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E9 E - Environmental explainer project

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E9 E - Environmental explainer project

Media note: The reusable images in this course are embedded from Wikimedia Commons. Open the file page before reusing them elsewhere and follow the stated licence and attribution rules.

Your mission: Create a short English explainer about an age-appropriate environmental issue. Use checked sources, one map, one graphic and your own summary. The model topic is plastic pollution. Your final product should be clear, evidence-based and easy to follow.

E9-E mode: English first → understand → respond → ask → hint → improve → use again. You work quite independently, compare perspectives and revise your own text. German appears only when it supports mediation or a short hint.

I can ...

Listening/Viewing: I can identify the main idea, key facts and examples in an authentic short video.
Reading: I can select relevant information from reliable sources and explain what a map or graphic really shows.
Speaking: I can explain an environmental issue for about 2–3 minutes and answer spontaneous follow-up questions.
Writing: I can write a coherent 250–350 word explainer with evidence, source references and my own conclusion.
Mediation: I can pass on useful information for a clear purpose without translating every sentence.
Media literacy: I can check source, date, evidence, perspective and licence before I use material.

Start with the media

Look at the photo for 30 seconds. Do not search yet.

Say three things you can see.
Add two things you think may be happening.
Ask one question you would like a source to answer.

Useful starters: I can see ... / This might show ... / I would like to know whether ...

Viewing task – National Geographic: “Plastics 101”

First viewing: note only the main message and three key words.
Second viewing: note one cause, one effect and one possible response.
Pair response: The point I found most important was ... because ...
Follow-up question: ask your partner one spontaneous question.

Hint 1: Pause after an important idea. Hint 2: Use subtitles only if you need them. Hint 3: Try normal speed first; 0.75× is a support option, not the goal.

Model reading: Plastic pollution in context

Plastic is useful because it is light, cheap and durable. The same durability can become a problem when plastic turns into waste. UNEP reported in 2025 that an estimated 11 million tonnes of plastic leak into aquatic ecosystems each year. The map below shows mismanaged plastic waste per person in 2019. It does not show “ocean plastic” directly. This difference matters: a data visualisation can be accurate but still answer a different question from the one you are asking. Solutions include reducing unnecessary plastic, reusing products and improving waste systems. Recycling can help, but it is only one part of a wider response. A strong explainer names the source, date and limits of the evidence.

Map check

What is the title?
What year does the map show?
What does per capita mean in this context?
Name one conclusion the map supports.
Name one conclusion the map does not support.

Graphic check: Compare the graphic with the map. Total waste generation and mismanaged waste are not the same measure. Write one sentence beginning: The two visuals should not be confused because ...

Check the source before you use it

Use the S-T-E-P check.

Source: Who created it? Is the author or organisation clear?
Time: When was it published or updated? Is the date suitable for your claim?
Evidence: Where do the data, examples or expert statements come from?
Purpose and perspective: Is the source informing, persuading, selling or campaigning? Which voices are included or missing?

For every visual, also check the licence and attribution on the original file page. A Wikimedia Commons file can be reusable, but you still need to follow its stated licence conditions.

Model sources checked for this course

Reading: From fact to explanation

Read the three statements.

A. Plastic waste is a global problem. B. UNEP estimates that about 11 million tonnes of plastic enter aquatic ecosystems each year. C. Because the estimate is global, it cannot tell us what happens in every local river or town.

A gives a broad claim. B adds evidence and names a source. C adds a limit. In your own explainer, aim for this pattern: claim → evidence → explanation → limit or perspective.

Quick response: The photo above shows small plastic fragments. Write two sentences that distinguish what the image itself shows from what you would need another source to prove.

Context vocabulary

Word / phrase	Meaning in this project	Use it
environmental issue	a problem affecting the natural environment	The issue affects ...
evidence	information that supports a claim	The evidence suggests ...
reliable source	a source you have checked and can justify using	This source is reliable for ... because ...
data	collected facts or measurements	The data show ...
trend	a general direction of change	The trend increases / decreases ...
impact	an effect or consequence	One impact is ...
waste	material that is thrown away	Plastic waste can ...
to reduce	to make something smaller or less	One way to reduce ... is ...
to reuse	to use something again	A reusable product can ...
to compare	to examine similarities and differences	Compared with ..., ...
perspective	a particular way of seeing an issue	From this perspective, ...
limitation	something the evidence cannot show	One limitation is ...

Pronunciation and fluency

Focus on being easy to understand, not on sounding accent-free.

Stress the key content words in a sentence: PLAS-tic WASTE can AFFECT O-ceans.
Chunk long ideas: According to UNEP / the estimate is global / so it cannot describe every local place.
Practise these project words aloud: environment – pollution – evidence – reliable – perspective – conclusion.
Record yourself only if you want to. Keep practice recordings private unless you have clearly agreed to share them.

