What Really Happens to the Plastic You Throw Away
Video lesson + interactive tasks about three plastic bottles and their different fates.
Stage 1
GLOSSARY
Before watching, review the words that will help you understand the video.
- oil refinery — a factory where crude oil is processed into fuels and chemicals
- monomer — a small molecule that can join with others to form plastic
- polymer — a long chain made by connecting many small molecules (monomers)
- pellets — tiny pieces of plastic used as raw material in manufacturing
- landfill — a place where trash is buried and stored
- leachate — polluted liquid that forms when rainwater flows through waste
- gyre — a large circular ocean current that can trap floating debris
- vortex — a swirling mass of water or air that pulls things inward
- microplastics — tiny plastic pieces formed when larger plastic breaks down
- recycle — to process used materials so they can be used again
Stage 2
PREDICTION
Using the new words, choose the most likely topic of the video.
1) What will the video most likely explain?
Stage 3
FIRST WATCH — Listening for Gist
Watch the video once. Do not pause the video. Focus on the general idea.
1) Choose the best summary of the video.
Stage 4
SECOND WATCH — Listening for Details
Watch the video again. Focus on details. You may pause if necessary.
True / False
1) Plastic bottles begin their life as chemicals made from oil and gas.
2) In a landfill, plastic usually decomposes in just a few years.
3) Leachate is a polluted liquid that can move into groundwater, soil, and streams.
4) The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is formed because ocean currents can trap plastic in a vortex-like system.
5) Recycling always destroys plastic completely, so it cannot become new products.
Multiple Choice
1) What are monomers used for in making plastic?
2) What is leachate?
3) Why is plastic dangerous in the ocean food chain?
4) What happens to most plastic instead of biodegrading?
5) In recycling, why are bottles washed and melted?
Stage 5
VOCABULARY PRACTICE
Task 1
Match the word and the picture
Tap a word, then tap an image. Listen and pronounce.
Task 2
Match the word and the definition
Tap a word, then tap the correct definition. Wrong answers won’t be placed.
Task 3
Fill in the gaps
Tap a word, then tap a gap. Wrong answers won’t be placed. Tap a filled gap to clear it.
Stage 6
FINAL VOCABULARY TEST (Score)
Complete the final test. Click Submit & Score.