LOWER SECONDARY GLOBAL ENGLISH
EXTRACTS
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Page 1 of 24
2 DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
2 Design and
architecture
Unit plan
Lesson
Approximate
number of
learning hours
Outline of learning
content
Learning
objectives
Resources
1 Bars, boxes
and bottles
1.5–2.25
Discuss shapes and
the packaging of
everyday items.
8Ld.01–03
8Sc.03–05
8Wca.01–02
Learner’s Book Lesson 2.1
Workbook Lesson 2.1
Digital Classroom:
video – Buildings, shapes and
colours
2 Why is an
egg
egg-shaped?
2.5–3.5
Describe imaginary
situations using if
clauses.
8Ld.02–03
8Sc.01 & 05
8So.01
8Wca.04
8Ug.10
Learner’s Book Lesson 2.2
Workbook pages Lesson 2.1
Differentiated worksheets 3A,
B and C
Digital Classroom:
presentation – Second conditional
3 Design
classics
1.75–2.5
Describe objects
8Ld.02–03
and discuss why they 8Sc.01–02
have become design 8Wca.02 & 04
classics.
Learner’s Book Lesson 2.3
Workbook Lesson 2.3
Photocopiable 5
4 Just the
place
1.75–2.5
Talk about
the design of
buildings and their
surroundings.
8Ld.02–03
8Sc.01
8So.01
8Wca.04
8Us.03
Learner’s Book Lesson 2.4
Workbook Lesson 2.4
Photocopiable 6
Digital Classroom:
presentation – Relative clauses
beginning with prepositions
5 Homes in
the desert
2.0–2.75
Read and discuss
an article about
building houses from
plastic bottles.
8Ld.01–02
8Sc.04–05
8So.01
8Rd.02 & 04
8Wca.01
Learner’s Book Lesson 2.5
Workbook Lesson 2.5
Photocopiable 7
6 Famous
buildings
1.5–2.25
Ask and answer
questions in a
quiz about famous
buildings.
8Ld.02–03
8Sc.04–05
8Rd.01 & 04
8Wca.01–02
Learner’s Book Lesson 2.6
Workbook Lesson 2.6
Differentiated worksheets 4A,
B and C
(continued)
Page 2 of 24
55
CAMBRIDGE GLOBAL ENGLISH 8: TEACHER’S RESOURCE
Lesson
Approximate
number of
learning hours
Outline of learning
content
Learning
objectives
Resources
7 Improve
your writing
1.75–2.5
Write a report on
8So.01
school buildings and 8Sor.02
facilities.
8Rd.01
8Wca.02–04
8Wor.01–02
8Wc.02
Learner’s Book Lesson 2.7
Workbook Lesson 2.7
Photocopiable 8
Unit 2 Sample answers
8 Project
challenge
1.5–2.25
Do a project.
8So.01
8Sor.01–02
8Rd.01
8Wca.02–04
8Wor.01–02
8Wc.02
Learner’s Book Lesson 2.8
Unit 2 Project checklists
9 Non-fiction
1.75–2.5
Read about A
History of Pictures
for Children and
about David
Hockney.
8Sc.01
8So.01
8Sor.02
8Rd.01 & 03
8Ro.01
8Wca.02–03
8Wc.01–02
Learner’s Book Lesson 2.9
Workbook Lesson 2.8
Cross-unit resources
Unit 2 Audioscripts
End of Unit 2 test
Unit 2 Progress report
Unit 2 Wordlist
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Two questions in Lesson 2.6 mention two important
historical figures: Marco Polo and Vasco da Gama.
Marco Polo was an Italian merchant and explorer.
He was born in Venice in 1254 and travelled
along the Silk Road through Asia between 1271
and 1295.
The Silk Road is a network of trade routes that
connected East and South East Asia with South
Asia, Persia, the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa
and the south of Europe. Polo was the first to
write an account of his expeditions in a book,
The Travels of Marco Polo, in which he gave the
first comprehensive look into China, Japan, India
and other Asian countries, and which served as
56
an inspiration to other travellers like Christopher
Columbus. He travelled extensively around China,
where he lived for 17 years, which allowed him to
see things that had been unknown to Europeans.
Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese sailor and
explorer. He was probably born sometime in the
1460s in Sines, a seaport on the Alentejo coast,
in southwest Portugal. He was first European to
reach India by sea in 1497 and the first to sail from
Europe to Asia across the Atlantic and the Indian
oceans. The discovery of the route to India by sea
allowed the Portuguese to establish a colonial
empire in Asia. His first trip to India is considered a
milestone in world history.
Page 3 of 24
2 DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
TEACHING SKILLS FOCUS
Formative assessment
Plenaries are a brilliant opportunity for formative
assessment, where you can summarise learning and
get learners involved. Plenaries tend to be used at
the end of the lesson, but they can also be used at
any stage during the lesson.
A good plenary helps you assess both the whole
group and individual learners. It is differentiated for
every learner, and it helps learners reflect on what
they have learned and how. The information you
collect helps the class prepare for the next phase of
learning.
