Giáo án A Closer Look 1

Ss activate prior knowledge about nature and the environment and get ready for the topic vocabulary.

T shows a picture of a wetland with birds and asks Ss: 'What can you see in this picture? What living things live here? Why do we need to protect nature?' Ss brainstorm words in English or Vietnamese, and T writes them on the board. Then T introduces the lesson aim: 'Today we will learn words about the environment and how to say them clearly.'

A brainstorm board with words such as 'birds, water, trees, fish, plants, protect, pollution'. Ss understand the lesson topic 'Planet Earth' and the aim of the lesson.

Ss recognise the meaning and use of eight topic words in context and match them with Vietnamese meanings.

T presents the eight words in two groups: (1) habitat, flora, fauna, biodiversity; (2) endangered, conservation, wetland, ecosystem. T reads each word and its example sentence, and Ss repeat in chorus and individually. Then Ss complete Worksheet 1, Part A (matching words with Vietnamese meanings).
Model examples:

• A wetland is a habitat for many birds.
• The park has rich flora.
• Its fauna includes many small mammals.
• Biodiversity supports healthy ecosystems.
• An endangered species needs protection.
• Conservation requires long-term work.
• The wetland stores water after rain.
• An ecosystem includes living things and their environment.

Ss match the words with meanings:

• habitat – môi trường sống
• flora – hệ thực vật
• fauna – hệ động vật
• biodiversity – đa dạng sinh học
• endangered – có nguy cơ tuyệt chủng
• conservation – sự bảo tồn
• wetland – vùng đất ngập nước
• ecosystem – hệ sinh thái
  Ss write one example sentence for each word in their notebooks.

Ss recognise the main stress in phrases and sentences and pronounce them clearly with a natural rhythm.

T explains that English gives stronger beats to important nouns, main verbs, adjectives and adverbs, while short function words are weaker. T models the sentence 'BIRDS need CLEAN WAter.' and shows that the stress can change to show contrast. T models the contrast: 'The fish need clean water' is corrected to 'The BIRDS need clean water.' Ss practise in chorus, then in pairs, reading slowly and then in a short sentence. Ss do not add an extra vowel to the words.

Ss mark the stressed words in the sentence 'The BIRDS need CLEAN WAter' and read the sentence with the correct rhythm. Ss state the main rule: 'Important content words are stressed. The stress can change to show contrast.'

Ss understand the form and function of non-defining relative clauses and choose the correct relative pronoun.

T presents the language focus: a non-defining relative clause adds extra information about a noun that is already identified. It is set off by commas. Example: 'This wetland, which stores floodwater, needs protection.' T explains: use who, which or whose, not that; do not omit the relative pronoun; the sentence still identifies its subject if the clause is removed. T asks Ss to complete the example: 'This wetland, ___ shelters birds, needs clean water.'

Ss complete the example with 'which' and explain: 'A non-defining clause uses which, not that, and it is set off by commas.' Ss note the rule in their notebooks: non-defining clause = extra information + commas + who/which/whose.

Ss consolidate the vocabulary, pronunciation and the grammar point through listening, multiple-choice and writing tasks.

Ss do the exercises from the textbook:

1. Match words and Vietnamese meanings (already done in explore 1, check answers).
2. Match the remaining words and meanings.
3. Write the English word or phrase meaning 'có nguy cơ tuyệt chủng'.
4. Choose the correct answer about the stress in 'The BIRDS need clean water.'
5. Listen and choose the vocabulary item you hear.
6. Listen to the sentence and choose the vocabulary concept in it.
7. Read 'The BIRDS need clean WAter' and explain the contrast.
8. Write two connected sentences using 'conservation' and 'ecosystem'.
   T plays the audio for exercises 5 and 6 twice.

Answer key:

1. habitat – môi trường sống; flora – hệ thực vật; fauna – hệ động vật; biodiversity – đa dạng sinh học
2. endangered – có nguy cơ tuyệt chủng; conservation – sự bảo tồn; wetland – vùng đất ngập nước; ecosystem – hệ sinh thái
3. endangered (An endangered species needs protection.)
4. A. It contrasts the animal with fish. (BIRDS carries the corrective contrast with fish. Focus depends on context; this does not make every word or syllable equally stressed.)
5. C. habitat (The recording says habitat.)
6. B. fauna (The sentence uses fauna: Its fauna includes many small mammals.)
7. Sample answer: 'When BIRDS is stressed, the speaker contrasts birds with another animal, such as fish. The focus moves to the word that carries the new information. Stress is not equal on all words.' (Teacher assesses with the criteria: specified stress or intonation distinction 0.5; completes the explanation 0.3; intelligibility 0.2.)
8. Sample answer: 'Conservation requires long-term work. An ecosystem includes living things and their environment.' (Teacher assesses: each phrase correct 0.3 + 0.3; logical link 0.2; sentence form 0.2.)

Ss use the topic vocabulary, the stress pattern and the non-defining relative clause to talk about a real environmental problem and a solution.

Ss work in groups of four. Each group chooses a local wetland, park or river. Ss write three to four sentences about the place, using at least three topic words and one non-defining relative clause with which or who. Then Ss present their sentences to the class and practise saying them with correct stress. Example prompt: 'Our river, which ___, needs ___.'
Homework: Ss write a short paragraph (80–100 words) about one endangered animal or plant in Vietnam, using at least four topic words and one non-defining relative clause.

Each group produces a short poster or board with three to four sentences, for example: 'Our local wetland, which shelters many birds, is a habitat for fauna. Biodiversity here needs conservation.' The class gives feedback on the vocabulary, the relative clause and the stress.