Lesson plan

LEVEL:  Upper intermediate and above

TIME REQUIRED:  Parts of two class periods or a total of about an hour

GOALS:  to read for gist and specific information in a text about animals in danger; to be able to guess words from the text; to find pronoun reference; to speak about environmental changes.

MATERIALS: Chalkboard with chalk or white board with markers; paper and pencils or pens; data show and speakers.

OVERVIEW: In this lesson plan your students will read a text, watch a video, and discuss a topic. During this class, students will practice reading for gist and specific information. Also, they will be able to guess meanings of words and finding pronoun references. Furthermore, they will discuss environmental change and ways to help animals in danger of being extinct.
For the reading text used in the lesson plan

PREPARATION:

1. Decide how you will group your students (4 groups: 2 represent examples and 2 the  other 2 represent reasons)
2. Make sure you have enough markers for the groups (at least 1 per group)
3. Photocopy the supplementary sheet attached with the reading text.
4. Make sure your class is equipped for data showing

PROCEDURE:

1. Divide class into 4 groups as suggested. Hand each group a white board marker.
2. Instruct groups that each group will work together then come to the board to write their answers. 2 groups will need to think of 2 examples on animals that are in danger of becoming extinct. The other 2 groups will think of 2 reasons why animals in danger might face such danger. Allow 5-8 minutes.
3. Divide Board into 2 parts (one for eliciting the examples and the other for the reasons)
4. Encourage representatives to go to the board to jot down their answers. Depending in answers, T might encourage Ss to match animals to the danger they face (variations)
5. Show Ss the headline and check if it matches any of their answers on the board.
6. Check if by now Ss know what they’ll read about
7. Inform Ss that they will come across some of the words in exercise 2a.
8. Encourage them to work individually to match words to their definitions in 2b.
9. Check in pairs then OC correction.
1) Fast 2) Species 3)Prey  4)Cubs  5) Mammals  6) Maine
10. Individually ask Ss to only read the instruction P.18 then answer exercise 4. Allow 5 mins then check together in pairs then OCFB.
11. Ss are now ready to read the text of the article. Encourage Ss to read individually and then answer exercise 5. Allow time for Ss to discuss together. “Ss need to use their own words”
12. Encourage Ss to give answers allowing room for variation of correct
13. On the board, write the following rubrics ( or see attached supplementary sheet)
A) Find word(s) in the text which mean:
  1) to impose on oneself (verb): encroach
  2) Speaking with pride (adj): boasting
  3) Depending on (adj): reliant on
B) Find what the following pronouns refer to:
  1) this (last line – introduction paragraph): global warming
  2) which (line 3 – paragraph 1):  unnatural
  3) they(line 3 – paragraph 7): female bears
14. Give your students a 20 minutes break.

EXTENSION:

• - Ask Ss to watch the video and take notes
  -In the same groups, encourage Ss to decide on the problem mentioned in the video and to compare it to the problem mentioned in the text.
  www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170221-struggle-to-save-elephant-calf
  - Divide class into 4 groups ( 2 groups represent the polar bears and the other two represent the elephant)
  - Provide groups with a set of questions to think of and to help them prepare for their presentations.
  - The set of questions:
  1) State the problem
  2) Does your environment suffer from changes like those mentioned     in the reading text or video?
  3) How can you as environmentalist help these animals?
  - Allow students from 15-20 minutes
  - Encourage Ss to discuss in their groups then with the other group of the same animal.
  - Swap groups so that the bear group shares with the elephant group.

  This lesson plan was written by Abeer Okaz, who is the director of the English Language Centre at Paros University. She is also a Cambridge Certified CELTA Assistant Course Tutor.
  

Click here for the reading text PDF.
Click here for the supplementary sheet.