Plenary idea examples
Key words: Divide the class into groups of three.
Give each group an envelope with a choice of
words from the lesson. Learners take it in turns to
explain the words to the other group members. Set
a time limit, for example one minute. The learner
who makes a correct guess chooses the next word
to explain to the group.
Know–Want to know–Learned (KWL): At the
beginning of the lesson, draw a three-column table
on a large sheet of poster paper. In the first column
(K), learners write ‘What I already know’ (or I think I
know) about the topic of the lesson. In the second
column (W), they write ‘What I want to know’. This
may be in the form of questions. When they have
completed both columns, put the poster to one
side of the board until the end of the lesson.
In the plenary, learners fill in the last column (L)
with ‘What I have learned’. This technique not
only helps learners to be aware of how they have
progressed during the lesson, but it can help you
decide what to do in the next lesson.
Exit tickets: Exit tickets are very simple formative
assessment tools that help teachers to assess
how well learners have understood the content
of the lesson. They can be used daily or weekly
and can be written on file cards, sticky notes or
electronically on tablets or smartphones.
It must be remembered that an exit ticket is not
a test. It is linked to the objective of the lesson
and focuses on a skill or concept that you expect
your class to have understood. Exit tickets can
take many forms. They can pose different types
of questions, for example multiple choice and
questions that require a short answer or a couple
of sentences, and learners should be able to
complete them in just a few minutes at the end of
the lesson.
Two stars and a wish: This is also a simple but
effective way for learners to reflect on the lesson
and on what they have achieved. Learners write
down two things that went well, for example: Did
they complete a task before the deadline? Did they
get all the answers right? etc. Then they write a
wish about what they would like to achieve in the
next lesson.
Your challenge
Look through Unit 2 and highlight opportunities for
plenaries other than at the end of the lesson. What
sort of exercise would be the most appropriate at
that point?
As you continue with the following units, tick off the
relevant points where you can introduce different
plenary activities.
Reflection
• What does the plenary tell me about the current
performance levels of my class?
• What should I do differently to meet the needs
of my class?
Page 4 of 24
57
CAMBRIDGE GLOBAL ENGLISH 8: TEACHER’S RESOURCE
Common misconceptions
Misconception
How to identify
How to overcome
Learners may omit the
partitives, e.g.
I bought a shorts and a jeans.
Focus on the sentences and
underline the mistakes. Ask
questions, e.g. What is missing
here? Is it a pair, a box of
shorts? What do we use with
items of clothing like jeans,
trousers, shorts, etc.?
Make a poster. Ask learners to draw
different items of clothing, e.g.
trousers, shorts, shoes, jeans, etc.,
and write a sentence next to each
using the correct partitive.
Learners may use cloth instead
of item of clothing, e.g.
A Kandorah is a long white cloth.
Underline the mistake. Ask: Is
this a piece of cloth? Is it a kind
of tunic?
Explain the difference. Show pictures
and ask, e.g. Is this a piece of cloth,
is it an item of clothing?
Ask learners to ask themselves
this question before choosing the
correct words.
Learners may use the wrong
tense in the expression ‘If I were
you’, e.g.
If I am you, I will join the drama
club because I love acting.
If I were you, I will join the
sports club.
Focus on the sentences and
make sure learners understand
the meaning of If I were you.
Ask: What is the speaker doing?
(for example, giving advice)
What does the speaker mean?
Elicit the correct tense sequence from
the class.
Practise making sentences. Ask learners
to imagine themselves in the position
or situation and to say what they would
do or how they would react. Ask: How
can you say this?
Ask learners to underline the correct
tenses in the sentences they write.
Learners may omit a piece
of when speaking about
information, paper, advice,
etc., e.g.
The third information was most
useful for me.
I have a advice for you if you
want to buy a computer.
Write a few examples of correct
and incorrect sentences. Ask
learners to spot the difference.
Ask: What is missing here? Can
we say ‘a milk’? ‘breads’? Can
we say ‘informations’, ‘advices’?
Explain that words such as information,
advice and news are uncountable in
English. Ask learners how they use
these words in their own language and
ask them to point out the differences.
Ask them to draw a picture that
reminds them of the difference, e.g. a
big cloud labelled ‘information’ with a
detached piece and a label saying ‘a
piece of information’.
58
Page 5 of 24
CAMBRIDGE GLOBAL ENGLISH 8: TEACHER’S RESOURCE
2.5 Environmental science: Homes in the desert
LEARNING PLAN
Learning objectives
Learning intentions
Success criteria
8Ld.01, 8Ld.02
• Listening: Listen to an article
about building houses from
plastic bottles, listen for general
meaning and for detail.
• Learners can listen to and understand
an article about building houses from
plastic bottles.
8Sc.04, 8Sc.05,
8So.01
• Speaking: Discuss the project
described in the article, give
opinions and give reasons for
opinions.
8Rd.02, 8Rd.04
• Reading: Read an article about
building houses from plastic
bottles, read for general
meaning and for detail, use
context to understand the
meaning of unfamiliar words.
8Wca.01
• Learners can read an article about
building houses from plastic bottles.
