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English for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 35 hours
  • Course by University of Pennsylvania
  • Offered by

About

Welcome to English for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, a course created by the University of Pennsylvania, and funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs. To enroll in this course for free, click on “Enroll now” and then select "Full Course. No certificate." If you want to get a Coursera Verified Certificate for free, please fill out the Financial Aid form. This course is designed for non-native English speakers who are interested in improving their English skills in the sciences. In this course, you will explore some of the most innovative areas of scientific study, while expanding your vocabulary and the language skills needed to share scientific information within your community. In unit 1, you will learn how to preview texts and practice some of the language used to make comparisons when talking about global warming and climate change. In unit 2, you will examine the chemistry of climate change and the language of cause and effect. In Unit 3, you will learn about some of the impacts of Climate Change and the language used to describe these effects. In Unit 4, you will learn reading strategies that can help you explore the science behind some new energy systems. In the final unit, you will investigate practical advances in Nanotechnology that help slow down climate change, while developing your own research skills in English. Unless otherwise noted, all course materials are available for re-use, repurposing and free distribution under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license. Supplemental reading materials were provided by Newsela, which publishes daily news articles at a level that's just right for each English language learner.

Modules

Introduction to the Course and Unit

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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3 Videos

  • Course Overview: Introduction to STEM
  • Course Overview: Topics, Assessments, Games & Activities
  • Course Overview: Topics, Assessments, Games & Activities Part 2

1 Readings

  • Overview of the Unit

Is the Earth Getting Warmer?

    • 5 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 3 Assignment
Show info about module content

3 Assignment

  • Game 2: Previewing Texts
  • Check Your Understanding: “UN Report: Last 10 Years Likely the Hottest Decade on Record"
  • Value Affirmation Activity

1 Discussions

  • Unit 1 Assessment 1: Warming Experiment Factors

5 Videos

  • Is the Earth Getting Warmer?
  • Language Focus: Previewing Texts
  • Unlockable Achievement 1
  • Warming Experiment (Part 1)
  • Warming Experiment (Part 2)

3 Readings

  • Game 1: Unit 1 Vocabulary Flashcards
  • UN Report: Last 10 Years Likely the Hottest Decade on Record
  • Warming Experiment Chart

What is Climate Change?

    • 4 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "Climate Change: How Do we Know?"
  • Game 3: Comparative Adjectives

1 Peer Review

  • Unit 1 Assessment 2: Climate Change

4 Videos

  • Global Warming vs. Climate Change
  • Unlockable Achievement 2
  • Language Focus: Comparative Adjectives
  • Online Learning Opportunities to Extend Your Skills

2 Readings

  • BASIC: Climate Change: How Do we Know?
  • ADVANCED: Climate Change: How Do we Know?

Bonus Additional Resources

    • 2 Readings
    • 3 Assignment
Show info about module content

3 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "WMO: Global Warming Happening Faster than Predicted"
  • Game: Review Comparative Adjectives
  • Check Your Understanding: "5 Takeaways from the Latest Climate Data"

2 Readings

  • WMO: Global Warming Happening Faster than Predicted
  • 5 Takeaways from the Latest Climate Data

Introduction

    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Readings

  • Overview of the Unit

The Greenhouse Effect

    • 5 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 4 Assignment
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4 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "A Blanket Around the Earth"
  • Game 2: Match the Greenhouse Gas to its Source
  • Game 3: Present Progressive
  • Unit 2 Assessment 1: Label the Parts of the Greenhouse Effect Diagram

5 Videos

  • What is the Greenhouse Effect?
  • Greenhouse Gases
  • Unlockable Achievement 3
  • Nature's Role in the Greenhouse Effect
  • Language Focus: Present Progressive

3 Readings

  • Game 1: Unit 2 Vocabulary Flashcards
  • BASIC: A Blanket Around the Earth
  • ADVANCED: A Blanket Around the Earth

Human's Role in the Greenhouse Effect

    • 7 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
    • 2 Assignment
Show info about module content

2 Assignment

  • Game 4: Cause and Effect
  • Check Your Understanding: "Need Strategies to Clear the Air? Ask a Megacity."

