Lesson Overview
Title of Lesson: Climate Change, Decarbonization & What We Can Do
Language Skills and Strategies in focus: Speaking, Listening
Age & Level: Secondary school, Level B1/B2
Length of Lesson: 90min
Materials Needed: Whiteboard, projector, printed “nature photos” (as specified below), video clip pulled up, Internet-capable devices for student groups
Learning Objectives (3-5)
1. SWBAT investigate the issue of climate change through discussion
2. SWBAT identify ways they can enact change in their personal lives
3. SWBAT utilize climate vocabulary to discuss current events
4. SWBAT use conditional ‘if’ sentences to express hypotheticals and future change
Warm Up
Activity: Our Favorite Places
Time: 15 min
Steps & Teacher Directions: Show the photos to the class. Ask students to describe their favorite places in the natural world and how they would feel if some of those places were lost. Then compare natural places with the following slides of pollution.
Presentation
Activity: Climate Change Vocabulary
Time: 15 min
Steps & Teacher Directions: Ask students to visit https://climate.nasa.gov/ and respond to the following questions in small groups. Then teacher can talk about it with whole group.
1) What are the seven vital signs of the planet?
2) Which of these problems affect our favorite places?
3) Why is climate change happening?
Practice
Video Activity: Decarbonization
Time: 15 min
Steps & Teacher Directions:
1) Pre-listening activity: Divide the word ‘Decarbonization’(de-carbon-iz-ation) into sections and ask students the meanings. Ask students if they know anything about decarbonization. (10 min)
2) While-listening activity: Ask students to listen carefully while watching the video, which will be played twice, and answer the following questions (written on the board):
1. What does burning fossil fuels create? Answer: Greenhouse gases
2. What are three types of fossil fuels? Answer: Natural gas, coal, gasoline
3. What effect does burning fossil fuels have on the Earth? Answer: They raise global temperatures (5 min)
3) Post-listening activity: Break up the students into groups of two or three and discuss how they think they as individuals can help in the goal of decarbonization. (10 min)
Assessment
Activity: Conditional ‘If’
Time: 15 min
Steps & Teacher Directions:
1) Introduce the concept of the conditional mood to students. Once instructed, write examples (below) on the board and have students help fill in blanks.
Ex: If climate change continues to get worse, ………
If I …………, I will save water.
If I …………, I won’t save energy. (5 min)
2) Pair up students (if students need to be shuffled around, assign numbers). Instruct pairs to come up with around 5 or more examples. (5 min)
3) Call on students and ask them to share one sentence their partner said, writing it on the board for the whole class to review and revise. (5 min)
Wrap Up
Activity: Carbon Footprint
Time: 25 min
Steps & Teacher Directions:
1) Break down the phrase “carbon footprint.” (5 min)
2) Ask students to take the survey and calculate their carbon footprint. (5 min)
3) Students will be placed into groups (numbered off), where they will then use the conditional ‘if’ to tell each other how they can lower their carbon footprint. (5 min)
4) Call on one student from each group and share their sentences about lowering their carbon footprints. (5 min)
Listening Activity
Presentation for Warm Up
nature photos.pptx