Bahrain’s Tree of Life
WORKSHEET
1. Suggested Use
Nature and environment focus, followed by closed practice A1-level vocabulary and grammar activities.
2. Suggested Activities
A. Project-based learning
Students research (or draw) and image of a tree of life (from the video, or one with fewer branches, e.g 6). They give each branch a different meaning or purpose of things that they think are the most important things in life, e.g. physical health, mental health, family and friends etc. They discuss the reasons for their choices for each branch then present it to the class. Students say if they added the same or had something different on their branches of the tree of life.
B. Mediation task: Encouraging conceptual talk
Have students make notes from the video on the main facts about Bahrain’s Tree of Life, e.g. it is over 400 years old, there are no other trees around, the leaves are green etc. Have students work together in groups to think of some reasons why they think the tree is still standing and growing. They can then research whether there are any other similar things in nature and present their findings to another group and then the class.
C. Pronunciation task: /l/ and /r/ sounds
Elicit, practise and drill the difference between /l/ and /r/, which appear in words from the video, e.g. leaves, life, green, tree.
First, elicit and model the sounds - /l/: light, leaves, life; /r/: red, tree, green. Then, students repeat minimal pairs, e.g. light – right, long – wrong, leaf – reef. Students then practise short phrases from the video including the sounds, e.g. Tree of Life; green leaves; very dry desert; beautiful place.
3. Vocabulary
Nature and environment
tree
leaf / leaves
desert
sand
root
water
green
birds
Adjectives
beautiful
hot
dry
rain
alive
strong
long
wide
deep
4. Grammar
Present simple:
A big tree stands alone; This is the…; It is over 400…; Its leaves are green…; Many tourists come to see it.
is vs are:
There are no other trees…; It is over 400…; It is 40 kilometres from…; It is a beautiful place…
TRANSCRIPT
Bahrain's Tree of Life
NARRATOR:
In the hot, dry desert of Bahrain, something is surprising. A big tree stands all alone. There are no other trees around. Just sand. This is the Tree of Life.
It is over 400 years old. The tree is full of life, even in a very hard place to live. Its leaves are green. Its branches are long and wide. It is 40 kilometres from Bahrain’s capital city, Manama. Many tourists come to see it. They take photos and enjoy the view. It’s a beautiful place to visit.
SOUNDBITE - Derlin Mathew:
"It is nice because in the middle of the desert, a tree, so green and, you know, first thing that we noticed here, it’s full of birds and noise. So it seems nice and wonderful."
NARRATOR:
It’s not clear how the tree survives. Bahrain has little rain throughout the year. The tree’s roots are very deep. Maybe the roots reach water under the ground. Many people say the tree gives them hope. It is strong, beautiful, and alive — even in the middle of the desert.