Lesson 11

Environment

Aims and objectives:

• revising and introducing topical vocabulary

• introducing the topic

• introducing grammar

Equipment: writing paper, pictures, handouts

Sequence

I. Warming-up

Have students create a story by saying just one word each. You could write the sentences on the board as they are produced or find a volunteer from the class. To make the activity competitive, set a time limit for each student to think of their next word and disallow any words that would make the chain either grammatically incorrect or nonsensical.

If this sounds too difficult, then have the students make a story one sentence at a time.

To introduce and tune the students to the topic, the teacher may give the title of the story, for example "The Place I Live in”.

II. Main part

1. Introducing the topic

The teacher offers the students two sets pictures and asks to describe them.

Ask students to think of possible adjectives that could be used to best describe the pictures. Have them give reasons for their answers.

(For the pictures on the left the adjectives may be dull, noisy, smoggy, etc.; for those on the right — peaceful, calm, beautiful, etc.). Let students share their ideas on why the pictures are perceived differently.

The target answer to the first question is "those on the left”.

Look at these pictures.

Which are more likely to be seen in your everyday life?

Why do you think such state of things is typical?

After the pictures are described, the teacher elicits from the students the name of the topic "Environment”.

2. Brainstorming

The class is divided into groups of not more than 4. Each group is given a sheet of paper with the task to brainstorm on the idea of environment (5 minutes). After that the groups present their ideas to the class. There should be some common ideas like ‘environmental changes’, ‘pollution’, ‘environmental protection’ etc, on which the teacher should concentrate students’ attention as the topics for work and discussion.

If possible the papers with the students’ mind maps can be posted in the classroom for the whole time of working on the topic.

    3. Introducing vocabulary

Students should read the definition and give their examples of the items listed as the intruders. The teacher may ask them to use the pictures as well as their background experience.

Read and comment on the dictionary entry below.

POLLUTION — Undesirable intrusion of unclean harmful substances, products, wastes or effects into the environment.

Do you know the difference? In pairs match the word with its definition:

If students have troubles matching, advise them to work by excluding the answers, which are absolutely inappropriate.

Key: 1 c, 2 d, 3 e, 4 a, 5 b.

Choose one word to best complete the sentences.

1) I don’t like their house — it’s always full of __ (Rubbish)

2) The main problem of ecology today is thousands of tons of industrial __ (Waste)

3) She always leaves a lot of __ in the kitchen. (Garbage)

4) In Singapore a person throwing __ on the road may be put to prison. (Litter)

5) Sometimes it seems that __ accumulates itself. (Trash)

The students in groups of 4 compose sentences, which describe their neighborhood, school etc. using the active vocabulary and share their ideas in the class.

Cinquain poetry

The teacher explains the rules of writing a cinquain. The modern cinquain is based on a word count of words of a certain type.

Pattern #1

Line1 — one word

Line2 — two words

Line 3 — three words

Line 4 — four words

Line 5 — one word

Example

Dinosaurs

Lived once,

Long ago, but

Only dust and dreams

Remain

(by Cindy Barden)

Pattern #2

Line 1 — one word (noun) a title or name of the subject

Line 2 — two words (adjectives) describing the title

Line 3 — three words (verbs) describing an action related to the title

Line 4 — four words describing a feeling about the title, a complete sentence

Line 5 — one word referring back to the title of the poem

Example

Spaghetti

Messy, spicy

Slurping, sliding, falling

Between my plate and mouth

Delicious

(by Cindy Barden)

The teacher suggests writing a cinquain to the word "pollution”.

This could be done in groups or by the whole class.

III. Summary

IV. Homework

Students should choose any two words from Ex. 3 and write cinquains about them.

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