Foreword

If you are thinking a year ahead, sow seed; if you are thinking ten years ahead, plant a tree; If you are thinking one hundred years ahead, educate the people.
—Kuan Tzu, 400 BC

Down to Earth English was designed to help ALTs and JTEs integrate environmental education into their English language classes. The book aims to open Japanese students' eyes to environmental issues in Japan and the rest of the world, while at the same time challenging them to think of practical steps they can take to help solve these issues. The book aims to empower and inspire young Japanese students to take charge of their future by learning how to live in harmony with the environment.

All the lessons in this book have been tested in a team-taught classroom. While teaching these lessons, bear in mind that the aims of the JET Programme are "to assist in teaching English and to internationalize" Japanese students. The aim to internationalize is the primary objective of Down to Earth English.

Some of the ideas presented in this book may seem to oversimplify the issues. Our purpose is to make sure the ideas are easy to grasp for students studying in a second language. Also, since these lessons are supplementary material to the national curriculum and need to accommodate the ALT's irregular class visits, each lesson is designed to consume a single 50 minute period. A few of the lessons, however, require more time. It is true that this limits the impact the lessons can have on the students, but this is the unfortunate reality that most JETs face.

The lessons are designed for mid-upper level junior high school and high school level students. I have refrained from assigning a specific year level to each lesson because ability levels vary from school to school. Instead I have used a three star system to specify the level of the lesson (* = least difficult, *** = most difficult). Teachers can determine what is appropriate for their classes, and with a few adaptations, the lessons can be changed to suit different classes. The environmental terms list is included as an aid when planning lessons. It is always useful to know at least a few of the main terms of the lesson in Japanese.

Unfortunately, Down to Earth English has not been translated into Japanese. We realize that this may be a problem for some JTEs and other Japanese people interested in using this text. One of our goals for the next edition is to produce a bilingual publication.

Beyond the lessons, there are some extra ideas and school-wide projects located at the end of the book. We encourage you to try them; as they involve a larger number of people in cooperative activities to help the environment.

Japanese students, like all young people, need to be exposed to environmental action when they are still forming their attitudes about the world around them. Hopefully they will gain a deeper respect for our Earth, and the enthusiasm to save it.

We hope this publication is fun and educational for all.

Happy learning,

—Samantha Berman
Down to Earth English Editor

The Internet Edition

This teaching section and the Lesson Plans it provides are sourced from Down to Earth English (DTEE), an BEE SIG publication that was integrated into the website in February 2004. The hardcopy edition of DTEE is out-of-print, but the lesson plans and worksheets can be downloaded and printed from this site as needed.

—Naomi Middleton and Tim Rose
Website Coordinators.