This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Select language   >   IT EN RO PL LT
Login

Collection of Reviewed Teaching Resources

A brief history of plastic

Subject taught
- Chemistry

Link
https://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-brief-history-of-plastic#watch

Type of Product
- Exercises
- Videos

Language Skills Developed
- Interaction
- Listening
- Reading
- Speaking

Transferable/Scientific Skills Developed
Student will develop team work, analytical, evaluation skills, problem-solving skills.

Description
General aims
Students will be able to talk about the history of plastic, its benefits and disadvantages. They will acquire the basic English vocabulary connected with the topic (plastic). Students will develop positive learning habits such as organisational and problem-solving skills.
Linguistic aims
Students will be able to:
-listen English video with ease
-reflect on their listening experience and share it with their peers
-get the main ideas
-comprehend the topic correctly
-translate words connected with the topic (plastic) from English into their mother tongue.
Subject specific aims
Students will be able to:
-explain the phenomenon
Target groups age:
Students from high school 16-18+ years old.
Level of competence in English (CEFR)
B1+/B2
Time required to use the resource with the students: 1 hour
•How to use it
Students watch the video at the following link (https://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-brief-history-of-plastic#watch): The video may make an interesting introduction to plastics that can raise students’ curiosity. The video presents highlights in the history of plastic and its evolution from a cost effective and widely used product opening up a lot of possibilities to a product damaging the environment.The video is accompanied by a short test that students can take to check the understanding of the video. Students can further explore the list of resources as home assignment.
After watching the video, students brainstorm new vocabulary used in the video and note the context and the meaning of the words. For further exploration of the topic, students can access the following link, which presents posters depicting significant developments in the history of plastic: https://www.bpf.co.uk/plastipedia/plastics_history/default.aspx
Debates can be organised on: solutions to the plastic problem/ Are there environmentally-friendly alternatives to plastic?/ What do we as a society need to do to help solve the plastic problem?
-For homework, the teacher asks students to find other videos related to the topic.
•Possible difficulties for the students
Students who have poor knowledge of English can have problems with understanding the content.

Comments
Strengths: Videos are known to engage students. Videos provide visual explanation and additional visualization, which would be especially useful for students who have visual memory. Videos allow students to study certain material outside of the class. Students can watch the videos at home again and review some sections if they want to. Thus they will be able to catch up with their peers if they missed anything during the class. Scientific reliability: This web site is scientifically reliable; it is well-organised and accessible. Pedagogical value: The resources can be used as support for a range of learning activities (self- study, project work).

Related Video Lessons

Our Plastic World