AN ECO-FRIENDLY HOME

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)

Time: 90 minutes
Type of English: general
Topic: Environmental issues
Related topic: Housing, Home
Skills: listening, speaking, writing
Purpose of the lessons: revising vocabulary for describing homes, teaching new vocabulary in
connection with environmental protection

The lesson plan can be either a self-study material for online learning or the topic can be
elaborated during class. Teachers can leave certain exercises out to accommodate the lesson
plan to the skills and abilities of their students.
The enclosed worksheet presents a couple of tasks based on already learnt vocabulary and the
video and a list of questions designed to get students to learn new vocabulary and to talk about
the topic. It also helps to prepare students for the matura examination tasks.
The lesson plan includes a self-study preparation task, in which students can revise and activate
already learnt vocabulary and can learn new words before watching the video.
There is a vocabulary at the end of the worksheet that can be used for further exercises.

1. The lesson starts with a matching exercise, in which students revise words and
expressions regarding the topic of housing. They match them to their definitions. The
second task is also a matching exercise, in which students match the words in
connection with the house to form phrases and expressions.

2. The next task is teaching new vocabulary. Students have to find the definitions of the
new words and then complete the sentences with the given words.

3. The second part of the lesson is watching a short video about how to build an eco-
friendly home. Before watching the video students answer some questions. They give
ideas about green houses in general and how they would rebuild their homes to be
environmentally friendly.
 Ask topic related questions. For example:

• What kind of accommodation do you live in?

• How green is your home?
• What can you do to make it greener?
• What energy do you use for heating?
• What makes a house/flat greener?
• Have you heard of any green house projects?
• Have you heard of any eco-friendly technologies that are used to build houses
in Hungary?
• Do you think flats can be built in an eco-friendly way?
• What would you change in your house/flat to make it greener?

4. Students look at a list of aspects considered before and tick the ones mentioned by the
speaker in the video.

For example:

• installing solar panels

• using wind turbines
• using natural or recycled building materials
• choosing eco-friendly paintings
• purchasing materials from a local DIY store
• having large windows
• having a proper insulation
• buying energy-efficient household devices, etc.

5. Students watch the video for the second time. This time they should collect at least
three ideas of how a house can be eco-friendly.

For example:

• orient your home to the south

• install a solar conduit and meter if you want to add solar panels later
• install an electric car charger
• use locally sourced materials
• choose paints with organic compounds
• seal your home with a weather resistant barrier
• have eco-friendly insulation
• install a greywater system
• install an automated home management system
6. The last part of the lesson is a speaking session, a debate where students discuss a
statement argueing for and against it.

You shouldn’t build eco-friendly houses as they cost a lot of money.

You may consider the following aspects:

• cost of building
• impact on the environment
• question of responsibility
• expenses and effects in the long run

7. Homework

You read a magazin article about the Heliotrope, an eco-friendly house designed by a
German architect. The editor asked readers to write their opinion about these types of
houses.

Write an email of 200-250 words to the editor in which you include the following.

• what you think of building eco-friendly houses and how common they are in
your country
• benefits and drawbacks of these buildings
• whether you would buy one or you would rebuild your own home to be green
and why
• what you would change in your actual home to make it greener
Start your email like this:
Dear Editor,
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwSv-DbR3Y8

Videoscript:
If you are building a home or planning to build a home in the future think green. It can save
energy, save money and yes, even help save the planet. It’s called sustainability and it’s within
your reach if you keep these best practices in mind.
Let’s start with zero, Net Zero. A home that’s Net Zero ready means it’s capable of generating
as much energy as it consumes.If you can’t commit to that just yet you can build in features
now that will enable you to transition to Net Zero later. For example:

• Orient your home to the south, and install a solar conduit and meter if you want to add
solar panels someday.
• Think you might eventually want an electric car, install an electric car charger or a 240
volt outlet that can accommodate one.
• During build using locally sourced materials such as steel, wood and rock minimizes
the distance materials are moved, which reduces fuel consumption and pollution.
• Building with repurposed and salvaged materials keeps these items out of the landfill.
The products you select make a big impact, too.

• Choose paint with low or zero levels of volatile organic compounds or VOCs, which
produce hazardous chemicals that contribute to air pollution and health issues.
Controlling moisture and airflow is another key aspect of green home design.

• Sealing your home with a weather resistant barrier saves energy and money and prevents
mold and mildew.
• Triple pane windows and eco-friendly insulation minimize drafts and keep conditioned
air inside.
Plan ahead to recycle and reuse.

• Installing a greywater system captures household water from your sinks, showers and
washing machine which can then be reused to water the lawn and plantings.
• Bring it all together with an automated home management system, which allows you to
control heating, cooling, lighting and hot water from your smartphone.
This will help you minimize energy usage and ensure that you’re using the best use of resources.
And that’s what being green is all about.
 WORKSHEET
Do these exercises to revise familiar vocabulary before watching.
1. Match the words to their definitions.
1. heating A the main entrance to a house
B a single house with a garden
2. roof
C the process of supplying heat to a room or
3. mow the lawn building
4. detached-house D the place where you keep your car
E a garden behind a house
5. driveway F a structure on the roof through which
6. front door smoke comes out
G a path or private road from the street to a
7. back garden house
8. chimney H a system that cools the air in a room or
building
9. air conditioning
I the top of a building
10. garage J cut the grass

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. Match the words of the two columns to create phrases.

