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E8 E - Create an environmental explainer in English

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E8 E - Create an environmental explainer in English

Your mission: Create a short environmental explainer in English. You will use checked facts, simple data, clear examples and media. Our model topic is plastic pollution. At the end, you can transfer the method to another environmental topic.

Level: English as a first foreign language, Grade 8, E level, Baden-Württemberg.

I can ...

I can explain an environmental problem with checked facts.
I can read a simple data table and turn numbers into sentences.
I can speak spontaneously about causes, effects and solutions.
I can write a structured explainer for a teenage audience.
I can use the passive and reported speech in a useful way.
I can check whether a source and a visual really support a claim.

Start with the image

Look at the photo for 30 seconds.

Try first: Say three things you can see, two things you can infer and one question you have.

Useful starters: I can see ... / This may have happened because ... / I wonder whether ...

Need help? Ask a partner for one word. Then use the context. Only then check the hint.

German help if needed: infer = aus Hinweisen erschließen; claim = Aussage/Behauptung.

What do you already know?

Decide before reading: true, false or not sure?

Plastic is only an ocean problem.
All plastic can easily be recycled.
Microplastics are smaller than 5 mm.
A strong explainer needs both facts and examples.

Do not look up the answers yet. Return to your choices after the reading.

Context: Plastic pollution

Plastic is useful in products such as medical equipment, electronics and packaging. The environmental problem begins when too much short-lived plastic is used or waste is poorly managed.

UNEP reports that humanity produces more than 400 million tonnes of plastic per year. For 2019, the OECD calculated 460 million tonnes of plastic production and 353 million tonnes of plastic waste. Only 9% of that waste was ultimately recycled. Microplastics are plastic particles up to 5 mm in size.

Key idea: An explainer should not say “plastic is simply bad”. It should show where plastic is useful, where the environmental costs occur and which solutions address the cause.

Data snapshot

Global plastics, 2019	Value	What you can say
Plastic produced	460 million tonnes	Production was very high.
Plastic waste	353 million tonnes	A large amount became waste.
Waste ultimately recycled	9%	Recycling alone did not solve the problem.
Waste incinerated	19%	Some waste was burned.
Waste sent to sanitary landfills	almost 50%	Landfill was the largest managed route.
Mismanaged or leaked	22%	A significant share was not properly managed.

Source check: The figures above come from the OECD Global Plastics Outlook and refer to 2019. Always name the year when you use data.

Think: Why does the waste hierarchy place reduce before recycle?

Listening and Viewing

Source: National Geographic, How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean.

First viewing – no subtitles: Note two problems and one possible solution.

Second viewing – with subtitles if needed: Add one detail and one useful phrase.

After viewing: Which image or scene makes the message easier to understand? Explain why.

A second viewpoint

Source: United Nations / UNEP, Fighting Plastic Pollution: Time for Change.

Compare the two videos.

What is the main message?
Who published the video?
Which solutions are shown?
Is the video mainly informing, persuading or doing both?
What evidence would you still like to check?

Media rule: A professional-looking video can still simplify a topic. Check publisher, date, data and missing perspectives.

Reading: A short model explainer

Plastic pollution: small choices, big systems

Plastic is light, cheap and useful, but much of it becomes waste quickly. In 2019, 353 million tonnes of plastic waste were generated worldwide. Only 9% was ultimately recycled. Waste can enter rivers, soils and oceans when collection and disposal fail.

Microplastics are tiny particles up to 5 mm wide. Some are created when larger plastic objects break into smaller pieces. Others come from sources such as tyre wear or synthetic textiles.

Individual choices can help, but the problem is larger than one person. Products can be redesigned, unnecessary single-use items can be reduced, reuse systems can be expanded and waste management can be improved. A good solution therefore combines personal action with changes by companies, communities and governments.

Reading task: Find one sentence about a cause, one about an effect and one about a solution.

Context vocabulary

Word	Meaning in this topic	Example
waste	material that is thrown away	Plastic waste can enter rivers.
single-use	used once or for a short time	A single-use cup becomes waste quickly.
reuse	use something again	Reuse can reduce waste.
evidence	information that supports a claim	The chart gives evidence for the claim.
source	where information comes from	Check the source and date.
impact	an effect or result	Litter has an impact on ecosystems.
mismanaged	not safely collected or treated	Mismanaged waste can leak into nature.
redesign	change a product to improve it	Packaging can be redesigned for reuse.

