Breaking News English ESL Lesson Plan on Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Engineers at a U.S. laboratory may have discovered one answer to the problem of global warming. They have made a machine that can suck carbon dioxide from the air and convert it into liquid fuel. Researchers at the Sandia National Labs believe their creation can provide a sustainable form of renewable energy. Their device sounds like something from science fiction. In fact, the name of it is probably the most difficult thing to understand. It is the Counter-Rotating-Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator, or CR5 for short. Lead developer Rich Diver is excited about his project. He said sucking CO2 from the environment could be an alternative to carbon sequestration. This is a method of burying CO2 deep underground.

Sandia calls the process carried out by CR5 “Sunshine to Petrol”. The researchers say their invention is still 15 to 20 years away from being in full operation. It is currently just a prototype – a small model of the real thing. A Sandia spokeswoman said it “holds a real promise of being able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions”. She added it would allow us “to keep using fuels we know and love”. It is possible that by 2030, cars and airplanes will run on the converted fuel. It will produce fuels such as methanol and gasoline. It will be interesting to see if this machine can actually lower our carbon footprint. Yes, it reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but its liquid fuel product causes pollution when it burns.

WARM-UPS

1. CO2: Walk around the class and talk to other students about CO2 emissions. Change partners often. Sit with your first partner(s) and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.

engineers / answers / labs / fuel / renewable energy / science fiction / alternatives / sunshine / inventions / gasoline / carbon footprint / the atmosphere / pollution

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. INVENTIONS: What inventions do we need? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners and share your ideas. Take a class vote on the best ones.

Invention	5-letter acronym	What it does
Studying
Home
Transport
Computer
Food
Money

4. CARBON EMISSIONS: Students A strongly believe carbon emissions will not be a problem in the future; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

5. WHAT CAN I DO?: What can you do to reduce your carbon footprint? Talk about these things with your partner(s). Change partners and share what you heard.

what I can do right now
what I can do at home
what I can do with my family
what I can do about transport

what I can do to tell others
what I can do about my government
what I can do in stores
what I can do every day

6. SCIENCE FICTION: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the term ‘science fiction’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	Engineers have found the solution to global warming.	T / F
b.	A new machine can extract CO2 from the air and make it disappear.	T / F
c.	The name of the machine is very easy to remember.	T / F
d.	Using the machine may be better than storing CO2 underground.	T / F
e.	The technology is still up to two decades away from everyday use.	T / F
f.	Only a smaller version of the machine is in use today.	T / F
g.	Fuel produced by the machine will replace petrol.	T / F
h.	Fuel produced by the machine will create further pollution	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	discovered	a.	give
2	convert	b.	comprehend
3.	provide	c.	complete
4.	understand	d.	operate
5.	alternative	e.	reduce
6.	process	f.	change
7.	full	g.	technique
8.	run	h.	substitute
9.	lower	i.	creates
10.	causes	j.	found

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.	one answer to the	a.	renewable energy
2	suck carbon dioxide	b.	of the real thing
3.	a sustainable form of	c.	the atmosphere
4.	sounds like something from	d.	to carbon sequestration
5.	an alternative	e.	from the air
6.	15 to 20 years away from	f.	carbon footprint
7.	just a prototype – a small model	g.	problem of global warming
8.	reduce carbon dioxide	h.	being in full operation
9.	lower our	i.	emissions
10.	reduces carbon dioxide in	j.	science fiction

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.

Engineers at a U.S. laboratory ____________ have discovered one answer to the problem of global warming. They have made a machine that can suck carbon dioxide from the air and ____________ it into liquid fuel. Researchers at the Sandia National Labs ____________ their creation can provide a sustainable form of renewable energy. Their device sounds like something from science ____________. In fact, the ____________ of it is probably the most difficult thing to understand. It is the Counter-Rotating-Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator, or CR5 for ____________. Lead developer Rich Diver is excited about his ____________. He said sucking CO2 from the environment could be an alternative to carbon sequestration. This is a ____________ of burying CO2 deep underground.

