs
     d. serious in jury occurs

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Dog owners in Alaska and Canada are buying (1) ____________________ their pets. The vests are to protect the pets from attacks by bald eagles. (2) ____________________, a number of pet dogs have been taken away by the birds of prey. The number of bald eagles (3) ____________________ in Alaska. There have been many conservation efforts, which has seen the bald eagle population increase. Conservationists estimate there are now around 30,000 of the eagles in Alaska. (4) ____________________ are happy about this, pet owners are worried. The eagles have a 2.4-metre wingspan. They (5) ____________________ to pick up and fly away with a 6-kilogram animal. The eagles are already (6) ____________________ farmers as they are killing chickens.

The special vest that pet owners are buying is called the CoyoteVest. It is a protective jacket that was (7) ____________________ small dogs from coyotes. A coyote is a wild dog that is similar to a wolf. It (8) ____________________ North America. The CoyoteVest has a variety of spikes and (9) ____________________ on it to protect the pet. Some of the vests have brightly coloured whiskers that are meant to scare birds away. It is made (10) ____________________ called Kevlar, which is used (11) ____________________. The Kevlar protects a small dog from the teeth of a larger dog. The CoyoteVest company said its vest helps to, "slow down or prevent a surprise attack and give you enough time to react (12) ____________________ occurs" to a pet.

Comprehension questions

What kinds of eagles are attacking pet dogs in Alaska?
What kinds of efforts have made the number of eagles increase?
How many of the eagles are there now in Alaska?
What part of the eagle is 2.4 metres wide?
Who does the article say the eagles are a nuisance for?
What was the vest originally designed to protect dogs against?
What does the vest have on it that are brightly coloured?
What is the name of the material that is used to make the vests?
What is the material usually used for?
What might the vests slow down or prevent?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What kinds of eagles are attacking pet dogs in Alaska?
a) golden eagles
b) booted eagle
c) bald eagles
d) black eagle
2) What kinds of efforts have made the number of eagles increase?
a) conservation efforts
b) consternation efforts
c) conversation efforts
d) constipation efforts
3) How many of the eagles are there now in Alaska?
a) exactly 30,000
b) around 30,000
c) more than 30,000
d) fewer than 30,000
4) What part of the eagle is 2.4 metres wide?
a) its tail
b) its body
c) its beak
d) its wingspan
5) Who does the article say the eagles are a nuisance for?
a) pet shops
b) Chihuahuas
c) farmers
d) crows

6) What was the vest originally designed to protect dogs against?
a) the weather
b) coyotes
c) snow
d) lions
7) What does the vest have on it that are brightly coloured?
a) photos
b) logos
c) neon lights
d) whiskers
8) What is the name of the material that is used to make the vests?
a) Kenneth
b) Kevlar
c) Stella
d) Cilla
9) What is the material usually used for?
a) buildings
b) bulletproof vests
c) business suits
d) nets
10) What might the vests slow down or prevent?
a) serious injury
b) eagles
c) dogs running
d) owners running

Role play

Role A – A Tarantula
You think a tarantula is the best pet. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their pets. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): a dog, a snake or a goldfish.

Role B – A Dog
You think a dog is the best pet. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their pets. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): a tarantula, a snake or a goldfish.

Role C – A Snake
You think a snake is the best pet. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their pets. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): a dog, a tarantula or a goldfish.

Role D – A Goldfish
You think a goldfish is the best pet. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their pets. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): a dog, a snake or a tarantula.

After reading / listening

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

'bald'

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

and 'eagle'.
________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

• 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:

owners

recent

number

lovers

2.4

killing

jacket

wild

sharp

scare

material

serious

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 - Bald Eagles

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 'bald'?
What do you think of eagles?
How dangerous are eagles?
What animals are the best pets?
What other dangers are there for pet dogs?
What do you know about birds of prey?
How much of a bird lover are you?
Is the eagle the best bird in the world?
What can farmers do to protect chickens from eagles?