1 Peer Review

  • Unit 2 Assessment 2: Manmade Source of the Greenhouse Effect

7 Videos

  • The Burning of Fossil Fuels
  • Language Focus: Cause and Effect (so, because of, therefore, as a result)
  • Unlockable Achievement 4
  • Deforestation and Farming
  • The Disposal of Waste
  • Instructions & Sample for Assessment 2, Manmade Source of Greenhouse Effect
  • Unlockable Achievement 5

3 Readings

  • BASIC: Need Strategies to Clear the Air? Ask a Megacity.
  • ADVANCED: Need Strategies to Clear the Air? Ask a Megacity.
  • Unit 2 Assessment 2: Written Instructions

Bonus Additional Resources

    • 2 Readings
    • 3 Assignment
Show info about module content

3 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "Charcoal Trade Is Destroying Africa’s Forest Cover"
  • Game: Review Present Progressive
  • Check Your Understanding: "Melting of Ice Wedges Adds to Arctic Warming"

2 Readings

  • Charcoal Trade Is Destroying Africa’s Forest Cover
  • Melting of Ice Wedges Adds to Arctic Warming

Introduction

    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Readings

  • Overview of the Unit

Changes in the Environment

    • 5 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 3 Assignment
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3 Assignment

  • Game 1: Scanning for Details
  • Check Your Understanding: "The Consequences of Climate Change"
  • Unit 3 Assessment 1: The Effects of Climate Change on the Environment

5 Videos

  • Hot, Hot, Hot: Drought and Other Effects of Warmer Temperatures
  • Hurricanes & Storms
  • Language Focus: Scanning for Details
  • Unlockable Achievement 6
  • Rising Sea Levels

3 Readings

  • BASIC: The Consequences of Climate Change
  • ADVANCED: The Consequences of Climate Change
  • Game 2: Unit 3 Vocabulary Flashcards

The Impact

    • 6 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 2 Assignment
Show info about module content

2 Assignment

  • Game 3: Intensifiers
  • Check Your Understanding: "New Study Suggests Global Marine Food Chain Collapse"

1 Discussions

  • Unit 3 Assessment 2: Consequences of Climate Change

6 Videos

  • The Impact on Our Health
  • Language Focus: Intensifiers (Normal and Strong Adjectives)
  • Expert Interview: Shandra Banutu-Gomez - The Situation in Africa
  • The Threat to Plants and Animals
  • Unlockable Achievement 7
  • The Stress on Our Marine Ecosystem

2 Readings

  • BASIC: New Study Suggests Global Marine Food Chain Collapse
  • ADVANCED: New Study Suggests Global Marine Food Chain Collapse

Bonus Additional Resources

    • 2 Readings
    • 3 Assignment
Show info about module content

3 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "Study: Planet-Warming Gasses Make Food Less Nutritious"
  • Game: Review: Intensifiers
  • Check Your Understanding: "African Nations Vulnerable to effects of Climate Change"

2 Readings

  • Study: Planet-Warming Gases Make Food Less Nutritious
  • African Nations Vulnerable to Effects of Climate Change

Introduction

    • 1 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Readings

  • Overview of the Unit

Going Green

    • 5 Videos
    • 4 Readings
    • 3 Assignment
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3 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "Indian Scientists Design Solar Tree to Save Space for Solar Power Generation"
  • Game 2: Matching Main Ideas to Short Paragraphs
  • Unit 4 Assessment 1: Summary

5 Videos

  • The Rise of Renewable Energy
  • The Power of Sun, Wind, and Water
  • Unlockable Achievement 8
  • Language Focus: Summarizing Main Ideas from a Text (Part 1)
  • Language Focus: Summarizing Main Ideas from a Text (Part 2)

4 Readings

  • Game 1: Unit 4 Vocabulary Flashcards
  • BASIC: Indian Scientists Design Solar Tree to Save Space for Solar Power Generation
  • ADVANCED: Indian Scientists Design Solar Tree to Save Space for Solar Power Generation
  • Model Summary: Preparation for Unit 4 Assessment 1

New Technologies Create New Solutions

    • 6 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Game 3: Order the Modal Verbs by Strength (Strong Suggestion – Weak Suggestion)
  • Check Your Understanding: "Salting away renewable energy for future use."

