English

Oral activity

a) What are the things that make up our environment?
b) Name the different types of resources in our environment.

8.1 Talking about resources

Activity 1

1. Define a resource.
2. What do we call a resource that cannot be replaced?
3. What do we call a resource that can be replaced?
Share your answers with the rest of the class.

Activity 2

Read the words below. They are used when talking about resources. What do they mean?

natural               man-made                renewable         non-renewable        artificial

Activity 3

1. Look at the list of resources given below. Say whether they are man-made or natural resources.

2. Name other resources that you know.

Exercise 1

11. Read the dialogue below and answer the questions that follow.

Farmer: Look at my garden, my crop is drying up.

Officer: It is because your garden has no fertile soil left.

Farmer: Yes, the rain water has been washing away the top soil.

Officer: In agriculture we call that soil erosion.

Farmer: What can I do to prevent soil erosion?

Officer: You can dig trenches. You can also make terraces in your garden.

Farmer: I don’t know how to make terraces. Can you kindly show me how to do it?

Officer: Yes, I will. You can also plant some trees. Roots help to hold the soil together. Lastly always use 

             manure when you plant your crops. Manure helps to add nutrients to your soil

Questions

a) Identify the people in the conversation.

b) Suggest a suitable title to the dialogue.

c) What is happening to the crop?

d) What is soil erosion?

e) Why should farmers dig terraces on the slopes of hills?

f) Write down lessons you have learnt from the dialogue.

g) Explain how farmers control soil erosion in your community.

2. Act out the conversation above with a friend.

3. Draw a relevant picture to go with the dialogue and write a sentence about it.

8.2 Describing the location of key resources in Rwanda

Activity 1

There are different types of natural resources. Look at the pictures below and explain the type or resource shown.

Activity 2

Look at the four images of natural resources above. Construct a sentence to show where each resource is found in Rwanda.
Present your sentences in class.

Activity 3

Study the map of Rwanda and locate where key natural resources are found.

Write down in your notebooks the name of each resource and the place where it is found.

Present your findings to the class.

Activity 4

Construct sentences about the location of the key natural resources in Rwanda.

For example

• There is a lake in Gatsibo.

• Coltan mines are found near Kamonyi.

• Natural gas is located in Lake Kivu in Rubavu district.

Exercise 2

Your teacher will read to you the text below.

Listen carefully and note down important points about the location of resources in Rwanda.

You will use the information you have written to label a map of Rwanda.

                                   Resources in Rwanda

Resources in Rwanda are located in different parts of the country.

The eastern, western and northern parts of the country have fresh water bodies such as lakes and rivers.

The southern part has thick forest cover. This part has a forest called Nyungwe forest.

Other natural resources such as animals are found in Rwanda’s national parks.

These parks are almost evenly distributed accros the country. The east has Akagera National Park.

The South has Nyungwe National Park and the north has Volcanoes National Park.

Rwanda is also rich in mineral deposits. Mining is done in Gifurwe and Rwinkwavu.

Some of the minerals found include wolframite, cassiterite and coltan.

Questions

a) List down all the natural resources mentioned in the passage.

b) Locate and label where these resources are found on a map of Rwanda.

c) Discuss and write sentences about the usefulness of resources in Rwanda.

8.3 Talking about dangers to the environment

Activity 1

Study the pictures below and answer the questions that follow.

a) Describe what is happening in each picture.
b) Discuss how the activities shown above are likely to affect the environment?
c) What can the people and the government do to control the activities in the pictures?

Activity 2

Read and recite the poem below.

Pollution

We have many industries.
Industries produce smoke,
Smoke goes into the atmosphere.
Smoke pollutes atmosphere.
The atmosphere has oxygen,
Oxygen is what we breathe.
Breathing keeps us alive.
We have many industries

Industries produce waste
Waste is poured into the lake
Waste pollute the lake.
Our lake gives us fish
Fish is what we eat
Eating keeps us alive.

Questions

a) Suggest another suitable title to the poem.
b) How will smoke from industries affect man? Discuss in pairs.
c) How will waste from industries affect man?
d) What benefit do we get from a lake?
e) What should the government do to prevent environmental pollution?

8.4 Talking about protecting the environment

Activity 1

Identify at least five (5) words related to environment from the puzzle below.

Use them to construct correct sentences.

Activity 2

Work in pairs to complete the dialogue below.
Write what you think were Kalisa’s responses.