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 'eagle'?
What do you think about what you read?
What do you think of eagles that are bald?
What do you know about coyotes?
What do you think of the CoyoteVest?
Should all dogs wear a CoyoteVest?
Should the company make a protective vest for humans?
What other things can people use to scare birds away?
What questions would you like to ask the vest company?

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)

Dog (1) ____ in Alaska and Canada are buying special vests for their pets. The vests are to protect the pets from attacks by bald eagles. In (2) ____ weeks, a number of pet dogs have been taken away by the birds of (3) ____. The number of bald eagles has risen greatly in Alaska. There have been many conservation efforts, which has (4) ____ the bald eagle population increase. Conservationists estimate there are now around 30,000 of the eagles in Alaska. While bird lovers are happy (5) ____ this, pet owners are worried. The eagles have a 2.4-metre wingspan. They are strong enough to pick up and fly away with a 6-kilogram animal. The eagles are already a (6) ____ for farmers as they are killing chickens.

The special vest that pet owners are buying is called the CoyoteVest. It is a protective jacket that was (7) ____ to protect small dogs from coyotes. A coyote is a wild dog that is similar to a wolf. It is common across North America. The CoyoteVest has a variety of spikes and (8) ____ sharp things on it to protect the pet. Some of the vests have brightly coloured whiskers that are meant to (9) ____ birds away. It is made of a material called Kevlar, which is used in bulletproof vests. The Kevlar protects a small dog from the (10) ____ of a larger dog. The CoyoteVest company said its vest helps to, "slow (11) ____ or prevent a surprise attack and give you enough time to react (12) ____ serious injury occurs" to a pet.

Which of these words go in the above text?

(a) owning (b) once (c) owns (d) owners
(a) recount (b) recant (c) recently (d) recent
(a) ply (b) prey (c) pray (d) play
(a) seeing (b) see (c) seen (d) sees
(a) above (b) abound (c) about (d) around
(a) nuisance (b) bloom (c) blanket (d) cable
(a) designs (b) designed (c) designing (d) designer
(a) other (b) the others (c) another (d) others
(a) share (b) scare (c) snare (d) spare
(a) teething (b) tooth (c) teeth (d) truth
(a) under (b) over (c) down (d) up
(a) forlorn (b) afore (c) fore (d) before

Spelling

Paragraph 1

eptorct the pets from attacks
birds of pyre
There have been many veoocisntnar efforts
itasteem there are now around 30,000
The eagles have a 2.4-metre piwsangn
a isceaunn for farmers

Paragraph 2

It is a rcpeetovit jacket
almisri to a wolf
The CoyoteVest has a tyeiavr of spikes
gilybhrt coloured whiskers
npetvre a surprise attack
before serious nrujiy occurs

Put the text back together

( 1 ) Dog owners in Alaska and Canada are buying special vests for their pets. The vests are to protect the pets from attacks
(...) surprise attack and give you enough time to react before serious injury occurs" to a pet.
(...) 30,000 of the eagles in Alaska. While bird lovers are happy about this, pet owners are
(...) called Kevlar, which is used in bulletproof vests. The Kevlar protects a small dog from the
(...) teeth of a larger dog. The CoyoteVest company said its vest helps to, "slow down or prevent a
(...) protect the pet. Some of the vests have brightly coloured whiskers that are meant to scare birds away. It is made of a material
(...) of prey. The number of bald eagles has risen greatly in Alaska. There have been many conservation
(...) across North America. The CoyoteVest has a variety of spikes and other sharp things on it to
(...) designed to protect small dogs from coyotes. A coyote is a wild dog that is similar to a wolf. It is common
(...) worried. The eagles have a 2.4-metre wingspan. They are strong enough to pick up and fly
(...) efforts, which has seen the bald eagle population increase. Conservationists estimate there are now around
(...) by bald eagles. In recent weeks, a number of pet dogs have been taken away by the birds
(...) The special vest that pet owners are buying is called the CoyoteVest. It is a protective jacket that was
(...) away with a 6-kilogram animal. The eagles are already a nuisance for farmers as they are killing chickens.