• Learners can discuss the project
described in the article.
• Learners can give opinions and give
reasons for their opinions.
• Learners can use context to understand
the meaning of unfamiliar words.
• Writing: Take notes, answer
questions.
• Vocabulary: resistant (to heat),
heat conductor, energy efficiency,
air flow, heat flow, light rays,
sun-dried, endure, layers,
belongings, spacious
21st-century skills
Critical thinking: Analyse causes and effects of problems, examine possible solutions to a given problem and
state how effective they are.
Collaboration: Provide justification for their ideas or suggestions.
Communication: Start and manage conversations with confidence.
Learning to learn: Identify helpful resources for their learning, find sources of information and help
(online and in school) in order to enhance their understanding of English.
Materials: Learner’s Book pages 42–43, Workbook
page 32, Photocopiable 7, map of the world, internet
access or encyclopaedias, dictionaries, A3 sheets of
paper and drawing supplies.
Starter ideas
Places around the world (10–15 minutes)
•
72
Lesson 2.4: Michigan in the USA, Chiang Mai in
Thailand and Denmark. Locate them on the map.
•
Ask learners what the weather is like in
those places.
•
Ask: Which are the hottest places on Earth? Which
are the coldest places? Learners locate these places
on the map.
Show a map of the world to the class. Remind the
class of the places mentioned in the recording in
Page 6 of 24
2 DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
Critical thinking opportunity: Ask learners: What are
homes like in those places? Does the weather have an
influence on the way we build our homes? Ask learners to
look for photos on the internet or in books, for example
igloos, cave homes in Spain, stilt houses in South East
Asia, etc.
The buildings in my city (15–20 minutes)
Learners do Photocopiable 7.
Main teaching ideas
1 Look at the article below. Focus on the
title and the photo. What do you think
the article is about? (5–10 minutes)
•
Focus on the article. Ask the class what they
think it is about.
Critical thinking opportunity: Ask the class:
What kind of house should people build in that area?
What materials should they use? Elicit ideas.
Answers
Learner’s own answer
15
CROSS-CURRICULAR LINK
Environmental science: Focus on the key words
box. Ask learners to find these words and phrases
in the text. Can they work out what they mean?
Ask the class: What materials are good heat
conductors? Which are resistant to heat?
Which materials are good to make roofs in
hot countries? Is it a good idea to have large
windows in a hot country? Why? etc.
Learners can look for information in books or on
the internet. They can also make notes of their
findings. They may visit useful websites such as
My Modern Met, Every Last House Plan, etc.
Differentiation idea: You may wish to ask more
questions to provide extra support for less confident
learners, such as:
aWhich two materials was Tateh’s childhood
house made of ?
bWhat was the problem with the roof of his
childhood house?
2 Read and listen to the article. Why do
you think the journalist chose to write
about Tateh Lehbib? (20–25 minutes)
cAfter studying at university, where did he build
his first house?
dWhat are the walls of his grandmother’s new
house made of ?
•
Ask the class what they think the journalist
chose to write about engineer Tateh Lehbib.
What is so special about him? Elicit opinions.
eWhen there is a sandstorm, what is the
advantage of having a round house rather
than a square house?
•
Tell the class that they are going to read and
listen to the article and check if their opinions
were correct.
fWhen Tateh told people about his idea, why did
they call him ‘the crazy bottle man’?
•
Play the recording twice. Elicit ideas.
Answers
Learner’s own answer
gTateh is going to make two changes to his
original design. What are they?
hTateh’s homes are good for the environment.
What else are they good for?
iWhich three features help to keep Tateh’s
houses cool?
Answers
a (sun-dried) brick and zinc
b high temperatures, rain and sandstorms could
take the roof off
c in the (refugee) camp in the desert
d plastic bottles filled with sand and straw
e the sand doesn’t build up against the wall
f because they didn’t think his house would be
strong and stable
Page 7 of 24
73
CAMBRIDGE GLOBAL ENGLISH 8: TEACHER’S RESOURCE
g make the inside square; make the house bigger
h creating jobs
i white walls; roof with two layers; round shape
Differentiation idea: Ask learners to make notes
of their answers. This will provide support to less
confident learners when they give their opinions.
•
Download the audio transcript on Cambridge GO.
3 How many words for building materials
can you find in the article? (10–15 minutes)
•
Ask learners to reread the text and find words
for building materials.
•
Check answers as a class.
•
If learners made the BUILDINGS spidergram
in Lesson 2.4, ask them to add the new
vocabulary to it.
Answers
plastic; brick; zinc; sand; straw; cement; limestone
4 In pairs, find these words in the text and
try to work out their meaning.
(10–15 minutes)
•
Ask learners to work in pairs and find the
words in the text. They write a definition or
explanation and share it with the class.
Differentiation idea: Share dictionaries with the
class or make online dictionaries available. If less
confident learners find it difficult to work out the
meaning of the words, encourage them to look them
up in a dictionary. They can copy the meanings in
their notebooks. More confident learners may use
the words in sentences and share them with the class.