Fluency drill: Explain your map in 20 seconds, then again in 30 seconds with one extra detail and one limitation.

Speaking: explain, then answer

In pairs, one learner is the explainer and one is the questioner. Change roles after 90 seconds.

Explainer frame: My issue is ... The main cause is ... One important impact is ... According to ... The map/graphic shows ... However, it does not show ... A realistic response could be ...

Questioner prompts: What is your strongest source? What does your graphic actually measure? Is there another perspective? What would you still like to find out?

Challenge: Answer one question without using your notes.

Writing: build your environmental explainer

Write 250–350 words.

Hook + issue: explain why the topic matters.
Cause or background: give enough context for a classmate to understand the issue.
Evidence: use at least two checked factual sources.
Map + graphic: explain what each visual shows and one limit.
Perspectives: compare at least two viewpoints, scales or response options.
Own summary: finish with 80–120 words in your own wording. You may add a short reasoned judgement, clearly marked as your own and linked to evidence.
Sources: list the sources you actually used.

Do not copy a source sentence and change only a few words. Keep your own draft visible while you revise it.

Functional grammar for an explainer

Cause and effect Because plastic is durable, it can remain in the environment for a long time. Plastic waste can affect wildlife, so prevention matters.

Passive voice when the action matters more than the actor Plastic is used in many products. Waste is collected, sorted and processed.

Careful claims Use can, may, suggests, estimates or according to when the evidence does not justify an absolute statement.

Contrast The map shows mismanaged waste per person, whereas the graphic shows total waste generation.

Media: from problem to response

Use the visual as a discussion prompt, not as proof that one solution always works best.

After viewing: Which actions in the video focus on individual behaviour, and which focus on systems, design or waste management? Give one example for each. Then say which claim needs another source before you include it in your project.

Media literacy check: A photo can show a real local scene, but one photo cannot prove how common the problem is worldwide. Combine images with data and context.

Mediation: purpose before translation

Fictitious school notice in German: Am Freitag organisiert die Schule nach dem Unterricht eine freiwillige Müllsammelaktion am Flussufer. Handschuhe und Sammelzangen werden gestellt. Minderjährige nehmen nur mit der schulisch vorgesehenen Zustimmung teil. Fotos werden nicht automatisch veröffentlicht.

Your English-speaking exchange student asks: Do I need to bring anything, and will pictures be posted online?

Task: Give the useful information in natural English. Do not translate the whole notice. Add only what the person needs for this purpose.

Help levels

Level 1 – Ask yourself

What exactly is my claim?
Which source supports it?
What does my map or graphic measure?

Level 2 – Sentence starters According to ... / The data show ... / This does not necessarily mean ... / A different perspective is ...

Level 3 – Mini-plan Issue → cause → evidence → visual → perspective → response → own summary.

Feedback and error analysis

Give feedback in this order:

Meaning: Is the message clear and logically connected?
Evidence: Are claims linked to suitable sources?
Language: Are tense, word choice and sentence links clear enough?
Media: Are the map and graphic explained instead of only inserted?
Revision: Choose the two changes that improve the text most.

Error analysis: Mark one sentence that is too absolute, one sentence with weak source connection and one language error. Rewrite each sentence yourself.

AI and privacy rule: You may use AI for a hint or feedback only when your school rules allow it. Check AI-generated facts, sources and feedback against reliable material. Do not send private data, do not use private social-media data, and do not upload other people's work. If you invent a stakeholder profile, use fictitious details. Keep your own wording and revision decisions.

Project checklist

Before you submit, check:

My issue is suitable for class 9.
My main text is 250–350 words.
I used at least three checked sources in total.
I included one map and one graphic with source/licence information.
I explained what the visuals do and do not show.
I compared perspectives.
I wrote an 80–120 word own summary.
My language is clear and connected.
I can present the key message for 2–3 minutes and answer follow-up questions.
Any recording is voluntary and private unless sharing was agreed in advance.

Can-do check

I can ...	Not yet	With help	On my own
identify the main message of an authentic environmental video	□	□	□
check source, date, evidence and perspective	□	□	□
explain a map and a graphic accurately	□	□	□
compare two perspectives	□	□	□
write a coherent explainer and revise it	□	□	□
answer spontaneous questions about my topic	□	□	□

Next course: E9 E - Environmental debate and action proposal – use your explainer as evidence in a short discussion and proposal.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What should a strong environmental explainer connect to a claim? (Checked evidence from a suitable source) (!A dramatic image with no source) (!A personal guess) (!A slogan without data)

What does a map title help you understand? (What the map is designed to show) (!Whether every country has the same value) (!Whether the issue is solved) (!Whether the colours are attractive)