Put the words in the right order

pets are the attacks . to from Vests protect
taken . dogs number been have A of pet
risen . has of eagles number bald The
there are 30,000 Conservationists around now estimate eagles .
nuisance The for farmers . already eagles are a
are vest buying . special owners pet that The
dogs small designed protect to It's coyotes . from
coloured the have of Some brightly whiskers . vests
Kevlar . a of material made is It called
injury before serious time react occurs . Enough to

Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

Dog owners in Alaska and Canada are bought / buying special vests for their pets. The vests are to protect the pets / pests from attacks by bald eagles. In recent weeks, a number / numeral of pet dogs have been taken away by the birds of prey. The number of bald / bold eagles has risen greatly in Alaska. There have been many conversation / conservation efforts, which has seen the bald eagle population increase. Conservationists estimate there are now around / abound 30,000 of the eagles in Alaska. While bird loves / lovers are happy about this, pet owners are worried / worry. The eagles have a 2.4-metre wingspan. They are strong enough / plenty to pick up and fly away with a 6-kilogram animal. The eagles are already a nuisance for farmers as they are killed / killing chickens.

The special vest that pet owners are buying is called the CoyoteVest. It is a protective / protect jacket that was designed to protect small dogs from coyotes. A coyote is a tame / wild dog that is similar of / to a wolf. It is common across North America. The CoyoteVest has a various / variety of spikes and other sharp things on them / it to protect the pet. Some of the vests have brightly coloured whiskers that are mean / meant to scare birds away. It is made of a material called / calling Kevlar, which is used in bulletproof vests. The Kevlar protects a small dog for / from the teeth of a larger dog. The CoyoteVest company said its vest helps to, "slow down or prevent the / a surprise attack and give you enough time to / for react before serious injury occurs" to a pet.

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

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

D_g _wn_rs _n _l_sk_ _nd C_n_d_ _r_ b_y_ng sp_c__l v_sts f_r th__r p_ts. Th_ v_sts _r_ t_ pr_t_ct th_ p_ts fr_m _tt_cks by b_ld __gl_s. _n r_c_nt w__ks, _ n_mb_r _f p_t d_gs h_v_ b__n t_k_n _w_y by th_ b_rds _f pr_y. Th_ n_mb_r _f b_ld __gl_s h_s r_s_n gr__tly _n _l_sk_. Th_r_ h_v_ b__n m_ny c_ns_rv_t__n _ff_rts, wh_ch _nd h_s s__n th_ b_ld __gl_ p_p_l_t__n _ncr__s_. C_ns_rv_t__n_sts _st_m_t_ th_r_ _r_ n_w _r__nd 30,000 _f th_ __gl_s _n _l_sk_. Wh_l_ b_rd l_v_rs _r_ h_ppy _b__t th_s, p_t _wn_rs _r_ w_rr__d. Th_ __gl_s h_v_ _ 2.4-m_tr_ w_ngsp_n. Th_y _r_ str_ng _n__gh t_ p_ck _p _nd fly _w_y w_th _ 6-k_l_gr_m _n_m_l. Th_ __gl_s _r_ _lr__dy _ n__s_nc_ f_r f_rm_rs _s th_y _r_ k_ll_ng ch_ck_ns.