Answers
a dried by the heat of the sun
b live with, suffer (something unpleasant)
c something that covers a surface
d possessions, things that belong to someone
e with plenty of space, plenty of room to move around
5 Work in groups. Discuss these
questions. You can use the words in the
environmental science key words box to
help you. (15–20 minutes)
•
74
Ask learners to work in small groups.
They read and discuss the questions.
When they have finished, learners share their
ideas with the class.
Critical thinking opportunity: Ask groups the
following questions to develop a conversation:
1What kind of homes are there in your
neighbourhood? (apartment blocks, detached
houses, etc.)
2
What materials are they made of ?
3What kind of housing is most needed in your
town or region?
4Are there any examples of buildings which use
recycled materials in your area?
5What are the essential features that make a
house a home?
•
Ask learners to make notes of their answers
and ideas.
Answers
Learner’s own answer
6 In your groups, draw and label a diagram
of one of Tateh’s houses to explain how
it’s built and how it works. (20–25 minutes)
•
Still working in groups, learners draw and label
a diagram of one of Tateh’s houses to explain
how it’s built and how it works.
•
You may wish to direct learners to selected
websites, such as The Guardian or World
Habitat, where they can find photographs of
the process of building the houses.
•
When they have finished, ask volunteers to
show their diagrams and explain the process.
Plenary ideas
Consolidation (10–15 minutes)
Assessment idea and Critical thinking opportunity: Ask
learners to take a few minutes and think: What was the
most interesting thing I learned today? What have I found
the most difficult thing to do? What can I do to improve?
If they are keeping a learning or reflection log, tell them
to make notes of their reflections.
When they have finished, ask volunteers to share their
ideas with the class. Explain that by sharing their ideas
Page 8 of 24
CAMBRIDGE GLOBAL ENGLISH 8: TEACHER’S RESOURCE
2.7 Write about it: Improve your writing
LEARNING PLAN
Learning objectives
Learning intentions
Success criteria
8So.01, 8Sor.02
• Speaking: Discuss ideas, give opinions.
8Rd.01
• Reading: Read and follow instructions.
• Learners can talk about what
they would improve in their
school.
8Wca.02, 8Wca.03,
8Wca.04, 8Wor.01,
8Wor.02, 8Wc.02
• Writing: Write a report, spell words
correctly, use correct punctuation, use
appropriate register and style, organise
text into paragraphs, use linkers and
transition words.
• Learners can discuss what a
report is like.
• Learners can organise ideas.
• Learners can write a report
about school facilities.
21st-century skills
Critical thinking: Distinguish between main and supporting arguments, identify the basic structure of an
argument, analyse the structure of a sample text.
Creative thinking: Use own ideas to create new content.
Collaboration: Identify strengths and weaknesses and provide possible ways to improve on a future task,
identify what went well in completing the task, give supportive feedback to other learners’ comments.
Communication: Develop a clear description or narrative with a logical sequence of points, use a number
of cohesive devices to link sentences into clear, coherent discourse.
Learning to learn: Know the appropriate format for a piece of written homework, use notes to construct
original output.
Materials: Learner’s Book pages 46–47, Workbook page 38, Photocopiable 8
78
Page 9 of 24
2 DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
Starter ideas
Buildings (15–20 minutes)
•
If learners have done the homework exercise, ask
them to give their presentations to the class.
•
Ask the class who make and design buildings
(architects and engineers).
•
What abilities, qualifications, etc. do these people
need to have to do their job? Elicit ideas from
the class.
•
Are there any buildings in their town that learners
like or don’t like? Why? Encourage them to explain
their answers.
2 Your English teacher has asked you
to present your ideas in the form of
a report. Look at the example on the
opposite page and the English teacher’s
comments. Match each comment a–j to
a number 1–10. (20–25 minutes)
•
Tell the class that they are going to give
their ideas in the form of a report. Ask the
class what the purpose of a report is (to give
information which has been collected for a
specific audience and a purpose).
•
Ask: What is the purpose of the report you
are going to write? Who is the audience? Elicit
answers, for example to tell the headteacher
about the improvements they want to see in the
school; the headteacher.
•
Explain that reports do not have a fixed
format or structure but that there are some
characteristics they should consider.
•
Ask the class what they think the main features
of a report are, for example an interesting title
of appropriate length (neither too long nor
too short) (optional), an introduction that
refers briefly to the purpose or the topic of the
report, a brief reference to the main subtopics,
text divided into clear paragraphs with
subheadings (optional), semi-formal language,
possibly include a recommendation at the end.
Vocabulary crossword (20–25 minutes)
Learners do Photocopiable 8.
Main teaching ideas
1 Work in groups. Talk about
improvements you would like to see.
Note down your ideas. (10–15 minutes)
•
Tell the class to imagine that their headteacher
wants to know what improvements learners
would like to see to the buildings and facilities
at their school.
•
Ask learners to work in groups and discuss
what their school is like. What do they like
about it? What would they change? Elicit ideas.
•
Focus on the sentence openings. Tell learners
to use them to give opinions.
•
Ask them to make notes of their ideas.
