LESSON PLAN

Subjects: English&Technology
Lesson 1
Topic: Why to build dams?
Lesson 2
Topic: A trip to a water dam preparing a reportage.

Lesson aims.
General aim: Students get to know the reason of building dams and their impact on
everyday life.
Operational aims:
Students:
interpret and evaluate data to formulate conclusions,
understand the needs for and impacts of dams and reservoirs,
describe how the use of technology provides essentials and luxuries for everyday life,
develop the ability of analysis,
develop the ability of logical and analytical thinking,
develop their science interests, introduce themselves into self-research work.

Didactic resources:
Interactive whiteboard, worksheets for the groups of students.
Methods of teaching:
Research, discussion, brainstorming, guided discovery, simulation, communicative
method.
Interaction:
Whole class, individual, pair and group work.

Lesson stages:
1. Introduction:
Discussion:
Where does your water come from?
What is a reservoir?
Why is there always water coming out a faucet?

2. The main part:

1. Matching words with their definitions:
Adaptive
management

Renewable energy generated by flowing water.

Dam

Moving from one region or climate to another, for example by

birds and fish.

Engineer

An artificial lake where water is collected and stored behind a

dam.

Hydroelectric power

The operation of dams and their reservoirs to meet the needs

of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems impacted by the
dam.

Migration

A machine that changes the kinetic energy of falling water into

electrical energy by connecting a generator to a rotating shaft
that is rotated by water pressure pushing blades.

Municipality

A barrier to impede the flow of water, especially one made of

earth, rock, masonry or concrete, built across a river.

Reservoir

A political unit, such as city, town or village, incarnated for

local self-government.

Turbine

A scientists who applies her/his skills within science and

mathematics to create things for the benefit of human life.

2. Grouping the advantages and disadvantages of building dams:

controlling water through placement of a blockage of earth, rock or concrete across a
stream or river; storing water in a reservoir, which is then used for a variety of applications
such as irrigation and municipal water supplies; causing flooding of large areas of land
(destroying flora and fauna); providing water for domestic, industry and irrigation purposes;
giving hydroelectric power production and river navigation; providing recreation areas for
fishing and boating; helping people by reducing or preventing floods; altering the physical
characteristics of the river below the dam (also affecting flora and fauna); storing water in
the reservoir during times of excess water flow; releasing water during times of low flow,
assuring water when natural flows are inadequate to meet water demand; impeding fish
migration and killing large numbers of fish that pass through hydroelectric turbines;
producing electric power for use in homes and industries by delivering water flowing from
the reservoir; enabling by using locks and canals navigation through a human-made water
route that must overcome elevation differences.

ADVANTAGES:

DISADVANTAGES:

3. Simulation
The students are going to be engineers working for the international company SpaGePol.
Your main client is the government of a city called Waterland who hired your company to
work out solutions for peoples problems. The government of Waterland has received a lot
of complaints from its citizens. The main problems are:
Air pollution from a nearby factory makes people sick.
Not enough water for people during the summer droughts.
People cannot water their gardens so that vegetables and fruit are destroyed.
Farmers have trouble growing food without enough irrigation water.
During drought periods, the River is not deep enough for ships to cross to deliver food to
Waterland.
Floods ruin houses, offices and shops.
The students are divided into teams (4-5 people in one team) to present solutions to the
citizens problems.

3. Final part:
Presentation of the group work and evaluation.

Lesson 2
Students go on a trip to see the dam and prepare a reportage on this theme.