Mutesi: Do you think the environment will still be good when we are old?
Kalisa:...………….
Mutesi: You think it will be ok if we protect it. How should we do it?
Kalisa:...………….
Mutoni: Digging terraces to control soil erosion is a good idea. What else
should we do?
Kalisa:...…………..
Mutoni: You say we ought to conserve the forests. Why should we conserve
forests?
Kalisa:...…………..
Mutoni: Are you sure trees help in the formation of rainfall?
Kalisa:...…………..
Mutoni: I think we should avoid any bad environmental practice for the good
of our country.
Kalisa:...…………….
Mutoni: Thanks for your time.
Kalisa:...……………..

Questions

a) Now read the complete dialogue to the class.
b) Act out the dialogue in front of the class.
c) Write other ways of protecting the environment.
d) What lessons have you learnt from the dialogue?

Activity 3

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

                                 Man and the environment

Man gets all his basic needs from the environment. If we do not take good care of the environment, man will starve and die.

What is man really doing to destroy the environment? Man is cutting down trees without planting others.

This is called deforestation. Trees help in making rain, are home to wildlife and provide medicine.

More so, man is pouring industrial waste into water bodies like lakes and rivers.

The wastes will end up poisoning all the water or will kill all things that live in the water.

Man is also carrying out illegal hunting called poaching. This will cause many important animals to become extinct.
If man plants more trees, he will make the earth green again. If man stops pouring garbage into the water, the water will be clean again.

Clean water is good for aquatic animals to live in. It is our responsibility to leave the environment better than we found it.

Questions
a) Why is the environment important to man?
b) What benefits do trees have?
c) How important are water bodies to man?
d) What will happen if man continues destroying the environment?
e) What will you do to protect your surroundings?
f) Discuss with your study partner the importance of having many trees in our country.
g) Why do you think national parks in Rwanda should be protected?

Grammar point

Should is used to give advice. We use should to tell people what to do or how to do things. We use shouldn’t in the negative.

For example

1. People should plant more trees.

2. You should not walk in the rain.

3. Trees should not be cut down.

4. Industries should not pour waste into lakes.

5. Children should not play in the bush.

Exercise 3

Use the table below to construct ten correct sentences.

Grammar point

We use need to when we want to tell people what to do or how to do it. Use need to to make a suggestion is considered polite. The opposite is needn’t.

For example

1. We need to protect the environment.

2. We needn’t cut trees without planting others.

3. You needn’t carry your umbrella today.

4. They need to read about animals.

Activity 4

Discuss and write down five sentences using need and needn’t. They should be about the environment.

For example

1. If you pay, you can enter the zoo.

2. If the population increases, people will cut down more trees.

3. If it rains too much, our crops will die.

4. If the sun shines, the soil will dry out.

5. If we keep our environment clean, we shall be healthy

Activity 5

Write five correct sentences about the environment in the First conditional.

Activity 6

Study the table and construct five correct sentences in the First Conditional tense.

Write a poem about any factor affecting your environment. Present it in class.

Sounds and spelling

Activity 1

Listen carefully as your teacher dictates sentences to you. Write each sentence in your exercise book.

Activity 2
Rearrange the letters to form words

techproion ----------------------------
lfeiildw.........................................
lsnerami.......................................
wablerene.....................................
gradationde
afftationorest................................
remationcla ..................................

Riddle
I never walk but always run. I don’t sleep even though I have a bed.

I have a mouth but never eat! Who am I?

Debate
Hold a class debate on the motion:

Man’s activities are destroying the environment.

Think, pair and share
Suggest a punishment that the government can give to people who destroy the environment

                                          Unit 8 Assessment

1. Discuss how resources are related to the environment. Present your answers in class.

2. List down all the natural resources found in Rwanda.

3. Discuss what different resources provide.

4. Locate and label on a map of Rwanda’s places where different resources are found.

5. What natural resources can be affected by pollution?

6. Match the following sentence parts

7. State some of the things that cause harm to the environment.

8. Explain how we can protect our environment and natural resources.

9. Draw and colour one resource of your choice and state its usefulness.

10. Draw a map of Rwanda and locate districts where key natural resources are found.

11. Suggest possible ways of protecting our environment.

12. Discuss and present why it is important to have government bodies such as REMA.

13. Discuss and write down what would happen if we cut down all the trees from forests.

14. Draw members of your community doing any activity that protects the environment.