The following lesson plan was devised in the context of the European Mobility Week which is an annual campaign on sustainable urban mobility connected to SDG11 which refers to Sustainable cities and communities.
It is known that half of the world's population now live in urban areas. It is estimated that by 2050, that figure will have risen to 6,5 billion people. The rapid growth of cities involves major investment in public transport, creating green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management in a way that is both participatory and inclusive. (https://www.undp.org)
Education is one of the most powerful vehicles for sustainable development. What follows is an attempt to involve our 6th grade students in a project that would familiarise them with the global goals on the one hand and the European Mobility Week Actions on the other, using the English language.
The Lesson Plan
Lesson topic: European Mobility Week- 'Sharing gets you further '.
Class: 6th grade of primary school - CEFR level A2+
No of students: 21
No of sessions: 3
Type of approach: The Communicative Approach
Pedagogical orientation: Hands on, experiential learning, cross-curricular teaching
Main objectives: By the end of the sessions students are expected to 1.have seen deeper into the importance of the SDGs as well as to their relevance to our everyday life 2.to have had a sense of belonging to the broad 'global' family 3.to have been introduced to vocabulary relevant to urban mobility and various forms of transportation 4.to have used new ideas about urban sustainable mobility into writing proposals in the context of 'clean, shared and intelligent mobility ' 5.to have worked together in groups negotiating, reading, writing and drawing.
Primary skills involved: Speaking, listening, reading, writing
Secondary skills involved: Drawing
School subjects involved: English, Environmental Studies
Materials/Resources: Introductory video about the SDGs (http://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/) and reading materials taken and devised from (www.mobilityweek.eu/mobility-actions) and (www.mobilityweek.eu)
Warm up and Pre-viewing stage
Aim: To cater for a conceptual bridge between the Ss background knowledge and the theme of the lessons
To brainstorm and introduce relevant content schemata
Procedure
Step 1
1. Ask Ss if they have ever heard about Sustainable Development Goals
2. Write it on board
3. Possible questions: 'What can they be?', ' Can you figure it out by looking at each word separately?'
4. Discuss and accept all viewpoints at this stage
5. Now, tell Ss that they are going to be watching a video about the global goals.
6. Tell Ss that they need to answer the following global question while watching:
'What do we all need to live?' ( clean water, fresh air and healthy food)
While-watching
Aim: To further enhance understanding of the SDGs
To discuss the three main pillars of the SDG agenda, that is its economic, social and environmental aspects
Procedure
Step 1
1. Check answers.
2. Tell Ss that they will be watching again to answer two more questions:
'What problems arise from the way we live?' (climate change, inequality, poverty)
'So, what's the plan?' (the 17 goals to protect the planet against climate change and make the world safer, fairer and more just for everyone)
Step 2
1. Check answers
2. Discuss the newly aquired knowlegde
The Reading and Writing stage of the lesson
Step 1
1. Now, tell the Ss that they are going to deal with the SDG11 which refers to Sustainable cities and communities
2. Inform Ss about the European Mobility Week which is a campaign to introduce and promote sustainable transport measures and to invite people to try out alternatives to car use
3. Tell them that they are going to produce a poster about 'clean, shared, and intelligent mobility'. This poster will be displayed at the Municipal Amphitheatre during the European Mobility Week Actions put forward by the Municipality of Xanthi in the following week.
4. So, T asks what kind of ideas and vocabulary Ss can come up with in relation to these three pillars (clean, shared, intelligent)
5. T draws 3 columns to jot down vocabulary and ideas as a class. For Ss to jot down too, you may distribute a network tree organiser so that all contributions are neatly recorded.
6.You might come up with something like this:
Shared mobility: sharing, not owning, reach a destination at a smaller individual cost, sharing cars/bikes, using taxis and booking platforms, choose these modes over driving privately, use a car sharing fleet likely to consist of electric, natural gas or hydrogen.
Clean mobility: walking, cycling, be in favor of active modes, use public transport, demand that cars, buses, taxis that remain on the road become cleaner with the help of technology or through the use of alternative fuels
Intelligent mobility: use of ICT needed, make intelligent transport systems, provide real time travel information, traffic management, electronic pricing
Step 2
1. The teacher divides the class in 4 groups of 5 (+1)
2. The groups take 4 different readings each focusing on : a.what the European Mobility Week is about b.shared mobility, c.clean mobility, d.intelligent mobility
3. T tells the Ss that they need to : a.come up with a definition of what each theme mean and is b.come up with a piece of information that enhances/illustrates each theme's meaning or a fact that relates to the theme in question
Step 3
1. T moves around the class offering help and guidance where needed
2. When all groups have written their lines, a representative presents to the class.
3. Then, T tells Ss that they have to re-write their lines on a piece of paper, draw a picture related to their theme using the graphics of the European campaign and complete their project.
Step 4
1. T and Ss compile all group projects and write/draw a closing remark taken by Dr. Seuss "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not".