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LESSON PLAN
The goal of this lesson plan is to connect and activate your students’ creative capacity to affect positive change in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs refer to the seventeen global goals adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. They are a universal call to action to end poverty, promote equity, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The hope is to achieve these goals by 2030, which means we must take urgent action. Students can get started now by taking the SIMA Challenge.
The SIMA Challenge can be completed either as a whole class or by several small groups within the class. The instructions below provide suggestions for both options.
BENEFITS:
This lesson plan aligns with Global Competency standards, including:
Global Competence Assessment – PISA
Global competence is the capacity to analyze global and intercultural issues critically and from multiple perspectives, to understand how differences affect perceptions, judgments, and ideas of self and others, and to engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions with others from different backgrounds on the basis of a shared respect for human dignity.
Knowledge
Skills
Attitudes
Global Competence – Asia Society, Center for Global Education
This lesson plan aligns with these Common Core Standards:
This lesson plan aligns with the International Baccalaureate focus and subjects.
International Baccalaureate Programme
The IB prepares students to succeed in a world where facts and fiction merge in the news, and where asking the right questions is a crucial skill that will allow them to flourish. The programs focus on teaching students to think critically and independently, and how to inquire with care and logic.
Middle Years Programme 11-16 years (MYP)
The MYP aims to develop active learners and internationally minded young people who can empathize with others and pursue lives of purpose and meaning. The programme empowers students to inquire into a wide range of issues and ideas of significance locally, nationally and globally. The result is young people who are creative, critical and reflective thinkers.
Subject groups:
Diploma Programme 16-19 years (DP)
The DP aims to make students aware of the interpretative nature of knowledge, including personal ideological biases. It offers students and their teachers the opportunity to:
Participation in this process develops the capacity to analyze, synthesize and evaluate knowledge.
Subject groups:
Career-related Programme 16-19 years (CP)
The CP enables students to:
Guide a discussion to explain and clarify the global role of the UN and the purpose of the SDGS.
Take a 5 minute KICK OFF SURVEY to get started:
For middle school students click here.
For college students and older click here.
Introduce SIMA Academy and explain that you will be using film to explore the SDGs, and inspire action. Watch this 8 minute compilation video #TeachSDGs addressing all 17 goals.
Display this SDG Poster depicting all 17 SDGs and ask students to make observations about them. Ask, what might the colors signify? How are the goals related to each other? How are they interconnected? Interdependent? Lead students to explore how we are currently addressing these goals or how we might address them going forward. This is a warm-up to get students thinking about the complexities of these global issues and to recognize that while they are not easily “solved,” we can have a positive impact on them.
Prepare students for a deep reflection on their concerns and passions by facilitating a group discussion addressing the following:
This lesson plan aligns with Global Competency standards, including:
Global Competence Assessment – PISA
Global competence is the capacity to analyze global and intercultural issues critically and from multiple perspectives, to understand how differences affect perceptions, judgments, and ideas of self and others, and to engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions with others from different backgrounds on the basis of a shared respect for human dignity.
Knowledge
Skills
Attitudes
Global Competence – Asia Society, Center for Global Education
This lesson plan aligns with these Common Core Standards:
This lesson plan aligns with the International Baccalaureate focus and subjects.
International Baccalaureate Programme
The IB prepares students to succeed in a world where facts and fiction merge in the news, and where asking the right questions is a crucial skill that will allow them to flourish. The programs focus on teaching students to think critically and independently, and how to inquire with care and logic.
Middle Years Programme 11-16 years (MYP)
The MYP aims to develop active learners and internationally minded young people who can empathize with others and pursue lives of purpose and meaning. The programme empowers students to inquire into a wide range of issues and ideas of significance locally, nationally and globally. The result is young people who are creative, critical and reflective thinkers.
Subject groups:
Diploma Programme 16-19 years (DP)
The DP aims to make students aware of the interpretative nature of knowledge, including personal ideological biases. It offers students and their teachers the opportunity to:
Participation in this process develops the capacity to analyze, synthesize and evaluate knowledge.
Subject groups:
Career-related Programme 16-19 years (CP)
The CP enables students to:
What are some positive aspects of your community or school that may not be widely recognized?
What are some challenges in your community or school that you believe should be addressed or improved?
What injustices or inequities have you observed or experienced that you believe warrant attention and reform?
What Global Goal is connected to the issue that should be changed?
The responses will help your students connect with the Sustainable Development Goal(s) that resonate most with them, understand how these goals manifest locally, and articulate the changes they wish to see in the world.
Ask your students to journal about which of the 17 SDGs speaks most to them and why. Use the prompt “Which Global Goal is important to me and why”.
