Breaking News English Lesson: Risky Behaviour
Teenagers often do crazy things. Once a child becomes a teenager, they take more risks. Some of these are dangerous and lead to injury, or worse. A study of chimpanzees may explain risky behaviour in children. The study is from researchers in the USA. They studied over 100 chimpanzees in a park in Uganda. The chimps were between 2 and 65 years old. The researchers looked at how the animals moved through trees. The youngest chimps did more dangerous things, like letting go of branches and letting themselves fall. Older chimps took fewer risks.
The lead researcher suggested why children and young chimpanzees take risks. They are at an age when people control them less. Parents often stop young children from doing risky things. However, young teens have more freedom and want to try risky things. The researcher said the risk-taking was the same for male and female chimps and humans. A website said some researchers want children to have "access to thrill-seeking play, including the old-fashioned monkey bars, as a way to help them develop motor skills and skeletal strength".
Try the same news story at these levels:
- https://www.sciencealert.com/chimps-reveal-why-teenagers-are-notorious-for-risky-behaviors
- https://www.earth.com/news/young-chimpanzees-take-more-risks-similar-to-human-behavior/
- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/chimpanzees-thrill-seeking-toddlerd
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 :-)
Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities, and more.
$US 9.99
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- Teenagers often do crazy
- Once a child becomes a
- Some of these are
- chimpanzees may explain
- The study is
- how the animals moved
- letting go
- Older chimps
- dangerous
- of branches
- from researchers
- teenager
- took fewer risks
- risky behaviour
- through trees
- things
- The lead researcher
- at an age when people control
- stop young children from
- young teens have
- the risk-
- access to thrill-
- help them develop motor
- skeletal
- doing risky things
- skills
- suggested why
- taking was the same
- them less
- strength
- more freedom
- seeking play
Teenagers (1) _________________________________________________ things. Once a child becomes a teenager, they (2) _________________________________________________. Some of these are dangerous and lead to injury, or worse. A study of chimpanzees (3) _________________________________________________ behaviour in children. The study is from researchers in the USA. They studied over 100 chimpanzees in (4) _________________________________________________ Uganda. The chimps were between 2 and 65 years old. The researchers looked at how the animals (5) _________________________________________________. The youngest chimps did more dangerous things, like letting go of branches and letting themselves fall. Older chimps (6) _________________________________________________.
(7) _________________________________________________ suggested why children and young chimpanzees take risks. They are at an age when people (8) ______________________________________________. Parents often stop young children from doing risky things. However, young teens (9) _________________________________________________ and want to try risky things. The researcher said the risk-taking was the (10) _________________________________________________ and female chimps and humans. A website said some researchers want children to (11) _________________________________________________ thrill-seeking play, including the old-fashioned monkey bars, as a way to help them develop (12) _________________________________________________ skeletal strength".
Put a slash (/) where the spaces areTeenagersoftendocrazythings.Onceachildbecomesateenager,theyt akemorerisks.Someofthesearedangerousandleadtoinjury,orworse. Astudyofchimpanzeesmayexplainriskybehaviourinchildren.Thestud yisfromresearchersintheUSA.Theystudiedover100chimpanzeesina parkinUganda.Thechimpswerebetween2and65yearsold.Theresearc herslookedathowtheanimalsmovedthroughtrees.Theyoungestchim psdidmoredangerousthings,likelettinggoofbranchesandlettingthem selvesfall.Olderchimpstookfewerrisks.Theleadresearchersuggested whychildrenandyoungchimpanzeestakerisks.Theyareatanagewhen peoplecontrolthemless.Parentsoftenstopyoungchildrenfromdoingri skythings.However,youngteenshavemorefreedomandwanttotryris kythings.Theresearchersaidtherisk-takingwasthesameformaleand femalechimpsandhumans.Awebsitesaidsomeresearcherswantchild rentohave"accesstothrill-seekingplay,includingtheold-fashionedmo nkeybars,asawaytohelpthemdevelopmotorskillsandskeletalstrengt h".
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.
Help Support This Web Site- Please consider helping Breaking News English.com
- Download a sample of my book "1,000 Ideas & Activities for Language Teachers".