Raising the students’ awareness of energy saving and environment protection through the integrated topic sources of energy for the 11th students at thach thanh 4 high school

The information of this theme is great, so I help students study the topic Sources of energy in small groups.. For example, I show the pictures describing the formation of fossil fuels

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I INTRODUCTION

1 Reasons for research

With the aim of improving the quality of full education for the young, to meet the human resources for the industrialization and modernization of the country,

to meet the needs of learner, general education has been strongly reformed according to century’s goals They are learning to know, learning to do, learning

to assert themselves and learning to live together So the goal of general education has shifted from equipping the knowledge to the necessary capability for the students

In addition, the popular education method has also been innovated in order to raise the sense of initiative and creativeness of the students, which is suitable with the characteristics of each class, students’ psychology and the age; strengthen the students’ groupwork and train the skill of applying the knowledge

to the life to integrate the life skills for themselves The content of life skills education has been integrated in many subjects and other educational activities With the advantages of the subject, we find that the education of life skills through English is practical in the stage of the globalization

During the teaching process at Thach Thanh 4 High School, when applying some positive techniques in teaching English and integrating the life skills education for students, I realised that it is suitable for my students and the characteristics of the school So, I bravely choose the topic “ Raising the students’ awareness of energy saving and environment protection through the integrated topic “Sources Of Energy” for the 11 th students at Thach Thanh 4 High School by using some positive teaching techniques.”

2 Purposes

We have known that intergrating knowledge in solving a problem of lesson is essential, which make learners not only study and improve the knowledge from other subjects but also help them understand and solve the matter fast and perfectly Intergrated knowledge of subjects such as: Geography, History, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, knowledge from culture, Civic education and

life in unit 11: Sources of energy, English 11 provides them a brief information

about the advantages and disadvantages of sources of energy Morever, with the images, videos about the state of environment pollution describing people’s exploitation or burning some sources of energy , students are aware of their duties in protecting the environment – the habitat of all species as well Consequently, students learn life experiences and adjust their behavior In order

to do this, teachers must have appropriate teaching methods and techniques to stimulate students' creative thinking and making their lectures more attractive

3 Subjects

On the subject, I study and apply some positive teaching techniques to teach the

integrated reading topic Sources of energy for the class 11A1, 11A2 Applied

these techniques, I helped my students participate in the lecture actively and

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limit their laziness in groupworks

As we known, people’s exploitation and using sources of energy, environment pollution and climate change are urgent problem of the globe The information

of this theme is great, so I help students study the topic Sources of energy in

small groups Each group must deeply study about a source of energy Besides,

I give my students chances to discover the interest of the lesson by giving each group a handout contained duty and doing the task 4 following the gameshow format “The big wheel” In further practice part, I help students study some information about Biomass-another clean source of energy which can be used widely in the countrysides or moutainous areas and do the task 5 following gameshow format “Who wants to be a millionaire?”

As I mentioned above, the lesson is so attracting that my students are all excited

at doing research to get more information which is not mentioned in the passage

4 Methods

To make my solutions effectively, I have used some following methods

Firstly, I always get advices from colleagues through co-working

Secondly, I usually study, create and use new methods in teaching English such

as using images, pictures, posters, real objects, etc

Thirdly, I apply science and technology in teaching, use projecters, presents, video clips to make the lesson actively For example, I show the pictures describing the formation of fossil fuels and negative effects of burning them on environment, pictures and videos about the advantages and disadvantages of water energy, nuclear power…

Next, I apply four positive teaching techniques to teach this topic: the mindmap

in lead-in, the table-cloth technique and the graft technique in practice, and the questioning technique when giving the duties for the students

Lastly, I use the format of gameshow “ The big wheel” and “ Who wants to be a millionaire?” to teach the task 4 and task 5, which inspires the students

II CONTENT

1 Theoretical Background

Normally, the teacher is considered to succeed in teaching reading skill when he/ she helps students practise some new words, do all the tasks that follow and understand the lesson in one or two periods Each lesson relates to a theme, so it requires the teacher has both technique knowledge and understanding about the places, people and events from the lessons However, the teacher must not

explain so much that makes the lesson excursive Part A Reading in unit 11: Sources of energy is an exciting lesson that have attracted me for a long time

