On 19th March 2021, it's GLOBAL CLIMATE STRIKE, following Greta Thunberg's latest call for action 5 years after the Paris Agreements. As she said, "We are the solution. We, the people." So the key question is: What should we do?
It's time to #BuildaBetterFuture and #FightFor1point5.
It's time to hold big polluters accountable.
It's time to speak truth to power and speak up: #NoMoreEmptyPromises.
Governments must #FacetheClimateCrisis.
Banks must stop funding the fossil fuel industry.
In fact, this is a moral issue. Our survival on planet Earth is at stake. Let's call for #ClimateJustice. There is no planet B. Let's protect our only home.
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1) How it all started for us
In class, we sang We Are The Wave, a song by JAYO, a rap artist from London who cares about key issues in our society. In fact, he is a Teens Dream ambassador and it was an honour for us to have a live Q&A zoom session with JAYO.
> Visit @jayostream on instagram where you can see TEuro students singing in class and listen to what JAYO said about his dream in life. Rap can be a challenge to sing but remember that PRACTICE MAKES PROGRESS
2) Food for Thought
What should we do?
How can we protect the planet?
> Watch this awareness video and draw a mindmap including all the solutions that are mentioned in the video and adding all your green ideas: what do you think we should do?
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Severn Suzuki taught us that
"Real change happens at grassroots levels. Each one of us can be a role model for the people around us."
Yet, in the eye-opening documentary An Inconvenient Truth, a Global Warning (2006), Al Gore warns us that many people tend to go from denial straight into despair without actually pausing in the intermediary state: doing something about it. There are so many things we can do to help protect the environment!
Mind maps are a great way to find new ideas and visualize connections better. They're also one of the best ways of boosting your vocab around a topic or an issue.
TIPS: Make your mind maps as attractive and colourful as possible. As you're learning English, make sure you copy full sentences
> How green are you? How many of these things do you already do or try to do?
If you have any doubts, listen to OneRepublic's song Truth to Power, a song that was used in An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. Listen to the Earth and what she would say to you:
> Write a letter back to the Earth
2) What is Global Warming? What is Climate Change ? Why is it a Climate Crisis?
Greta Thunberg keeps repeating it: Climate Change is a fact.
Watch Al Gore explaining what is happening and what is at stake here
> Draw a diagram to show what is happening and explain Climate Change to your classmates
There is no denying that human activity is the root problem of Climate Change: the way we live, the way we behave and the way we think.
3) Dig Deeper:
The Patterning Instinct by Jeremy Lent
> LISTEN to Jeremy Lent's lecture and let's think about it from a historical, sociological and philosophical perspective. TAKE NOTES from the slides that are shown.
> Which themes does he focus on? Which key questions does he go into?
> click on the screenshot above to visit Jeremy Lent's official website
a) Is humanity headed for collapse?
b) Are we going to live in a techno-utopia? or something completely different?
c) What kind of world view could enable sustainable flourishing on earth?
d) What are the root causes of consumerism and the consumer society?
e) What made the Scientific Revolution unique in history?
f) How will our values shape our future?
g) What is our true nature? What makes us human beings?
h) Why is the battle between Science and Religion a false choice?
i) How can we move towards an Ecological Civilization?
j) What key principles should we take into account?
Neoliberalism rules the world
> Let's think about it from an economic and political perspective. Listen to George Monbiot, a journalist for The Guardian. TAKE NOTES
a) What is neoliberalism?
b) How does it work?
c) What did it promote?
d) What are its consequences?
e) What are the risks?
f) What are the key issues right now?
g) What role do the media play in it?
The UN SDGs
> Listen to the video JAYO created to raise awareness and explain what the UN SDGs are. What does UN SDG stand for?
How many UN SDGs are there?
What are they?
> Do research on the UN SDGs official website: choose one area that you are interested in, find 5 statistics and report back to your classmates > TALK FOR 1 minute
3) What are we doing? GREEN TEENS NEWS
In fact, this year we're taking part in an eTwinning project with schools in Italy, Spain and Finland. There are over 10 teachers, 200 students in 30 teams. We've been learning how to cooperate and work together at a distance. Our aim is to raise awareness of key green issues linked to Global Warming and Climate Change. We've carried out a Green Survey in our communities to find out just how green people around us really are. Comparing the results, we create news reports with statistics, multilingual live interviews.
> Here are the trailers for the 4 first news reports we got so far.
4) How much do you know about Severn Suzuki and Greta Thunberg?
> Listen to Severn Suzuki's speech at the first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 and how she silenced the world with her powerful words
How many parts are there in this speech?
What makes this speech convincing?
What are your favourite sentences and why?
> Listen to Severn Suzuki's story as she speaks 30 years later and comments on her speech and what we should do now.
> Listen to this truly inspiring interview with Greta Thunberg.
TAKE NOTES and CREATE A QUIZ with 10 questions
Get ready for the Global Climate Strike
5) Get ready for the Grand Oral
> GREEN CHALLENGE
Write your own speech to convince your classmates that they should join the Global Climate Strike and take action now to protect the planet and make a difference.
TALK FOR 5 MINUTES WITHOUT READING
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
CONTENT + LANGUAGE + COMMUNICATION SKILLS
> it's convincing
> it's interesting
> it's thought-provoking
> it's accurate
> it's thorough
> it feels genuine
> it's clear
> you're enthusiastic
> you're inspiring
> you use body language to engage listeners
Here's another speech to inspire you. Notice how short key sentences are.
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