Environment & Sustainability
A complete two-session B2 lesson built around relative clauses — the grammar of defining and describing — using conservation and nature's comeback as the theme. Includes a featured interactive reading on rewilding, audio scripts, answer keys, and a self-grading workbook.
Can-Do Statements
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Discuss conservation, biodiversity, and sustainable living.
- Use relative clauses with who, which, that, where, and whose to define and describe.
- Define key terms and add extra information naturally.
- Use key vocabulary — biodiversity, ecosystem, rewilding, endangered species, conservation, habitat.
- Read and understand an article about nature's recovery and answer comprehension questions.
- Write a short awareness article using relative clauses.
Vocabulary & Phrases
This vocabulary set is shared across the lesson plan, the workbook flashcards, and the reading article.
Conservation Words
- biodiversity · an ecosystem
- rewilding · conservation
- an endangered species · a habitat
- to offset · a carbon footprint
- renewable energy · sustainable
- to thrive · to restore
Describing & Defining
- …, which means that…
- a species that / which…
- a place where…
- scientists who…
- It's an animal whose…
- This is the reason why…
The Engine of the Lesson
Relative clauses — the words that join two ideas and add information.
1. Choosing the relative pronoun
The pronoun depends on what it refers to. Use that for people or things in defining clauses.
| who / that (people) | A biologist is someone who studies living things. |
| which / that (things) | Rewilding is a method which brings nature back. |
| where (places) | A wetland is a place where many species live. |
| whose (possession) | We met a scientist whose research saved the lynx. |
2. Defining vs non-defining
A defining clause is essential (no commas). A non-defining clause adds extra information (with commas, and never "that").
| defining | The animal that builds dams is the beaver. (which one) |
| non-defining | The beaver, which almost disappeared, is back. (extra info) |
3. Leaving out the pronoun
In a defining clause, you can drop who/which/that when it is the object.
Trap: don't use "that" after a comma (non-defining), and don't double the subject: "The lynx which it recovered…" → "The lynx which recovered…".
The Comeback: Nature's Recovery
A fresh, fact-based interactive article on rewilding and species recovery. It carries the lesson's vocabulary and relative clauses, so it fits perfectly into Session 2 — or set it as homework.
What's inside
- A hopeful, fact-based article on the lynx, beavers, wildlife crossings, and clean energy.
- Self-grading comprehension questions with instant feedback and a score.
- A "natural habitat vs human-made" sorting task and a vocabulary flashcard deck.
- A discussion box to extend the topic into speaking.
How to use it: project it for shared reading, or assign it for homework before the discussion. Students read, then tap Show My Score on the comprehension quiz and bring the result to class.
Open the Reading →Timed Lesson Stages
Each stage lists timing, teacher instructions, and the interaction pattern.
1. Warm-Up — Name That Animal
Describe an animal with a relative clause ("It's an animal that builds dams"). Students guess. Then they try one. Quick, fun introduction to the grammar.
Interaction: Whole class → pairs.
2. Vocabulary — Conservation Words
Present the shared vocabulary (biodiversity, ecosystem, rewilding, endangered species, conservation, habitat). Match to definitions, then students define two more in their own words.
Interaction: Teacher → class → individual.
3. Grammar — Relative Clauses
Join two short sentences into one with a relative pronoun ("This is the lynx. It nearly went extinct." → "This is the lynx, which nearly went extinct."). Build the choice of pronoun and contrast defining vs non-defining.
- Concept check: "Is this information essential or extra? Do we need a comma?"
- Controlled practice: students do the workbook's relative-clause and word-order tasks.
Interaction: Guided discovery → individual.
4. Speaking — Save Our Species Pitch
The centerpiece (full instructions in the Activities section). Groups choose an endangered species and pitch a conservation plan, defining their terms with relative clauses.
Interaction: Small groups.
5. Wrap-Up
Each group shares their species and one-sentence plan. Set the reading article for homework if you'll discuss it next session.
1. Review — Define It
Say a word (habitat, biologist, wetland); students define it with a relative clause ("a place where animals live"). Fast definition fluency.
Interaction: Whole class.
2. Reading — The Comeback
Use the interactive reading page (linked above). Students read the article and complete the self-grading comprehension and the "natural vs human-made" sorter.
- Pre-reading: students predict which animal recovered from about 100 to over 2,000.
- While reading: underline one success story that surprised them.
- After: compare, then tap Show My Score.
Interaction: Individual → pairs.
3. Listening — A Class Project
Play Audio 2 (script below). Students complete the workbook's listening task. Play twice.
Interaction: Individual → class check.
4. Writing — An Awareness Article
Students write a short awareness paragraph (80–100 words) about a species or a local nature issue, using relative clauses.
Model: "The Iberian lynx, which once almost disappeared, is one of conservation's greatest success stories. It is a wild cat that lives in Spain and Portugal, where its habitat had been destroyed. Scientists who protected the land and brought back rabbits, which the lynx eats, helped its numbers grow from about 100 to over 2,000. It proves that nature, which is more resilient than we think, can recover when we give it a chance."
- Target: 3+ relative clauses (who/which/that/where/whose), shared vocabulary.
- Students self-check against the workbook checklist, then review the flashcards.
Interaction: Individual.
5. Share, Score & Reflect
Students read their article to a partner, who adds one relative clause of their own. Then they tap Show My Score in the workbook and show you the result.
Speaking Activities
The centerpiece is Save Our Species Pitch. Rotate the games below across lessons.
Save Our Species Pitch
Groups of 3–4. Goal: pitch a conservation plan, defining terms with relative clauses.
