Save the planet — ready-made English lesson, B1

Lesson goal: Students can talk about environmental problems and suggest solutions using 'should' and the first conditional.

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? How?
- What do you do with your rubbish at home? Do you sort it?
- Can you name an animal that is in danger of disappearing?
- Do you think one person can really help the planet?
2
New words
Meet the words and practise them in games.
Match the pairsFill the gap
pollution · recycle · rubbish · plastic · climate change · global warming · endangered · species · protect · waste · save energy · renewable · solar power · flood · drought
All words in the set
3
Exercises
The lesson's words in context. Only you see the answers.
1. Fill the gap
  Plastic bottles can be ___ and made into new things, like clothes and bags.
  Answer: recycled
2. Fill the gap
  There hasn't been any rain for five months — the ___ is killing the crops.
  Answer: drought
3. Fill the gap
  If we ___ less plastic, there will be less rubbish in the sea.
  Answer: use
4. Multiple choice
  Which of these is a renewable source of energy?
  coaloilwindgas
5. Multiple choice
  Tigers, pandas and some whales are ___ species.
  endangereddangerousrenewablepolluted
6. Multiple choice
  Your friend says: 'I leave my computer on all night.' Choose the correct advice.
  You should turn it off to save energy.You should to turn it off to save energy.You should turning it off to save energy.
7. True / false
  Read: 'Last year our town had the worst flood in fifty years. Hundreds of homes were damaged. Now the council is planting trees along the river and building new walls to protect the town.' The flood was the worst in half a century.
  Answer: True
8. True / false
  Read: 'Last year our town had the worst flood in fifty years. Hundreds of homes were damaged. Now the council is planting trees along the river and building new walls to protect the town.' The council is doing nothing to prevent another flood.
  Answer: False
9. Discussion question
  Name three things you could do this week to waste less and save energy.
  Sample answer: I could turn off the lights when I leave a room, take shorter showers and bring my own bag to the supermarket instead of buying a plastic one.
4
Speaking
The student answers using the new words.
- Should governments ban single-use plastic completely? Why or why not?
- Who is more responsible for climate change: ordinary people or big companies?
- Would you pay more for products that are better for the environment?
- Is it worth protecting endangered species if it costs a lot of money?
- Imagine it's 2050. What will your city be like if we don't change anything?
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? How?
What do you do with your rubbish at home? Do you sort it?
Can you name an animal that is in danger of disappearing?
Do you think one person can really help the planet?

New words

Meet the words and practise them in games.

Match the pairsFill the gap

pollution · recycle · rubbish · plastic · climate change · global warming · endangered · species · protect · waste · save energy · renewable · solar power · flood · drought

All words in the set

Exercises

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

Fill the gap
Plastic bottles can be ___ and made into new things, like clothes and bags.
Answer: recycled
Fill the gap
There hasn't been any rain for five months — the ___ is killing the crops.
Answer: drought
Fill the gap
If we ___ less plastic, there will be less rubbish in the sea.
Answer: use
Multiple choice
Which of these is a renewable source of energy?
coaloilwindgas
Multiple choice
Tigers, pandas and some whales are ___ species.
endangereddangerousrenewablepolluted
Multiple choice
Your friend says: 'I leave my computer on all night.' Choose the correct advice.
You should turn it off to save energy.You should to turn it off to save energy.You should turning it off to save energy.
True / false
Read: 'Last year our town had the worst flood in fifty years. Hundreds of homes were damaged. Now the council is planting trees along the river and building new walls to protect the town.' The flood was the worst in half a century.
Answer: True
True / false
Read: 'Last year our town had the worst flood in fifty years. Hundreds of homes were damaged. Now the council is planting trees along the river and building new walls to protect the town.' The council is doing nothing to prevent another flood.
Answer: False
Discussion question
Name three things you could do this week to waste less and save energy.
Sample answer: I could turn off the lights when I leave a room, take shorter showers and bring my own bag to the supermarket instead of buying a plastic one.

Speaking

The student answers using the new words.

Should governments ban single-use plastic completely? Why or why not?
Who is more responsible for climate change: ordinary people or big companies?
Would you pay more for products that are better for the environment?
Is it worth protecting endangered species if it costs a lot of money?
Imagine it's 2050. What will your city be like if we don't change anything?

Review

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

Quiz