An Average Day

Summary

This lesson is a picture story about everyday actions that harm the environment. It is important for students to appreciate that many people are guilty of such actions simply because they don't know that they are doing anything wrong. These actions may seem small, but on a grand scale they amount to huge amounts of wasted energy, water and unwanted pollution. Stress to students that this is not just a printed exercise; the solutions you discuss are things they should try to do in their own lives.

Level: *

Grammar

Imperatives, new vocabulary, saving the Earth.

Materials

• "An Average Day" picture story
• "Garbage and Pollution" worksheet
• "Ten Ways To Save the Earth" answer key

Procedure

1. Go over "An Average Day" picture story with the whole class. Have students describe what is happening in each picture.
2. Using the "Garbage and Pollution" worksheet, students find new vocabulary in the pictures (JHS classes only, too easy for SHS).
3. Put the students in groups and ask them to try and find things in the picture that are not good for the earth. If this is difficult for the
4. students, give them a few examples. Otherwise to make the activity shorter, assign each group only one or two pictures.
5. After a few minutes, the groups can share what they have found in the picture. Write their answers on the board. (You can use the "Earth Friendly" information for reference.)
6. Now that you have a list of problems (things that are bad for the earth), it is time to find solutions (things that are good for the earth). Do the following activities.
7. Divide students back into small groups. Tell each group to write down a solution for each problem on the board. For a shorter activity, assign each group 2 or 3 problems only.
8. Have students report what they found to the class, and write their answers on the board. Use the answer key to help them find all the answers.
9. Do the "Ten Ways To Save the Earth" worksheet as a review or for homework.

Extension

• Have each group draw "An Average Day" again, but they must change all the bad things into good things.
• Make group or class Earth Day posters. For example:
• "Did you know ___________ hurts the Earth?"
• 20 simple things we can do to save the Earth.
• Recipes for less garbage.

Acknowledgements

Contributed by the Yokohama Activity Bank, April 1997.