- Each group "adopts" an endangered species (real or invented). They research or imagine where it lives and why it's at risk.
- They prepare a 60-second pitch that defines their species and habitat with relative clauses: "It's an animal that…, which lives in a forest where…"
- They present a simple three-step conservation plan and ask the class for "funding".
- The class votes for the most convincing plan. Award bonus points for accurate relative clauses.
More Activities (rotate these)
Define It
You say a word; a student defines it with a relative clause ("a place where…", "a person who…"). Then they choose the next word. Fast, fun grammar fluency.
Spot the Clause
Show sentences with relative-clause errors ("a place which animals live", "the man who he helped"). Teams race to fix each one and explain the rule. Sharpens accuracy.
Eco Debate
Give a motion ("Cities should rewild parks") and two sides. Groups argue for two minutes, using relative clauses to define their key ideas. Persuasion + grammar.
Comeback Chain
One student names a recovering species; the next adds a relative clause ("…, which lives in…"); the next adds another fact. Build a long, grammatical sentence together.
Audio & Transcripts
Tap a transcript to open it. Add your recording in the player, and use the same file in the student workbook's Listening task.
Audio 1A Place I Love (model)+
Speaker: Near my town there's a wetland that was almost drained for farming years ago. Today it's a protected area where dozens of bird species nest. The people who saved it were local volunteers whose only tool was determination. It's now a place which schoolchildren visit to learn about nature. Every time I walk there, I think about how an ecosystem that we nearly lost became something we're proud of. It proves that nature, which is surprisingly resilient, can come back.
How to use: Play once as a model before the speaking activity. Ask students to catch every relative clause (that, where, who, whose, which). Then they describe a place they love the same way.
Audio 2A Class Project (listening task)+
Nina: I'm doing my project on the Iberian lynx, which almost went extinct.
Theo: The cat that lives in Spain? I read its numbers have recovered a lot.
Nina: Exactly. There were only about 100 left, but now there are over 2,000.
Theo: That's amazing. What helped them?
Nina: Conservationists who protected their habitat and brought back rabbits, which they eat.
Theo: Clever. I'm writing about beavers, which have returned to Portugal after centuries.
Nina: Beavers are the animals that build dams, right?
Theo: Yes, and the dams create wetlands where other species can live.
Nina: Nature is amazing when we give it a chance.
How to use: This is the source audio for the workbook's Listening task. Two voices work best. Play for gist first ("What are their projects?"), then for detail. Notice every relative clause.
Audio 3Pronunciation — pausing in non-defining clauses (optional)+
Listen-and-repeat. In non-defining clauses, we pause slightly where the commas are.
The lynx, // which nearly went extinct, // has recovered. — Beavers, // which build dams, // create wetlands.
How to use: The little pauses signal the commas. Drill them so students hear the difference between essential and extra information.
Workbook & Reading Answers
These match the self-grading workbook and reading page. Both grade automatically; keys are here for board correction.
Workbook Reading — Teaser
- About how many Iberian lynx were left at the lowest point? — around 100
- How many are there now? — over 2,000
- What did conservationists protect to help them? — their habitat
Listening — Fill in the Blank (Audio 2)
- Nina's project is on the Iberian lynx.
- There were only about 100 left, but now there are over 2,000.
- Theo is writing about beavers, which have returned to Portugal.
Listening — Multiple Choice (Audio 2)
- What do beavers build? — b) dams
- What helped the lynx recover? — c) protecting their habitat and bringing back rabbits
Grammar — Relative Clauses
- The lynx, which was nearly extinct, has recovered.
- A biologist is someone who studies living things.
- A wetland is a place where many species live.
- Rewilding is a method which / that brings nature back.
- We met a scientist whose research saved the species.
Word Order
- The forest that was destroyed is growing back.
- She works for a charity which protects oceans.
Reading Page — Comprehension
- About how many lynx were left at the lowest point? — around 100
- How many are there now? — over 2,000
- Which animal returned to Portugal after centuries? — the beaver
- What do beavers' dams create? — wetlands
- Wildlife crossings have reduced collisions by… — b) over 80%
- The article's main message is… — c) nature can recover when we help it
Reading Page — Natural vs Human-made (sorter)
- Natural habitat: a wetland, a forest, a coral reef
- Human-made: a wildlife crossing, a solar farm, a city park
Common Student Errors
Watch for these at B2 and correct gently in the moment.
| Typical Error | Correct Form | Why & How to Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "a place which animals live" | "a place where animals live" | Use "where" for places, not "which/that". |
| "the man who he helped us" | "the man who helped us" | Don't repeat the subject after the relative pronoun. |
| "The lynx, that nearly died out, is back." | "The lynx, which nearly died out, is back." | Never use "that" in a non-defining clause (after a comma). |
| "a scientist which studies birds" | "a scientist who / that studies birds" | Use "who/that" for people, not "which". |
| "the animal who lives here" | "the animal which / that lives here" | Use "which/that" for animals and things. |
| "a research that saved them" | "research that saved them" | "research" is uncountable → no article. |
Extension & Homework
In-Class Options
- Write five definitions ("A ___ is a ___ that/which/where ___") for the unit vocabulary.
- Describe a local nature spot using three different relative pronouns.
- Use the workbook flashcards to quiz a partner on the vocabulary.
At-Home Practice
- Read the interactive article and complete the comprehension quiz; bring your score.
- Research a conservation organization and write 100 words on what it does.
- Finish any workbook tasks and review the flashcards.
How to Measure Success
Ready to run the lesson?
Open the student workbook (self-grading, with flashcards) and the interactive reading article. No login.
Open the Student Workbook Open the Reading