If students choose more than one SDG, they should explore how the SDGs are interrelated. Ask them to identify the specific cause/theme they wish to focus on. For example, a student may feel particularly concerned about child poverty (SDG 1). They may recognize the relationship between child poverty, hunger, and malnutrition (SDG 2) and how this affects their access to quality education (SDG 4).
Prior to viewing the films, introduce the SIFT Worksheet. This is a graphic organizer designed to help students keep track of their reactions while viewing the films. While viewing the film, have students use the worksheet to note and record any physical SENSATIONS, evocative IMAGES, FEELINGS they experience, and THOUGHTS that arise. Be sure to provide one worksheet per film for each student.
In addition, ask your students to write down any thoughts and questions they had while watching the films.
Screen the film(s). After watching each film, allow time for students to discuss their reactions either as a class or in small groups.
Hint: This reflection is a critical step in learning from the film as it allows an opportunity for participants to make an emotional connection to the issues through the storytelling.
This lesson plan aligns with Global Competency standards, including:
Global Competence Assessment – PISA
Global competence is the capacity to analyze global and intercultural issues critically and from multiple perspectives, to understand how differences affect perceptions, judgments, and ideas of self and others, and to engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions with others from different backgrounds on the basis of a shared respect for human dignity.
Knowledge
Skills
Attitudes
Global Competence – Asia Society, Center for Global Education
This lesson plan aligns with these Common Core Standards:
This lesson plan aligns with the International Baccalaureate focus and subjects.
International Baccalaureate Programme
The IB prepares students to succeed in a world where facts and fiction merge in the news, and where asking the right questions is a crucial skill that will allow them to flourish. The programs focus on teaching students to think critically and independently, and how to inquire with care and logic.
Middle Years Programme 11-16 years (MYP)
The MYP aims to develop active learners and internationally minded young people who can empathize with others and pursue lives of purpose and meaning. The programme empowers students to inquire into a wide range of issues and ideas of significance locally, nationally and globally. The result is young people who are creative, critical and reflective thinkers.
Subject groups:
Diploma Programme 16-19 years (DP)
The DP aims to make students aware of the interpretative nature of knowledge, including personal ideological biases. It offers students and their teachers the opportunity to:
Participation in this process develops the capacity to analyze, synthesize and evaluate knowledge.
Subject groups:
Career-related Programme 16-19 years (CP)
The CP enables students to:
Model this "mind-mapping" exercise for students by writing the chosen SDG in the center of a large whiteboard or paper and circling it. Next, ask students to brainstorm what they have learned about the issue from the film(s). This may include other related SDGs, various stakeholders, and other elements that fit into the overall story. Write these impressions around the circled topic. Ask them to identify the causes of the problem. Add any suggested solutions to the map. Draw lines to connect related ideas.
Encourage students to step back and reflect on the topic's complexity, considering the range of impacts they've observed. Ask them to discuss how the mind map enhances or illuminates their previous understanding of the issue.
Hint:Allow this process to be messy, and help students draw connections as they brainstorm, thereby recognizing the complexities. If students are interested in a variety of SDGs, the above exercise may serve as a model, and they may repeat it in their groups, focusing on an SDG of their choice.
Provide students with the Impact Gaps Canvas (developed by Daniela Papi-Thornton) to help them explore the root causes of the selected topic, understand its significance to the people around them and the world at large, and identify any existing solutions that may already be in place.
Investigate the main contributors and causes of the problem:
Use the UN Sustainable Development Goals website for a global perspective. Click on the goal, then scroll to OVERVIEW (the first tab) to view the infographic issue on a global scale.
Identify two initiatives or ideas that contribute to the solution, and consider how you could support, raise awareness, amplify, or adopt those solutions through an action, initiative, or campaign in your own school or community. (See below for examples.)
Have your students form groups based on the SDG they selected and present their findings:
This lesson plan aligns with Global Competency standards, including:
Global Competence Assessment – PISA
Global competence is the capacity to analyze global and intercultural issues critically and from multiple perspectives, to understand how differences affect perceptions, judgments, and ideas of self and others, and to engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions with others from different backgrounds on the basis of a shared respect for human dignity.
Knowledge
Skills
Attitudes
Global Competence – Asia Society, Center for Global Education
This lesson plan aligns with these Common Core Standards:
This lesson plan aligns with the International Baccalaureate focus and subjects.
International Baccalaureate Programme
The IB prepares students to succeed in a world where facts and fiction merge in the news, and where asking the right questions is a crucial skill that will allow them to flourish. The programs focus on teaching students to think critically and independently, and how to inquire with care and logic.
Middle Years Programme 11-16 years (MYP)
The MYP aims to develop active learners and internationally minded young people who can empathize with others and pursue lives of purpose and meaning. The programme empowers students to inquire into a wide range of issues and ideas of significance locally, nationally and globally. The result is young people who are creative, critical and reflective thinkers.