Th_ sp_c__l v_st th_t p_t _wn_rs _r_ b_y_ng _s c_ll_d th_ C_y_t_V_st. _t _s _ pr_t_ct_v_ j_ck_t th_t w_s d_s_gn_d t_ pr_t_ct sm_ll d_gs fr_m c_y_t_s. _ c_y_t_ _s _ w_ld d_g th_t _s s_m_l_r t_ _ w_lf. _t _s c_mm_n _cr_ss N_rth _m_r_c_. Th_ C_y_t_V_st h_s _ v_r__ty _f sp_k_s _nd _th_r sh_rp th_ngs _n _t t_ pr_t_ct th_ p_t. S_m_ _f th_ v_sts h_v_ br_ghtly c_l__r_d wh_sk_rs th_t _r_ m__nt t_ sc_r_ b_rds _w_y. _t _s m_d_ _f _ m_t_r__l c_ll_d K_vl_r, wh_ch _s _s_d _n b_ll_tpr__f v_sts. Th_ K_vl_r pr_t_cts _ sm_ll d_g fr_m th_ t__th _f _ l_rg_r d_g. Th_ C_y_t_V_st c_mp_ny s__d _ts v_st h_lps t_, "sl_w d_wn _r pr_v_nt _ s_rpr_s_ _tt_ck _nd g_v_ y__ _n__gh t_m_ t_ r__ct b_f_r_ s_r___s _nj_ry _cc_rs" t_ _ p_t.

Punctuate the text and add capitals

dog owners in alaska and canada are buying special vests for their pets the vests are to protect the pets from attacks by bald eagles in recent weeks a number of pet dogs have been taken away by the birds of prey the number of bald eagles has risen greatly in alaska there have been many conservation efforts which has seen the bald eagle population increase conservationists estimate there are now around 30000 of the eagles in alaska while bird lovers are happy about this pet owners are worried the eagles have a 24metre wingspan they are strong enough to pick up and fly away with a 6kilogram animal the eagles are already a nuisance for farmers as they are killing chickens

the special vest that pet owners are buying is called the coyotevest it is a protective jacket that was designed to protect small dogs from coyotes a coyote is a wild dog that is similar to a wolf it is common across north america the coyotevest has a variety of spikes and other sharp things on it to protect the pet some of the vests have brightly coloured whiskers that are meant to scare birds away it is made of a material called kevlar which is used in bulletproof vests the kevlar protects a small dog from the teeth of a larger dog the coyotevest company said its vest helps to slow down or prevent a surprise attack and give you enough time to react before serious injury occurs to a pet

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

DogownersinAlaskaandCanadaarebuyingspecialvestsfortheirpets.T
hevestsaretoprotectthepetsfromattacksbybaldeagles.Inrecentwee
ks,anumberofpetdogshavebeentakenawaybythebirdsofprey.Thenu
mberofbaldeagleshasrisengreatlyinAlaska.Therehavebeenmanyco
nservationefforts,whichhasseenthebaldeaglepopulationincrease.Co
nservationistsestimatetherearenowaround30,000oftheeaglesinAla
ska.Whilebirdloversarehappyaboutthis,petownersareworried.Thee
agleshavea2.4-metrewingspan.Theyarestrongenoughtopickupand
flyawaywitha6-kilogramanimal.Theeaglesarealreadyanuisancefo
rfarmersastheyarekillingchickens.Thespecialvestthatpetownersare
buyingiscalledtheCoyoteVest.Itisaprotectivejacketthatwasdesigne
dtoprotectsmalldogsfromcoyotes.Acoyoteisawilddogthatissimilarto
awolf.ItiscommonacrossNorthAmerica.TheCoyoteVesthasavarietyo
fspikesandothersharpthingsonittoprotectthepet.Someofthevestsha
vebrightlycolouredwhiskersthataremeanttoscarebirdsaway.Itisma
deofamaterialcalledKevlar,whichisusedinbulletproofvests.TheKevla
rprotectsasmalldogfromtheteethofalargerdog.TheCoyoteVestcomp
anysaiditsvesthelpsto,"slowdownorpreventasurpriseattackandgive
youenoughtimetoreactbeforeseriousinjuryoccurs"toapet.

Free writing

Write about bald eagles for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Academic writing

Small dogs need to wear vests to protect them against larger dogs. 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. EAGLES: Make a poster about eagles. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
4. PROTECTION: Write a magazine article about protecting all small dogs with vests. 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 eagles. Ask him/her three questions about them. Give him/her three of your ideas on how to keep small dogs safe. 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: Bald Eagles

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