*Hidden Dangers 1 | Safety | Emergency Sub Plan | Reluctant Readers | Reading Comprehension Activities | Dangerous Everyday Choices | English as a Second Language | English as an Additional Language | English Language Arts

This visually rich English as a Second Language reading unit is based on a shocking true story about an ordinary substance that became deadly when it was consumed too quickly. It includes extensive language support for lower-level students and is recommended for students in grades 5 and up or ages 11 and up.

A Quick Look at the Article

A mother enters a radio contest hoping to win a video game system for her children. The rules sound harmless, but the contestants must drink increasing amounts of water without using the bathroom. Soon, the cheerful competition becomes a serious safety emergency.

How can drinking water become dangerous? What warning signs appear when the body has reached its limit? Who is responsible when a public contest causes serious harm?

This high-interest article gives students a dramatic reading experience while exploring water intoxication, physical warning signs, competition, public safety, and responsibility.

What Is Included?

This resource includes 13 reading, vocabulary, speaking, writing, and critical-thinking activities, plus three puzzles, teacher answer keys, and black-and-white versions.

The 13 Activities:

Pre-reading anticipation guide
Students respond to statements about safety, risk, company responsibility, and extreme behavior before reading.
Multiple-choice comprehension questions
Students identify important details and events from the article.
Short-answer comprehension questions
Students respond in complete sentences.
Interpretation and reasoning questions
Students use information from the article to explain their ideas.
True-or-false activity
Students identify incorrect statements and rewrite them accurately.
Choice-based essay topics
Students choose between two real-world writing topics connected to safety and responsibility.
Essay sentence starters
Students receive support for introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions.
Rough-draft writing assignment
Students organize and develop their ideas before completing the final version.
Final-draft writing assignment
Students produce a polished written response.
Conversation questions
Students discuss competition, peer pressure, warning signs, public safety, and responsibility.
Vocabulary matching activity
Students connect important words from the article with simple definitions.
Vocabulary unscramble activity
Students use definitions as clues to identify vocabulary words.
Fill-in-the-blank vocabulary activity
Students complete sentences using a structured word bank.
Additional Materials