English/ELA Unit: Sustainability Jargon

Provided by: MIT Climate Action Through Education |Published on: January 28, 2025

Activity - Classroom

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Synopsis

In this activity, students will create presentations to define and explain a vocabulary term related to sustainability.
The resource also includes background information in the form of podcasts and articles for students and teachers to deepen their understanding.

Subjects: Economics, English Language Arts

Authors: Kathryn Teissier du Cros

Region: Global

Languages: English

Positives

Students will have a sense of responsibility for the words they teach to the class.
This activity is an active approach to vocabulary acquisition that will help students retain the words and their meanings.

Prerequisites

Teachers will need to print the vocabulary checklist or turn it into a Google Form or other assessment for students to complete.
It may benefit students to have the guidelines for their presentation on a separate, easily accessible document.

Differentiation & Implementation

This activity can precede a lesson about climate change solutions, particularly those associated with a circular economy.
After students listen to the presentations, they can write a paragraph including 5-10 vocabulary words of their choice.
Students can utilize a total physical response by coming up with a gesture or body movement to connect to their words.
To practice audio-visual media skills, students can create videos to define their words.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format

All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.