short
convert
fiction
name
may
method
believe
project

Sandia calls the process ____________ out by CR5 “Sunshine to Petrol”. The researchers say their ____________ is still 15 to 20 years away from being in full operation. It is ____________ just a prototype – a small model of the real ____________. A Sandia spokeswoman said it “holds a real promise of being able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions”. She added it would ____________ us “to keep using fuels we know and love”. It is possible that by 2030, cars and airplanes will ____________ on the converted fuel. It will produce fuels such as methanol and gasoline. It will be interesting to ____________ if this machine can actually lower our carbon footprint. Yes, it reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but its liquid fuel product ____________ pollution when it burns.

allow
see
invention
thing
carried
causes
run
currently

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

Engineers at a U.S. laboratory may have discovered ___________________ problem of global warming. They have made a machine that can suck carbon dioxide from the air ___________________ liquid fuel. Researchers at the Sandia National Labs believe their creation can provide a sustainable form of renewable energy. _____________________ something from science fiction. In fact, the name ___________________ the most difficult thing to understand. It is the Counter-Rotating-Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator, ___________________. Lead developer Rich Diver is excited about his project. He said sucking CO2 from the environment could be an alternative to carbon sequestration. This ___________________ CO2 deep underground.

Sandia calls the ___________________ by CR5 “Sunshine to Petrol”. The researchers say their invention is still 15 to 20 years away from ___________________. It is currently just a prototype – a small model of the real thing. A Sandia spokeswoman said it “___________________ of being able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions”. She added it would allow us “to keep using fuels ___________________”. It is possible that by 2030, cars and airplanes ___________________ converted fuel. It will produce fuels such as methanol and gasoline. It will be interesting to see if this machine can actually lower our carbon footprint. Yes, it reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but ___________________ causes pollution when it burns.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘liquid’ and ‘fuel’.

liquid

fuel

Share your findings with your partners.

Make questions using the words you found.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

answer
convert
provide
name
project
method

carried
still
promise
love
run
burns

STUDENT CO2 SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about CO2 in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

CO2 DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

a)	What did you think when you read the headline?
b)	What springs to mind when you hear the term ‘carbon dioxide’?
c)	What do you think about this article?
d)	Do you think the CR5 machine will save the planet?
e)	Do you think anything will ever help the planet?
f)	What is the answer to the problem of global warming?
g)	Do you think science fiction always comes true?
h)	What do you think of the name of the new machine? Do you know what the words mean?
i)	What would it be like to work at a lab like Sanida’s?
j)	How worried are you about global warming?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

a)	Did you like reading this article?
b)	How does CO2 damage the Earth?
c)	What do you think of the “Sunshine to Petrol” slogan?
d)	Are you interested in following this story over the next 20 years?
e)	This machine produces gasoline. Is this really an answer to our problems?
f)	What do you think about your carbon footprint?
g)	Do you think governments should invest money in CR5?
h)	What is your government doing to help the environment?
i)	If you were leader of the world, what would you do to cut carbon emissions?
j)	What questions would you like to ask lead developer Rich Diver?

LANGUAGE – MULTIPLE CHOICE

Engineers at a U.S. laboratory may have discovered one answer to the problem (1) ____ global warming. They have made a machine that can suck carbon dioxide from the air and convert it (2) ____ liquid fuel. Researchers at the Sandia National Labs believe their creation can provide a sustainable (3) ____ of renewable energy. Their device sounds like something from (4) ____ fiction. In fact, the name of it is probably the most difficult thing to understand. It is the Counter-Rotating-Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator, or CR5 for (5) ____. Lead developer Rich Diver is excited about his project. He said sucking CO2 from the environment could be an alternative to carbon sequestration. This is a method of burying CO2 (6) ____ underground.

