Protecting the environment – Mother Nature is crying for help!

Dear fellow English teachers,

Are people taking global warming seriously in your opinion? How do you think the earth will be impacted by climate change thirty years from now?

“Protecting the environment – Mother Nature is crying for help!” – This is a complete Lesson Plan you can use with your B2 level students. Enjoy!

Pre-listening/reading questions:

What are some of the things we can all do on a daily basis to protect the environment?
How can big cities improve their air quality? Should cars be banned from city centers?
Do you know anyone who has experienced a natural disaster like a hurricane or an earthquake? If so, what did they tell you about it?

Click the link below to listen to the dialogue “We´d better listen to Mother Nature”

SCROLL DOWN FOR DIALOGUE SCRIPT

Dialogue Comprehension

Amy had no idea the recent hurricane has been so severe. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___
Howard is concerned about natural disasters. True ___ False ___ I don´t know _
Betty is coming to visit Amy soon. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___
Howard thinks Mother Nature is punishing humanity. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___
Amy and Howard live within walking distance from the local church. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___

Find words or expressions in the dialogue with the following similar meanings:

a. Filled with water as a result of a flood: _____________________
b. Unpleasant and shocking: ___________________
c. Difficult: _______________________
d. Hit very hard many times: _______________________
e. Power failure; an interruption in the supply of electricity: __________________
f. An app for communicating with people over the internet using voice calls or video: _______________
g. So interested in something that you cannot think about anything else; hypnotized: ________________
h. Annoying; interfering with it: __________
i. A violent storm with strong winds and heavy rain: ________________
j. Scenes recorded on video: __________
k. Return to the right path or direction: _________________
l. Had a bad effect on; caused damage: _______________

Fill in the blanks below with a word or expression highlighted in the dialogue:

“I´ve had a ______________ day at work. I just want to take a shower and get some rest.” said Rupert to his wife.
All flights have been canceled due to the _____________________.
“Some streets in my neighborhood were completely __________________ because of the hurricane.” Sally told a friend.
“Luke´s a tough kid. I´m sure he will ______________________ in no time.” said Joe to a friend.
“I wouldn´t _______________ him if I were you. He is known to be ruthless. You never know what his reaction might be.” Candy told Roy.

Discussion & Conversation 1

Have you ever experienced a power outage? If so, what happened?
Are we doing enough to reverse global warming? What are some of the most visible effects of global warming?
“Nature doesn´t need humans. Humans need nature.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?
Do you consider yourself environmentally friendly? Explain your answer.
Is there anything you have been doing to help protect the planet? (ex. saving on water and electricity; reducing your personal use of plastic bags, etc.)

Additional Vocabulary & Expressions

Recyclable: able to be recycled; materials that can be processed and used again Ex. “I have been using recyclable bags for years now. I think we can all do something to help protect the environment.” said Bill to a friend.

Renewable energy: a form of energy that can be produced as soon as it is used Ex. Solar and wind energy are examples of renewable energy sources.

Deforestation: the destruction of forests by man Ex. Deforestation can severely harm the environment by destroying the habitats necessary for different organisms.

Rubble: broken pieces of stone and brick from houses, buildings, etc.; debris Ex. The earthquake had reduced some areas of the town to rubble.

Ecofriendly: not harmful to the environment Ex. Fortunately an increasing number of people are now becoming aware of the need to have an ecofriendly mindset and help protect the environment.

Biodegradable: capable of being decomposed and therefore not harmful to the environment Ex. “We only use biodegradable packaging. This is our way to contribute to environmental protection.” the plant manager told the visitor.

Sustainable development: development that causes little or no damage to the environment and therefore capable of continuing for a long time Ex. We are all responsible for promoting sustainable development.

Fill in the sentences or short dialogues below with words or expressions presented in Additional Vocabulary & Expressions:

“People have become increasingly more conscious about the need to protect the environment. That´s why I believe that ___________________ products and services are likely to grow.” said Maurice to a coworker.
Rescue workers worked around the clock digging through the ____________ in search for survivors.
Todd: You got new balcony chairs? They´re beautiful!
Marcy: Thanks! They´re not just beautiful, they´re ecofriendly as well. They´re made of _____________________ material.
Todd: Oh, really? That´s even better!
“I just love their shampoo. Did you know that all their hair care products are made of ____________________ material?” Lucy told a friend.
The use of ______________________ sources such as solar, wind and biofuels has been increasing in the past few years.

