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Lesson Plans

Activity 1

How to achieve the SDGs

Total Duration of the module

Number of Participants

6 Hours and 20 minutes

Learning Goals:

By engaging in this activity, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how their business or community can actively contribute to achieving the SDGs. They will also be encouraged to think creatively and critically about how they can integrate sustainable practices into their daily operations, ultimately fostering a more sustainable future for all.

Topic:

  1. Icebreaking/ teambuilding exercise: SDG Shuffle: After dividing participants into groups, assign each group one of the 17 SDGs. Ask them to think of a clever way to use a short play, song, or dance to symbolise their assigned goal. After each group's performance, discuss how each group's performance relates to the goal and its significance.
  2. Main Content of the Lesson with the Procedure and Methodology of the module: The title of the activity is “How to achieve the SDGs”, it is expected to last around 60 minutes and aims to encourage participants to understand the role of their company or community in achieving the SDGs. It also encourages creative and critical thinking about how to integrate sustainable practices into daily operations.
  3. Evaluation: The assessment is made up of open-ended and multiple-choice questions.

Time

60 minutes

Learning objectives

Identify the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and their relevance to sustainable development.

Apply sustainability principles in response to real-world sustainability challenges.

Content / Methodology/Evaluation

Introduction:

Begin a stimulating discussion about the world's most pressing challenges and the role of individuals, businesses and governments in addressing them. Encourage participants to share their perspectives and insights.

Main Content:

Explain the idea of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their importance in providing a global agenda for sustainable development. Present the 17 related goals and their underlying themes using visual aids.

Divide participants into groups of four to six people. Establish a varied distribution of goals by assigning a specific set of SDGs to each category. Give each group index cards or sticky notes and instruct them to use the materials or internet resources to research the goals they have been given.

Assign each group the task of translating their identified SDGs into a visual format. They can use the index cards to create a mental map outlining the key issues, barriers and potential solutions associated with their goals.

Group Activities:

Bring the groups back together and organise a roundtable discussion where each group presents their SDGs maps to the whole group. Facilitate a lively exchange of ideas by asking each group to explain their visual representation and highlight the challenges and potential solutions related to their assigned goals.

Discussion:

Encourage participants to reflect on how they can advocate and implement the SDGs in their personal lives, communities and professional spheres.

Methodology:

Debate: Encourage participants to actively share their thoughts and engage in a civil exchange of ideas by encouraging thought-provoking dialogue.

Peer-to-peer learning: Use group activities and collaborative initiatives to facilitate information sharing and a shared understanding of the SDGs.

Action-oriented learning: Foster a sense of ownership and responsibility among participants by encouraging them to create personal action plans and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Evaluation:

To ensure effective knowledge transfer, allow time for debriefing at the end of the session, focusing on participant's ability to provide definitions and link the session topics to real-life examples.

Questions for evaluation:

  1. Identify the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and explain their interrelatedness.
  2. Discuss a specific challenge and opportunity related to each of the SDGs.
  3. Analyse a real-world scenario and apply the SDGs to evaluate decisions and propose solutions to it?
  4. Develop a personal action plan to contribute to the achievement of some of the SDGs.
  5. Which of the following represents the most direct impact of SDG 14, Life Below Water, on human well-being?
    1. The abundance of fish species available for human consumption
    2. The health of marine ecosystems, which regulate the Earth's climate
    3. The prevalence of sustainable fishing practices

The development of new technologies for ocean exploration

Material / Tools / Equipment

Whiteboard or projector

Markers or pens

Index cards or sticky notes

Computer

Comments

During the activity, participants will have the opportunity to engage in interactive discussions and practical exercises that will deepen their understanding of the SDGs. Using the information shared in Module 1.1, participants will gain valuable insights into the importance and implementation of these global goals.

References:

www.sdgs.un.org/goals