Power shift — ready-made English lesson, B2

Lesson goal: Students can discuss climate change and energy choices, describe changes in progress with the passive and suggest ways to cut their carbon footprint.

Add the lesson to get your own copies of the word set and exercises; the lesson opens in the builder, where you can adjust the steps and teach it.

Lesson plan

1
Warm-up
Questions to get the student talking and lead into the topic.
- Has the weather where you live changed since you were a child?
- What do you do to save electricity at home?
- When was the last power cut you remember? What did you do?
2
New words
Meet the words and practise them in games.
MemoryWordsearch
renewable energy · fossil fuels · carbon footprint · greenhouse gas · emissions · solar panel · wind farm · global warming · drought · flood · sustainable · energy-efficient · power cut · insulation · extreme weather
All words in the set
3
Exercises
The lesson's words in context. Only you see the answers.
1. Fill the gap
  Coal, oil and gas are ___ — they took millions of years to form.
  Answer: fossil fuels
2. Fill the gap
  After three months without rain, the region is suffering from a serious ___.
  Answer: drought
3. Fill the gap
  We've put ___ in the roof, so our heating bills are much lower this winter.
  Answer: insulation
4. Fill the gap
  A new wind farm ___ (build) off the coast at the moment.
  Answer: is being built
5. Fill the gap
  Since 2015, thousands of solar panels ___ (install) on public buildings.
  Answer: have been installed
6. Multiple choice
  By 2040, most coal power stations in Europe ___.
  will have been closedhave been closedwere closed
7. Multiple choice
  Which of these is NOT a source of renewable energy?
  the sunthe windcoalrivers
8. True / false
  Read: "Fifteen years ago, a small village in northern Germany decided to stop buying electricity from big energy companies. Today it produces all its own power from a local wind farm and solar panels, and residents pay much less for electricity than the national average. Visitors come from all over the world to see how it works." The village still buys some of its electricity from big companies.
  Answer: False
9. True / false
  Read the text again. People in the village pay less for electricity than most people in the country.
  Answer: True
10. Discussion question
  What three changes could you realistically make to reduce your carbon footprint? Which would be the hardest?
  Sample answer: First, I could cycle to work instead of driving. Second, I could switch to energy-efficient bulbs and turn the heating down a little. Third, I could fly less. That would be the hardest, because my family lives abroad and the train takes almost two days.
4
Speaking
The student answers using the new words.
- Should governments ban new petrol and diesel cars? When?
- Would you pay more for electricity if it came from renewable energy?
- Is nuclear power part of the solution or part of the problem?
- Who should do more to fight global warming: governments, companies or ordinary people?
- How might extreme weather change the way people live in your country?
5
Review
A quiz on the lesson's words. With a student, it's homework on their link.
Quiz

Lesson plan

Warm-up

Questions to get the student talking and lead into the topic.

Has the weather where you live changed since you were a child?
What do you do to save electricity at home?
When was the last power cut you remember? What did you do?

New words

Meet the words and practise them in games.

MemoryWordsearch

renewable energy · fossil fuels · carbon footprint · greenhouse gas · emissions · solar panel · wind farm · global warming · drought · flood · sustainable · energy-efficient · power cut · insulation · extreme weather

All words in the set

Exercises

The lesson's words in context. Only you see the answers.

Fill the gap
Coal, oil and gas are ___ — they took millions of years to form.
Answer: fossil fuels
Fill the gap
After three months without rain, the region is suffering from a serious ___.
Answer: drought
Fill the gap
We've put ___ in the roof, so our heating bills are much lower this winter.
Answer: insulation
Fill the gap
A new wind farm ___ (build) off the coast at the moment.
Answer: is being built
Fill the gap
Since 2015, thousands of solar panels ___ (install) on public buildings.
Answer: have been installed
Multiple choice
By 2040, most coal power stations in Europe ___.
will have been closedhave been closedwere closed
Multiple choice
Which of these is NOT a source of renewable energy?
the sunthe windcoalrivers
True / false
Read: "Fifteen years ago, a small village in northern Germany decided to stop buying electricity from big energy companies. Today it produces all its own power from a local wind farm and solar panels, and residents pay much less for electricity than the national average. Visitors come from all over the world to see how it works." The village still buys some of its electricity from big companies.
Answer: False
True / false
Read the text again. People in the village pay less for electricity than most people in the country.
Answer: True
Discussion question
What three changes could you realistically make to reduce your carbon footprint? Which would be the hardest?
Sample answer: First, I could cycle to work instead of driving. Second, I could switch to energy-efficient bulbs and turn the heating down a little. Third, I could fly less. That would be the hardest, because my family lives abroad and the train takes almost two days.

Speaking

The student answers using the new words.

Should governments ban new petrol and diesel cars? When?
Would you pay more for electricity if it came from renewable energy?
Is nuclear power part of the solution or part of the problem?
Who should do more to fight global warming: governments, companies or ordinary people?
How might extreme weather change the way people live in your country?

Review

A quiz on the lesson's words. With a student, it's homework on their link.

Quiz