Download Teacher`s Notes . Unit 1 Level 2 - Understandi ng Climate Chan ge

TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1:
Understanding Climate Change
Level 2
The Unit is based on Certificate in Spoken and Written English
(CSWE) II
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LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
2/20
Contents & Learning Outcomes.
Activity Sheet
CSWE
Level
2
Skills Supported
Learning Activities
Writing, Spoken English,
Reading, Listening.
Label an image, discussion, drawing, describe
a drawing.
3-4
AS 2: The First
Australians
2
Writing, Spoken English,
Reading, Listening.
True and false, Identify key information,
comprehension.
5-6
AS 3: Greenhouse
Gases
2
Writing, Spoken English,
Reading, Listening.
Discussion, label a diagram.
7-8
AS 4: Climate
2
Writing, Spoken English
Reading
Word search, discussion.
9
AS 5: Human
Activity
2
Writing, Spoken English,
Reading
Label an image, discussion.
10
AS 6: Climate
Change
2
Writing, Spoken English,
Reading
Discussion, cloze activity.
11
AS 7: Too Many
Greenhouse Gases
2
Writing, Spoken English,
Reading, Listening
Discussion, vocabulary, label a diagram.
AS 8: Human
Activity - Warming
the Earth
AS 9: What Could
We Do?
2
Writing, Spoken English,
Reading, Listening
Cloze activity.
15
2
Writing, Spoken English,
Reading, Listening
Discussion, use of flash cards.
16
AS 10: Reducing
Your ‘Carbon
Footprint’
AS 11: Our Carbon
Footprint
2
Writing, Spoken English,
Reading, Listening
Discussion, identify key information.
17
2
Writing, Spoken English,
Reading, Listening
Recount, forecasting.
18
AS 1: Our
Environment
Page #
13-14

This Unit is based on certificates II and III in Spoken and Written English (CSWE) and can be adapted
for similar curriculum frameworks and other levels.

For AMEP Teachers- This Unit supports the delivery of the CSWE through the topic of Environment.
Skills Key:
 Writing
 Spoken
 Reading
♫ Listening
123 Numeracy
 Technology
English
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LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
3/ 20
TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
Our Environment
Activity Sheet 1
Level 2
Skills:
 Writing
Vocabulary:
atmosphere
beach
 Spoken English
house
environment
 Reading ♫ Listening
countryside
neighbourhood
workplace
earth
Key Aims

To understand the words we may use to describe the different environments we find ourselves in e.g.
the workplace, our neighbourhood, our school.

To understand that the word ‘environment’ does not just describe our natural surroundings.
Useful Resources and Information
An environment describes the conditions surrounding someone or something. Therefore an environment
can be any surrounding area.
SuggestionsActivity 1.3- Discussion
Students could be asked to choose their favourite environment and discuss in class why this is their
favourite environment, using key words above.
Activity 1.4 - Three More Environments
Teachers could be equipped with pictures of different environments for the students to use when
identifying thee more environments.
Answers
Activity 1.1 – Earth
Q1. Planet, world, globe.
Activity 1.2- Types of Environments
1. our neighbourhood
2. the workplace
3. our atmosphere
4. the countryside
5. our house
6. the beach
Activity 1.3- Discussion
Encourage students to discuss all the environments identified in Activity 1.2.
This could be a class discussion or a partner discussion.
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LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
4/20
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
Our Environment
TEACHERS NOTES
Activity Sheet 1 Level 2
Activity 1.4- Three More Environments
Students are asked to draw three more environments. Examples include: the park, the shopping centre,
the school, inside a plane, inside a car, in the garden.
Teachers could be equipped with pictures of different environments for the students to paste into the
squares provided and to support the student’s drawings.
©
LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
5/ 20
TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
The First Australians
Activity Sheet 2
Level 2
Skills:
Writing
Vocabulary:
Aboriginal
hunter
Spoken English
connection
gatherer
 Reading ♫ Listening
live
specific
territory
First Australians
Key Aims

To understand and acknowledge that the Australian Aboriginals were the First Australians, having
lived in Australia for over 40,000 years.