Sandia calls the process carried (7) ____ by CR5 “Sunshine to Petrol”. The researchers say their invention is still 15 to 20 years away from being in (8) ____ operation. It is currently just a prototype – a small model of the real thing. A Sandia spokeswoman said it “holds a real promise of being able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions”. She added it would allow us “to keep (9) ____ fuels we know and love”. It is possible that (10) ____ 2030, cars and airplanes will run on the converted fuel. It will produce fuels such as methanol and gasoline. It will be interesting to (11) ____ if this machine can actually lower our carbon (12) ____. Yes, it reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but its liquid fuel product causes pollution when it burns.

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	of	(b)	by	(c)	at	(d)	for
2.	(a)	onto	(b)	at	(c)	into	(d)	by
3.	(a)	firm	(b)	farm	(c)	from	(d)	form
4.	(a)	scientists	(b)	science	(c)	sciences	(d)	scientific
5.	(a)	small	(b)	brief	(c)	abbreviated	(d)	short
6.	(a)	depth	(b)	deeply	(c)	deep	(d)	deepness
7.	(a)	under	(b)	out	(c)	away	(d)	up
8.	(a)	full	(b)	filling	(c)	filler	(d)	full up
9.	(a)	using	(b)	use	(c)	used	(d)	useless
10.	(a)	on	(b)	at	(c)	by	(d)	until
11.	(a)	view	(b)	look	(c)	watch	(d)	see
12.	(a)	paw print	(b)	footprint	(c)	hoof print	(d)	handprint

WRITING

Write about CO2 for 10 minutes. Correct your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about CO2. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. GLOBAL WARMING: Make a poster about global warming. What causes it? What are governments doing to tackle it? Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. 2030: Write a magazine article about the environment in 2030. Include imaginary interviews with someone who lives in 2030 (but who has traveled back in time) and someone from today.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. LETTER: Write a letter to your country’s leader. Ask him/her three questions about your country’s carbon emissions. Give him/her three ideas to reduce them. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

SYNONYM MATCH:

1.	discovered	a.	found
2	convert	b.	change
3.	provide	c.	give
4.	understand	d.	comprehend
5.	alternative	e.	substitute
6.	process	f.	technique
7.	full	g.	complete
8.	run	h.	operate
9.	lower	i.	reduce
10.	causes	j.	creates

PHRASE MATCH:

1.	one answer to the	a.	problem of global warming
2	suck carbon dioxide	b.	from the air
3.	a sustainable form of	c.	renewable energy
4.	sounds like something from	d.	science fiction
5.	an alternative	e.	to carbon sequestration
6.	15 to 20 years away from	f.	being in full operation
7.	just a prototype – a small model	g.	of the real thing
8.	reduce carbon dioxide	h.	emissions
9.	lower our	i.	carbon footprint
10.	reduces carbon dioxide in	j.	the atmosphere

GAP FILL:

New machine sucks CO2 from the air

Engineers at a U.S. laboratory may have discovered one answer to the problem of global warming. They have made a machine that can suck carbon dioxide from the air and convert it into liquid fuel. Researchers at the Sandia National Labs believe their creation can provide a sustainable form of renewable energy. Their device sounds like something from science fiction. In fact, the name of it is probably the most difficult thing to understand. It is the Counter-Rotating-Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator, or CR5 for short. Lead developer Rich Diver is excited about his project. He said sucking CO2 from the environment could be an alternative to carbon sequestration. This is a method of burying CO2 deep underground.

Sandia calls the process carried out by CR5 “Sunshine to Petrol”. The researchers say their invention is still 15 to 20 years away from being in full operation. It is currently just a prototype – a small model of the real thing. A Sandia spokeswoman said it “holds a real promise of being able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions”. She added it would allow us “to keep using fuels we know and love”. It is possible that by 2030, cars and airplanes will run on the converted fuel. It will produce fuels such as methanol and gasoline. It will be interesting to see if this machine can actually lower our carbon footprint. Yes, it reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but its liquid fuel product causes pollution when it burns.

LANGUAGE WORK

1 - a

2 - c

3 - d

4 - b

5 - d

6 - c

7 - b

8 - a

9 -a

10 - c

11 - d

12 - b

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Breaking News English

November 30, 2009

New Machine Sucks CO2 from the Air