Non-traditional lesson in the 9th form

Theme: Environmental problems. Natural hazards

Type: combined

Objectives: to enrich the pupils’ vocabulary on the topic; to teach to use the gained knowledge and information in speech and in writing; to encourage pupils to active work in pairs and in groups; to develop speaking, reading, listening and writing skills; to develop critical thinking, memory, communicative skills and attention of pupils; to use all skills for making presentations; to increase awareness of every pupil towards the problem; to encourage pupils to be kind, compassionate and active in things concerning environment protection.

Equipment: HO1 “ Tongue Twisters”, cards “Natural disasters”, HO2 “ Pictures of disasters”; HO3 “Names of natural disasters”; HO4 “ Match natural hazards”; HO5 “ Match words to make compounds”; HO6 “ Proverbs concerning nature and weather”; HO7 “ Statements: Healthy you in the healthy world”; HO8 “ Environmental Bingo”; tables-names of groups; tables “Agree/Disagree/Undecided” ; a notebook; whiteboard;markers, pupils’ presentations; video ‘7 Ways to survive natural disasters’, quotations on the board, Bingo cards.

                         Procedure of the lesson

І. Introduction. Theme and objectives.

T: Good morning, my dears!  As you see there’s a lot of green colour here. Can you explain why I chose just this color for our lesson? What does ‘green’ mean for you? Imagine you are representatives of different eco-organizations and it’s your duty to save our country and planet in general! What will speak about, did you guess?

Today we’re going to discuss the problem of environmental protection. The intensive development of science, industry and chemistry has made the pollution of the environment a global problem of our century. You know that people all over the world are worried about it. The issue of the ecology is very important nowadays.

ІІ. Warming-ups:

  1. Phonetic warm-up.

First of all, let’s raise our moods. Please, pronounce the tongue-twisters as quickly as possible. Choose any ones you like? (See HO1) Well done!

  1. Lexis revision.

T: OK, boys and girls, who can tell me what the environment is? Of course, you are right: it includes land, air, water, plants, animals and people. You know that there are some ecological signs. And now you have to translate them and tell us what they mean. (e. g. Keep off the grass! Put your litter in the bin! Keep the earth clean! Save gas, ride the bike! Plant a tree! Save the fish, save the planet!)

  1. Moving game.

Let’s review what kind of natural hazards you know (in a chain – work with cards and my Globe-balls). Match pictures of disasters with their names (with HO2, HO3). Stand up, please and move a little.

ІІІ. Main part of the lesson.

  1. Vocabulary practice. You’ll continue your work in groups. You are having handouts with names of natural hazards and their definitions. Try to match them correctly (See HO4).
  2. One more task for you is to match words to make compounds (HO5). Think of your own sentences with these word-combinations.
  3. Reading, listening and speaking practice.

a) Let’s look through some presentations of pupils and see what we can do for our environment (some presentations for discussion).

b) Pair work. Work with the statements “Healthy you in the healthy world” and add your own practical ideas how to keep the Earth safe, alive and beautiful for future generations (use HO7).

c) Watch the video and be ready to comment some advice for surviving.

4. Relaxation pause. 

1) Moving game “Environmental Bingo”. I suggest you should play “Environmental Bingo” to realize what to do to keep the environment clean (HO8). Directions: When I say “Begin”, move around the room and ask classmates the questions in the boxes. When someone answers” Yes”, write down his name in the correct box. If you get 4 different names across, diagonally or down, call “Bingo!” You may only say “Yes” if you really do or have done what the person asks you.

2) Bingo game – play with cards on “Nature/ Birds/ Flowers”( in groups).

5. Conversational practice

a) We’ll work in groups again, for the first group – “Nature pardons no errors” by R. W. Emerson; for the second group – “Look after your planet, it’s the only one we have” by Prince Philip of Britain. Try to explain how you understand these quotations.

b) Listen to the song by Michael Jackson “The Earth Song”. Be able to comment the main its message.

c) Work with proverbs concerning nature and weather (see HO6). Choose any of these proverbs and think of your mini situation using the proverbs.

d) Listen to my statements attentively and be ready to express your attitude to them with the help of my tables “Agree/ Undecided/ Disagree”.

  1. Our town is not polluted.
  2. We, humans, dominate the Earth but our planet is suffering.

7. Complete a message for future generations.

Propose your ideas (some pupils write on the board).

ІV. Summarizing.

Thank you so much for your work.