English: Unit 6 “Back to Nature” – Environmental Issues and Vocabulary – First Year Secondary – Algerian Curriculum

Introduction

Welcome to Unit 6: “Back to Nature” — a fascinating journey into the world of environmental issues, ecology, and our relationship with the natural world. This unit is part of the Algerian First Year Secondary School (1ère AS) English curriculum and is designed to build your vocabulary, grammar, and communication skills around one of the most pressing global topics of our time.

In this lesson, you will explore environmental vocabulary, learn how to describe ecological problems and solutions using appropriate grammatical structures, practise reading and writing about nature, and develop the skills needed to express your opinions on environmental issues. This topic is not only essential for your end-of-year exams but also for developing critical awareness as global citizens.

Learning Objectives

• Identify and use key environmental vocabulary (pollution, conservation, biodiversity, ecosystem, renewable energy, sustainability)
• Use the passive voice to describe environmental processes and problems
• Read and understand an authentic text about environmental challenges
• Write a short paragraph describing an environmental problem and suggesting solutions
• Express opinions about environmental issues using appropriate expressions
• Recognise and produce word stress patterns in environmental terminology

Part 1: Key Vocabulary — The Environment and Ecology

Let’s start by building your environmental vocabulary. These words and phrases are essential for this unit and will appear frequently in your readings and exams.

Word / Phrase	Part of Speech	Definition	Example
Environment	Noun	The natural world around us (air, water, land, living things)	We must protect the environment for future generations.
Pollution	Noun	The introduction of harmful substances into the environment	Air pollution in big cities causes many health problems.
Conservation	Noun	The protection and careful management of natural resources	Water conservation is essential in dry regions like Algeria.
Biodiversity	Noun	The variety of plant and animal life in a habitat	Forests are home to an incredible amount of biodiversity.
Ecosystem	Noun	A community of living organisms interacting with their environment	The Mediterranean ecosystem is unique and fragile.
Renewable energy	Noun phrase	Energy from natural sources that cannot be exhausted (sun, wind, water)	Algeria is investing heavily in solar renewable energy.
Sustainability	Noun	The ability to maintain ecological balance without depleting resources	Sustainability should guide all our economic decisions.
Deforestation	Noun	The cutting down of forests on a large scale	Deforestation contributes to climate change.
Global warming	Noun phrase	The gradual increase in Earth’s average temperature	Global warming is caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
Recycling	Noun	The process of converting waste into reusable material	Separating plastic, paper and glass helps recycling efforts.
Endangered species	Noun phrase	A species at risk of extinction	The Fennec fox is not an endangered species, but many desert animals are.
Carbon footprint	Noun phrase	The amount of carbon dioxide released by a person or activity	Taking the bus reduces your carbon footprint.
To pollute	Verb	To make the environment dirty or harmful	Factories should not pollute rivers with chemical waste.
To preserve	Verb	To keep something in its original or good state	We need to preserve our natural heritage for our children.
To recycle	Verb	To convert waste into reusable material	We should always recycle plastic bottles and paper.
To conserve	Verb	To protect something from harm or depletion	Everyone can help conserve water by taking shorter showers.

Part 2: Grammar Focus — The Passive Voice (Present Simple)

In Unit 6, the passive voice is essential because environmental processes and problems are often described from the perspective of what happens to the environment, not who causes it. This makes the passive voice a perfect grammatical fit for this unit.

Formation: Present Simple Passive

Structure	Explanation
Subject + am/is/are + past participle (+ by agent)	The agent (the doer) is optional and is introduced with “by”
Example: Water is polluted by factories.	The focus is on “water” (the receiver of the action)
Example: Forests are destroyed every year.	The focus is on “forests” — we don’t know or don’t need to say who destroys them

When do we use the passive voice?

• When the action is more important than the doer: Millions of trees are cut down every day.
• When the doer is unknown or obvious: Rivers are polluted with plastic waste.
• When describing processes: Glass is collected, sorted, melted and remoulded.
• In scientific and formal writing: The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions.

Active vs. Passive — Compare

Active Voice	Passive Voice
Factories pollute the air.	The air is polluted by factories.
People throw away tons of plastic.	Tons of plastic are thrown away every year.
The government protects national parks.	National parks are protected by the government.
Farmers use pesticides on crops.	Pesticides are used on crops by farmers.

