Tag: science

Sugar Doesn’t Make Kids Hyper

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Trick-or-treating gets more popular as the spooky season draws near and kids roam the neighborhood gathering sweets. Sadly, many kids become very hyper after eating the collected sweets. One might conclude that sugar is causing this effect. However, a number of researches challenge the notion of sugar rush.

Watch the video to learn more about hyperactivity, which apparently, has nothing to do with consuming sugary treats.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What’s the meaning of “to put something to bed”? “And today, we’re putting this long-standing food myth to bed.” Make a sentence using this idiom.
  2. What does “to keep something in check” mean? “Glucagon’s job is to tell our bodies to release some of our stored-up sugar supplies to balance out our blood sugar levels. Our bodies are extremely good at keeping these things in check when they’re healthy.” Use this idiom in a sentence.
  3. What does “to bounce off the walls” mean? “But as you get older, the season’s less about TPing* the house of that one neighbor that gives away healthy apples and toothbrushes during trick-or-treating and more about dreading your five-year-old bouncing off the walls after consuming half of their body weight in Kit Kats.” Create your own sentence using this expression.

*TP stands for ‘toilet paper’ which means to cover (trees, buildings, etc.) with toilet paper as a prank.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree to the theory presented in this video? Explain.
  2. Have you experienced the sugar rush effect mentioned in this video? Talk about that instance.
  3. What were your thoughts about children becoming hyperactive after taking/eating sugary foods before seeing this video?
  4. What might be reasons many people turn to sugary food when they feel tired?
  5. Are you aware of how your body reacts to food and how it relates to the prevailing knowledge in society? Cite concrete examples.

Albino Whale in Mexico 

B1 – Intermediate

In the watery realms of the ocean, extraordinary occurrences often surprise and amaze us. One such marvel is the presence of albino creatures, which can be found in a range of animals, both on land and in the sea. While this natural anomaly is not unusual among mammals, birds, and reptiles, it remains a rare spectacle when it comes to marine life.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about albino whales.

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Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “albino” mean? “Albino skin sometimes happens in animals and in humans. People see it in mammals, birds, and reptiles. It happens because their skin does not have colour.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “rarely” mean? “It happens because their skin does not have colour. It rarely happens in marine mammals.” Give 2 synonyms and use “rarely” in a sentence.
  3. What does “marine” mean in this sentence, “Albino skin sometimes happens in animals and in humans. People see it in mammals, birds, and reptiles. It happens because their skin does not have colour. It rarely happens in marine mammals.“? Use ‘marine’ in the same context and give one other meaning of this word.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some other examples of natural anomalies or unique occurrences in the animal kingdom that you’ve heard of or read about?
  2. Do you think it’s important for people to learn about and appreciate the diversity of life in the ocean, even rare occurrences like albino whales? Why or why not?
  3. Can you think of other real-life examples in nature where animals with unique characteristics or appearances have played an important role in their ecosystems?

Crooked Teeth Our Ancestors Didn’t Have

B2 – Upper Intermediate

According to studies, ancient people had all of their teeth, including their wisdom teeth, and they were all perfectly aligned, even though orthodontic braces didn’t exist back then. This seems to be in contrast with modern humans’ crowded, crooked teeth.

As a matter of fact, this led to dental conundrum because of the increased demand for braces and tooth extractions, which are among the most current advancements in dentistry.

Kindly watch the video below to learn more about this topic.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “subsistence” mean? ” A couple million years ago, the ancestors of modern humans lived a subsistence lifestyle.” Make your own sentence using this word.
  2. How about “vye“? “…while teeth stayed roughly the same size, meaning they’re left vying for limited space.” Construct a sentence using this word.
  3. Do you know what “jostle” means? “When they grow in, they may displace others and get jostled into some eccentric positions. ” Use this in your words.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree with the findings of this study on teeth? Explain.
  2. What do you think about this statement, “Dental crowding has been caused by people’s less chewy foods, smaller jaws, and dental crookedness”?
  3. How important are teeth to a person?
  4. How can we take care of our teeth?
  5. Talk about your experience visiting the dentist.

Artificial Womb Facility

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Science has made it possible for humanity to advance significantly, as evidenced by the developments in delivery technology.

The first concept for artificial wombs has just been unveiled, showing an unthinkable way for humans to give birth in these pods.

However, this recent breakthrough has sparked much controversy, making many people afraid of its ramifications for the future.

To find out more about artificial wombs, let us watch this video.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is meant by “comfort of your zone“? “You can track your baby’s health from the comfort of your zone.” Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What is the meaning of “haptic“? “Using a wireless haptic suit connected to your baby’s growth pod, you will be able to sense their kicks in the womb.” Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What exactly is a “bioreactor“? “The second bioreactor is designed to eliminate any waste products created by the babies.” Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your initial thoughts about such growth pods?
  2. Do you believe that science has gone too far with this kind of tech? Explain your thoughts.
  3. In your opinion, what are the worst and best parts of an artificial womb facility?