Differentiation idea: To support less confident
learners, you could ask questions that require them
to think about specific aspects, for example: Is
there enough space in and around school? Are there
enough ‘green’ areas? Does the building fit in with
the environment? What are noise levels like? Is there
enough natural light in the classrooms? Are classrooms
spacious enough? What safety features are there?
Answers
Learner’s own answer
Critical thinking opportunity: Focus on the
example. Ask learners to read the report and
discuss the comments. Ask, for example, Where
would you use ‘signpost’ expressions? What
expressions other than ‘also’ would they use to make
an additional point? (For example, besides, too, in
addition.) Prompt learners to think of other ways
of expressing contrast besides by contrast, for
example however, on the other hand. How else can
they introduce a new topic – for example, about,
regarding, as for.
Answers
1 e; 2 i; 3 g; 4 j; 5 c; 6 a; 7 f; 8 h; 9 b; 10 d
Page 10 of 24
79
CAMBRIDGE GLOBAL ENGLISH 8: TEACHER’S RESOURCE
3 Write a report giving your group’s ideas
and suggestions. Follow these steps.
(40–45 minutes)
•
Ask groups to use their notes to write the report.
•
Read the steps as a class and clarify any doubts
learners may have. Tell them to use the report
in the lesson as a model.
•
Give groups enough time to complete step 1.
Assessment idea: When they have finished writing
the first draft, move to step 2. Remind the class of
the features of a report they discussed in Activities 1
and 2.
•
With the class, read the checklist and encourage
them to add other items, for example paragraphs
organised around a topic, introduction,
conclusion, title (optional), etc. Ask groups to
revise their text using the checklist.
Assessment idea: When they have finished, they
may exchange their draft with another group. They
read each other’s text using the checklist to make
comments and suggestions.
•
When groups get their texts back, they make
changes and corrections based on the feedback
received and write the final version of the report.
•
When all groups have finished, you may ask
them to read their reports to the class. The other
groups make comments and ask questions.
•
Publishing idea: You can then ask groups to
upload their report to the class blog or the
school webpage.
Plenary ideas
Consolidation (10–15 minutes)
•
As a class, ask learners to reflect on what they have
found the most difficult to do in this lesson. What
would they do differently next time?
•
Ask them to write their reflections in their
learning log.
Homework ideas
•
Based on their report, learners design their ideal
school – location, appearance of the building,
facilities, floor plans, etc.
•
Home–school link: Learners read their report to
their family. They can ask parents and family what
else they think could improve in the school.
Workbook
For further explanation and practice, learners do
Workbook page 38.
Answers
Learner’s own answer
80
Page 11 of 24
2
Design and
architecture
In this unit you will…
•
discuss the shapes and packaging of everyday items
•
learn words for three-dimensional shapes
•
describe objects and discuss why they have become design classics
•
talk about the design of buildings and their surroundings
•
read an article about building houses from plastic bottles
•
ask and answer questions in a quiz about famous buildings
•
write a report on school buildings and facilities
•
create a design for packaging
•
give a presentation about a house made from recycled materials
•
read extracts from a book about the history of pictures
•
write a description of a picture.
Getting started
Think of an object and a building that look good.
What do you like about their design?
Watch this!
Page 12 of 24
33
2 Design and architecture
2.5 Homes in the desert
In this lesson you will...
•
read an article about building houses from plastic bottles
•
discuss the project described in the article.
Which are the hottest places on Earth? Which are the coldest places?
•
Reading
15
1
Look at the article below. Focus on the title and the photo.
What do you think the article is about?
2
Read and listen to the article. Why do you think the journalist chose
to write about Tateh Lehbib?
Meet the refugee building homes in the
desert from plastic bottles
Engineer Tateh Lehbib has designed
houses for refugee camps that
are resistant to desert heat,
sandstorms and torrential rain
‘I was born in a sun-dried brick house,’ says
Tateh Lehbib. ‘The roof was made of sheets
of zinc – one of the best heat conductors. My
family and I had to endure high temperatures,
rain and sandstorms that would sometimes take
the roof off.’
Tateh, 27, studied renewable energy at
Tlemcen University in Algeria, from where
he went on to study energy efficiency at Las
Palmas University, Gran Canaria, Spain.
‘When I came back to the camp, I decided
to build a place for my grandmother to live that
was more comfortable and more worthy of her.’
All he needed was 6000 empty plastic
bottles.
***
42
Page 13 of 24
2.5 Environmental science
Vocabulary
3
How many words for building materials can you find in the article?
4
In pairs, find these words in the text and try to work out
their meaning.
a
b
5
c
d
layers
belongings
e
spacious
Work in groups. Discuss these questions. You can use the words in the
environmental science key words box to help you.
a
b
c
d
e
f
6
sun-dried
endure
Key words:
Environmental
science
air flow
energy efficiency
heat conductor
heat flow
resistant (to heat)
What were the problems with the house in which Tateh grew up?
How do you think Tateh’s studies helped him in his project to
build houses in the desert?
What are the advantages of the materials Tateh uses for his buildings?