Stream-Specific Notes

All streams: Master the passive voice as it is essential for formal and academic writing. It appears frequently in BAC exam reading comprehension texts.

Part 3: Reading Comprehension — “Algeria’s Green Future”

Read the following text carefully, then answer the comprehension questions.

Comprehension Questions

1. What are the main environmental challenges facing Algeria according to the text?
2. What is the “Green Dam” project, and what is its purpose?
3. How is Algeria addressing water scarcity?
4. What is Algeria’s target for renewable energy production by 2035?
5. What are young Algerians doing to help the environment?
6. Grammar Focus: Find two examples of the passive voice in the text and rewrite them in the active voice.

Model Answers

1. Algeria faces desertification, water scarcity, air pollution, and loss of biodiversity.
2. The “Green Dam” is a massive reforestation project. Its purpose is to create a barrier against desertification by planting millions of trees.
3. Algeria is building desalination plants along the coast, encouraging drip irrigation for farmers, and educating citizens about water conservation.
4. Algeria plans to produce 27% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2035.
5. Young Algerians are organising beach clean-ups, tree-planting campaigns, and awareness events. School recycling programmes and environmental clubs are becoming popular.
6. Example: “Thousands of hectares of agricultural land are lost” → Active: “The expanding Sahara Desert claims thousands of hectares of agricultural land every year.” / “Farmers are encouraged to use drip irrigation” → Active: “The government encourages farmers to use drip irrigation.”

Part 4: Writing — Describing an Environmental Problem and Its Solutions

In this section, you will learn how to write a short paragraph describing an environmental problem and suggesting solutions. This is a common task format in your exams.

Writing Framework

Paragraph Element	Useful Language	Example
Topic sentence — states the problem	“One of the most serious environmental problems in … is …” / “… is a major concern because …”	One of the most serious environmental problems in Algeria is plastic pollution.
Explanation — describes the causes and effects	“This is caused by …” / “As a result, …” / “This leads to …”	This is caused by the excessive use of plastic bags and bottles. As a result, beaches and streets are covered with plastic waste.
Solution(s) — suggests what can be done	“To solve this problem, we should …” / “The government could …” / “Individuals can …”	To solve this problem, the government should ban single-use plastics. Individuals can also use reusable bags and bottles.
Conclusion — restates importance	“In conclusion, …” / “It is clear that …” / “Everyone must …”	In conclusion, plastic pollution requires immediate action from both authorities and citizens.

Model Paragraph: Air Pollution in Algiers

One of the most serious environmental problems in Algiers is air pollution. This problem is caused mainly by the increasing number of cars, industrial activities, and construction sites. As a result, the air quality in the capital has become harmful, and many people suffer from respiratory diseases. To solve this problem, the government should improve public transportation and encourage the use of electric vehicles. Individuals can also help by using public transport, carpooling, or cycling instead of driving alone. In conclusion, air pollution in Algiers is a serious issue, but with collective effort, it can be reduced significantly.

Writing Task

Write a paragraph of about 100–120 words describing one environmental problem in your region and suggesting solutions. Use at least three environmental vocabulary words and two examples of the passive voice. Follow the writing framework above.

Part 5: Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Match the word with its definition

Word	Definition
1. Biodiversity	a) The gradual increase in Earth’s temperature
2. Global warming	b) The variety of life in a habitat
3. Recycling	c) Energy from sources that never run out
4. Renewable energy	d) Converting waste into reusable material
5. Deforestation	e) Large-scale cutting down of forests

Answers: 1-b, 2-a, 3-d, 4-c, 5-e

Exercise 2: Rewrite in the passive voice

1. Factories release toxic gases into the atmosphere.
2. People throw millions of plastic bottles into the ocean every year.
3. Farmers use chemical fertilisers to increase crop production.
4. The government organises environmental awareness campaigns.
5. Children collect plastic waste from the beach.

Model Answers:

1. Toxic gases are released into the atmosphere by factories.
2. Millions of plastic bottles are thrown into the ocean every year.
3. Chemical fertilisers are used to increase crop production by farmers.
4. Environmental awareness campaigns are organised by the government.
5. Plastic waste is collected from the beach by children.

Exercise 3: Complete the sentences with the correct form

Fill in the blanks with the correct passive form of the verb in brackets.