Discussion & Conversation 2

What can we all do to reduce air pollution?
Is there anything that you recycle on a regular basis? If so, what is it?
What are some things people can do to save water and electricity on a daily basis?
Should kids be taught how to protect the environment from an early age at school? Why/Why not?
Are people taking global warming seriously in your opinion? How could it affect our lives?

Choose the alternative that best explains the meaning of the words in bold in the sentences below.

“The test wasn´t that tough.” Stanley told Bart.

a) straightforward b) easy c) long d) difficult

“Rick has no manners. As a matter of fact, his behavior is sometimes appalling.” Mick told Jane.

a) awful b) pleasant c) weird d) unfriendly

The recent storm caused power outages throughout the region.

a) interruption in the supply of food b) interruption in the supply of gas c) interruption in the supply of water d) interruption in the supply of electricity

Parts of the city were flooded beyond recognition after the heavy storm.

a) filthy b) destroyed c) filled with water d) battered

It took a long time for them to clear the rubble.

a) sludge b) debris c) sand d) dirt

Complete the sentences below with your own words.

………………………………………….. recyclable ……………………………………
………………………………………………………………… because of the hurricane.
…………………………………………………. were flooded after ………………………..
She was mesmerized by …………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………… Skype …………………………………..

Discussion & Conversation 3

Should plastic bags and straws be banned? Why/Why not?
Do you think people who litter should be fined? Explain your answer.
Have you ever watched a natural disaster movie? If so, what was it about?
Do you think environmental groups like Greenpeace are important? Why/Why not?
How do you think the earth will be impacted by climate change thirty years from now?

Dialogue Script: We´d better listen to Mother Nature

Amy: Hey, you´ve been glued to your laptop for the past ten minutes!
Howard: Sorry!
Amy: You seem mesmerized by what you´re reading. What´s so interesting?
Howard: I wish it was interesting, but it´s actually quite depressing.
Amy: What is it?
Howard: The recent hurricane. It´s been devastating.
Amy: I know. I saw it on the TV news this morning. It has taken a toll on some Caribbean islands. Many areas have been flooded. The footage they showed was appalling.
Howard: We´re so fortunate we´ve never been hit by a hurricane or anything like that.
Amy: True. I´m really sorry for all those people whose homes have been damaged. I really hope they can get back on track soon. I´m planning to go to church and light a candle for them tonight.
Howard: Of course honey, I´ll go with you. I just remembered your friend Betty in Florida.
Amy: Oh, sure. I thought of her in the morning. She went through a tough time when hurricane Andrew battered her home town of Miami.
Howard: That was a category 5 hurricane, wasn´t it?
Amy: Yeah, it was the most destructive to ever hit the state of Florida. The power outage lasted for days.
Howard: Have you been in touch with Betty recently?
Amy: Uh, we talked on Skype some two weeks ago. She´s all right.
Howard: Good!
Amy: Hey, you look thoughtful now, what´s the matter?
Howard: I was just thinking. Whenever I read about natural disasters like this recent hurricane I feel like Mother Nature is trying to send us a message.
Amy: Do you think it´s taking revenge on humanity for what man has done to it?
Howard: No, I don´t think so. I think Mother Nature is just trying to tell us to stop messing with her.

Source: LET´S TALK ABOUT IT! – The Ultimate ELT Conversation Book by José Roberto A. Igreja

Available on the Amazon stores of the following countries:

AUSTRALIA BRAZIL CANADA FRANCE GERMANY INDIA ITALY JAPAN MEXICO NETHERLANDS SPAIN UK US

If you´re based in Brazil the paperback is available at a discount price on UICLAP!
240 pages – 31 QR-CODES for the audio tracks (dialogues) “even the paperback comes with built-in technology”

José Roberto A. Igreja is the author and co-author of several ELT books, including:

600 Phrasal Verbs (with Jonathan T. Hogan)

Talking Business

How do you say … in English?

Fluent Business English (with Robert C. Young)

What to say when …?

Fale Tudo em Inglês AVANÇADO

English for Job Interviews (with Robert C. Young)

Fale Tudo em Inglês!

Fale Tudo em Inglês – LIVRO DE ATIVIDADES

Fale Tudo em Inglês em VIAGENS!

Fale Tudo em Inglês nos NEGÓCIOS!