What are the advantages of the design?
Are there any disadvantages of the design?
How has Tateh’s building project helped the local community?
In your groups, draw and label a diagram of one of Tateh’s houses to
explain how it’s built and how it works.
The bottles are filled with sand and straw.
Then they are placed next to each other in a
circle. More layers of bottles are added, making a
circular wall. Once the main structure is created,
the walls are covered with cement and limestone,
and then painted white to reflect the sun’s rays
and to keep the room temperature cool.
‘This prevents the house from getting hot, even
lowering the temperature to 5 °C,’ said Tateh.
He decided that the roof should have two
layers to improve air flow and to make it more
resistant to heat. The first covering consists of
mats made from recycled plastic and the second
is a layer of cement.
The round shape of the building was carefully
chosen as well. According to Tateh, the shape
prevents ‘light rays entering directly, which
reduces heat flow’. It also prevents sand from
accumulating on the outside of the structure
during sandstorms.
Tateh’s constructions were not always
welcomed by the refugees, for whom a good
strong house could not possibly be built with
plastic bottles.
‘At first, they called me “the crazy bottle
man”. Once they had seen the houses with their
own eyes, people understood the project better,’
he said.
Tateh realises that it’s hard to fit furniture and
carpets in a round house.
‘We are testing alternatives so that the house
is round outside but square inside, to make it
possible for people to put their belongings on
shelves,’ he said. ‘It is also important to make
the house bigger, more spacious, because the
Sahrawis need a very wide room to welcome
guests and make tea.’
‘These homes also help create jobs in a place
where there are hardly any. It takes four people
to pick up the bottles, four others to fill them,
and four builders to construct the house. Drivers
are also required to transport sand and bottles,’
Tateh said. ‘In fact, we are creating an industry
around plastic houses,’ he added.
Page 14 of 24
43
2 Design and architecture
2.7 Improve your writing
In this lesson you will...
•
write a report on school buildings and facilities.
Your headteacher wants to know what improvements students would
like to see to the buildings and facilities at your school.
1
Work in groups. Talk about improvements you would like to see.
Note down your ideas.
We should consider
having …
What do you think
should be done?
To me the most important
thing would be to …
We could suggest
having …
I think that’s a good
idea.
I’d like a locker in
which I could store my
books and personal
belongings.
I think it would also be
good to …
If we had solar
panels, we would
have more energyefficient buildings.
If we had a basketball
court and a football
pitch, we could do more
outdoor sports.
2
Your English teacher has asked you to present your ideas in the form of a report.
Look at the example on the opposite page and the English teacher’s comments.
Match each comment a–j to a number 1–10.
3
Write a report giving your group’s ideas and suggestions. Follow these steps.
Step 1: Write a draft. Organise your ideas into paragraphs:
•
•
Paragraph 1: the buildings
Paragraph 2: outdoor areas
•
•
Paragraph 3: facilities
Paragraph 4: other ideas
Step 2: Check your draft.
•
•
Have you included expressions such as Firstly, …, Secondly, …, Finally, …,
With regard to, For example, also?
Have you checked the grammar and the spelling?
Step 3: Write the final version.
46
Page 15 of 24
2.7 Write about it
A report on school buildings and facilities
There are several things that we think
can be improved. [1] Some of the school
buildings are old-fashioned and badly
designed. [2] For example, one wall of the
science block consists mostly of windows,
which means it’s very hot in summer
and very cold in winter, especially on the
upper floors. It [3] also means you have to
have the blinds down most of the time in
summer because it’s too bright. [4] Some of
the rooms in the basement have very little
natural light, so you have to have the lights
on most of the time.
[5] We think that the outdoor areas could be
improved. At break time and lunchtime we
don’t only need somewhere to play football
and other sports, we also need places in the
shade where we can sit and have some quiet
time, preferably with a few benches.
[6] With regard to [7] facilities, we would
really welcome having a small café. School
is from 8.30 until 3.00 with only two short
breaks, so if we had a café we’d be able to
buy a drink and a sandwich or some fruit.
We wouldn’t get hungry, thirsty and tired.
We would also like onsite recycling bins [8]
in which we could put plastic and paper.
[9] We would like to have a drama studio. A
lot of students are interested in doing drama
and at the moment we only have the main
hall, which is often used for other purposes.
We appreciate [10] to have the chance to give
our ideas and we hope that our suggestions
are helpful.
Teacher's comments
a
‘With regard to’ is a good way to
introduce the topic of the paragraph. 7
b
Add ‘Finally’ here to show that this is the
last point. ‘Finally, we would like to …’
c
Add ‘Secondly’ here. ‘Secondly, we
think the outdoor areas …’
d
Grammar mistake. This should be
‘We appreciate having …’.
e
It would be a good idea to use
‘signpost’ expressions like ‘Firstly’,
‘Secondly’, ‘Finally’ to show the reader
where a new point begins. ‘Firstly, some
of the school buildings …’ 1
f
Start a new paragraph here because
you’re moving on to a new point,
about facilities.
g
This a good use of ‘also’ to make an
additional point.
h
This is a good use of a relative clause
beginning with a preposition.
i
This is good. It’s important to give
examples of what you mean.
j
You could start this sentence with
‘By contrast’, to show that you are
going to make a contrasting point.