As I love the nature but the nature are in danger Everyday, I can see the negative environmental effects of the human in the real life as well as on the television, radio or newspapers The humane race are affecting their habitat

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through almost their actions such as cooking, using vehicles, sources of energy and water, etc It is all due to the lack of serious awareness of many people They think that sources of energy is unlimited, so they exploit and use them indiscriminately They also think that what they do is small, not enough to harm the environment Others argue that environmental protection is the responsibility

of the government Therefore, as a young teacher, I always want my students - the future owners of the country- aware of their responsibility in saving energy, protecting the environment and regulate their behavior by themselves in order to have a healthy living environment

2 Realities before applying the research

Thach Thanh 4 High School is a newly established school, located in the mountainous areas of Thanh Hoa province We have many dificulties when we carry out the renovation of teaching method Most students are the Muong ethnicity minority Their awareness and thought are not as quick as the students

of the same age in other areas Morever, English is a specific subject which is uneasy for students in mountainous areas, so our teaching and learning English have many difficulties When I taught the reading topics "Nature In Danger",

"Life in the future", “ Sources of energy”…, I noticed that most of my students engaged in the lectures passively Through learning, I found that they were interested in these topics but their background knowledge on these topics was very limited Besides, the given information about these topics are not much, and the exercises are familiar, such as "true or false", "answer the questions" Therefore, they do not attract the student's thought very much Realised that, I myself always make many questions, such as “ How to stimulate students' thought”, “How to attract the students in learning”, “ How to make students gain the most knowledge about the topic and take out life experiences for themselves”, I have studied and applied some positive techniques to teaching these intergrated reading topics and got some success

3 Solutions

There are many positive teaching techniques, such as questioning technique, mindmap, grafting technique, table-cloth and KWL technique, etc To apply these techniques effectively, the teacher must not only follow the specific processes of each technique but also it requires creative flexibility and pedagogic method In the research, I will present the steps to implement four positive teaching techniques which I applied to teach the integrated topic

Sources of energy and give the lesson plan to illustrate

3.1 Questioning technique

In teaching, the teacher’s question system plays an important role, which is one

of the determinants to the quality of the students’ knowledge Instead of presenting a lecture by reading and copying, the teacher have to prepare a question system It motivates students think, discover knowledge, develops

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lesson contents, and encourages them to brainstorm and discuss the content of the lesson logically Furthermore, the question system is used to orient and guide students discover the essence of things, the rules of phenomena, stimulate the exploration, the curiosity, etc During the conversation, the teacher is an organizer, students are person exploring, and creating new discoveries actively Besides, students gain the joy, excitement of explorers and confidence when they find that they have contributed their opinions in the teacher’s conclusions

As a result, students both gain new knowledge and learn the way to get it

Sources of energy is an interesting topic However, to make the lecture more

interesting, I had to prepare a list of questions which can motivate them think and participate in the lesson actively For example, If I ask a closed-question

“ Does burning of fossil fuels have any negative effects on the environment?”, students will only give yes or no answer without brainstorming Besides, it neither develops the students’ thought nor orients the knowledge they need to acquire in the unit In stead, I use an opened-question “What are the negative effects of exploitation and burning fossil fuels on the environment?” or “ Can you list some negative effects of exploitation and burning fossil fuels on the environment?” I see that my students’ discussion was very exciting They gave many differrent answers, such as: “ It causes greenhouse effects”, “ It makes the earth warmer”, “ It causes climate change”… Using opened-questions, the teacher will not only stimulate students’ thought, provide students many opportunities to share personal ideas but also help them memorize and test their knowledge

3.2 Mindmap technique

Mindmap is a thinking organization tool, the easiest way to transmit information into the brain and then send them out At the same time, it is a very creative and effective means of recording the information

