How Much We Depend on Nature

Start with the lead-in activity on nature and everyday products. Put clothes, housing, cosmetics, food, and transport on the board and ask students to name the natural resources behind each one. This gets them thinking about nature in a practical way instead of an abstract one. Follow up with the five personal questions about their own relationship with nature. These work well in pairs or small groups since everyone has an opinion here.

Move into the vocabulary matching activity before the video. Students need these words to follow the documentary, so don’t skip this step even if you’re short on time. The video preview questions about bees and honey production build curiosity before you press play. Show the Beekeepers mini documentary, which runs under three minutes, and have students take notes as they watch. A second viewing usually helps for the comprehension questions since the beekeepers speak quickly.

The ten comprehension questions cover specific details from the video, so check answers as a class rather than individually. The quote activity on bees as a canary in the coal mine works well as a bridge into the deeper discussion questions. These four questions ask students to interpret what the beekeepers said and apply it more broadly. The consequences chain activity is the most challenging part of the lesson. Students trace how one change in nature leads to effects on their own daily life, so model the first example together before they continue in groups.

Finish with the practice sentences using vocabulary pairs and the agree or disagree statements. Both activities let students use the new language while forming their own opinions on nature and technology. Assign the homework task on tracing a product back to nature for students who want extra practice explaining their reasoning in class next time.