Unlock 2 -Unit 8 – The universe – LS – Vocabulary 1
The words in the following presentation are from a book called “Unlock 2” – Listening and Speaking book. They’re part of unit 8, which is all about the universe. And guess what? It’s the first set of vocabulary you’ll encounter. So, get ready to expand your word bank!
Space & Exploration Vocabulary
Vocabulary Word List
Review the words, meanings, and examples below before starting the activities.
Click the speaker icon to hear the pronunciation. Click any example sentence to hear it read aloud.
Explore
VerbTo go around a new place to find out what is there.
- Astronauts want to explore Mars to see if life ever existed there.
- We used a telescope to explore the night sky.
Instrument
NounA tool that is used for doing something.
- The telescope is an important instrument for looking at stars.
- She used a special instrument to measure the temperature of the rock.
Object
NounA thing that you can see or touch.
- A black hole is a mysterious object in deep space.
- The radar detected a large object moving towards the ship.
Research
NounDetailed study of a subject in order to discover new information.
- Scientists are doing research to find water on other planets.
- He read many books to do research for his space project.
GPS
AbbreviationGlobal Positioning System; used to show where something is on a map, drivers often use it to find places.
- The spacecraft uses GPS to navigate around the Earth.
- My phone has GPS, so I never get lost driving to the observatory.
Beyond
Prep/AdvFurther than; on the other side of.
- Voyager 1 has traveled beyond our solar system.
- We dream of what lies beyond the stars we can see.
Journeys
NounLong trips or travels.
- Space journeys take a very long time to complete.
- The journey to the moon took three days.
Satellites
NounObjects sent into space that move around the Earth.
- Weather satellites help us predict storms on Earth.
- The moon is a natural satellite, but we also launch artificial satellites.
Surface
NounThe outside or top part of something.
- The surface of the moon is covered in craters and dust.
- The rover drove across the rocky surface of Mars.
Planets
NounLarge round objects in space that move around a star.
- There are eight planets in our solar system orbiting the sun.
- Jupiter is the largest of all the planets.
Spacecraft
NounVehicles made to travel in space.
- The spacecraft landed safely on the asteroid.
- Engineers designed the spacecraft to withstand extreme heat.
Clear
VerbTo take away objects and create more space.
- We need to clear the launch pad before the rocket takes off.
- The sky was clear, so we could see the Milky Way perfectly.
Debris
NounBroken pieces of something.
- Space debris can be dangerous for working satellites.
- The explosion left a cloud of debris floating in orbit.
Junk
NounOld things that have little value.
- Old satellites that no longer work are often called space junk.
- We must clean up the junk in orbit to prevent accidents.
Researcher
NounA person who studies something to find new information.
- The researcher studied the data from the rover for years.
- A researcher at NASA discovered a new star.
Path
NounThe way or route something moves along.
- The rocket followed a precise path to reach the space station.
- The asteroid’s path will take it close to Earth, but not hit it.
Podcast
NounAn audio programme you can listen to online.
- I listened to a podcast about black holes yesterday.
- The astronaut recorded a podcast while floating in zero gravity.
International Space Station (ISS)
NounA large space laboratory that moves around the Earth.
- Astronauts from many countries live together on the ISS.
- You can sometimes see the ISS moving quickly across the night sky.
Here are some engaging vocabulary activities related to the words mentioned above. These activities will reinforce the vocabulary you’ve just taught your students.
Matching – Vocabulary Quiz
In this activity, the students will match the words with their respective definitions.
Word Search – Find the hidden words in a letter Grid
In this activity, the students will search for the words that the teacher has taught. The words are hidden in a letter grid.
Spin the Wheel – Find the word
In this game, the teacher will spin a wheel, and eventually, it will stop. When the wheel stops, the students will see the meaning of a specific word. Then, the teacher will ask one of the students to guess the word by carefully reading its definition. The teacher may ask the student to make a sentence for the word.
Unscramble the word or phrase – Vocabulary Quiz
In this activity, the students will move the letters around to put them in the right order and reveal a word or phrase. All these words are connected to the above vocabulary.
Open the box
In this fun activity, the teacher will choose one of the students to participate. First, that student will pick a number. Then, the teacher will click on the chosen number. What happens next? Well, the student will see the meaning of a word—a word related to the vocabulary the teacher has taught in class. Now comes the exciting part: the student needs to read the meaning and guess the word! If the guess is correct, the teacher might even ask the student to create a sentence using that word.
