Use this lesson with secondary students to consider the environmental impacts of our families and homes.

A family is planting vegetables together

The Climate Action in Language Education series

This lesson is part of our series of 'Climate Action in Language Education' teaching materials. There are twelve lesson plans in the series, available for teachers of primary, secondary and adult learners of English. See the full list of lesson plans in this series.

About this lesson plan

The climate emergency begins at home, and self-awareness of the impact of home life on the environment is very important. In this lesson, learners will develop their language and 21st-century skills in critical thinking and reaching agreement and compromise in discussions. They will discuss how family life can impact on the environment and how they can reduce that impact. They will then implement a questionnaire with some sensitive questions about home life and environmental issues.

The lesson plan and student materials have been designed to be used in either face-to-face or online teaching. When used in face-to-face teaching, teachers have the option to use a presentation instead of printing materials.

Learning outcomes:

  • Describe the environmental impact of family life
  • Apply critical thinking and collaborative working techniques
  • Seek agreement and compromises in group discussions
  • Use specific vocabulary related to the family footprint
  • Ask sensitive questions about environmentally responsible behaviours

Age and level:

13-17 (B2)

Time:

65-70 minutes or two shorter lessons

Materials:

The materials can be downloaded below in PDF format.

  • Lesson plan for face-to-face teaching
  • Lesson plan for online teaching
  • Presentation (PDF or PowerPoint)
  • Student worksheet (optional for face-to-face teaching)
  • Vocabulary sheet (optional for face-to-face teaching)

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