Lesson Plan
Sustainable Cities & Landforms
Students will be able to identify various landforms and explain their relevance to SDG Goal 11 by describing how different landforms influence sustainable urban planning and community development.
Understanding how our environment shapes our communities helps us create more resilient and sustainable places to live, addressing real-world challenges.
Audience
7th Grade Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, visual aids, and problem-solving scenarios.
Materials
Prep
Review Materials and Set Up
10 minutes
- Review the Sustainable Cities & Landforms Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content and teacher notes.
* Print copies of the Landform Connection Warm Up (one per student) if using physical copies.
* Prepare the classroom for group work for the City Builder Challenge Activity.
* Ensure projector or smartboard is ready for presentation.
* Review the Sustainable Solutions Discussion Guide prompts.
* Review the Landform Lightning Round Game rules and questions.
* Print copies of the Landform & SDG 11 Quiz (one per student) if using physical copies.
* Review all generated materials as needed.
Step 1
Warm Up: Landform Connection
5 minutes
- Distribute the Landform Connection Warm Up worksheet.
* Instruct students to write down as many landforms as they can think of in one minute.
* Then, ask them to choose one landform and write how it might affect a city built near it.
* Briefly discuss a few student responses to activate prior knowledge.
Step 2
Introduction: SDG 11 & Landforms
7 minutes
- Present the Sustainable Cities & Landforms Slide Deck.
* Begin with Slide 1 and introduce SDG Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
* Discuss how landforms are the natural 'canvas' upon which cities are built.
* Go through slides explaining various landforms and their potential impact on city development (e.g., mountains and transportation, coastal areas and sea-level rise).
Step 3
Activity: City Builder Challenge
10 minutes
- Divide students into small groups.
* Introduce the City Builder Challenge Activity.
* Each group receives a scenario with a specific landform (e.g., a valley, a peninsula, a desert).
* Groups brainstorm and present how they would design a sustainable city in that location, considering the challenges and opportunities presented by the landform and connecting to SDG 11 principles (e.g., green spaces, public transport, disaster resilience).
Step 4
Discussion: Sustainable Solutions
5 minutes
- Use the Sustainable Solutions Discussion Guide to facilitate a brief class discussion.
* Ask groups to share one key challenge and one sustainable solution from their City Builder Challenge Activity.
* Emphasize how thoughtful planning around landforms contributes to achieving SDG 11.
Step 5
Game: Landform Lightning Round
10 minutes
- Play the Landform Lightning Round Game.
* Quickly review landforms and their connection to SDG 11 in a fun, fast-paced format.
* Award points for correct answers to reinforce learning.
Step 6
Assessment: Landform & SDG 11 Quiz
3 minutes
- Distribute the Landform & SDG 11 Quiz.
* Students complete the quiz independently to assess their understanding of landforms and their relationship to SDG Goal 11.
* Collect quizzes for assessment.
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Slide Deck
Sustainable Cities & Landforms
Building on Nature's Canvas
How do the natural features of our Earth shape where and how we live?
Introduce the lesson by presenting the title slide. Ask students what they think 'Sustainable Cities' means and how 'Landforms' might play a role. Emphasize that cities aren't built in a vacuum, but on existing natural landscapes.
What is SDG Goal 11?
Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Goal: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
- Why? Most of the world's population lives in cities. How we build and manage them impacts everyone.
- Key Idea: It's about living in harmony with our environment.
Explain SDG Goal 11 in simple terms: making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Ask students to brainstorm what aspects make a city 'sustainable.' Connect this to their own experiences.
Landforms: Nature's Foundation
What are Landforms?
- Natural features of the Earth's surface.
- They include mountains, valleys, plains, plateaus, coastlines, islands, rivers, and more.
- Think: How might building a city on a mountain be different from building it on a flat plain?
Define landforms. Provide a few examples and ask students to name some they know. This reinforces the warm-up activity and sets the stage for discussing specific landform impacts.
Mountains & Valleys
Challenges and Opportunities
- Mountains:
- Challenges: Difficult transportation, limited flat land for building, risk of landslides.
- Opportunities: Hydroelectric power, tourism, unique biodiversity.
- Valleys:
- Challenges: Flood risk, air pollution trapping.
- Opportunities: Fertile land for agriculture, natural sheltered areas.
Discuss mountains and valleys. Highlight challenges like transportation and limited space, and opportunities like hydropower or natural beauty. Ask: 'What kind of sustainable solutions would you need for a city in the mountains?'
Plains & Plateaus
Open Spaces for Development
- Plains:
- Characteristics: Large areas of flat or gently rolling land.
- Impact on Cities: Ideal for agriculture, easy to build large cities and transportation networks.
- Challenges: Water drainage, lack of natural defenses, potential for urban sprawl.
- Plateaus:
- Characteristics: Flat-topped elevated landforms.
- Impact on Cities: Good for defense, unique ecosystems.
- Challenges: Access can be difficult, water scarcity at higher elevations.
Discuss plains and plateaus. Emphasize their suitability for large-scale development but also potential issues like water management or lack of natural barriers. Ask: 'How can we make a city on a flat plain more sustainable?'
Coasts & Islands
Water's Edge Communities
- Coastal Areas:
- Challenges: Sea-level rise, storm surges, erosion, overdevelopment.
- Opportunities: Ports for trade, tourism, unique marine ecosystems.
- Islands:
- Challenges: Limited resources, isolation, vulnerability to natural disasters.
- Opportunities: Unique cultures, biodiversity, renewable energy potential.
Focus on coastal areas and islands. Discuss the immediate connection to climate change (sea-level rise) and the benefits of port cities. Ask: 'What sustainable practices are crucial for coastal cities?'
Landforms & SDG 11: A Partnership
Building with Nature, Not Against It
- Every landform offers unique advantages and disadvantages for sustainable development.
- Key to SDG 11: Understanding and adapting to our natural environment.
- Thoughtful urban planning can turn challenges into opportunities for sustainable living.
Summarize how each landform presents unique challenges and opportunities for achieving SDG 11. Emphasize that careful planning is key. Transition to the activity by explaining that students will now apply this knowledge.
Warm Up
Landform Connection Warm Up
Instructions:
- Take one minute to write down as many different landforms as you can think of in the space below.
- Choose one landform from your list. How do you think this landform might affect a city that is built near it? Consider both challenges and opportunities.
Activity
City Builder Challenge
Goal: Design a sustainable city in a given landform, connecting your ideas to SDG Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Instructions:
-
Your group has been assigned one of the following landforms:
- Scenario A: A mountainous region with a river running through a narrow valley.
- Scenario B: A wide, flat plain near a major ocean coastline.
- Scenario C: A group of small islands with limited freshwater resources.
- Scenario D: A high plateau surrounded by dry, arid lands.
(Teacher will assign your group's scenario)
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Discuss within your group: What are the main challenges and opportunities this landform presents for building a city?
-
Brainstorm sustainable solutions for your city, keeping SDG 11 in mind. Think about:
- How will people get around (transportation)?
- How will you provide clean water and energy?
- How will you manage waste?
- How will you protect natural spaces and wildlife?
- How will you make the city resilient to natural disasters?
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On a separate sheet or whiteboard, sketch a basic layout of your sustainable city, labeling key features and explaining how they address the challenges and leverage the opportunities of your landform, all while promoting sustainability.
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Be ready to share your design and explain your choices to the class!