Off the Rails

Photo Prompts

Int – Adv
Teens & Adults
Grades 6–12

A picture is worth a thousand words. Look at this photo from The Associated Press of a plume of smoke from a train derailment in Ohio, USA, which caused serious environmental damage.

Use the photo in class with your students to draw comparisons, brainstorm vocabulary, and make predictions. You can also assign a writing or speaking task based on the photo prompt. You may want to teach some of the suggested vocabulary below.

Focus

authentic materials
topic-based
writing
speaking
news
train derailment
environment
Ohio
productive

Vocabulary

derailment
impact
toxic
detonate
plume
soil
harm
compensation
A spinning paper plane