1 Peer Review

  • Unit 4 Assessment 2: Suggesting a New Energy System

6 Videos

  • New Discoveries in Renewable Energy
  • Expert Interview: Dr. Yang - Capturing Waste Heat to Create Energy
  • Language Focus: Using Modal Verbs to Make a Suggestion
  • Unlockable Achievement 9
  • Assessment 2 Sample, New Energy System
  • Unlockable Achievement 10

3 Readings

  • BASIC: Salting Away Renewable Energy for Future Use
  • ADVANCED: Salting Away Renewable Energy for Future Use
  • Unit 4 Assessment 2: Written assessment instructions

Bonus Additional Resources

    • 2 Readings
    • 3 Assignment
Show info about module content

3 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: “'Blue Energy' Could be Another Way to Go Green”
  • Grammar Review: Modals of Suggestion
  • Check Your Understanding: "Nuclear Developers Have Big Plans for Pint-sized Power Plants in UK"

2 Readings

  • 'Blue Energy' Could be Another Way to Go Green
  • Nuclear Developers Have Big Plans for Pint-sized Power Plants in UK

Introduction

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • Overview of the Unit

The Development of Nanotechnology

    • 6 Videos
    • 5 Readings
    • 4 Assignment
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4 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "Can the Earth Be Saved by Turning CO2 to Stone?"
  • Unit 5 Assessment 1: Making New Technology Practical and Profitable
  • Game 2: Future Possibility and Probability Modals
  • Check Your Understanding: "Profits From Eco-friendly Vertical Farming Stack Up"

6 Videos

  • What is Nanotechnology?
  • Nanotechnology Around the World
  • Making New Technology Practical
  • Unlockable Achievement 11
  • Language Focus: Future Possibility and Probability Modals
  • Unlockable Achievement 12

5 Readings

  • Game 1: Unit 5 Vocabulary Flashcards
  • BASIC: Can the Earth Be Saved by Turning CO2 to Stone?
  • ADVANCED: Can the Earth Be Saved by Turning CO2 to Stone?
  • BASIC: Profits From Eco-friendly Vertical Farming Stack Up
  • ADVANCED: Profits From Eco-friendly Vertical Farming Stack Up

Creating a Scientific Community

    • 5 Videos
    • 1 PeerReview
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Game 3: True/False: Citing Sources

1 Peer Review

  • Unit 5 Assessment 2: Peer Review: Reducing the Impacts of Climate Change

5 Videos

  • How do Scientists Share Discoveries?
  • Choosing Good Sources and the Importance of Citing Them
  • Language Focus: Citing your Sources
  • Expert Interview: Lynn Yarris - Creating a Community of Scientists
  • Course Conclusion

Bonus Additional

    • 2 Readings
    • 3 Assignment
Show info about module content

3 Assignment

  • Check Your Understanding: "Biofilter made from peanut shell degrades air pollutants"
  • Game: Matching: Nanotechnology Vocabulary Words
  • Check Your Understanding: "Major Advance in Artificial Photosynthesis Poses Win/Win for the Environment"

2 Readings

  • Biofilter Made from Peanut Shell Degrades Air Pollutants
  • Major Advance in Artificial Photosynthesis Poses Win/Win for the Environment
Jack Sullivan
Instructors

Jack Sullivan

Alyssa Swanson
Instructors

Alyssa Swanson