Nature

Vocabulary Building

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Keywords	Main word	Example sentence
up, moon, stars, sun	sky	I love to look at the blue sky on a clear day.
rain, snow, in the sky	cloud	The white cloud looks like a sheep.
shines, hot, in the sky	sun	The sun gives us light and heat.
cloud, not snow	rain	We need an umbrella when it rains.
in the sky, after rain, colored	rainbow	I saw a beautiful rainbow after the storm.
cold, white	snow	Children like to play in the snow in winter.
high, Kilimanjaro	mountain	The mountain is very tall and difficult to climb.
between the mountains	valley	The green valley is between two big mountains.
Niagara	waterfall	The waterfall makes a loud noise as water falls down.
smaller than a mountain	hill	We walked up the small hill to see the view.
you can't see, mist	fog	It's hard to drive in fog because you can't see well.
fresh or salt water, pool	lake	We swim in the lake during summer.
a fast narrow river	stream	The small stream runs through our village.
trees and bushes	wood	We collect firewood in the wood near our house.
a short tree	bush	Birds often build nests in the bush.
you walk on it, a narrow way, a trail	path	We followed the path through the forest.
a small lake	pond	There are many frogs in the pond.
hard, to throw	stone	I found a flat stone and threw it into the water.
grassland	field	Cows eat grass in the field.
very long, water flows, wide stream, Nile	river	The river flows from the mountain to the sea.
the round object that shines in the sky at night	moon	The moon looks very bright tonight.
a lot of points of light in the sky at night	star	I can see many stars on a clear night.

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The Beautiful World Around Us

Nature is all around us. When we look up, we see the blue sky during the day. The sun shines in the sky and gives us light and heat. Sometimes there are clouds in the sky, and they bring rain. Rain helps plants grow. After rain, we can sometimes see a colorful rainbow in the sky.

In winter, it gets cold and sometimes white snow falls from the clouds. Snow covers the ground and makes everything look beautiful.

Mountains are very high, like Kilimanjaro in Africa. Between mountains, there are valleys where people often live. Some mountains have waterfalls, like the famous Niagara waterfall. Hills are smaller than mountains but still nice to climb.

Sometimes in the morning, there is fog, which is like a cloud on the ground. It makes it hard to see things far away.

Lakes are big areas of water. Some lakes have fresh water, and others have salt water. Streams are small, fast-moving rivers. Many streams join together to make a river. Rivers are very long, like the Nile in Africa.

Woods have many trees and bushes growing together. People often walk on paths through the woods. Near woods, you might find a small pond where frogs and fish live.

Fields are open areas with grass where farm animals can eat. You might find stones on the ground in fields or near rivers.

At night, the moon shines in the sky. It is round and gives light in the dark. We can also see many stars shining like small points of light.

Reading Comprehension Questions

What does the sun give us?
What happens after rain sometimes?
What is between mountains?
What is smaller than a mountain?
Why is it hard to see in fog?
What joins together to make a river?
What animals might live in a pond?

True/False Statements

The sky is always blue.
Rain helps plants grow.
Valleys are higher than mountains.
Hills are bigger than mountains.
Fog makes it easy to see far away.
The Nile is a famous mountain.
The moon shines during the day.

[hr]

Personal Questions

1: What's your favorite...? (sky | mountain | river | lake | field)

Example for "mountain": My favorite mountain is Mount Fuji in Japan. It looks very beautiful with snow on top. I saw it in pictures many times. I want to visit it one day and take photos. Many people climb it every year.

2: Have you ever seen a...? (rainbow | waterfall | fog | wood | star)

Example for "rainbow": Yes, I have seen many rainbows. I saw a beautiful one last summer after a big rain. It had seven colors and was very bright. I took a photo of it with my phone. Rainbows always make me happy.

3: Do you like when it...? (rains | snows | is sunny | is foggy | is cloudy)

Example for "snows": Yes, I like when it snows. Snow makes everything look clean and white. I enjoy making snowmen and having snowball fights. But I don't like when snow turns to ice on roads. It's dangerous to walk then.

