Keeping a hot city cool
Lesson plan overview
This intermediate lesson is about heat, and more specifically urban heat. Students will discuss the differences between urban and rural areas when it comes to heat, will read about the causes of urban heat islands, will watch a video about urban design and how it can be improved to cool down cities, and will discuss ways to cope with the heat.
Other interesting lessons are: “Heatwaves”, “How we get tree planting wrong”, “Phrasal verbs: the weather”, and “Idioms: the summer”.
Speaking: The lesson starts with a few questions related to heat, changes in weather patterns, and effects of extreme heat. Then, students discuss how different things affect temperatures in urban areas compared to rural areas (e.g. buildings and pavements, deforestation, transportation, energy consumption).
Reading: Students read about the different causes of urban heat islands, and match the paragraphs to the titles from the previous activity.
Video: Students watch a video called “How city design can cool down your neighborhood”. The video is divided into 3 parts, and students complete 3 listening comprehension activities.
Then, they engage in a post-listening discussion.
Next, students look at different ideas on how to stay cool without using air conditioning, and complete the tips with the correct word. Then they discuss the tips and their own ideas.
For more speaking practice, check out the conversation cards.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
Pre-class activities
All video-based ESL lesson plans include online pre-class activities, which are FREE and can be completed without registration. Perfect for teachers who wish to embrace the blended learning approach. By providing students with resources and engagement opportunities before the actual class session, educators can foster active participation, enhance comprehension, and optimise in-class discussions.
The pre-class activities are optional: if you choose not to assign them, or your students don’t complete them, it will not disturb the flow of the class. You can find and review the pre-class activities for this lesson plan here:
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In-class activities
Additional resources
Each video-based lesson plan includes links to additional resources (videos and articles), which are FREE can be found online (in the pre-class activities page. These links aim to extend the learning experience, enabling students to connect classroom knowledge with real-world applications.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
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