Leslie McIver
Episode 2
Page 67
Chapter 2
ACTFL Standards: 1.2, 1.3, 3.1
Context: Natural Disasters: Wildfires burning in Texas
Objectives:
 Students will listen to a newscast about wildfires in Texas and answer
comprehension questions.
 Students will read a news article about the wildfires and make
predictions about the content of the article
 Students will create and relate a news event about a current media
disaster utilizing the present perfect tense.
Vocabulary focus:
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To burn
To rage
Wildfire
Fire
Forest
Trees
Disaster
Firefighter
To destroy
Acre
Smoke
Wind
Flames
To exacerbate
Drought
Grammar Focus:
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Present perfect
Participles
 been
 destroyed
 burned
 stoked
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Imperfect tense
Preterit tense
Introduction:
 Lesson begins by activating schemata in the students by asking if students
have ever experienced a natural disaster.
 Ask students make a list of natural disasters
 Ask students to list some words that they would associate with the word
“fire.” (write these on the board)
 Ask if anyone in the class has seen a wildfire (write on the board “who has
seen a wildfire)
 Ask students if they have heard or have seen the Texas wildfires on
television.
Students will listen to the following newscast regarding the Texas wildfires (ACTFL1.2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tU9gyGwXTU
Have students answer the following true / false questions while listening:
1. There are about 57 wildfires burning in Texas.
2. More than one thousand homes have been destroyed.
3. Fifty people have died in the fire.
4. The fire is 16 miles long.
5. The fire worsening due to winds from Hurricane Louise.
Students will read the title of the following newspaper article and look at the
picture. (ACTFL 1.2, 3.1)
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Students will make predictions about the content of the article
Teacher will focus on the present perfect form of the verb in the title
and ask students if this verb is in the past, present or future.
Students will scan the article and circle all similar forms (present
perfect) in the article.
Teacher and students discuss the specifics of the article. Teacher asks
questions incorporating the present perfect tense:
What has happened in Texas?
How many acres have burned so far?
How many homes have been destroyed?
What two conditions have hindered the firefighters ability to control
the fire?
Most of the evacuations have been in what county?
1000 Texas Homes Have Been Destroyed By Wildfires
Wildfires have destroyed almost 500 homes in Texas, as strong winds hinder the ability
of firefighters to control the blaze. Thousands of people have been evacuated in Central
Texas as the fires, which started on dry farmland and have been exacerbated by the
strong winds caused by Hurricane Lee, have raged across 25,000 acres.
Most of the evacuations have been in Bastrop County, along the Colorado River where
almost 5000 have left their homes with 400 living in emergency shelters.
Firefighters and authorities have been fighting the fires using helicopters and planes
laden with water. The unpredictability of the fire, largely due to weather implications, is
the principal concern of Texas Forest Spokesman John Nichols, "You have to be
optimistic and at the same time prepared for the worst." The state's governor says 40
Texas Forest Service aircraft are involved in tackling the fires, with military aircraft also
taking to the skies.
The National Weather Service has issued a forecast predicting dry conditions to
continue in the coming days. The fire season begins early in the summer. Often
drought conditions, coupled with storm season increases the risk of wildfires, which is
why all but three of Texas' 254 counties ban outdoor burning, including campfires. So
far officials have dealt with 21,000 fires this year. The latest crisis began on Sunday as
63 fires broke out in a matter of days. Texas is currently experiencing its worst drought
for a generation.
As well as impacting on residents, the fires are likely to have an ecological effect. It is
estimated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department that two thirds of Bastrop Park
have burned. Endangered species including Houston toads as well as historic rock and
stone buildings are under threat.
http://www.earthtimes.org/nature/500-texas-homes-destroyed-wildfires/1333/
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Students will scan newspaper headlines in an online newspaper: www.cnn.com
Students will select two headlines about natural disasters and write them on a piece of
paper (encourage headlines utilizing the present perfect tense).
Teacher will collect pieces of paper and redistribute them to students who are in groups
of three. (ACTFL 3.1)
Students work in groups of three to create a media newscast based on the headline
selected with three participants: a journalist, a newscaster, and a witness. (ACTFL 1.1)
Students present their skits to the class.
Teacher gives a brief grammar explanation of the present perfect tense.
Wrap up: students write a list of three things that they have learned in the lesson using the
present perfect tense.