Pronunciation for clear communication

Aim for understanding, not accent-free speech.

Say these words slowly, then in a sentence:

en-VI-ron-ment
pol-LU-tion
PLAS-tic
E-vi-dence
re-CY-cle

Record yourself only if you want to. Keep recordings private unless you choose to share them in class.

Speaking: react and discuss

Fictional profile: Maya, 14, is preparing a school explainer. She says: “Recycling is the best solution because everyone can do it.”

Respond for 30–45 seconds.

Try: I partly agree because ... However ... The data shows ... A stronger solution might be ...

Perspective switch: Answer once as a student, once as a shop owner and once as a local waste manager. Do not invent private social-media information.

Functional grammar

Passive voice: focus on the action

Use be + past participle when the action or result matters more than the person doing it.

Active: People produce large amounts of plastic.

Passive: Large amounts of plastic are produced.

Try: Rewrite: Companies can redesign packaging. → Packaging ...

Check: Packaging can be redesigned.

Reported speech: report information

Statement with backshift:

Maya said, “We collected the data.” → Maya said that they had collected the data.

Question:

The reporter asked, “Where does the waste go?” → The reporter asked where the waste went.

Command:

The teacher said, “Check the source.” → The teacher told us to check the source.

Remember: In reported questions, use statement word order: where the waste went, not where did the waste go.

E-level reading extra: past perfect progressive

You only need to recognise this form here:

The team had been collecting litter for two hours before the rain started.

Meaning: the activity continued for some time before another past event.

You do not need to produce this form in your explainer.

From fact to visual

A visual is not decoration. Ask:

What exactly does the title say?
What unit is used?
Which years or scenarios are shown?
What can the graphic support?
What can it not prove?

Media-critical sentence: The graphic suggests ..., but it does not show ...

Create your explainer

Choose plastic pollution or another teacher-approved environmental topic such as food waste, fast fashion, urban heat or biodiversity.

Your explainer should be about 120–180 words or 60–90 seconds.

Use this structure:

Hook: Start with a concrete image, question or checked number.
Context: Explain why the issue matters.
Evidence: Give one or two checked facts and name the source/date.
Example: Show what the issue looks like in real life.
Solutions: Give at least two realistic actions at different levels.
Closing: End with one clear takeaway.

Datei:Plastic bottles pollution in the ocean.webm

Help ladder

1 English first: Read the context again.

2 Try: Write a simple sentence with words you know.

3 Ask: Ask a partner: How could I say this more clearly?

4 Hint: Use: This matters because ... / The data shows ... / One limitation is ... / A possible solution is ...

5 German help if needed: Formuliere nur die schwierige Idee kurz auf Deutsch und übertrage dann die Kernaussage zurück ins Englische. Keine Vollübersetzung des ganzen Textes.

Writing and revision

Write your first version. Then improve it in three passes.

Content pass: Are facts, dates and sources correct?
Structure pass: Does each paragraph have one clear job?
Language pass: Check passive forms, reported speech, connectors and repeated words.

Useful connectors: first, however, because, as a result, for example, in contrast, therefore.

Precision test: Replace vague words such as bad, huge or a lot when a clearer word or checked number is available.

Direct feedback and error analysis

If you notice ...	Ask yourself ...	Improve it ...
a number without a year	When does this data apply?	Add the year.
“The internet says ...”	Who is the real publisher?	Name the organisation or study.
only one solution	Is the problem individual or systemic?	Add a second level of action.
passive without be	Is the passive complete?	Add the correct form of be.
asked where did ...	Is this a reported question?	Use statement word order.
a dramatic image	Does it prove the claim?	Separate visual impact from evidence.

Safe and responsible media use

Use Wikimedia Commons, official organisations or other teacher-approved sources. Keep profiles fictional. Do not post classmates' names, locations or private social-media data.

