Didactic Unit. Sustainability

PUT AN „R‟ IN YOUR LIFE! You won‟t regret it

DIDACTIC UNIT ©Elena González Guerrero

Didactic Unit: Put an R in your Life! ©Elena González Guerrero

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PUT AN „R‟ IN YOUR LIFE! You won‟t regret it

1. Have a look at these six pictures and think about them. Do they show something positive or negative? What do they have in common? Give an appropriate title to each picture:

2.a. What is „sustainability‟? Look it up in the dictionary and complete the chart below:

2. SUSTAINABILITY

WORD SUSTAINABILITY (SUSTAIN+ABILITY)

WORD CLASS

DEFINITION

RELATED WORDS ………………………… (v.) ; ………………………… (adj.)


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2.b. Watch this video on sustainability and answer the questions below: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5NiTN0chj0)

a. What is sustainability according to the video?

b. What things should our planet provide?

c. What is unsustainability?

d. Which are the four basic principles of sustainability?

e. Which are the demands that increase with population?

f. Where should we apply the instructions to be sustainable?

2.c. Since 2005 it has been agreed that that sustainability relies on three basic pillars. Have a look at this scheme. Which are the pillars? What is your interpretation of this picture? You can use the expressions below to give your opinion:

In my opinion,

As I see it,

From my point of view,

I think,

I believe,

I agree,


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3. The THREE Rs STRATEGY:

3.a. To be sustainable we should follow the Three Rs Strategy (reduce, reuse and recycle). Join the symbols to the words and then work in groups to give a definition for each word. Then use the dictionary to check:

REDUCE

RECYCLE

REUSE


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3.b. Write the appropriate R-word next to each sentence. There may be more than one answer:

a. Take carrier plastic bags back to the shops when you go shopping to avoid using new ones. Also, use them as bin bags instead of buying special bags for this purpose.

b. Cancel unwanted post deliveries and read news online as opposed to buying newspapers.

c. Wash glass jars and pots. You can use them as containers to store your odds and ends.

d. Use any paper you find at home as scrap paper or packing material. You can also write down notes and reminders on used envelopes and print on both sides of the page, especially if what you are printing is a draft or for your personal use.

e. When you mow the lawn, leave the grass cuttings on the ground instead of throwing them away. They turn into an excellent fertilizer for the soil. This is called grass cycling.

f. Buy bottles instead of cans and rechargeable batteries. They create very little waste because they can be used more than once.

g. Take printer cartridges back to the shop where you bought them to refilled. It can cost 10% of what original cartridges do!

h. Give away or sell unwanted items to people who may need them.

i. When you buy a new mobile phone, check if the company has a recycling programme, so you can send it back when you want to upgrade and make sure it is going to be recycled.

j. Buy products of recycled material. Remember that making products from recycled paper produces 73% less air pollution than if they were made from raw material.

k. Choose safer alternatives to hazardous household products. You can use products such as vinegar to replace chemical cleaners.

l. Use organic waste: eggshells, old tea bags and raw vegetables to make compost that you can use in your garden as an organic fertilizer.


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4.a. Super Recycler‟s Advice:

4.a.2. Have a look at the poster and learn some tips for recycling and reducing.

4.a.3. Complete Super Recycler‟s advice with the words in the box. Then listen to your teacher to check your answers:

spread buy (2) cut clean ask sort rinse use classify avoid (2) check take (2)

4. RECYCLING

4.a.1. Go to the website below and follow the instructions to do the different online listening activities:

http://www.esl-lab.com/enviro1/enviro1.htm


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4.b. Recycling Paper:

4.b.1. These pictures show the process of how paper is recycled. However, they are not in the correct order. Join the pictures to the correct paragraphs and then, write the correct number in the picture:

Paper is taken from the bin and deposited in a large recycling container along with paper from other recycling bins.

The paper is taken to a recycling plant where it is separated into types and grades.

The separated paper is then washed with soapy water to remove inks, plastic film, staples and glue. The paper is put into a large holder where it is mixed with water to create ‘slurry’.

