How did burglars break into the Louvre? 

A group of burglars stole some of the most valuable jewellery from the Louvre. How did they break into one of the most famous museums in the world?

Words:

• If someone is brazen, it means they are not afraid of doing something very risky. 
• A heist is a big and ambitious plan to steal something, often from a big place like a bank or museum.
• A robbery is when someone steals from a person or place.
• Burglars are people who go into buildings to steal things. 
• When people are evacuated it means they are moved away from a place for their safety.
• Clues are things that help find the answer to a problem or crime.
• A prized possession is very special or valuable object that you own.
• A display cabinet is a glass box that shows and protects objects.
• Responsible can mean you have the task to do something, but it can also mean you are to blame for something. In the context of a crime, the person responsible is the person who committed the crime.
  

Video:

Warming up

1. You’re about to watch a video about the museum the Louvre. What do you know about the Louvre? For example, where is it, and what famous paintings do they have?

2. This video is about a robbery that took place here. Have you already seen this on the new? What do you know about it? 

Questions about the video

Watch the video from 0:00-1:12.

3. Spot the two mistakes in this sentence. Explain your answer.

The burglars took only seven minutes to rob the Louvre. They came in through a window around 09:30 in the evening. They used a ladder on top of a truck to get to the second floor. They museum was closes at the time. The burglars are still on the run.

4. Which of these objects did the burglars drop on their way out of the museum?

A: A tiara

B: An emerald necklace

C: A crown

D: A single sapphire earring

E: A corsage bow (strikje)

F: A huge diamond

Watch the video from 01:12 to the end.

5. Were the visitors of the museum in danger at any point? Explain your answer.

6. What do you think a manhunt is? Base your answer on the context of the video and your knowledge of the words ‘man’ and ‘hunt’.

7. This is a high-vis vest (high-visibility vest). This object is mentioned in the video. Why is it important to the police investigation?

Task

Option 1: What do you think happened to the jewellery? Were they sold, taken apart to sell the gold and jewels, or are they being worn by the burglars as accessories? Write out your theory about the missing jewellery. 

Option 2: These jewels were incredibly important to the Louvre. Not just because they are very expensive and beautiful, but also because they had historic value. If you could put any object from history in your own museum, what would it be? Describe the object, then write a sign you would put next to it in your museum.

Van de makers van All Right!, Of Course! en Taalblokken Engels