Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes – Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge – OPTIONAL
20 minutes – Part B: Concerns For The Future – Barometer Activity
15 minutes – Part C: Thinking About The Solutions
25 minutes – Reflection

Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge – OPTIONAL

Step 1.

Explain to students that in this lesson they will be watching clips from the 2040 documentary. This documentary explores what the future would look like by the year 2040 if we simply embraced the best solutions already available to us to improve our planet and shifted them into the mainstream. Assist students in clarifying key concepts discussed in the film by inviting them to complete the following activity, or move onto to Part B if students are already familiar with these concepts.

Break the class into pairs and invite each pair to participate in a THINK PAIR SHARE activity to discuss and develop definitions for the following terms (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Climate change
Greenhouse gas
Carbon dioxide
Carbon sequestration
Sustainability

Think Pair Share
Think pair share is a collaborative learning strategy in which students work together to solve a problem or answer a question.
Think - students independently think about an issue or question and record their thoughts.
Pair - students work in pairs to discuss their ideas and record new thoughts.
Share - students share their thoughts with the whole group or with other pairs to reach consensus.

Students can conduct research on the internet to help create their own definitions. Students can use the table on the Student Worksheet to guide them through the THINK PAIR SHARE process. Remind students of the Search Strategies for Googling when working online.

You could assign students with one or more of the terms to define, depending on age, ability and time available.

Step 2.

Once complete, you can invite pairs of students to share their ideas with the class. Use the following definitions to clarify the concepts:

Climate change – Suggested definition: Climate change is a change in the pattern of weather, and related changes in oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets, occurring over time scales of decades or longer.
Greenhouse gas – Suggested definition: A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect.
Carbon dioxide – Suggested definition: Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is generally a minor, yet very important, component of the atmosphere. CO₂ is released through natural processes like respiration and volcano eruptions, but also through human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuels. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, humans have increased atmospheric CO₂ concentration by more than a third.
Carbon sequestration – Suggested definition: Carbon sequestration is a natural or artificial process where CO₂ is removed from the atmosphere and held in solid or liquid form, such as in forests, in the soil or in the sea.
Sustainability – Suggested definition: Sustainability is about making sure there are enough resources for our environment and for everyone on Earth, both now and in the future.

For more information about climate change, the greenhouse effect and global warming, access the Climate Change Factsheet.

Part B: Concerns For The Future – Barometer Activity

Step 1.

Begin by watching one of the following clips from the 2040 documentary with students. Explain to students that this documentary explores what the future would look like by the year 2040 if we simply embraced the best solutions already available to us to improve our planet and shifted them into the mainstream.

As they watch one of the clips below, invite students to record anything they find interesting or important:

2040 - Official Trailer Password: 2040_EDU

2040 - Exploring the Themes Password: 2040_EDU

Once complete, engage students in a class discussion about their thoughts in response to this clip. Consider using the following questions in your discussion:

What happened in this clip? What was this clip about?
What did you find interesting or important about this clip?
How does this clip make you feel?
What does this clip make you think about?
What does it make you wonder?

Step 2.

You can then invite students to participate in a barometer activity with the aim of helping them to identify their feelings about the future.

You could use these AGREE/DISAGREE signs for this activity.

Read the following statements one at a time and invite students to position themselves along the line in response to each statement. Explain to students that it is likely that there will be a wide range of responses to these; therefore, it is important to remember your classroom guidelines for discussions. Once students have settled into position, invite student volunteers to share why they have chosen their position.

I often think about the future.
I know what the future might look like.
I am hopeful about the future.
I am concerned about the future. (In response to this final statement, you should also invite students to share what they are concerned about, reminding students that others will have different concerns and that this is ok; all concerns are important and valid. The concern may include things like biodiversity loss, finishing school, making money, having and keeping friends, getting a job, playing sports, climate change, mental health issues, etc.)

Work with students to group concerns generated in the final statement into categories, such as the environment, family, friends, education, work, health, etc. Record these categories on the board.

Part C: Thinking About The Solutions

Step 1.

Referring to the categories of concerns recorded on the board, explain to students that they will now work in groups to brainstorm some solutions to the concerns they have identified by creating a group mind-map. Explain that students don’t need to develop a detailed plan for the solution; instead, the aim is for them to explore any ideas that could help address their concerns as well as listing some solutions that already exist.

Break the class into five or six groups and assign one of the categories of concern raised by the class in the previous activity. Alternatively, invite students to form groups based on the concern that is most important or interesting to them.

Give each group a piece of butcher’s paper and some markers. Each group should write the category of concern they are focusing on in the middle of their butcher’s paper. Groups should then be given five to ten minutes to share and discuss ideas for addressing their concern and adding these ideas to the paper to make a mind-map. Remind students of your classroom guidelines for discussion. You should also encourage students to be inspired by the suggestions of other students in their groups and to build upon these ideas in their mind-map.

Step 2.

Once complete, invite groups to share some of their favourite ideas generated in the mind-map with the class through a class discussion.

Keep a record of student mind-maps – these can be referred to if you are planning on completing further lessons in the 2040 curriculum unit.

Explain to students that the filmmaker of the 2020 documentary - Damon Gameau - followed a process similar to the mind-mapping activity students just completed when he was looking to create his movie. However, instead of trying to create solutions to the concerns he was having about the future - particularly concerns about the environment - he decided to look for the solutions that already existed for these concerns. And he found them.

Reflection

Explain to students that they will be selecting one thing they personally are concerned about for the future and thinking about why this is a concern and what might be the solution.Students can create either:

A written piece.
An image or graphic.
An audio or video recording.

Alternatively, students could work from this worksheet, Concerns and Solutions.

In their piece they need to answer the following:

What is my concern?
Why is this a concern for me?
What is one possible solution?
Who is responsible for this solution and why?

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

What's Your 2040?

Record your students' work in their communities with the hashtag #whatsyour2040 and share their visions in the '2040: The Regeneration' Facebook Group.

The 2040 crew would love to see your class's work.

2040 - Tuning In to the Documentary (Primary)

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