‘By contrast, some of the rooms …’
Page 16 of 24
47
2 Design and architecture
2.8 Project challenge
Project 1: A design for packaging
You’re going to design the packaging for a product of your choice.
1
2
Work in groups. Decide what kind of product you’re going to choose.
• chocolates (or a bar of chocolate)
• shampoo
• biscuits
• an energy bar
• soap
• a fruit drink
Decide on the packaging.
What’s the best shape?
What material should
we use?
What colour should it be?
What size should it be?
3
Draw a sketch of your product and the packaging. Label the sketch.
4
Discuss any improvements you could make.
5
Draw the final version of your packaging. If possible, make a model to show the class.
6
Present your packaging to the class. Give reasons for your choice of shape,
colour and material.
7
Ask the class for their comments.
48
•
How did working in groups, rather than on your own, help?
•
When the class gave their comments, which comments did
you agree with? Which comments did you not agree with?
Page 17 of 24
2.8 Project challenge
Project 2: A presentation
You are going to create a presentation about a house made from recycled materials.
1
Work in groups. Research houses built from recycled materials. Choose the one you
like best and answer these questions.
a
b
c
d
e
2
Use your answers to the questions above to write a three-minute presentation.
•
•
3
Where is it?
What is it made from?
Where did the materials come from and why do you think they were chosen?
What is special about it?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the building?
Find pictures to illustrate the information.
Each student in your group can present one aspect of the information you
have found.
Use this outline to structure your presentation:
•
Introduce the subject of the talk.
We’re going to tell you about …
•
Tell your audience what you’re
going to talk about.
We’re going to start by talking
about …
Then we’re going to …
Finally, …
•
Present the building you’ve
chosen.
So, first of all, the building
we’ve chosen is in …
4
Give the presentation.
5
Ask the class for their comments.
•
Close the presentation and
invite questions.
Thank you very much for
listening.
Now, have you got any
questions?
A house made from old shipping containers
•
What did you learn from doing the research for this project?
•
When the class gave their comments, which comments did you
agree with? Which comments did you not agree with?
Page 18 of 24
49
2 Design and architecture
2.5 Homes in the desert
1
Circle the correct words.
If you live in a desert, you need a house that is
resistant / efficient 1 to heat and that can stay
cool even when the sun is at its hottest.
A traditional / comfortable 2 method of building
in the Sahara Desert is using zinc / earth 3 made
into sun-dried bricks. This method is
environmentally high / friendly 4 and energy
efficient / renewable 5 since the earth does not
need to be built / transported 6 and the bricks
are dried by the sun. Also earth walls do not
conduct / cover 7 heat. They keep a house cool
during the hot daytime, but the heat stays in them
at night when the energy / temperature 8 drops.
2
Complete the text with the correct words from the box.
air flow
escapes
heat conductor
hottest
light rays
roof
windows
In recent years, many traditional houses in the Sahel areas of Africa have been built with
1
roof
a metal ………………
. This has made building quicker but metal is a ………………2,
so heat passes through it very easily. This means that during the ………………3 time
of day, heat comes in, and at night, when it’s cool, the heat ………………4. Now some
builders in the Sahel are going back to traditional domed roofs. This shape prevents
………………5 entering because of the angle of the roof.
To keep heat down during the day when the sun is strong, most Sahel houses are built
with only a few small ………………6. Making the roof higher or having small windows at
different heights can increase ………………7.
32
Page 19 of 24
2 Design and architecture
Relative clauses beginning with prepositions
Use of English
•
In formal written English we can make relative clauses using relative pronouns
with prepositions: There is a huge balcony. You can see the ocean from the huge
balcony. We can combine those two sentences with a relative clause beginning with a
preposition + which: There is a huge balcony from which you can see the ocean.
•
Now read these two sentences: The designer has won awards. They toured the
city with the designer. We can combine those two sentences with a relative clause
beginning with a preposition + whom: The designer with whom they toured the city
has won awards.
Note that with a preposition we use whom NOT who, e.g. with whom, for whom, to whom.
Check!
Circle the correct words.
a
The hotel in which / in that you will be staying is in the centre.
b
The train on whom / on which we travelled went incredibly fast.
c
The scientist with which / with whom we work specialises in genetics.
Focus
1
34
Circle the correct words.
a
He had a teacher to whom / from whom / by which he received a lot of
good advice.
b
They had a rope in which / by which / with which they were able to rescue
the boy.
c
A job was advertised at which / for which / on which a lot of people applied.
d
The reporters from whom / in which / by whom they were interviewed were
from Denmark.
e
The coach on which / to which / with which we travelled was air-conditioned.