Subject groups:
Diploma Programme 16-19 years (DP)
The DP aims to make students aware of the interpretative nature of knowledge, including personal ideological biases. It offers students and their teachers the opportunity to:
Participation in this process develops the capacity to analyze, synthesize and evaluate knowledge.
Subject groups:
Career-related Programme 16-19 years (CP)
The CP enables students to:
What have we learned about the root causes?
What solutions have we found that address the issue?
How could our project be a link to support that solution?
Based on their research and interests, ask students to form collaborative groups to create an impact campaign. Groups may address the same SDG in different ways, or they may work on different SDGs, depending on the teacher's learning goals. The impact campaigns should be inspired by the film's social issue and be both plausible and actionable within their own communities.
Example of a successful impact campaign: One group of students observed a great deal of waste in their community with an overflowing landfill. After watching E-WASTELAND, the students identified SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production and SDG 15: Life on land as the most relevant to the issue. Through discussions and research, they decided to make an impact by launching a campaign encouraging students to recycle their electronic devices. To achieve this, they created an informational resource to raise awareness and established e-waste recycling stations throughout their school and neighborhood.
Provide students with the Advocacy Campaign Brainstorming worksheet to help them brainstorm as a group, generating as many good ideas as possible. Students may narrow down their ideas by asking themselves:
This lesson plan aligns with Global Competency standards, including:
Global Competence Assessment – PISA
Global competence is the capacity to analyze global and intercultural issues critically and from multiple perspectives, to understand how differences affect perceptions, judgments, and ideas of self and others, and to engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions with others from different backgrounds on the basis of a shared respect for human dignity.
Knowledge
Skills
Attitudes
Global Competence – Asia Society, Center for Global Education
This lesson plan aligns with these Common Core Standards:
This lesson plan aligns with the International Baccalaureate focus and subjects.
International Baccalaureate Programme
The IB prepares students to succeed in a world where facts and fiction merge in the news, and where asking the right questions is a crucial skill that will allow them to flourish. The programs focus on teaching students to think critically and independently, and how to inquire with care and logic.
Middle Years Programme 11-16 years (MYP)
The MYP aims to develop active learners and internationally minded young people who can empathize with others and pursue lives of purpose and meaning. The programme empowers students to inquire into a wide range of issues and ideas of significance locally, nationally and globally. The result is young people who are creative, critical and reflective thinkers.
Subject groups:
Diploma Programme 16-19 years (DP)
The DP aims to make students aware of the interpretative nature of knowledge, including personal ideological biases. It offers students and their teachers the opportunity to:
Participation in this process develops the capacity to analyze, synthesize and evaluate knowledge.
Subject groups:
Career-related Programme 16-19 years (CP)
The CP enables students to:
What are the campaign's short-term and long-term objectives?
Who could serve as potential partners and allies? Which other stakeholders might be interested in achieving these goals?
Who is the target audience? Whom are they trying to reach or persuade to join and support their cause?
What strategies and tactics will they employ? What initiatives can they develop to engage and mobilize their target audience?
Provide students with the Advocacy Campaign/ Project Planning worksheet to guide them through an eight step planning process that will lead to success.
Ask students to present their campaigns to the class. Groups may evaluate each other’s campaigns, providing feedback to help maximize impact.
You are ready to execute your campaign and create your impact project. Afterwards, be sure to take time for Reflection and ask students about their role in executing the campaign, what they felt was challenging, what they are proud of, and what this experience has taught them about creating change in the future.
Take a 5’ wrap up SURVEY:
For middle school students click here.
For college students and older click here.
Last but not least: You are now eligible to apply to the SIMA Changemaker Award
Apply here. Applications close Februrary 10 every year, winners are announced March 21st. Rolling submissions!
The timeline for this lesson can range from three days to twelve weeks, depending on existing background knowledge and the extent of the impact campaign. We suggest that teachers allow ample time for research into the issue associated with the SDG and film topics before development and implementation of the campaign begins.
Note: Teachers may choose to guide the entire class in designing and implementing a single impact campaign together, or they may opt to create several small groups to tackle the challenge, with each group focusing on a different goal. The choice will depend on the available time and the objectives of the lesson.
Review the history and purpose of the Global Goals via the 2030 Agenda and Declaration: Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for background information, definitions, facts and indicators. Consider assigning this to students as background reading prior to the lesson.
You may wish to invite your students to work together to implement their campaign on a larger scale, perhaps permanently implementing the campaign at school, or expanding to other schools in their area. Students are encouraged to contact school principals or education administrators in their area to propose a plan for implementation.
Select 3-5 films from SIMA Library or from the curated SDGs SPOTLIGHT that match the topics you wish to explore with students. You may choose to select films on a variety of topics or focus on one topic that meets your particular learning goals.
