Quick Guide
- Keywords: Nature, creative presentations, listening comprehension
- Learner English level: Intermediate+
- Learner maturity: University
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Activity time: 90 minutes
- Materials: Topic Cards (Appendix A), Worksheet (Appendix B), Nature is Speaking videos (Conservation International, 2025)
This activity invites students to explore language and perspective by giving voice to elements of nature. Through a sequence of tasks—from playful guessing games to reflective creative presentations—students gradually shift from light-hearted engagement to deeper, more meaningful expression. It is inspired by the Nature Is Speaking campaign (Conservation International, 2025a–2025d), in which natural elements such as ice, soil, and mountains are personified and send a message to humanity.
Preparation
Step 1: Prepare eight-card sets of Topic Cards (Appendix A). Include a variety of natural items such as ice, sky, oxygen, etc. (see Appendix A for more examples).
Step 2: Check and print the worksheet (Appendix B), which has three sections:
- Simplified extracts from three video transcripts, with a binary-choice cloze activity (e.g., “I am ice. I move quickly / slowly.”)
- Comprehension/discussion questions for each video (e.g., “In ‘I Am Ice,’ what is happening to the ice, and why is it angry at humans?”)
- A creative writing/presentation
Step 3: Cue up three Nature Is Speaking videos:
- I Am Ice (voiced by Liam Neeson: Conservation International, 2025c)
- I Am the Soil (voiced by Edward Norton: Conservation International, 2025a)
- I Am the Mountain (voiced by Lee Pace: Conservation International, 2025b)
- N.B. Either skip the first few seconds that reveal what natural element the narrator is or beep out the word.
Procedure
Step 1: Tell the class that things have voices too and that you have “become” something related to nature, and they must ask yes/no questions to find out what you are. For example, if you are lava, students might ask, “Are you a liquid?” (answer “Yes”) or “Are you cold?” (answer “No”), and so on. Give them three minutes to guess. Then repeat with a different thing.
Step 2: Divide students into pairs or small groups.
Step 3: Give each group a pile of topic cards. Instruct students to take turns picking up a card and answering classmates’ yes/no questions until they guess the word. Allow ten minutes for groups to identify as many cards as possible.
Step 4: Explain that students will listen to three mysterious narrators. Play the first Nature Is Speaking (Conservation International, 2025c) clip without visuals. Tell students to listen carefully and try to guess what the narrator is.
Step 5: Tell groups to check ideas together and briefly discuss which words, sounds or tone helped them guess.
Step 6: Feedback as a whole class, then repeat for the other two video clips.
Step 7: Distribute the worksheet. Explain that the scripts on the worksheet have been simplified in a few places, so students shouldn’t worry if they hear some things that are slightly different from the sheet.
Step 8: Without re-watching the clips, students choose the best answer for each binary-choice item based on memory and inference.
Step 9: Play each video again—this time with visuals—and check answers with students.
Step 10: Tell students to work on their own to answer the questions in Section B of worksheet. Encourage them to think about the message of each video, and how the narrator’s tone reflects the relationship between humans and nature. For example, for I Am Ice, students might come up with the answer: “Ice is melting due to global warming. He is angry with humans because they continue to warm the planet.” Support with vocabulary and ideas, as necessary.
Step 11: Instruct students to discuss their answers in pairs/groups, then elicit ideas and feedback as a whole class.
Step 12: Tell students to work in pairs to prepare their own short narration in which something in nature speaks. They may choose from the topics listed in Section C of the worksheet or think of their own. Tell students to think about the following questions: “Who are you, and what do you do;” “What are humans doing to you;” and “What is your message to humanity?”
Step 13: Get students to perform their pieces, expressing the element’s voice, emotions, and message to humanity.
Conclusion
This sequence of tasks combines communication practice, listening skills, and creative thinking in an accessible yet thought-provoking way. Students move from fun guessing games to self-expression and environmental awareness, finding their own “voice” through the voices of nature.
References
Conservation International. (2025a). Edward Norton is the soil [Video]. Conservation International. https://www.conservation.org/nature-is-speaking/edward-norton-is-the-soil
Conservation International. (2025b). Lee Pace is mountain [Video]. Conservation International. https://www.conservation.org/nature-is-speaking/lee-pace-is-mountain
Conservation International. (2025c). Liam Neeson is ice [Video]. Conservation International. https://www.conservation.org/nature-is-speaking/liam-neeson-is-ice
Conservation International. (2025d). Nature Is speaking. https://www.conservation.org/nature-is-speaking
Appendices
The appendices are available below
