A Message of Life

CLICK ON THE ARROW TO WATCH THE VIDEO.
Tasks after watching:

I. Discuss with your partner:
a. how the young man changes through different phases of his life;
b. a viewpoint of yours that has changed as you were becoming older.

II. Consider the following:
1. What is that that makes this video clip a commercial?
2. Do you think it is effective?
3. How can commercials influence those who watch them?
4. Are commercials more powerful on TV or in the print?

Say your opinion:
1. Do the young people today face more problems in the world than the older generations?
2. Does the individual behaviour impact the future of the world?
3. Does the technology make people happier?
4. What could be disastrous consequences of using too much technology?
5. Have you changed anything in your life that is now more environment friendly?

III. Compare:
1. the way people lived before and after the 4th (internet) technological revolution;
2. the way people communicated in the past and now;

IV. Speculate how people will live in the future if we don't stop the environmental degradation. In a group write a warning message to your Prime Minister.

IV. Listening comprehension / writing / reading
1. Write down the scrypt of this commercial. Ask your teacher for help in difficult spots. Print it out.
2. Cut the text in smaller segments and have your partner re-compose it.

Ocean Acid Test by Oceana

CLICK ON THE ARROW TO WATCH THE VIDEO.

I. Comprehension task during listening:
Circle the right answer:
1. Ocean acidification is due to a. carbon dioxide b. dead fish c.garbage.
2. Eco systems of the oceans are a. fine b. in danger c. dead.
3. Oceans absorb about a. 15% b. 30% c. 50% of CO2.
4. Added carbon reduces a. water b. light c. carbonate in the ocean.
5. Carbonate is a building block of a. ocean water b. ocean ships c. shells.
6. If acidification keeps growing, it could a. grow b. decrease c. disolve shells.
7. Calcification is formation of a. shells b. pebbles c. fish eggs.
8. An eco system is in danger if any one species a. lives b. thrives c. dies.
9. The content of CO2 in the atmosphere should not exceed 450 ppm (parts per million).
10. If it continues at the current rate, at the end of the century the ocean acidity will a. double b. triple c. remain the same.

II. Share your thoughts and information with your group:
1. Why are alternative energy sources good for the oceans?
2. Make a list of everyday things that are carbon dependent.
3. Come up with a list of changes in your life style that can reduce carbon emissions.
4. Find on the internet how you can measure your "carbon footprint". Go to www.carbonfootprint.com

Plant trees for change with Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai

Official Google Blog: Plant trees for change with Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai

1. Discuss about:
a) benefits of forests
b) harms of deforestation.

2. Find facts about Canadian forests and the forests in your country. Write a report and bring it to the class.

3. Find more information about the first African Nobel Prize winner, Wangari Maathai. Bring the facts to your group and write a short biography together.

3. Draw a poster for the International Year of Forests, 2011.

Green Heroes

UN Secretary General Introduction for the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity

UN Secretary General Welcome Message for the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity from CBD on Vimeo.

Listen to the speech and fill in the blanks:

Our lives depend on biological ____________. Species and eco systems are disappearing at an unsustainable ____________. We humans are the ____________. We start to lose a wider variety of ____________ goods and services that we take for granted. The consequences for economies and people will be ____________, especially for the world poorest people.

In 2002 world leaders agreed to substantially ____________ the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.

We know already that the biodiversity ____________ will not be met.

We need a new vision and new efforts. To be as usual is not an ____________.

For this year of biodiversity I call on every country and each ____________ on our planet to join together in the global alliance to protect life on Earth.

Biodiversity is life. Biodiversity is ____________ life.

Solutions: diversity, rate, cause, environmental, profound, reduce, target, option, citizen, our.

STORY OF BOTTLED WATER

The author of the Story of Stuff, having had about 10 million viewers,made another amazing video.
http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/

The Story Of Stuff

Please visit this link to see the compelling animation by Annie Leonard:

If you get a message that the link can't be opened, copy it and paste it in your browser and click enter.
Look for an extensive list of teaching handouts for higher levels related to this video, including the transcript:
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B-rWSJk57KV7NmRmZTBjZTYtMGRjOS00YTQ3LThmYWItMDAwMDA2OWEzNzBi&hl=en

Courtesy of Anne Cairns