Proposal: Making Our School Greener
Write a proposal to the school council suggesting three realistic ways to make the school more environmentally friendly.
- Time
- 40 min
- Length
- 180-220 words
Writadia · B2 · Proposals
NameClassDate
The situation
The school council has some money to spend on making the school "greener". Students are invited to send in proposals. The council wants ideas that are realistic, affordable and involve students.
Your task
Write a proposal. Describe the current situation briefly, suggest two or three specific changes and explain the benefits of each.
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Title + introduction: the purpose of the proposal.
- Current situation: one short paragraph with specific problems.
- Suggestions: one heading per idea, with how it would work.
- Benefits and cost.
- Conclusion: a persuasive final paragraph.
Useful phrases
Purpose
Current situation
Suggestions
Benefits
Conclusion
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- council
- a group that makes decisionsThe student council meets every month.
- affordable
- not too expensiveWe need an affordable solution.
- reduce
- make smallerWe can reduce waste.
- compost
- dead plants and food used to feed soilFood waste can become compost.
- measure
- an action to deal with a problemSimple measures can save energy.
Model answer (199 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Proposal: A Greener Riverside School
Introduction The purpose of this proposal is to suggest three affordable changes that would reduce waste at our school and involve students directly.1
Current situation At present, the canteen throws away several bins of food every day, most classroom lights stay on during breaks, and the school garden has not been used for years.
A compost corner I would like to suggest that food waste from the canteen is collected and turned into compost in the old garden.2 A science club could look after it, and the compost could be used to grow vegetables or flowers for the school.
Light monitors One practical step would be to appoint two "light monitors" in each class to switch off lights and projectors at break times. This would cost nothing and could reduce electricity bills noticeably.
A water bottle station Finally, a refill station near the sports hall would encourage students to stop buying plastic bottles. This would not only reduce plastic waste but also save students money.3
Conclusion I strongly believe that these measures would make a visible difference at little cost. Above all, they would give students a real role in looking after their school.
- The purpose, clearly stated.
- Specific, practical suggestion.
- not only ... but also: two benefits in one sentence.
Teacher notes
Proposal vs report: a report looks at the present (what is happening); a proposal looks at the future (what should happen). Both use headings.
Exam link: C1 Advanced Part 2 often includes a proposal; this is good B2 preparation.
Extra challenge
Present your proposal in a 1-minute speech to the class. Vote for the best idea.
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: council, affordable, reduce, compost, measure.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “The purpose of this proposal is to suggest ...”, “At present, ...”, “A large amount of ... is wasted every day.”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (180-220 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | All points covered in detail; purpose and reader clear. | All points there, one is thin. | One point missing or some off-topic content. | Task mostly not met. | |
| Organisation and flow | Clear paragraphs; varied linking words. | Paragraphs present; linkers repetitive. | No paragraphs or jumpy flow. | Ideas scattered. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic-specific, varied vocabulary. | Adequate; some repetition. | Limited; some wrong word choices. | Very limited. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Range of structures, few errors. | Some errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors affect meaning. | Errors block understanding. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- My proposal has a title and headings.
- Each suggestion explains how it would work.
- I explained benefits and mentioned cost.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- My proposal has a title and headings.
- Each suggestion explains how it would work.
- I explained benefits and mentioned cost.
Writadia · B2 · Proposals
Assessment rubric: Proposal: Making Our School Greener
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | All points covered in detail; purpose and reader clear. | All points there, one is thin. | One point missing or some off-topic content. | Task mostly not met. | |
| Organisation and flow | Clear paragraphs; varied linking words. | Paragraphs present; linkers repetitive. | No paragraphs or jumpy flow. | Ideas scattered. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic-specific, varied vocabulary. | Adequate; some repetition. | Limited; some wrong word choices. | Very limited. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Range of structures, few errors. | Some errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors affect meaning. | Errors block understanding. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- My proposal has a title and headings.
- Each suggestion explains how it would work.
- I explained benefits and mentioned cost.
Teacher comment
Writadia · B2 · Proposals
Peer-review sheet: Proposal: Making Our School Greener
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| My proposal has a title and headings. | |||
| Each suggestion explains how it would work. | |||
| I explained benefits and mentioned cost. |
Questions
- Does the text cover every point in the task?
- Are there paragraphs? What is each one about?
- Write two linking words the writer used.
- Is there a sentence you had to read twice?
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
★ Another thing I liked
→ One suggestion
Writadia · B2 · Proposals
Lesson plan: Proposal: Making Our School Greener
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: council, affordable, reduce, compost, measure.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “The purpose of this proposal is to suggest ...”, “At present, ...”, “A large amount of ... is wasted every day.”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (180-220 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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If you used it, tell us. It helps us see which tasks work.