Lesson: Lake Baikal

A. Picture Discussion (Picture not provided)

Look at the picture and talk about it.

(Note: Please refer to the picture provided with your original lesson materials.)

B. Discussion

Work in pairs and ask and answer the following questions.

1. What do you think it is?
2. Where is it located?
3. Are you familiar with anything like this?

C. Reading

Lake Baikal: A Siberian Treasure

Lake Baikal is the deepest and one of the largest and most ancient lakes in the world. It is situated almost in the center of Asia. Lake Baikal is a gigantic bowl set 445 meters above sea level. This grand, enormous, unusual, and charming miracle of nature is located in southern Eastern Siberia, in the Buryat Autonomous Republic and the region of Irkutsk, Russia.

(Picture: A scenic view of Lake Baikal)

The lake covers 31,500 sq km. It is 636 km long and has an average width of 48 km. The widest point of the lake is 79.4 km. The water basin occupies 557,000 sq km and contains 23,000 cubic kilometers (cu km) of water, about one-fifth of the world’s reserves of fresh surface water.

The average water level in the lake never exceeds 456 meters. The average depth of Lake Baikal is 730 meters, and its maximum depth in the middle is 1,620 meters. It would take approximately one year for all the rivers in the world to fill Baikal’s basin, and it would take 400 years for all the rivers, streams, and brooks currently flowing into this Siberian lake-sea to do the same.

There are hot springs in the surrounding area of Lake Baikal. The quality of the water from these springs is excellent. The lake acts as a powerful generator and bio-filter, producing this water. Baikal is a stormy lake, and autumn is the stormiest time of year. The wind blows in various directions.

The weather depends on the wind. If it is blowing from the north, the weather is bright and sunny. The water of the lake looks green and dark blue. But if the winds strengthen, Baikal turns black, and waves rise high with white crests. The beauty of Lake Baikal is exceptional.

D. Vocabulary Matching

Match the words with their meanings:

| Words | Meanings | |--------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | miracle | a) a bowl-shaped depression filled with water | | basin | b) a small stream | | brook | c) the top | | crest | d) outstanding | | exceptional | e) an act believed to be caused by God |

E. Information Chart

Read the text in Section C again and complete the chart:

| Lake Baikal | Information | |-------------|----------------------------| | Location | | | Setting | | | Length | | | Width | | | Max. Depth | | | Area | | | Water | |

F. Attractive Features

Make a list of the attractive features of Lake Baikal.

G. Writing

Have you ever seen a lake or river that captivated you? If so, write about what aspects of the lake or river appealed to you. If not, visit a lake or river and write about your experience.