Great barrier reef h45

Great barrier reef h45

Great Barrier Reef

Introduction

Introduction - The Great Barrier Reef

In this next lesson we look at world heritage wild life sites. There are many around and some of them are natural sites, or rather they are not man made. Unfortunately many have been affected by human activity.

In this lesson we look at The Great Barrier Reef.

  • Form groups of three or four pupils.

Discuss in your group what you know about the Great Barrier Reef.

This lesson contains 5 steps and an evaluation.
Work them through step by step.

Step

Activity

 

 

Introduction

Find out what you already know.

Step 1

Speaking

Make a list of world heritage sites. Visit an interactive map. Answer the question.

Step 2

Reading

You read an article about the Great Barrier Reef. Make a list of points you already know. Do the exercise.

Step 3

Speaking

Discuss in small groups questions about The Great Barrier Reef.

Step 4

Grammar

About the future perfect. Read the theory and complete sentences in future perfect.

Step 5

Task

Write a letter in 200-250 words to the local supermarket about the use of plastic bags.

 

Evaluation

Reflecting on what you have learned.

 

Difficult words? Search these on Cambridge Dictionaries

 

Step 1 - Speaking

Speaking
Do you know any world heritage sites?
Make a list of sites as many as you can think of with your partner.

  • One of the world heritage items is for instance 'De Waddenzee'.
    Can you find it on the interactive map?
  • There is also a World Heritage in Danger list.
    What purpose would such a list serve?

Possible answer

Step 2 - Reading

Reading
You are going to read an article about the Great Barrier Reef.

  • Make a list of points that you already know about it.

Read the article quickly – were your points mentioned?
Read in the 'toolbox' tips how to read quickly:

Skimming and scanning

The Great Barrier Reef has suffered the worst coral die-off on record
Updated by Brad Plumer@bradplumerbrad@vox.com  Nov 30, 2016, 9:50am EST

Coral bleaching at Lizard Island in February 2016. (XL Caitlin Survey)

  1. Earlier this year, the Great Barrier Reef was devastated by the largest mass bleaching event ever seen — as record-warm ocean temperatures turned large swaths of this vibrant 1,400-mile habitat into a ghastly white boneyard. Now scientists have finally tallied up the damage. Data released Monday by Australian researchers shows that an unprecedented fraction of the shallow-water coral in the pristine northern part of the reef has died, with average mortality rates of 67 percent.
  1. The brighter news is that the southern sections fared much better, with just 6 percent of coral dead in the central section and 1 percent dead in the south. “The[se] corals have now regained their vibrant color, and these reefs are in good condition,” said Professor Andrew Baird of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in a release. Here’s a map showing the damage:
    The scientists note that it could take 10 to 15 years for the worst-hit sections of the reef recover — but the real fear is that, thanks to global warming, another mass bleaching event will come along very soon and make the situation even worse.
  1. Coral reefs are often dubbed the rain forests of the ocean. Anchored by millions of coral polyps — tiny, soft-bodied animals that create elaborate calcium carbonate skeletons that shelter fish — these reefs cover just 0.1 percent of the sea floor but are home to 25 percent of marine fish species.

  1. But coral reefs are also extremely vulnerable to soaring temperatures. In normal times, the living coral polyps form a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, a colorful type of algae that synthesizes sunlight and carbon dioxide to create nutrients for the reef.

  1. It is this that gives the coral its purple and gold colors.

  1. This symbiosis only thrives within a fairly narrow temperature band. If the water in the reef gets too warm, the zooxanthellae's metabolism goes into overdrive and starts producing toxins. The polyps recoil and expel the algae from their tissue, leaving the coral with a ghastly "bleached" appearance. At that point, the coral loses a key source of food and becomes more susceptible to deadly diseases.
    Bleaching doesn't kill the coral right away; if ocean temperatures drop again, the zooxanthellae will come back. But if temperatures stay high for a long period and the bleaching gets really severe, as was the case in the Great Barrier Reef, then a lot of coral polyps will start to die of malnutrition or disease. Once the coral dies off, it can adversely affect the fish that rely on the reefs. The entire ecosystem suffers.
  1. Now, the good news is that coral reefs can recover from these mass die-offs. Now that El Niño is gone, ocean temperatures have fallen around Australia. New polyps are returning and starting to build new skeletal structures to replace the dead coral.
  1. The hitch is that recovery takes time. Lots of time. In places like the Seychelles, where reefs are mostly sheltered from pollution, tourism, and heavy fishing, it has taken at least 15 years for damaged reefs to come back. In areas stressed by human activity, the process can take much longer. What's more, recovery is often uneven. The fast-growing "branching" corals bounce back first. But there are also older, massive corals that are centuries old and provide valuable shelter for bigger fish. When those die off, they don't return overnight.
  1. Now, there are some things that Australia (and other countries) can do to help make reefs more resilient to bleaching. Humans can limit fertilizer and sewage runoff that further damage the coral. We can avoid overfishing key herbivores like the rabbitfish that nurture the reefs by clearing away excessive algae. We can also avoid wreaking havoc on reefs by rerouting boats around them and restricting construction in the coastal areas near them. Australia is on the wrong track here: In 2015, the government approved plans to expand coal exports via ship in the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef.
  1. But ultimately, reducing our carbon-dioxide emissions is the crucial step. Mark Eakin, who runs who runs NOAA's Coral Reef Watch program, told me back in March that we'd likely need to keep total global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius for coral reefs to continue thriving. Right now we're on course to blow past 2 degrees Celsius, which could doom recovery efforts. "At 2 degrees Celsius," Eakin said bluntly, "we are likely to lose numerous species of coral, and by the time that happens, well over half of the world's coral reefs will have vanished forever."


