Cleaning up the space mess

Olia | Oct 30, 2024Mar 28, 2025

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

• read and discuss an article about space junk;
• work on phrases to talk about space debris;
• practise argumentative skills by doing a role-play activity.

Through this lesson, students discuss an article about space waste, practise useful phrases (e.g. decommission a satellite, abandon junk, mitigate collision risks, etc.) and talk about facts and opinions on space debris. They also discuss the challenges of addressing space debris, share to what extent they agree or disagree with different points of view and role-play a debate where agencies argue for funding based on their interests.

ACTIVITIES

This lesson starts with a warm-up activity where students look at a picture of a scrapyard and a picture of outer space and explain how they might be connected. After that, they match numbers to what they represent (e.g. 2000 – active satellites in Earth’s orbit). They also say whether the numbers surprise them. Next, students read reactions to the facts and choose the correct definition for the phrases to talk about space debris (e.g. trigger a chain reaction, avoidance manoeuvres, etc.). Then, they say which reaction they relate to the most. Afterwards, students complete statements on space junk with the target vocabulary in the correct form. Following that, they talk about space debris and discuss the statements about managing space waste by answering questions. Students then choose some opinions on the responsibility and challenges of addressing space debris. They discuss to what extent they agree or disagree with them. Finally, students do a role play activity. They imagine a grant is available, and different agencies with various interests are competing for it. Each agency must advocate for its interests to secure the funding. The grant is awarded based on the best argument.

ARTICLE

https://eslbrains.com/crc079

WORKSHEETS

7

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