The Fermi Paradox

B2 – Upper Intermediate

“If life on other planets exist, why haven’t we found any evidence of that? The galaxy is very large, so why haven’t we found any other life?” This question is known as the Fermi Paradox.

The Fermi Paradox is very interesting because each explanation to question has immense value within it.

To find out more, let’s watch this video.

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “paradox” mean?

2. What are “filters” in the context of this lesson?

3. Do you know the meaning of the word, “galaxy”?

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your answer to the Fermi Paradox?

2. Do you think we’d ever discover conclusive evidence of advanced extraterrestrial life? Why or why not?

3. Do you think we could travel to other universes, if so, do you think we could do it alone?

Is Marijuana Bad for Your Brain?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The United States categorized marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance in 1970, which was the harshest classification imaginable and meant that it was fully banned and had no accepted medicinal use. The medicinal advantages of marijuana are now generally recognized, but this does not provide an answer to the question of whether marijuana usage for recreational purposes is harmful to the brain or not.

Watch the video to find out whether marijuana is really bad for your brain.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the view on marijuana in your country?
  2. Should marijuana be made legal? Why or why not?
  3. How would our society change if marijuana was legalized?
  4. Other than marijuana, what are known illegal drugs in your country?
  5. What penalties are imposed if someone is found selling or using illegal drugs?

Are GMOs Good or Bad?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

For centuries, farmers have been selectively breeding animals and plants for better results, this is a form of GMO. Yet this hasn’t faced scrutiny like scientific GMOs, and we ask, “why is that?”.

GMOs or Genetically Modified Organisms have been criticized heavily by the general public due to many reasons, but is this skepticism justified or do GMOs actually help us live a better life?

What are their pros and cons from a scientific point of view?

To find out more, let’s watch this video.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the expression “get to the bottom of something” mean? Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What is “yield“? Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What does “pronounced” mean? Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. From your point of view, are GMOs good or bad? Elaborate on your stand.
  2. Can you think of any other pros and cons of GMOs? Cite all of them.
  3. Do you believe that there is a type of GMO that can help stop climate change? Explain your point.
  4. In your opinion, is there a way to help GMOs have a better reputation? How?
  5. What are some ways that you know GMOs are used?

What Did Dinosaurs look like?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Although humans have lived on Earth for a long, long time, there are still many species of animals that go undiscovered and may be lurking in the shadows for long.

Therefore, consider how many myths from the past still exist now. For instance, how did dinosaurs actually look like?

As a result of movies like Jurassic Park, people have compared dinosaurs to lizards, crocodiles, and other animals, which has shaped our concept of these prehistoric creatures.

Recently, scientists have discovered that dinosaurs are actually more feathery than reptilians, and although this information has been spread a lot more recently, many still think dinosaurs are scaly beasts.

What other aspects of the past are unknown to us if many people are mistaken about what they believe dinosaurs to be?

To find out more, let’s watch this video.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How many animals or species do you think we’ll never discover?
  2. Based on the information from this video, would we know if humans were to go extinct?
  3. What other animals do you think would disappear from history if they went extinct?
  4. How do you imagine the world would be like if we shared one environment with these extinct animals?

Why Parrots Can Talk Like Humans

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There are many types of birds that exist in our world and one of them are parrots. They are some of the most famous birds to ever exist. There are many reasons as to why this is the case, but the most significant is the fact that parrots can speak the human language.

Monkeys and humans are very similar creatures with very similar physical features. However, monkeys cannot speak the human language, so why and how can a bird, more specifically, parrots speak like us?

To find out more, let us watch this video.

Discussion Questions:

  1. If other birds were to start using their tongue while speaking, do you think they would be able to speak the human language as well?
  2. Do you think that parrots could imitate other animals as well as they speak human language?
  3. In the future, do you think we could fully teach parrots our language? How about other animals?
  4. What are your thoughts on animals having the capability to perform human-like skills?
  5. Would you like to own a talking pet/animal? Why or why not?

Why Do Humans Cry?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

All animals cry just like humans so that they can clean their eyes tor lubricate their eyes, but only Humans cry emotionally, why is this?

Babies crying makes sense because they can’t speak, so they have to find another way to show emotions and this carries on to adulthood, and during this time, people also want to comfort us, like when we used to cry as a baby.

There are a few reasons this can happen, in order to find out these reasons, let us watch this video:

Discussion Questions:

  1. When you see another person cry, how do you feel about it/them?
  2. What are other reasons we cry?
  3. In your opinion, is emotional crying beneficial to humans? Explain why or why not.
  4. Which moments make you cry your heart out?