Audio/video recording is voluntary. Keep recordings private unless you actively choose to share them in the agreed school setting. Do not upload work or personal data to external AI services without permission. If AI is used in a teacher-approved setting, check its language, facts and feedback; it must not replace your own text.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What is a strong environmental explainer based on? (Checked facts, clear examples and named sources) (!Only personal opinions) (!One dramatic picture) (!As many difficult words as possible)

How much global plastic waste did the OECD report for 2019? (353 million tonnes) (!35 million tonnes) (!53 million tonnes) (!730 million tonnes)

What share of global plastic waste was ultimately recycled in 2019 according to the OECD? (9 percent) (!19 percent) (!49 percent) (!90 percent)

How large are microplastics according to UNEP? (Up to 5 mm) (!Up to 5 cm) (!Exactly 1 cm) (!Larger than 10 cm)

Which sentence uses the passive voice correctly? (Packaging can be redesigned.) (!Packaging can redesign.) (!Packaging redesigned can.) (!Packaging is can redesign.)

Which reported question is correct? (The reporter asked where the waste went.) (!The reporter asked where did the waste go.) (!The reporter asked where does the waste go.) (!The reporter asked where the waste go.)

Why should you name the year of a statistic? (Data describes a specific time period.) (!It makes the text longer.) (!Every source uses the same year.) (!The year proves the source is correct.)

Which action comes before recycling in the waste hierarchy? (Reduce) (!Landfill) (!Litter) (!Incinerate)

What should you ask when checking a media source? (Who published it and what evidence supports the claim?) (!Does it use bright colours?) (!Is the video very short?) (!Does the title sound exciting?)

What is the best role for AI in this task? (A checked support tool that does not replace your own text) (!A tool that writes the final text for you) (!A source that never needs fact checking) (!A place to upload private class data)

Memory

Reduce	avoid unnecessary material
Reuse	use an item again
Evidence	information supporting a claim
Microplastic	particle up to five millimetres
Passive	focus on action or result
Source	origin of information

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Hook	opens the explainer
Context	explains why the topic matters
Evidence	supports a claim with checked information
Example	makes the issue concrete
Closing	gives the final takeaway

Kreuzworträtsel

Microplastic	What word describes a plastic particle up to 5 mm in size?
Evidence	What supports a factual claim?
Passive	Which voice focuses on an action or result?
Recycle	What verb means processing waste into material for new products?
Audience	Who is your explainer created for?
Source	What should you name when you use a checked fact?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Environmental vocabulary: Create an eight-word mini glossary for your chosen topic and add one example sentence per word.
Image analysis: Choose one suitable Wikimedia Commons image and explain in 60 words what it shows and what it cannot prove.
Data sentence: Turn three values from a reliable table or chart into clear English sentences with dates.
Source check: Compare two sources using publisher, date, purpose and evidence.

Standard

Environmental explainer: Write a 120–180 word explainer with hook, context, evidence, example, solutions and closing.
Speaking task: Give a private 60–90 second spoken explainer or present it live; recording is optional.
Perspective change: Discuss one solution from the viewpoints of a teenager, a business and a local authority.
Media revision: Replace one weak visual in a draft with a visual that directly supports a factual point.

Schwer

Fact checking: Trace one environmental statistic back to its original organisation or study and explain possible limits.
Counterargument: Add a fair counterargument to your explainer and respond with evidence rather than dismissing it.
Explainer storyboard: Design a six-frame storyboard combining narration, data and visuals without overloading the viewer.
Transfer task: Apply the full explainer method to a new topic such as food waste, urban heat, biodiversity or fast fashion.

Lernkontrolle

Evidence and claim: Explain why a powerful photograph cannot by itself prove a numerical claim.
Solution levels: Compare one personal action with one systemic solution and explain how they can work together.
Data interpretation: Use the 2019 plastics data to write two justified conclusions and one conclusion the data does not support.
Language transfer: Rewrite a short active paragraph using two useful passive constructions, then explain why the focus changes.
Reported speech: Turn a short interview statement, question and command into reported speech and explain the word-order changes.
Media literacy: Compare the National Geographic and UNEP videos by publisher, purpose, evidence and visual choices.

Can-do check

I can ...	Yes	Almost	Not yet
explain an environmental issue with a clear structure	□	□	□
use checked data and name its year	□	□	□
use the passive productively	□	□	□
report statements, questions and commands	□	□	□
react spontaneously to another viewpoint	□	□	□
check a source and a visual critically	□	□	□