Advanced ENGLISH Teacher’s Notes

Module 5 • Clean and ‘Green’ Reading

Making Cities Sustainable − Identifying Problems and Solutions

Objective
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify problems and their solutions in a text. They will also be
able to suggest possible solutions to problems. In addition, they will be able to talk about environmental issues.

Student Worksheets
• Worksheet 1: How to Make Cities Sustainable
• Worksheet 2: How to Make Cities Sustainable: Activity Sheet
• Worksheet 3: More Measures and Effects

Lead-In (10 minutes)

• Begin the lesson by asking:
What environmental issues are being addressed in your city?
What steps have been taken to deal with them?
What environmental issues have not yet been addressed in your city?
Why do you think these issues have not been addressed?

Activity 1 (35 minutes)

• Tell students that they are going to read an article about how to make cities sustainable. Explain that a
sustainable city is one that uses its resources (like water and power) in certain ways so that these resources don’t
get completely used up, or aren’t damaged or polluted.
• Elicit measures that have been introduced in cities around the world to try to minimize environmental damage.
Possible answers: Parts of cities have been made car-free.
In some cities, the public transportation system has been improved.
Cycling lanes have been added to roads.
Builders are being given financial incentives to use green building practices.
• Instruct students to look at Worksheet 1: How to Make Cities Sustainable. Explain that the text contains many
examples of problems and solutions that students will identify during the lesson.
• You may want to pre-teach some of the vocabulary found in the text.
fossil fuels: a fuel such as coal or oil that is formed in the earth from plant or animal remains
greenhouse effect: the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere that is caused by air pollution
greenhouse gases: any of the gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect, such as CO2, methane, ozone and
fluorocarbons
pollutants: a waste material that harms the environment
• Have students read the first two paragraphs of the article. Ask the following questions:
In which paragraph are the problems listed?
Answer: Paragraph 1
In which paragraph are the solutions listed?
Answer: Paragraph 2
• Draw the following table on the board:
Problem Solution(s)

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Advanced ENGLISH Teacher’s Notes
Module 5 • Clean and ‘Green’ Reading

• Elicit the problems listed in the first section of the article and write them in the Problem column.
• Elicit the solutions presented in the first section of the article. Ask: Where should these solutions be placed in the
table? Which of the problems does each solution attempt to solve? Point out that there may not be a solution to
every problem.
Possible answers:
Problem Solution(s)
Technological innovations that will allow us to live
Cities use a lot of energy.
more energy-efficiently in the city.
Cities create large amounts of waste materials. Recycling programs.
Cities generate greenhouse gases.
Modernization of sewage systems and expansion of
Cities release pollutants into water.
wastewater treatment plants.
Cities release pollutants into the air.

• Elicit possible solutions to the remaining problems in the table, even though they are not listed in the article.
Possible answer: T  he release of greenhouse gases and air pollution can be reduced by using clean fuels and
using less fossil fuels.
• Remind students that when writers refer to problems, they might use words like difficulty, obstacle, issue or
challenge. When they refer to solutions, they might use the phrase in response to. Write these on the board. Point
out that looking for these words and phrases in a text will help students to identify problems and solutions.
• Divide the class into pairs. Have students read the next three sections of the text (Cycling, Re-Skinned Buildings
and Solar Rentals) and together complete Worksheet 2: How to Make Cities Sustainable. Remind them to look
out for the words and phrases listed on the board while they are reading.
• Have each pair of students compare their answers with those of another pair of students. If one pair prefers
another pair’s answers, they may change their own answers. Then review the answers with the class.
Worksheet 2 Answers:
Cycling
Problem Solution(s)
Bicycle sharing programs that allow residents to use
People don’t always carry their bikes with them.
bicycles stationed throughout the city.
Heavy traffic can make cycling dangerous. Separated bike lanes on roads.
Bicycle parking facilities at bus and train stations;
It is difficult to take longer trips without a car.
being allowed to take bicycles on buses and trains.

Re-Skinned Buildings
Problem Solution(s)
It is expensive and impractical for existing buildings Engineers have created thermal covers, which can be
to be replaced with new energy-efficient buildings. added to old concrete buildings.

Solar Rentals
Problem Solution(s)

It is expensive for homeowners to switch to solar Give subsidies to people who buy solar panels.
power. Introduce solar panel leasing programs.

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Advanced ENGLISH Teacher’s Notes
Module 5 • Clean and ‘Green’ Reading

• Instruct students to read the conclusion of the article and to identify the problem(s) discussed in this section.
Answers: Individuals are not sufficiently aware of environmental issues.
Negative environmental impacts of urban living are invisible and intangible.
• Ask: What does the writer suggest might be a solution to this problem?
Answer: create concrete, tangible environmental goals

Activity 2 (20 minutes)

• Remind students that nouns are often formed by adding the suffixes -tion, -sion, -ment, -ant or -ation to the base
form of the verb. Instruct students to scan the entire text and underline nouns that they find with these suffixes.
Draw the following table on the board:

Base Form of Verb Noun

• Have students share the nouns they found with the class. Write these nouns in the Noun column of the table.
Answers: population, expansion, consumption, innovation, pollution, treatment, pollutant
• Elicit the base form of each of these nouns and add them to the table in the appropriate position.
Answers: populate, expand, consume, innovate, pollute, treat
• Introduce more base words from the text. Write them in the Base Form of Verb column of the table.
Answers: introduce, create, adapt, present, persuade, modernize, collect
• Elicit the noun forms of these verbs and add them to the table.
Answers: introduction, creation, adaptation, presentation, persuasion, modernization, collection
• Have students write at least one sentence using each word from the table. Then have them share their sentences
with the class.

Activity 3 (15 minutes)

• Point out to students that the text they read deals with only a few of the many measures being taken to make
cities sustainable.
• Have students look at Worksheet 3: More Measures and Effects. Instruct them to read the column, More
Measures Being Taken. Explain that the list describes measures that are currently being implemented in cities
around the world. Ask: What effect can these measures have on the environment?
• Divide the class into pairs. Have students discuss ideas and write possible answers. Then conduct a feedback
session with the class and encourage students to share their answers.

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Advanced ENGLISH Teacher’s Notes
Module 5 • Clean and ‘Green’ Reading

Worksheet 3 Answers:

More Measures Being Taken Effects or Possible Effects

1. A large part of the city has been made car-free.
2. Alternative fuel stations have been built.
3. Builders are given grants to encourage them to
use green building practices.
4. Alternative fuels are used in buses and taxis.
5. People are fined if they produce too much
garbage.
Less use of cars. This results in less use of fossil
fuels and less emission of greenhouse gases.
Less use of fossil fuels. Less emission of
greenhouse gases.
Buildings become more energy-efficient. Less
fossil fuel is used.
This results in less use of fossil fuels and less
emission of greenhouse gases.
Less waste materials are generated.

6. All street lamps are powered by solar energy. Less use of fossil fuels.

7. People are fined if they use too much energy to

Less use of fossil fuels.
heat or cool their homes.

• Ask: If you could implement only three of these measures in your city, which would you choose? Why?

Lead-Out (10 minutes)

• Remind students that the text they read ends by discussing the fact that people do not care enough about
environmental issues to make a real change. Ask: What, if anything, can we do to raise awareness or make
people care more?
• Elicit possible solutions to this problem. Once students have made a list of possible solutions, ask: Which
solutions do you think are the most practical? Which are more easily implemented?
• Have students come to a consensus about a practical solution. If time permits, ask students to come up with a
simple plan that they could implement in their home or community. Encourage them to implement it.

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