Read the article again and do the exercise.

Step 3 - Speaking

Speaking
In small groups, discuss these questions.

  1. What was your reaction to the article about The Great Barrier Reef (step 2)? Why?
  2. How optimistic are you about the Great Barrier Reef regenerating?
  3. Many tourists enjoy activities in and around the Reef.
    To what extent should governments limit, or even ban these?
    Give your reasons.
  4. You and your friend are planning to visit Australia.
    Do you visit the Reef? Why/ why not?

Step 4 - Grammar

Grammar
Let’s look at ... the future tense: future perfect.

Future tense

Exercise

Example:

  • By the time my grandchildren are born, most of the rainforests will have disappeared from the earth.

Do you think that the following are likely to happen?
Write sentences saying when you think they will have happened.

Write sentences with the following words:

  • Electric cars
  • People sunbathing
  • Green issues – more important than any other
  • People destroy earth
  • Alternative energy more valuable than oil
  • End nuclear energy

Step 5 - Task

Task: Write a letter
Make a list of ways that plastic bags can damage the environment.
What alternatives are there? Think of personal, local and government levels.

This is the situation:
On January 1st, 2016, the Netherlands banned the distribution of free plastic bags. But for hygienic reasons and to reduce food waste, the ultra thin plastic bags will continue to be provided to markets and vegetable sections in supermarkets.

You feel strongly about plastic bags and you know that your local supermarket hands them out willingly.

Letter

  • You are going to write them a letter explaining why they should ban plastic bags.
  • You are going to ask three questions about the plastic bag policy.
  • You are going to give three pieces of advice indicating how the supermarket can keep the shoppers happy and the environment clean.


Write your letter in 200-250 words.
Use the future perfect in this letter!

 

Example

Evaluation

Fill in the schedule and answer the questions below.

Lesson

 

Needs improvement

Satisfactory, good

Excellent

Step 1 - Speaking

I can speak about world heritage sites (in danger) with a classmate.

 

 

 

Step 2 - Reading

I can read an article about the Great Barrier Reef quickly and in detail.  

 

 

 

Step 3 - Speaking

I can give my opinion on (an article about) the Great Barrier Reef.

 

 

 

Step 4 - Grammar

I understand and can use the future perfect.

 

 

 

Step 5 - Task

I can write a letter to a supermarket, why they should ban the plastic bag.

 

 

 

 

What have you learned in this lesson?

 

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    Auteur
    VO-content
    Laatst gewijzigd
    2021-06-16 12:41:51
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    Aanvullende informatie over dit lesmateriaal

    Van dit lesmateriaal is de volgende aanvullende informatie beschikbaar:

    Toelichting
    Deze les valt onder de arrangeerbare leerlijn van de Stercollectie voor Engels voor havo, leerjaar 4 en 5. Dit is thema 'Environment'. Het onderwerp van deze les is: Great barrier reef. Deze les gaat over world heritage sites. Plekken in de wereld die niet door de mens gemaakt zijn. Echter, deze zijn wel aangepast door de mens. Een voorbeeld hiervan is het Groot Barrièrerif. Er wordt aandacht besteedt aan hoe het wordt aangetast en wat we kunnen doen om het terug te draaien. De grammaticaopdracht gaat over future perfect.
    Leerniveau
    HAVO 4; HAVO 5;
    Leerinhoud en doelen
    Engels;
    Eindgebruiker
    leerling/student
    Moeilijkheidsgraad
    gemiddeld
    Studiebelasting
    4 uur en 0 minuten
    Trefwoorden
    arrangeerbaar, engels, future perfect, great barrier reef, groot barrièrerif, h45, stercollectie, world heritage sites
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    Oefeningen en toetsen

    The Great Barrier Reef

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