Aboriginals survived for thousands of years in Australia by connecting with the resources that were
available around them. They had, and still have, a deep connection with the natural environment
which can be seen in their stories, art and dance. You could say that they ‘lived in harmony’ with the
land and their surroundings.

Explore the website suggested below to get a deeper understanding about how our First Australians
lived.
Useful Resources and Information
SBS website: The First Australians.
http://www.progras.sbs.com.au/firstaustralians/content Visit this website to get a deeper
understanding about how our First Australians lived and survived for thousands of years. You could also
visit several of the videos, look at the photography and listen to the people being interviewed.
Suggestions- Activity 2.2- How did the First Australians Live?
Students may wish to highlight vocabulary they don’t know whilst they are reading and discuss the
meaning of these words with the class or with a partner.
Answers
Activity 2.1- The First Australians
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
True
False- Australian Aborigines are called the ‘First Australians’.
False- The first Australians did view their environment as the natural environment.
True
True
False- Australian Aborigines expressed their connection with the Australian environment through
stories, art and dance.
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LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
6/20
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
The First Australians
TEACHERS NOTES
Activity Sheet 2 Level 2
Activity 2.2- How did the First Australians Live?
Q1. They lived in harmony with their environment because they respected the natural environment. They
utilized everything around them without exhausting the natural resources.
Q2. They used natural resources to help them gather and hunt. They made weapons and traps out of
grass, sticks and rocks and wove baskets out of grasses.
Q3. They used rock art to record events such as the arrival of white people, to express their connection
with the land and as part of rituals.
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LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
7/ 20
TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
Greenhouse Gases
Activity Sheet 3
Level 2
Skills:
 Writing
Vocabulary:
atmosphere
normal
 Spoken English
 Reading ♫ Listening
radiation
greenhouse gases
trap
blanket
reflected
Key Aims

For students to understand that a certain amount of greenhouse gases (Drawing One: Normal amount
of greenhouse gases) are required so that the temperature on earth can stay at a comfortable level.

For students to understand three specific greenhouse gases and begin to explore how these gases
affect the earth.
Useful Resources and Information
Suggestionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas
On your search engine on the computer, search for more images and diagrams of greenhouse gases and
their affects on earth.
Answers
Activity 3.1- Keeping our Earth Livable
Encourage students to discuss Drawing One: Understanding Climate Change. This Drawing is showing that
the temperature on earth is comfortable when there are a normal amount of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere and that we need these gases to ensure a livable temperature on earth.
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LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
8/20
TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
Greenhouse Gases
Activity Sheet 3 Level 2
Activity 3.2- Drawing One: Normal amount of greenhouse gases.
Atmosphere
Nitrous Oxide
Methane
Carbon dioxide
Sun’s radiationsome is
absorbed &
some is
reflected by the
earth.
Atmosphere
Sun’s Radiation
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LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
9/ 20
TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
Climate
Activity Sheet 4
Level 2
Skills:
Writing
Vocabulary:
climate
pattern
Spoken English
 Reading
summer
tropical
winter
desert
weather
search
Key Aims


For students to understand what a climate is.
For students to briefly explore the different weather patterns in Australia and then compare these
weather patterns with those from their country of birth.
Useful Resources and Information
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/environment.html - Australia may need extra seasons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Australia
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/environ/other/climweather.shtm - Climate and Weather, What’s the
difference?
Answers Activity 4.1- What is a Climate?
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T
F
V
T
G
B
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H
T
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J
M
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P
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Activity 4.2- Different Climates in Different Places
Encourage students to describe the weather patterns in their country of birth and compare them with the
weather patterns they are familiar with, in Australia. Some students may have knowledge of other
climates in parts of Australia that they have visited.
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LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
10/20
TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
Human Activity
Activity Sheet 5
Level 2
Skills:
Writing
Vocabulary:
humans
making
Spoken English
environment
changing
 Reading ♫ Listening
building
unhealthy
cutting
activity
Key Aims