Page 20 of 24
Use of English
Practice
2
Complete the sentences with a suitable preposition + relative pronoun.
a
in which
a person lives can affect their health
The place ……………………
and mood.
b
There are people …………………… change is always very difficult.
c
The material …………………… this building is constructed is very cheap.
d
Most of us trust the people …………………… we are taught.
e
The only days …………………… the design museum is open are Tuesday
and Saturday.
f
The method …………………… clay roof tiles are made today, originated
hundreds of years ago.
g
It is probable that his design ideas were influenced by the people
…………………… he worked.
h
The building …………………… we are standing is important in the
history of our country.
Challenge
3
Combine the sentences using a relative pronoun and the underlined preposition.
a
I would like to thank all the people. We’ve worked on this project with them.
with whom we've worked on this project.
I would like to thank all the people ……………………………
b
The journalist describes the day. He first visited the building on that day.
The journalist describes the day .……………………………… the building.
c
The survivors thanked the pilot. They were rescued by him.
The survivors thanked the pilot .………………………………
d
Every term our design students choose the materials. They want to work
with those materials.
Every term our design students choose the materials
.……………………………… .
e
The freezer must be kept locked. The vaccine is stored in it.
The freezer .……………………………… must be kept locked.
f
The architects have won a lot of awards. She now works for them.
The architects .……………………………… have won a lot of awards.
Page 21 of 24
35
2 Design and architecture
Questions beginning with prepositions
Use of English
Sometimes we start a question with a preposition:
In which unit did we study comparatives?
On which day did you visit the Design
Museum?
To whom did you lend my phone charger?
Under whose bed did you find this letter?
The reason is that it often sounds clearer.
Compare these sentences:
After which war did America stop being a
colony of Britain?
Which war did America stop being a colony
of Britain after?
Check!
Write the correct prepositions.
a
…………………… which days is she
usually free?
c
…………………… which window did
they enter?
b
…………………… whom did he
complain?
d
…………………… which situations do
you feel shy?
Focus
1
Make sentences by putting the words in order.
a
Tower / which / In / you / see / can / Eiffel / city / the / ?
In which city can you se the Eiffel Twer?
……………………………………………………….....................................
b
river / which / On / Cairo / stand / does / ?
……………………………………………………….....................................
c
Statue / whom / From / did / receive / the USA / the / of Liberty?
……………………………………………………….....................................
d
memory / whose / built / In / was / Taj Mahal / the / ?
……………………………………………………….....................................
e
temperature / which / water / freeze / does / Below / ?
……………………………………………………….....................................
36
Page 22 of 24
Use of English
Practice
2
Complete the sentences with the correct preposition + question word from the box.
Near whose
Over which
To whose
In which
From whom
Under which
With whose
a
To whose
……………………
email address was the message sent?
b
…………………… country is the ancient city of Petra?
c
…………………… circumstances would you keep money that you found in the street?
d
…………………… do you think we learn best, our parents or our teachers?
e
…………………… help was this project completed?
f
…………………… busy street are they planning to build a pedestrian bridge?
g
…………………… house was the suitcase full of money found?
Challenge
3
Complete the questions with a preposition + question word.
Then answer the questions in your notebook.
a
To whom
……………………
do you always tell the total truth?
b
…………………… time in your life have you felt happiest?
c
…………………… people have you been most
influenced so far in your life?
d
…………………… have you received the most
useful bits of advice?
e
…………………… opinion are you most likely
to listen?
f
…………………… do you usually feel most
comfortable?
g
…………………… classes are you most likely to
feel happy and relaxed?
Page 23 of 24
37
2 Design and architecture
2.7 Improve your writing
1
Circle the correct words in the first paragraph of a letter to the council from
students at Cranbourne School.
To the City Planning Department:
We are very pleased that / for / by 1 the council has asked us for suggestions for an / a /
some 2 new youth club in our area. Here are our ideas. Firstly, we have thought for / about
/ by 3 the location of the club. We think that a well-designed / good-designed / newdesigned 4 building in one of our parks would be an excellent answer / opening / place 5
for a youth club. In this way we’d be able to having / had / have 6 a greenhouse and small
garden next to / on / in 7 it and be able to use the park.
2
3
Put the sentences of the second paragraph of the letter in the correct order.
Number them 1 to 4.
a
[ ] We would also be interested in having facilities for gardening.
b
[ ] There are already places where young people can do sport.
c
[ 1 ] Secondly, we have thought about which activities we would like to do there.
d
[ ]W
e are therefore particularly interested in activities such as arts and crafts,
drama, music and cooking.
Complete the last paragraph with words from the box.
activities
equipment
appreciate
flexible
best
garden
concert design
cooking
1
design
Finally, we think the ……………………
of the building is important. The space
needs to be ……………………2 so that we can enjoy all the ……………………3
that we have mentioned. We would love to have a kitchen so that we could have
……………………4 classes using vegetables grown in the ……………………5.
We think that one of the ……………………6 ways for people to learn teamwork is
by putting on a play or ……………………7. We would therefore ……………………8
having a stage. And we would also like to have ……………………9 for various arts
and crafts.
Challenge
4
38
Decide on activities for a new youth club. Write to the council giving suggestions,
with reasons, for the club’s location, activities and design.
Page 24 of 24