By adding different materials to the slurry, different paper products can be created, such as cardboard, newsprints or office paper.

The slurry is spread using large rollers into large thin sheets.

The paper is left to dry, and then it is rolled up ready to be cut and sent back to the shops.


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4.b.2. Check your answers in the website below and correct your mistakes: http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/science-paper.html

4.b.3. Read this statement and do the activities below:

“Paper is recycled at recycling plants”

is an example of a sentence in the passive voice.

4.b.3.1. Underline all the verbs in passive voice in activity 4.b.1.:

4.b.3.2. Look at the examples and complete the following rule choosing the correct word or filling in the blanks:

People / They recycle paper at recycling plants.

Paper is recycled at recycling plants.

The students throw the used paper into a recycling bin.

The used paper is thrown into a recycling bin by the students.

verb

verb

object

subject

subject verb

verb object subject

agent


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4.c.1. Have a look at the pictures showing the process of recycling glass. Then, complete the paragraphs writing the verbs in brackets in the passive voice:

We can turn active sentences into passive ones by performing a series of changes:

The active object becomes the passive subject / object.

The active subject becomes the passive object / agent.

We form the passive verb with the verb ………………. followed by a past

participle. The verb to be will function as the auxiliary for negative and

interrogative sentences.

To form the passive agent we need the preposition ……………. In many cases,

the passive agent disappears, especially when it is obvious or unknown. They and

people are always omitted.

4.c. Recycling Glass:


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The consumer throws glass into a recycle bin.

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Glass ……………………. (take) from the bin and ……………………. (take) to a glass treatment plant.

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The glass ……………………. (sort) by colour and ……………………. (wash) to remove any impurities.

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The glass ….. then ………… (crush) and ……………………. (melt), then ……………………. (mould) into new products such as bottles and jars. Or it may ……………………. (use) for alternative purposes such as brick manufacture or decorative uses.

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The glass ….. then ………… (send) back to the shops ready to ……………………. (use) again.

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4.c.2. Check your answers in the website below and correct your mistakes: http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/science-glass.html

4.d. Recycling Aluminium:

4.d.1. Learn about the process of recycling aluminium and rewrite the paragraphs using the passive voice:

The consumer throws aluminium cans and foil into a recycle bin.

Then people collect the aluminium and take it to a treatment

plant.


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In the treatment plant they sort the aluminium and clean it

ready for reprocessing.

It then goes through a re-melt process and turns into molten aluminium, this removes the coatings and inks that may be present on the aluminium.

Then they make the aluminium into large blocks called

ingots. Each ingot contains about 1.6 million drinks cans.

They send the ingots to mills where they roll them out. This

gives the aluminium greater flexibility and strength.

Then they make the aluminium into aluminium products such

as cans, chocolate wrapping and ready meal packaging.

In as little as six weeks, people send the recycled aluminium

products back to the shops ready to be used again.


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4.d.3. Go to the website below for further information and activities on the passive voice:

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive

4.d.2. Check your answers in the website below and correct your mistakes: http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/science-aluminium.html

4.e. Recycling other materials:

4.e.1. Apart from paper, glass and aluminium, we can recycle many other materials. Now we will learn how to handle with them:

4.e.1.1. Form groups of three or four and choose one of the following materials:

BATTERIES COMPUTERS PLASTIC

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT METAL

MOBILES

PRINTER CARTRIDGES

4.e.1.2. Look for information on how to recycle the material you have chosen. Make sure you learn about:

Why it is important to recycle this material.

Process.

Place.

Important aspects.

4.e.1.3. Make an oral presentation to your class on the recycling process you have studied. You can use any material support.

4.e.1.5. Post and article in your class blog stating something interesting about recycling.

http://ourbloh4english.blogspot.com

4.e.1.4. Listen to your classmates and fill in the appropriate form with the necessary information.


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MATERIAL IMPORTANT FACTS (at least 3)


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Didactic Unit. Sustainability

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