Giáo án Language

Ss activate prior knowledge about ecosystems and get ready for the topic of the lesson.

Ss look at the word ECOSYSTEM on the board and brainstorm words they associate with it. T asks: What do you know about an ecosystem? What lives in it? Which parts of nature must work together?

A class list of around 6 to 8 words, such as plants, animals, water, soil, sunlight, insects, and the key idea that living things depend on each other in an ecosystem.

Ss understand the meaning of six topic words and identify how compound nouns are formed and pluralised.

Task 1: In pairs, Ss match each word with its Vietnamese meaning: ecosystem, food chain, habitat, native species, restore, nature reserve.
Task 2: T presents four compound nouns (nature reserve, food chain, greenhouse gas, wildlife protection) and asks: Which word is the head noun? How do we make the plural of food chain?
Task 3: T asks: Is food chain one concept or two separate things?

Vocabulary key:

• ecosystem = hệ sinh thái
• food chain = chuỗi thức ăn
• habitat = môi trường sống
• native species = loài bản địa
• restore = phục hồi
• nature reserve = khu bảo tồn thiên nhiên
  Key knowledge:
• A compound noun combines words into one concept: nature reserve, food chain, greenhouse gas, wildlife protection.
• The final noun usually determines the plural: nature reserves, food chains.
• Some compounds are written as one word, some separately or with a hyphen; check established usage.
• Stress often falls earlier in noun compounds, but patterns vary.
• Choose a compound for meaning, not just any two nouns placed together.

Ss recognise falling and rising intonation in question tags and understand the difference between seeking agreement and checking information.

T plays or models two sentences: The stream is cleaner, isn't it? (falling arrow) and You have checked the source, haven't you? (rising arrow). T asks: Does the speaker expect you to agree, or does the speaker really want to know? Then T shows the pattern: They can help, can't they? Ss keep the auxiliary and pronoun in agreement.

Key knowledge:

• The stream is cleaner, isn't it? (falling intonation): the speaker seeks agreement and often expects Yes.
• You have checked the source, haven't you? (rising intonation): the speaker has genuine uncertainty and checks information.
• Context matters: the same tag can have different intonation depending on the speaker's expectation.
• Keep the auxiliary and pronoun in agreement: They can help, can't they?
• Do not treat every tag as a request for confirmation with the same certainty.

Ss apply the rules of compound nouns to choose the correct word, meaning, or plural form in context.

In pairs, Ss complete Worksheet 1, exercises 1 to 8. Each pair discusses their answer and explains why it is correct, for example: Conservation means protection, conversation means talk.

Answer key for Worksheet 1:

1. A (food chain: a sequence showing who eats whom)
2. D (nature reserve: land managed to protect nature)
3. C (nature reserves: the head noun reserve is pluralised)
4. B (greenhouse gas: the relevant established term)
5. A (food chains: plural attaches to the head chains)
6. D (wildlife conservation: conservation means protection; conversation means talk)
7. C (pollution is the head noun; water specifies the kind)
8. B (wildlife habitat: habitat is the place; wildlife specifies it)

Ss practise intonation in question tags by reading aloud and assessing each other's pronunciation.

Ss read the practice sentences aloud twice: first slowly, then at a natural pace. Sentences: The stream is cleaner, isn't it? (falling). You have checked the source, haven't you? (rising). They can help, can't they? Ss then take turns to give feedback using the rubric (10 points): intonation focus (4 points, 2 if inconsistent), clear sounds and meaning (3 points, 1 to 2 if some parts are hard to understand), and rhythm and natural flow (3 points).

Each pair records the peer score on a card, for example: Partner A: 9/10 (intonation consistent, one word unclear). Partner B: 8/10. Ss also name one sound or stress point to improve. The T's final check: most Ss use falling intonation for seeking agreement and rising intonation for genuine uncertainty.

Ss use compound nouns and question tags in a short, realistic conversation about a local ecosystem.

In pairs, Ss create a short two-line dialogue about a local nature reserve, a food chain, or wildlife protection in their area. Each dialogue must use at least one compound noun from the lesson and one question tag with the correct intonation. Ss then perform one dialogue for the class.

A sample dialogue:
A: The river near our village is cleaner now, isn't it? (falling)
B: Yes, it is. The local people protect the wildlife habitat, haven't they? (rising, checking information)
Ss' own dialogues should include at least one compound noun (nature reserve, food chain, greenhouse gas, wildlife protection) and one tag with the correct intonation.