For the student to understand that everyday human activities, like building houses, making roads and
cutting down forests (or using lots of paper products) are having a negative impact on our
environment and the sustainability of our environment.
Useful Resources and Information
The Unheralded polluter: cement industry comes clean on its impact.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/oct/12/climatechange. The article titled: The article claims
that:
‘cement producers were in Brussels to discuss climate change. They represented a business that
produces more than 5% of mankind’s carbon dioxide emissions. Cement is the key ingredient in
concrete, and one that is rapidly emerging as a major obstacle on the world's path to a low-carbon
economy. No company will make carbon-neutral cement any time soon’.
David Adam in Brussels, The Guardian, Friday 12 October, 2007.
What is a Sustainable Forest? http://www.technologystudent.com/prddes1/susenv1.html -– V. Ryan ©
2007 – 2010. This website shows a sustainable forest life cycle using a cartoon style to describe this cycle.
Answers
Human activity- How are these human activities affecting the environment?
Building a new house can be harmful to the environment in many ways.
When a house is built it requires materials, processes and transport to complete it, e.g. the wood used to
create the structure of the house in the picture had to be harvested from a forest, treated with chemicals
and transported to the supplier and then to the construction site. Each step in this process creates more
greenhouse gases.
Every home that is built also takes up space that was previously part of the local natural environment.
New houses are generally larger and have higher energy usage than older houses. Although newer houses
may have more energy efficient appliances such as air conditioners and heaters, these appliances are
often used more in newer houses as the houses are bigger and often require more heating and cooling.
Activity 5.1- Human Activity: Changing the Environment
1.
a. making roads
b. cutting down forests
c. building houses
2. These human activities affect the environment because they require materials, transport and
processes which are harmful to the environment. (See ‘Useful Resources and Information’ above).
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11/ 20
TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
Climate Change
Activity Sheet 6
Level 2
Skills:
Writing
Vocabulary:
hotter
weather
Spoken English
 Reading
less
pattern
more
climate change
bushfire
Key Aims

For students to understand when a change in our climate becomes ‘climate change’ and the affect
that climate change may have on our earth.
Useful Resources and Information
Record La Nina linked to Climate Change - Type into your search engine: ‘record La Nina climate change
Australian’. You will find an article by Sid Maher: in The Australian Newspaper, titled: Record La Nina
linked to climate change, March 15, 2012. This article claims that three leading climate scientists have
linked the past two years of record wet weather to climate change.
More Droughts and Floods to Come. A summary of this article is provided on the following page and was
written by Environment Victoria.
The Climate Commission has also written an analysis about this same article in the Australian titled:
Droughts, Floods and Climate Change. This can be found at the web address:
http://climatecommission.gov.au/topics/droughts-floods-and-climate-change/
Answers
Activity 6.1- Our Changing Climate
weather patterns change.
1.
Climate Change is when the
2.
Victoria has had
3.
Generally, the weather in Victoria is
often more bushfires .
4.
These
less rain in the past 10 years.
hotter than it used to be in summer. Therefore, there are
changes to the weather patterns of Victoria are called climate change.
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12/20
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
Climate Change
TEACHERS NOTES
Activity Sheet 6 Level 1
6.2 - More Drought and Floods to Come
Main messages:
Environment Victoria, eBulletin, Wednesday, 28 March 2012
More Droughts and Floods to Come
THREE of the nation's leading climate scientists have linked the past two years of record wet
weather to climate change in their strongest findings yet on the impact of global warming on the
nation's climate.
Professors Will Steffen, Matthew England and David Karoly find that global warming may have
contributed to the strength of the La Nina event and the heavy rainfall and flooding.
They also believe that the heavy rains do not contradict the trend towards drier weather for
southern and eastern areas of Australia and find that despite two years of above average rains,
southeast Australia continues to suffer from a cumulative rainfall deficit.
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LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
13/ 20
TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
Too Many Greenhouse Gases
Activity Sheet 7
Level 2
Skills:
Writing
Spoken English
Vocabulary:
methane
carbon dioxide
industry
radiation
 Reading ♫ Listening
trap
global warming
thicker
Key Aims

Students to understand that human activities are causing an increase in greenhouse gases which is
causing our earth to warm. If nothing is done about this increase in greenhouse gases, we may
experience in Australia more heat waves and fewer cold spells. Globally we may experience higher
global rainfall, rising sea levels and the melting of arctic ice.
Useful Resources and Information
Arctic Sea Ice is Melting at its Fastest Pace in Almost 40 Years.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/sep/11/arctic-ice-melting-at-fastest-pace. This article says
that The Northwest Passage was, again, free of ice this summer and the polar region may be ice-free
within 30 years. Also, scientists warn that the melting arctic ice is releasing banned toxins. John Vidal,
Environment Editor, Guardian.co.uk, Sunday 11 September 2011.
Sea Level Rise: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_sea_level_rise. This article explains that
the level of the sea is steadily rising.
Answers
Activity 7.1- Understanding Greenhouse Gases
Work with the students to understand the concept of ‘Too many greenhouse gases’.
Activity 7.2- Definitions
This drawing shows what happens when too many greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.
There is a thicker ‘blanket’ of greenhouse gases, which is trapping heat in the atmosphere. This is because
the greenhouse gases stop heat from the sun from exiting the atmosphere, therefore heating the earth.
Methane:
Industry:
Trapped:
Thicker:
Carbon Dioxide:
Radiation:
Global Warming:
A greenhouse gas that is released from human activity and helps to trap heat in the
atmosphere.
Human activities such as making clothing, building materials and other everyday
items which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
An increased amount of greenhouse gases are blocking the suns heat from exiting
earth’s atmosphere.
Increased human activity is causing a larger than normal amount of greenhouse
gases to accumulate in the atmosphere making the layer of greenhouse gases
‘thicker’.
A greenhouse gas that is released from human activity.
The heat that the sun gives off.
The warming of the earth’s atmosphere due to human activity.
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14/20
TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
Too Many Greenhouse Gases
Activity Sheet 7 Level 2
Activity 7.3- Drawing Two: NOW! Too many greenhouse gases
Here are the missing words inserted into the diagram.
Methane
Nitrous Oxide
Atmosphere
Too much heat is trapped by the
thicker blanket- causing global
warming!
Carbon Dioxide
Sun’s Radiation
Atmosphere
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15/ 20
TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
Human Activity - Warming The Earth
Activity Sheet 8
Level 2
Skills:
Writing
Spoken English
Vocabulary:
burn
permanently
 Reading ♫ Listening
coal
release
power station
create
electricity
trapping
Key Aims

Students to understand how our everyday activities contribute to increases in greenhouse gases,
which in turn, leads to the warming up of our earth.

Students could watch the 6 minute video at the NASA website, titled Piecing Together the
Temperature Puzzle – the web address is below.
Useful Resources and Information
Suggestions- Activity 8.1- Warming Up Our Earth
This activity is designed so students can fill in the gaps by directly copying across the missing words.
However, to increase difficulty, encourage students to cover up the completed sentences on the left and
fill in the missing words without copying them.
Piecing Together the Temperature Puzzle. http://climate.nasa.gov/warmingworld/ Visit this site to see
the 6 minute video on the NASA website (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) under Global
Climate Change. This video uses great photography to explain how and why the earth is warming.
Further articles on this website include: Our Warmest Decade, Just 5 Questions, Sea Change and It’s Snow
Joke. Most of the information in the videos ‘In the Balance’ and ‘Global Temperature Update 2009’, repeat
what is said in the Piecing Together video.
Answers
Activity 8.1- Warming Up Our Earth
Sentence 1- Humans are warming up the earth by
the heater on at home.
Sentence 2- Nitrous
oxide , carbon
gases. They trap the heat in the atmosphere.
Sentence 3- When we burn coal
gases.
building houses, driving their car or turning
dioxide
and methane
in a power station we create electricity but also release greenhouse
Sentence 4- Global warming is when there are too many greenhouse
causing our planet to permanently warm.
©
are greenhouse
LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
gases
in our atmosphere
16/20
TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
What Could We Do?
Activity Sheet 9
Level 2
Skills:
Writing
Spoken English
 Reading ♫ Listening
Vocabulary:
reduce
waste
comfortable
continue
temperature
grand children
petrol
Key Aims

There are many actions we could take to ‘live more sustainably’ and to have a lower carbon footprint.
The Flash Cards – What Can We Do to Live More Sustainably?, offer many ideas for us to adopt, across
many aspects of our lives.
Useful Resources and Information
Suggestions- Activity 9.1- What Can We Do to ‘Live More Sustainably’?
Flash Cards: Living More Sustainably - Use the flash cards to work with students to understand the many
things we could do to ‘live more sustainably’. You may wish to encourage class or partner discussion
around the suggestions on the flash cards.
Little Shop of Big Ideas. Students could search on the internet to find out more ideas about ‘living more
sustainably’ e.g.
Go to Sustainability Victoria’s Resource Smart website. To get there type in:
http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au – click on the tab called ‘Take Action’, select ‘At Home’ in the drop
down box, click on ‘Resource Smart’, find the column ‘For Households’ and then click on ‘Tell Me More’,
then click on ‘Ideas at Home’ and you will get to The Little Shop of Big Ideas. Explore this site to find out
more ideas about living more sustainably.
Answers
Activity 9.1- What Can We Do to ‘Live More Sustainably’?
Answers will depend on the actions students choose from the Living More Sustainably Flash Cards and the
ideas they get from The Little Shop of Big Ideas.
©
LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
17/ 20
TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
Reducing Your ‘Carbon Footprint’
Activity Sheet 10
Level 2
Skills:
Writing
Spoken English
Vocabulary:
sustainable
living greener
carbon
saving
 Reading ♫ Listening
footprint
biggest
going green
solar
Key Aims

For students to understand what the four phrases mean: to ‘live more sustainably’, to ‘reduce your
carbon footprint’ and ‘going green’ or ‘living greener’.

For students to be able to recognise these phrases as they hear about them in everyday life – on the
news, in the newspaper, in magazines etc.
Useful Resources and Information
Living more ‘sustainably’
So what does it actually mean to live more ‘sustainably’? Living sustainably means to incorporate
‘sustainable’ or environmentally friendly concepts and practices into your everyday life. These practices
can be hard to maintain, however it is important to remember that by making these changes, you can save
money as well as protecting the environment.
Reducing your ‘carbon footprint’
Basically, by reducing your carbon footprint, you are reducing the amount of carbon-based energy you
require to live your life. Everything we do requires energy, which generally comes from things that have
stored carbon. The paper we write on comes from trees (organic material), which is full of carbon and is
consequently released into the environment when we break this organic material down. Therefore, if we
use more solar energy we reduce the amount of fossil fuels that are burnt and therefore reduce the
amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the environment.
National Geographic Article
http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/reducing-carbon-footprint-mean-2578.html
‘Going green’ or ‘living greener’
To live a greener lifestyle or go green, essentially means to incorporate everyday methods to protect the
environment. This includes the smallest actions such as turning off lights when you are not using them, to
large lifestyle changes such as installing solar panels or building a more ‘sustainable’ home.
http://www.savetheworld.com/2009/11/what-does-going-green-mean.html
Answers
Activity 10.1- Common Words
There is no correct answer. Encourage students to discuss the meanings of these words and phrases.
Activity 10.2- Who is Saving More Energy?
a. Debra & Joe
b. Debra & Joe
c. Ron
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LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
18/20
TEACHERS NOTES
Our Environment Unit 1: Understanding Climate Change
Carbon Footprint
Activity Sheet 11
Level 2
Skills:
Writing
Vocabulary:
differently
carbon
Spoken English
reduce
 Reading ♫ Listening
footprint
display
Key Aims

The aim is to develop the student’s awareness of their own ‘carbon footprint’ and to find ways of
reducing it.

To understand that everything we do has an impact on our ‘carbon footprint’ – even reading in bed at
night before going to sleep!
Useful Resources and Information
Suggestions- Activity 11.1 – Your Carbon Footprint
Ensure students understand what a ‘carbon footprint’ is before undertaking this activity. This exercise is
designed to encourage students to rethink their daily activities in a ‘greener’ way or a more sustainable
way.
Answers
Activity 11.1 – Your Carbon Footprint
There is no correct answer. Answer will depend on the student’s daily activities.
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LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
19/ 20
©
LLLC, City of Whittlesea & Sustainability Victoria
20/20