1. remote A switch
2. central B house
3. fitted C bin
4. washing D table
5. terraced E pipes
6. coffee F block
7. light G heating
8. rubbish H control
9. tower I machine
10. water J kitchen

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Do these exercises to teach new vocabulary before watching.
3. Find the definitions of the words and expressions in the box.
sustainability consume solar panel locally sourced materials fuel consumption
pollution eco-friendly insulation recycle greywater system

1. the process of converting waste materials into new materials or objects …………………..
2. building materials that have been purchased nearby …………………..
3. the amount of fuel that is used per a certain distance …………………..
4. the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level …………………..
5. the act of covering the walls to stop heat from escaping …………………..
6. use fuel, energy or time, especially in large amounts …………………..
7. a system that recycles waste water …………………..
8. a device that changes energy from the sun into electricity …………………..
9. something that does the least possible damage to the environment …………………..
10. damage caused to water, air, etc. by harmful substances or waste …………………..

4. Fill in the gaps in the following sentences with the right form of the words from exercise
3.
1. If you install a ……………………….. used water from your home can be reused.
2. There was a high level of air ……………………… in industrial cities in the past.
3. If you buy ……………………….. you can reduce delivery expenses.
4. Candy jars make great ways …………………….. old jars from your kitchen.
5. You can calculate your actual ………………………. of your car using online calculators.
6. We’ve paid nearly nothing for electricity since we installed ………………….. on the roof.
7. High electricity bills point to a poor heating system or bad ……………………….
8. A smaller vehicle will ……………………… less fuel.
9. Increasingly, we're all looking to be a little more …………………….. in every aspect of our
lives.
10. …………………………… means greener economy and greener society.
Do these exercises after watching.
5. Match the half sentences based on the video.

1. Building a Net Zero house A is another key aspect of green home

design.
2. If you want an electric car
B install an electric car charger.
3. Purchasing locally sourced materials
C allows you to control everything from
4. The products you select
your phone.
5. Controlling moisture and airflow
D make a big impact on the environment.
6. A good insulation
E means you can save money and energy
7. An automated home management system
F saves energy and money.
G will reduce fuel consumption.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

6. Complete the senteces with the exact word(s) you can hear in the video. Use maximum
two words.
1. A Net Zero home is capable of generating as much energy as it …………………………..
2. If you orient your house to the south and install a solar conduit and meter you can add
…………………….. ………………….. someday.
3. When building your home use ……………………. …………………… materials such as
steel, wood and rock.
4. If you get building materials from local stores it minimizes ……………… ……………….
and pollution as well.
5. Choosing paint with low or zero levels of volatile organic compounds can reduce
…………………. ………………….. and health hazards.
6. Controlling moisture and airflow is another key aspect of ………………. ……………….
design.
7. Seal your home with a ……………….. ………………. barrier because it saves energy and
money.
8. You can minimize drafts installing triple pane windows and ……..……………. insulation.
9. Household water from your sinks, showers and washing machine can be reused for watering
the lawn with the help of a …………………. …………………..
10. An …………………. home ……………….. system allows you to control heating, cooling,
lighting and hot water from your smartphone.
VOCABULARY
airflow
barrier
charger
compound
consume
draft
eco-friendly
fuel consumption
greywater
hazardous
health issue
insulation
keep in mind
landfill
locally sourced
moisture
mold
mildew
orient
outlet
pollution
recycle
repurpose
salvaged
seal
solar conduit
solar panel
sustainability
transition
triple pane window
volatile
weather resistant
within reach
KEY

1.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
C I J B G A E F H D

2.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
H G J I B D A C F E

3.

1. recycle
2. locally sourced materials
3. fuel consumption
4. substainability
5. insulation
6. consume
7. greywater system
8. solar panel
9. eco-friendly
10. pollution

4.

1. greywater system
2. pollution
3. locally sourced materials
4. to recycle
5. fuel consumption
6. solar panels
7. insulation
8. consume
9. eco-friendly
10. sustainability
5.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
E B G D A F C

1. Building a Net Zero house means you can save money and energy.
2. If you want an electric car install an electric car charger.
3. Purchasing locally sourced materials will reduce fuel consumption.
4. The products you select make a big impact on the environment.
5. Controlling moisture and airflow is another key aspect of green home design.
6. A good insulation saves energy and money.
7. An automated home management system allows you to control everything from your phone.

6.

1. consumes
2. solar panels
3. locally sourced
4. fuel consumption
5. air pollution
6. green home
7. weather resistant
8. eco-friendly
9. greywater system
10. automated, management

Sources:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english
https://sentence.yourdictionary.com
https://www.translateen.com/sentence

2022. 02. 10. Made by Cseter Edit