1. Water ___________ (pollute) by industrial waste.
2. National parks ___________ (protect) by law in Algeria.
3. Solar energy ___________ (use) to generate electricity in many homes.
4. Trees ___________ (plant) every year during the national reforestation campaign.
5. Endangered species ___________ (must / protect) from extinction.

Answers: 1. is polluted, 2. are protected, 3. is used, 4. are planted, 5. must be protected

Exercise 4: Translation (Arabic ↔ English)

A. Translate into Arabic:

Renewable energy is considered the key to a sustainable future. Solar and wind power are becoming more affordable every year.

Model Translation: تُعتبر الطاقة المتجددة مفتاحاً لمستقبل مستدام. الطاقة الشمسية وطاقة الرياح تصبحان في متناول اليد كل عام.

B. Translate into English:

التلوث البلاستيكي يمثل خطراً كبيراً على الحياة البحرية. يجب علينا تقليل استخدام البلاستيك لحماية المحيطات.

Model Translation: Plastic pollution represents a great danger to marine life. We must reduce the use of plastic to protect the oceans.

Phonetics Corner: Word Stress in Environmental Vocabulary

Correct word stress is essential for clear pronunciation. Here are the stress patterns for key environmental terms:

Word	Syllables	Stressed Syllable	Pronunciation Guide
ENvironment	en-vi-ron-ment	2nd (VI)	/ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt/
polLUtant	pol-lu-tant	2nd (LU)	/pəˈluːtənt/
conserVAtion	con-ser-va-tion	3rd (VA)	/ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃən/
ecoLOGical	e-co-lo-gi-cal	4th (LO)	/ˌiːkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl/
bioDIVersity	bi-o-di-ver-si-ty	4th (DIV)	/ˌbaɪəʊdaɪˈvɜːsɪti/
susTAINable	sus-tain-a-ble	2nd (TAIN)	/səˈsteɪnəbl/
renewABLE	re-new-a-ble	3rd (A)	/rɪˈnjuːəbl/
atMOSphere	at-mos-phere	2nd (MOS)	/ˈætməsfɪə/
ecoSYStem	e-co-sys-tem	3rd (SYS)	/ˈiːkəʊsɪstəm/

Rule of thumb: In words ending in -tion, the stress is always on the syllable before -tion (e.g., conservation, pollution, deforestation). In words ending in -ity, the stress is on the syllable before -ity (e.g., biodiversity, sustainability).

BAC Exam Tips / Stream Notes

For All Streams (Sciences, Letters, Economics, Technology)

• Environment is a universal topic that frequently appears in BAC reading comprehension and written expression tasks. Know your vocabulary well.
• The passive voice is a key grammar point tested in the BAC exam. Make sure you can switch between active and passive forms correctly.
• In written expression, if the topic is about the environment, use specific vocabulary (pollution, deforestation, renewable energy, etc.) to impress the examiner.
• Translate environmental terms confidently — translation exercises often feature environment-related content.

Stream-Specific Tips

• Scientific Streams (Sciences Expérimentales, Mathématiques, Génie Civil, etc.): You may encounter scientific texts about ecosystems, climate change, or renewable energy. Practice reading scientific articles in English. The passive voice is very common in scientific writing.
• Letters and Languages Stream (Lettres, Langues Étrangères): You will likely be asked to write an argumentative essay about environmental issues. Practise expressing opinions, agreeing/disagreeing, and proposing solutions in a well-structured essay format.
• Economics and Management (Gestion-Économie): Focus on vocabulary related to sustainable development, green economy, and environmental policies. You may be asked to discuss the economic impact of environmental problems.
• Technology Stream (Technique Mathématique): Learn about technological solutions to environmental problems — solar panels, desalination technology, electric vehicles, smart waste management systems.

Summary

In Unit 6 “Back to Nature”, you have learned:

• Key environmental vocabulary — pollution, conservation, biodiversity, renewable energy, sustainability, deforestation, and more
• The present simple passive voice — how to form it and when to use it, especially for describing environmental processes and problems
• Reading comprehension — a text about Algeria’s environmental challenges and green initiatives
• Writing — how to structure a paragraph describing an environmental problem and its solutions
• Word stress patterns — how to pronounce environmental terms correctly
• Translation skills — Arabic to English and English to Arabic environmental vocabulary

Remember that protecting the environment starts with small actions. By learning about these issues in English, you are not only preparing for your exams but also becoming an informed global citizen. Keep practising, and good luck with your studies!

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