This ELL lesson is designed around a Smithsonian Channel video titled, What Airplane Toilets Do With Your Waste. Students make predictions, practice relevant vocabulary, and discuss related air travel experiences.
Language Level: Intermediate
Time: 50 minutes
Topic: Airplane Waste
I. Warm-up (5-10 min)
Write on board: “It’s a(n) (1)__ADJ__ job. But the (2)__NOUN__ – it’s not so (3) __ADJ__.”
- Students work together in groups of 4 to try to guess the blanks, and write their guesses on a white board.
- Students reveal their guesses. Then teacher reveals: nice, smell, nice.
- Students should now guess what the job is. Share some guesses.
- My favorite student guess: “horse dentist”.
- Reveal: “Waste Removal Truck Driver”.
- Ask: Where does this man work? Elicit airport or let the mystery linger.
II. Presentation (10 min)
- Hand out Airplane Waste Vocabulary Matching and have students attempt to complete.
- If some students finish the matching early, they can try formulating sentences below.
- Review answers to prepare for video.
III. Practice (10 min)
- Students watch What Airplane Toilets Do With Your Waste, listening carefully for vocabulary words.
- Hand out Airplane Waste Transcript Gap Fill for students to complete with their groups.
- Review answers by having students shout out their guesses.
IV. Production (20-25 min)
- Hand out Airplane Waste Comprehension and Opinion Questions and have students work individually and/or together to complete it.
- Plenary to share and discuss answers.
Materials:
– What Airplane Toilets Do With Your Waste video
– Airplane Waste Vocabulary Matching handout
– Airplane Waste Transcript Gap Fill handout
– Airplane Waste Comprehension and Opinion Questions handout
– Mini white boards and markers
– Dictionaries
Busan Teacher 