4: How often do you visit...? (mountains | lakes | rivers | woods | hills)

Example for "woods": I visit woods about twice a month. There is a small wood near my house. I go there to walk and breathe fresh air. Sometimes I collect mushrooms there in autumn. It's very quiet and peaceful.

5: What can you do at/on a...? (mountain | river | lake | hill | path)

Example for "lake": At a lake, I can swim when it's hot. I can also fish or go boating. Sometimes I just sit by the lake and read a book. In winter, some lakes freeze and people can ice skate.

6: What's the most beautiful...you've ever seen? (cloud | rainbow | mountain | waterfall | valley)

Example for "waterfall": The most beautiful waterfall I've ever seen was in Croatia. It was not very big but had clear blue water. The sound was very relaxing. I visited it with my family two years ago. We took many photos there.

7: Why are...important? (rivers | mountains | woods | fields | stars)

Example for "rivers": Rivers are important because they give us water. Many cities are built near rivers. Rivers help farmers water their crops. People can also use rivers for transport. Many animals need rivers to live.

[hr]

One-Minute Talking Points

SKY

What is the sky? (blue, above us)
What can you see in it?
Your favorite time of day?
Ever taken photos of it?
How does it change?
Sky in different weather?
Any sky-related memories?
Sky in your country?

CLOUD

What are clouds? (water, white/gray)
Different types you know?
Ever seen funny-shaped clouds?
What do clouds bring?
Clouds in different seasons?
Favorite cloud memories?
Good or bad for activities?
How do they make you feel?

SUN

What is the sun? (hot, yellow)
Why is it important?
Your favorite sunny activities?
Sun in different seasons?
How to protect from it?
Sun in your country?
Ever seen a sunrise?
How does sun make you feel?

RAIN

What is rain? (water, from clouds)
Like or dislike it?
Activities during rainy days?
Rain in your country?
Ever been in heavy rain?
How does rain help nature?
Rain in different seasons?
How does rain make you feel?

MOUNTAIN

What is a mountain? (high, rocks)
Famous mountains you know?
Ever climbed one?
Mountains in your country?
Activities people do there?
Dangers of mountains?
Season to visit mountains?
Would you live near one?

RIVER

What is a river? (water, flows)
Famous rivers you know?
Rivers in your country?
Activities people do there?
Ever swum in a river?
How are rivers useful?
Problems rivers can cause?
River-related memories?

LAKE

What is a lake? (water, still)
Famous lakes you know?
Lakes in your country?
Activities people do there?
Difference from rivers?
Ever been to a lake?
Lake animals you know?
Would you live near one?

WOOD

What is a wood? (trees, plants)
Woods near your home?
Activities people do there?
Animals that live there?
Ever collected anything there?
Woods in different seasons?
Dangers in woods?
Childhood memories of woods?

MOON

What is the moon? (round, night)
How does it change?
Ever taken photos of it?
Moon-related stories you know?
Full moon experiences?
Moon in your culture?
How does moonlight help?
Moon-watching memories?

STAR

What are stars? (light, night)
Famous stars or constellations?
Ever wished upon a star?
Best places to see stars?
Star-related memories?
Stars in your culture?
When do you see stars?
Ever used stars for directions?

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People should protect nature

Linkers: It's true, but..., I agree because..., I don't agree..., On the other hand..., For example...

For

Protecting nature keeps animals safe — keywords: animals, safe, habitat
Clean air and water help people stay healthy — keywords: air, water, healthy
Trees and plants give food and oxygen — keywords: trees, food, oxygen
Nature gives places for fun and exercise — keywords: park, walk, relax
Protecting nature helps future children enjoy it — keywords: children, future, keep

Against

Protecting nature can cost a lot of money — keywords: money, cost, pay
Rules to protect nature can limit new jobs — keywords: jobs, build, rules
People need land for farming and food — keywords: farm, land, crops
Strong protection can stop new houses or roads — keywords: build, road, develop
Some people prefer living in cities, not nature — keywords: city, work, move