Mindmap technique is a form of note that can use colors and images to expand, deepen the ideas Teachers who use the mindmap in teaching will bring high efficiency, develop logical thought, and analytical capability Students will understand the lesson more, remember longer rather than memorize or learn by heart

When applying the mind map technique to teaching, the teacher must follow four steps:

Firstly, the teacher gives a picture or a keyword presented an idea, a definition

or a main content in the centre of the map

Secondly, the picture or a keyword in the centre will be developed and linked to pictures or keyword called the sub-topic level 1 by major branches

After, the main branches will be continued to branch out to images, sub-topics level 2 related to the main branch

Finally, branching will be continued The related definitions, content and problem are interconnected to create a "master picture" describing the theme in the centre clearly and completely

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There are many ways to organize the topic in the form of mindmaps, such as hierarchical diagrams, network diagrams, sequence diagrams, relational diagrams, etc The students can choose a suitable way to make the mindmap with personal point of view and experience

In the “ Sources of energy” topic, I apply the mindmap technique in teaching

task 1 in warm-up This task is to help students know and categorise two kinds

of sources of energy: renewable and non-renewable energy

3.3 Grafting technique:

Grafting technique is one that organizes jointly learning activities between individuals and groups It is used to solve a complex tasks It not only stimulates the students’ active participation in groupwork but also enhances the role of the individuals in the collaboration

To use this technique effectively, teachers and students must follow two stages illustrated in the following diagram:

Stage 1: Intensive group

Students are divided into small groups of 3 to 6 students Each group is assigned a task to in-depth study a different content of learning The groups have

to research and discussion Each member must master the content of the assignment and be able to present the content to other groups Each student becomes an in- depth field investigator in the stage 2

Stage 2: Pieces group

After completing the task at the stage 1, students from different intensive groups join together into new groups called group of pieces At this time, each of the students in “intensive group” became "pieces" in the "pieces group" Students must assemble the array of knowledge into a "master picture" Then the teacher asks the students from the "intensive groups" in the "pieces group" represent their content

When teaching the topic Nature in Danger, I apply the grafting technique in task

3 in practice part I divide the class into 6 groups and give the tasks for each groups:

Group 1: Study about the fossil fuels and find out the information, pictures or

videos describing their negative effects on the environment

Group 2: Study about the nuclear power and find out the information, pictures

or videos describing its (dis)advantages

Group 3: Study about the geothermal heat and find out the information, pictures

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or videos describing its (dis)advantages

Group 4: Study about the wind energy and find out the information, pictures or

videos describing its (dis)advantages

Group 5: Study about the water energy and find out the information, pictures or

videos describing its (dis)advantages

Group 6: Study about the solar power and find out the information, pictures or

videos describing its (dis)advantages

I call a representative of each group to show their ideas in front of the class Other groups can give comment or feedback if they do not agree Then I give feedback and provide more information about each source of energy, which is not mentioned After, I rearrange the groups to do stage 2 A new group consists one student in each group in stage 1 to help them understand the lesson perfectly When using this technique, I find that my students are good at searching the information related to the topic They give interesting information, pictures and videos about the environment pollution which are not mentioned in the passage

3.4 Table-cloth technique

Table-cloth technique is a collaborative learning organization that co mbines personal and group works The goal of this technique is to stimulate, promote students’ engagement actively, enhance individual independence and responsibility , and develop interaction between students

For students, they will learn how to approach with different strategies and solutions through this technique Students will be trained in thinking, deciding, and solving problems Furthermore, it helps to raise the relationship between students, enhance collaboration, communication, share experiences and respect each other To apply this technique effectively, the teacher must follow its sequence of steps

Each member of the group sits in a position corresponding parts

Next, the teacher asks students work in individual to work for a few minutes, concentrate their thoughts on answering questions or tasks and write their own opinions on suitable part of the A0 paper

Then, the students have to discuss in groups to give group’s mutual agreement and write them in the center of the A0-cloth-table With disagreements,

First, the teacher gives students a

question or task, and divides the

students into small groups Each

group will be delivered an A0

paper divided into smaller parts:

the middle and the surrounding

parts corresponding to the

number of members of the group

as shown:

In the “Sources of energy” topic, I use the cloth-table technique in the stage 1

of grafting technique in task 3 I ask my students work in groups of 8 to 10 (students in 2 tables) and give each group an A0 paper with an individual task I find that most of my students participate in the lesson actively and discuss the question enthusiastically As a result, they gave many interesting answers

In conclusion, table-cloth technique is a simple teaching one that is easy to implement It can be organized in all subjects, lessons, or grades like group learning However, it can overcome the limitations of group learning such as: some passive members do not participate in group’s activities It requires all members to work individually, think and write their own opinions before group’s discussion Since then, all members can participate in discussing and have opportunity to share personal ideas and experiences, self-assess, and adjust their own perceptions

3.5 Lesson plan to illustrate

As the research pays attention to give some new ways of teaching part A Reading in unit 11: Sources of energy, English 11, I would like to present it in

the form of a lesson plan which contains both the content and the interdisciplinary knowledge inside Here is the content

Warm up:

Teacher: shows some pictures about the home applicances:

and make question: “What kind of power do these home appliances use?”

Students: can give the answer easily: “They use electricity”

Teacher:gives students a task base on this answer:

“With the knowledge you ‘ve learned in other subjects and from real life, answer

my question:

“What source of energy is the electricity made from ?”

Students: give answer: “ The electricity is made from water energy, coal, oil, gas, solar power, nuclear power and wind energy…….”

Teacher: gives feedback by showing some pictures about different sources of energy:

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Teacher: introduces:

“ There are two kinds of sources of energy: renewable and non-renewable

energy Renewable energy, often referred to as clean energy, comes from natural sources or processes that are constantly replenished.Non-renewable energy comes from sources that will run out or will not be replenished in our lifetimes

or even in many, many lifetimes Now, look at the pictures:

and do the task 1:

Students: discuss in groups and give the answer with the help of the teacher Teacher: introduces:

“ To know more about these sources of energy and their potential, we study the

integrated topic Sources of energy.”

Vocabulary:

Teacher: gives vocabulary by asking students to look at the pictures on the screen and guess the words or phrases together

Teacher: Shows the reading passage, then asks students to look at on the

projector and listen carefully to the audio

Teacher: gives students task 3

To teach task 3, I apply the graft technique and the table-cloth technique with two following stages:

Stage 1: Intensive group

Teacher: forms the “intensive group” Teacher divides the students into 6 groups and gives each group a task and an A0-table

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Group 1: Study about the fossil fuels and find out the information, pictures or

videos describing their negative effects on the environment

Group 2: Study about the nuclear power and find out the information, pictures

or videos describing its (dis)advantages

Group 3: Study about the geothermal heat and find out the information, pictures

or videos describing its (dis)advantages

Group 4: Study about the wind energy and find out the information, pictures or

videos describing its (dis)advantages

Group 5: Study about the water energy and find out the information, pictures or

videos describing its (dis)advantages

Group 6: Study about the solar power and find out the information, pictures or

videos describing its (dis)advantages

Students: have to prepare this task at home and get so much information about the task that each of them can show it influently before other groups Each member writes down his own ideas in the surrounding of the paper Then, they discuss and write the group’s mutual agreement in the centre of the paper

Teacher: calls the representative of each group give answer in front of the class Other groups can give comments Then the teacher give feedbacks and extra information

Students:Each “piece group” apoints a member to represent their ideas by using pictures, films, etc to illustrate

Group 1: The represent of group 1- Nguyen Thi Hang hanged the A0-table

cloth about the fossil fuels on the board and explain for the answer

Teacher: gives the feedback and provide students more information about the fossil fuels:

Teacher introduces: “At present , most of our energy comes from fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) However, such reserves are limited Because power demand is increasing very rapidly, fossil fuels will be exhausted within a relatively short time Therefore, people must develop and use alternative sources of energy.”

and gives the question: “ How are the fossil fuels created?”

Students: give answer based on their knowledge

Teacher: shows picture descring the formation of fossil fuels: