7–8 CLIL |  Architecture  |  Teacher’s notes
Lesson aim
• In this lesson, students focus on how and why
architects need to build homes to survive natural
disasters and symptoms of climate change, such
as flooding.
Lead-in
Ask students to brainstorm different kinds of
natural disasters and any symptoms of climate
change. Write their ideas on the board.
Suggested answers
Natural disasters: earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, tsunamis, flash floods
Symptoms of climate change: rising
temperatures, ice caps melting, sea levels
rising, frequent floods
1 Acknowledge the huge impact natural disasters
have on humans, but explain that they are going
to focus on buildings in this lesson. Ask students
how natural disasters affect our homes. Write the
following points on the board:
• describe the damage these events create
• describe how these events might change where
we live in the future
• describe how these events might change the
buildings we live in
Suggested answers
• destroy buildings, create cracks, floods, damage
contents and possessions
• build houses on higher ground / further inland /
away from rivers to avoid floods
• raise houses off the ground; use materials that
can withstand water
Ask for feedback and write it next to the points on the
board. Explain they will find out more in the text.
2 Draw a picture of a house on the board with a
wavy blue line (to represent the water level) half
way up it. Elicit the word ‘flood’ from students
and write it on the board. Pay attention to the
pronunciation /flʌd/. Draw students’ attention to
the photos and ask them to read the text before
labelling them.
Answers
Photo A: houses on stilts (in Bangladesh, Thailand
or Myanmar); Photo B: New Orleans, flooded after
Hurricane Katrina; Photo C: the Thames Barrier
in London; Photo D: floating houses /amphibious
dwellings (in the Maasbommel project) in the
Netherlands.
Optimise B2 Optimise B2 Teacher’s Resource Centre © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2017.
This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.
B2
Before reading the text again, write the words from the
Vocabulary focus box on the board and ask students
to find them in the text. Pre-teach some of the more
complex words if necessary.
3 Students read the text carefully and complete the
list. Tell students that for question 2, there are
more than four possible answers.
Answers
1 an increase in demand for housing; building
houses that withstand climate change
2 location; cost; function for homeowner; materials;
visual impact; environmental impact
3 Bangladesh; Thailand; Myanmar
4 Thames Barrier; dyke; levee
5 They are fixed to two large piles
4 Students use words from the text to fill in the gaps.
Answers
1 flooding 2 flood plains 3 burst through
4 sea level 5 platforms
5 In pairs, ask students to discuss the questions.
Ask pairs to write a list of advantages and
disadvantages to the amphibious house idea. Ask
them to consider the wider benefits as well as
difficulties. Elicit feedback.
DID YOU KNOW?
❍ Tell students that floating homes have actually
existed for centuries before asking them to read the
Did you know? box. Ask them if they had heard of
the Uros tribe before.
PROJECT
6 Brainstorm other natural disasters and
symptoms of climate change. In pairs, students
find out more about other innovative ways
to build houses, focusing on location, cost,
materials and design features. Divide the class
into groups with different research projects so
they can compare findings.
7 Using the information gathered in the first
question and the ideas in the box, students
design their own house to survive natural
disasters and climate change.
8 Ask students to present their designs to the
class. You could then display their designs
on the wall. They should produce a labelled
diagram of their design, highlighting the
features and materials used to help protect
the house.
1 of 1