Environmental School

WORKSHEET

1. Suggested Use

Sustainability and future careers focus, followed by B1-level vocabulary and grammar activities.

2. Suggested Activities 

A: Project-based learning
Students imagine they’re part of a student eco-committee creating a plan to make their school more environmentally friendly. In small groups, they identify 3 environmental problems at their school (e.g., too much plastic, energy use, lack of green space) then suggest 2–3 actions they could take to help the issue (e.g., recycling bins, planting trees, saving electricity). Students then explain how these actions could help both the school and the planet. Each group presents their action plan to the class. 

B. Mediation task: Collaborating to construct meaning 
Write the following points from the video on the board: coastal restoration, climate change, rising sea levels and strong storms, floods, protect the soil. Put students into groups to try and remember what they learnt from the video about each of these points and why they were mentioned. Then, give students a copy of the video script to confirm their answers. 

C. Pronunciation task: Weak forms in connected speech 
Write example sentences from the video on the board, e.g. They go to a high school that was specially built to help…; It’s important to take care of …; Students remove harmful plants and plant new trees; These trees hold water and protect the soil from damage; They work for real projects. Have students practise saying them aloud and ask them what they notice about the pronunciation of to, for and and. Explain or elicit the concept of weak sounds and drill the pronunciation. Students then write and practise their own examples. 

3. Vocabulary 

Environment 

• environment

• climate change

• coastal 

• restoration

• rising (sea levels)

• storms

• rainwater

• soil

• trees

• plants

• floods

• wetland park

Collocations and expressions 

• take action

• prepare for

• learn about

• help repair

• remove harmful plants

• plant new trees

• build a greener future

• make an impact

• hands-on

• (enter) an industry

4. Grammar

Present continuous:
Some students are taking action; Students are working in a wetland park in the city; One group is working in a wetland park in the city; land is disappearing. 

Infinitives of Purpose:  
…built to help young people prepare for jobs that protect the planet; Students learn about real environmental problems — and what they can do to help.

Relative clauses:
Jobs that protect the planet; A park that helps stop floods by collecting rainwater.

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TRANSCRIPT
Environmental School

NARRATOR:
Most students know it’s important to take care of the environment. But in New Orleans, USA, some students are taking action. They go to a high school that was specially built to help young people prepare for jobs that protect the planet. At this school, students learn about real environmental problems, and what they can do to help. One of the students already has big ideas for the future.

SOUNDBITE – Mei Miller:
“So, I would like to be either an electrical engineer or an environmental engineer, because both of them focus on green energy and coastal restoration and things like that.”  

NARRATOR:
Coastal restoration means helping to repair land near the sea. Not every student wants to be a scientist. But their teacher says it’s useful for all students to learn about the environment. In the future, they can use this knowledge in many different jobs.

SOUNDBITE – Anthony Burrell
“So, even if they're passionate about other things, by teaching them through the lens of climate change, they can then start to think about how – whatever industry they want to enter – they can make an impact.”

NARRATOR:
In southern Louisiana, land is disappearing because of rising sea levels and strong storms. So, students work on real projects to help. One group is working in a wetland park in the city. The park helps stop floods by collecting rainwater. The students remove harmful plants and plant new trees. These trees hold water and protect the soil from damage. The park is one of the best places in the city to learn about nature. Hands-on experience like this helps students understand how to solve problems, and how to build a greener future.