Noise pollution

Inna | Mar 09, 2026Mar 09, 2026

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this ESL lesson on noise pollution are to:

• talk about noise-related experiences and opinions;
• practise verbs for sounds;
• watch and discuss a video clip about noise pollution.

In this lesson, students reflect on sounds in different situations. They read short texts about noisy places, explore sound-related verbs (e.g. honk, murmur, rattle) and listen to an audio with multiple sounds. Students complete sentences with the target vocabulary, share their preferences related to noisy environments and express their opinion about noise in the city, agreeing and disagreeing with ideas. They also watch a video excerpt (to 03:42) about noise pollution, talk about the topic and discuss noise regulation strategies.

WARM-UP AND VOCABULARY

This ESL lesson on noise pollution starts with a warm-up. Students name one sound that comes to mind when they think of different occasions (e.g. a birthday party, a football match, a busy office). Afterwards, they explore sound-related verbs (e.g. blare, buzz, clatter) by reading two texts describing urban and industrial noise pollution. Students choose one sound that would annoy them the most. Following that, they answer questions about the verbs in the texts. They then listen to an audio with different sounds and use the verbs from the previous task to say what they are. Moving on, students look at the occasions from the first task again. They use the verbs they previously explored to say what sounds they can hear in each situation or place. Next, students use verbs for sounds to finish sentences describing various situations (e.g. the driver looks shaken because…).

VIDEO AND DISCUSSION

In this part of this ESL lesson on noise pollution, students look at pairs of different types of places (e.g. an office next to a stadium OR an office near a car park). They say which places would be worse for them to live near or work in, and why. After that, students examine opinions on city noise. They choose one they agree with and one they disagree with and explain. Moving on, students watch the first part of a video about noise pollution and write down facts about it. They then watch the second part of the video and write down more details. Following that, students discuss the impact of noise pollution. Finally, they read about ways to regulate noise pollution. Students decide which ideas would work the best where they live and justify their choices. Next, they mention other solutions to noise pollution they have heard of.

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This ESL lesson on noise pollution also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students choose the correct option to complete sentences. They then choose four and write what happened next. The task is available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan.

WORKSHEETS

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