Questions and Vocabulary for Earth Day Free-Talk Lessons
Unlike other special days that are connected to a specific place or culture, Earth Day is for everyone everywhere. And with extreme weather events getting more attention than ever before, the environment could be a great topic for free-talk lessons.
In honor of Earth Day, we’ve got some topical questions to get a discussion rolling, plus a list of environment-related vocabulary. Finally, we’ve listed a few Daily News lessons for students who'd like to go even further with this topic.
What is Earth Day?
Earth Day was founded in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, a US politician, and Denis Hayes, a climate activist. The idea was to have a day to focus on the health of the planet and ways people, companies and governments can help to protect and preserve it.
Though it began mostly among university students in the United States, it eventually spread everywhere, with people joining events and activities all over the world. Earth Day is celebrated each year on April 22.
Vocabulary for the Environment
Here are some vocabulary words you may want to go over with your students in preparation for a discussion of the environment. For reference, many more such terms can be found here.
Green - an adjective related to something good for the environment (or at least not harmful)
Clean energy - energy from sources like the sun and wind that do not produce carbon dioxide or contribute to global warming
Organic - produced without using chemicals or through artificial methods
SDGs - Sustainable Development Goals: goals selected by the United Nations that are designed to promote peace and health for people and the planet
Greenhouse gas - gasses like carbon dioxide that trap the sun's heat and make the planet warmer
Fossil fuels - fuels like coal, oil and natural gas that are formed over millions of years from parts of dead animals and plants
The 3 Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Global warming - the rise of the earth's temperature because of gasses trapping the sun's heat in the atmosphere
Fair trade - a system designed to support producers in developing countries by paying fair prices for their products and providing safe working conditions
Fast fashion - the business style of making trendy clothing quickly, cheaply and often in a way that is bad for workers and the environment
Minimalism - a lifestyle of having only a small amount of necessary items
Sustainability - the practice of using methods and materials that do not deplete natural resources or harm the planet
Discussion Questions
Before asking these questions, remember that some people have very strong opinions about climate change and the science around it.
It's possible you and your students may disagree on things, so if you feel a conversation is getting too hot, switch to another question (or topic) to cool things down!
- Have you heard of Earth Day? What do you know about it?
- What (if anything) do you do to help the environment?
- Do you think your city/country/government is doing enough to protect the environment?
- Have there been any extreme weather events in your country recently?
- Are you comfortable in nature or do you prefer cities and urban areas?
- Where is the most beautiful natural place you've ever visited?
- Are EVs (Electric Vehicles) popular in your country?
- Do stores in your country charge for plastic bags?
- Are you or anyone you know a vegetarian or vegan? If so, is it for environmental reasons?
- "There is no planet B" is a popular slogan at climate-related events. Do you think humans will live on other planets in the future?
Daily News Recommendations
Finally, here are a few Daily News lessons related to the health of the planet.
- Most US Parents Worried About Future of Planet (Level 5 - Intermediate)
- Plogging: A Fitness Trend Cleaning the World (Level 6 - Intermediate)
- Do Plastic Bag Bans Actually Work? Researchers Say Yes (Level 7 - Advanced)
- The Eden Project: The UK's Indoor Rainforest (Level 8 - Advanced)
Wrap-up
With many countries experiencing intense and unusual weather in recent years, it’s clear that the planet is changing — and people are talking about it more. That makes learning environment-related English all the more important for students.
We hope what we've presented here helps spur some interesting and constructive discussions in your lessons!
