The natural world, the environment, the climate and the weather

The World Around Us – Natural World, Environment, Climate & Weather

1. Overview

This set of notes supports teaching the IGCSE Spanish 0530 topic “The world around us”. It covers key vocabulary, useful grammatical structures, typical exam tasks and suggested classroom activities.

2. Key \cdot ocabulary

Below is a core word‑list that students should know for the exam. Include the Spanish term, English meaning and an example sentence.

Spanish	English	Example Sentence
el medio ambiente	the environment	Debemos proteger el medio ambiente.
la contaminación	pollution	La contaminación del aire es un problema grave.
el reciclaje	recycling	El reciclaje ayuda a reducir los residuos.
el clima	climate	El clima de España es mediterráneo.
el tiempo	weather	Hoy hace buen tiempo.
la biodiversidad	biodiversity	La biodiversidad está amenazada por la deforestación.
el ecosistema	ecosystem	Los ecosistemas marinos son muy frágiles.
el recurso natural	natural resource	El agua es un recurso natural esencial.
el deshielo	melting (of ice)	El deshielo de los polos acelera el aumento del nivel del mar.
el fenómeno meteorológico	weather phenomenon	Los huracanes son fenómenos meteorológicos violentos.

3. Grammar for the Topic

3.1. Ser vs. Estar

Both verbs are used when describing the natural world. Use ser for inherent characteristics and estar for temporary states.

• El bosque es denso. (inherent)
• El cielo está nublado hoy. (temporary)

3.2. Present Tense of Regular -AR, -ER, -IR \cdot erbs

Students should be able to conjugate and use the following verbs in context:

Verb	Yo	Tú	Él/Ella/Ud.	Nosotros	Vosotros	Ellos/Uds.
proteger (regular -AR)	protejo	proteges	protege	protegemos	protegéis	protegen
contaminar (regular -AR)	contamino	contaminas	contamina	contaminamos	contamináis	contaminan
reciclar (regular -AR)	reciclo	reciclas	recicla	reciclamos	recicláis	reciclan
crecer (regular -ER)	crezco	creces	crece	crecemos	crecéis	crecen
disminuir (regular -IR)	disminuyo	disminuyes	disminuye	disminuimos	disminuís	disminuyen

3.3. Weather Expressions (El tiempo)

Useful set phrases for describing weather:

• Hace sol / está soleado.
• Hace frío / está frío.
• Hace viento / está ventoso.
• Hay niebla.
• Llueve / está lloviendo.
• Hay una tormenta.

4. Typical Exam Tasks

4.1. Reading – Matching

Students match a short paragraph about a climate zone with a list of characteristics (e.g., “clima templado”, “clima árido”).

4.2. Writing – Short Essay (≈ 80‑100 words)

Prompt example: “Describe los problemas medioambientales que afectan a tu país y sugiere dos soluciones.”

Key assessment criteria: use of appropriate vocabulary, correct verb forms, clear structure (introducción, desarrollo, conclusión).

4.3. Listening – Dialogue

Students listen to a conversation about a weather forecast and answer multiple‑choice questions.

4.4. Speaking – Role Play

Pairs act out a scenario where one student is a tourist asking for advice about the climate in a Spanish‑speaking region, and the other is a local guide.

5. Suggested Classroom Activities

1. Vocabulary Relay: Teams race to write as many words from the list in the correct column (nature, environment, climate, weather).
2. Map Exercise: Using a blank world map, students label the main climate zones in Spanish (e.g., “clima tropical”, “clima polar”).
3. Poster Project: Groups create a poster titled “Cómo proteger el medio ambiente” – write the text in Spanish, include bullet points of actions.
4. Weather Forecast Role‑Play: Students prepare a 2‑minute weather forecast for a Spanish city, using the expressions from section 3.3.
5. Data Interpretation: Provide a simple table of average temperatures (°C) for four cities. Students describe the trends in Spanish, using comparative structures (más caliente, menos lluvioso, etc.).

6. Sample Data Table for Interpretation

Average annual temperature (°C) and precipitation (mm) for four cities.

Ciudad	Temperatura media (°C)	Precipitación anual (mm)
Madrid	15	436
Barcelona	18	640
Sevilla	22	543
Bilbao	13	1 200

7. Assessment Checklist for Teachers

• Students can use at least 20 topic‑specific words correctly.
• Students differentiate between ser and estar in context.
• Students produce a coherent short essay with appropriate linking words (por ejemplo, “en primer lugar”, “por otro lado”).
• Students demonstrate understanding of climate zones and can describe weather using the set phrases.
• Students participate confidently in the speaking role‑play, using correct pronunciation and intonation.