Why should you check the year of a data visualisation? (To judge whether the data fit your claim and context) (!To make the source look more academic) (!To avoid reading the legend) (!To replace the need for a source)

Which sentence is a careful claim? (UNEP estimates that plastic enters aquatic ecosystems each year) (!Plastic always destroys every ecosystem) (!One photo proves the global trend) (!All experts agree on every solution)

What is a limitation of a single photo? (It cannot show how common a problem is worldwide) (!It can never show a real place) (!It cannot contain any useful detail) (!It automatically counts as false information)

What is the main purpose of mediation in this project? (To pass on relevant information for a specific person and purpose) (!To translate every word) (!To copy the source text) (!To remove all context)

What should you do with an AI-generated environmental fact? (Check it against reliable sources before using it) (!Use it without a source) (!Assume it is current) (!Replace your own draft with it)

Which pair best shows contrast? (The map shows per-capita mismanaged waste whereas the graphic shows total waste) (!Both visuals are colourful) (!Both visuals use text) (!Both visuals are on a screen)

What should come at the end of your explainer? (An own summary that brings the main evidence together) (!A copied paragraph from a source) (!A list of unrelated facts) (!A new topic with no link)

What matters most in pronunciation for this project? (Being clear enough to understand) (!Hiding every trace of an accent) (!Speaking as fast as possible) (!Copying one specific accent)

Memory

Evidence	supports a claim
Perspective	a way of viewing an issue
Limitation	what evidence cannot show
Attribution	information about the creator or source
Trend	a general direction of change
Mediation	passing on relevant meaning for a purpose

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Map	shows spatial patterns
Graphic	visualises quantities or trends
Source	provides traceable evidence
Summary	brings the main ideas together in your own words
Perspective	shows one way of understanding the issue

Kreuzworträtsel

EVIDENCE	What supports a factual claim?
SOURCE	What should you identify before using information?
GRAPHIC	What visual can show quantities or trends?
SUMMARY	What do you write in your own words at the end?
CONTEXT	What helps you understand where and why data matter?
PERSPECTIVE	What word means a particular way of viewing an issue?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Environmental vocabulary: Make a 12-word project glossary with one original English example sentence for each word.
Media observation: Choose one Commons image from the course and write three observation sentences plus two questions that the image cannot answer.
Source check: Apply the S-T-E-P check to one short environmental webpage and record your result in four sentences.
Fluency practice: Explain one map for 30 seconds, repeat it once with clearer chunking, and note one improvement.

Standard

Compare sources: Compare an NGO or public-agency source with a science or data source on the same environmental issue. Identify one strength and one limitation of each.
Map and graphic: Find one legally reusable map and one graphic for your issue. Explain in 80–100 words what each visual measures and why the two are not interchangeable.
Mini explainer: Write a 250–350 word explainer with claim, evidence, explanation, perspective and own summary.
Speaking interview: In pairs, present your issue for two minutes and answer three spontaneous questions from your partner.

Schwer

Perspective comparison: Compare how two sources frame the causes or solutions of the same issue. Explain how purpose and audience may shape the presentation.
Data limitation: Find one environmental statistic that is often simplified. Trace it to the original or a strong secondary source and explain what the number does and does not prove.
Mediation task: Create a short German information note for a fictitious school environmental action and mediate the key points into English for an exchange student with a specific question.
Explainer presentation: Give a 3-minute presentation using one map and one graphic, then answer follow-up questions without reading full sentences from your notes.

Lernkontrolle

Source decision: You have three sources: an undated social-media post, a recent public-agency report with methods, and a company advertisement. Decide which claims each source could or could not support and justify your decision.
Visual reasoning: A map shows per-capita waste, while a chart shows total waste. Explain how the two can lead to different impressions of the same countries.
Revision: Rewrite an overconfident sentence such as This solution will end plastic pollution so that it matches limited evidence and still remains informative.
Perspective transfer: Compare an individual-action perspective with a system-change perspective. Explain how both can appear in one balanced explainer without pretending they are identical.
Mediation transfer: A German school notice contains ten details, but an English-speaking visitor asks only about time, equipment and photo rules. Select and mediate only the relevant information.
Question response: After a short presentation, answer the question What is the biggest limitation of your evidence? with one specific example from your project.

Lernnachweis

For a successful learning record, show that you can:

choose an age-appropriate environmental issue and define a clear focus;
use at least three checked sources and distinguish claim, evidence and limitation;
include one legally reusable map and one graphic with attribution;
write a coherent 250–350 word English explainer with an 80–120 word own summary;
compare at least two perspectives without stereotyping;
revise your own text after feedback and explain two important changes;
present the key message for 2–3 minutes and answer spontaneous questions;
mediate information according to purpose and audience instead of translating everything;
handle recordings, profiles and data safely and privately.

OERs zum Thema

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