Sustainable Futures Together

Overview

Lesson 8 of 9 continues our unit, Exploring Australia and Indonesia, by comparing environmental challenges in both countries and proposing sustainable responses. Students build on earlier learning about where places are and how people’s lives connect across countries.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Identify two environmental challenges faced in Australia and Indonesia (for example, water, waste, coastal erosion, or air quality).
• Explain how these challenges affect people and places.
• Propose a realistic course of action focused on sustainable practices.
• Use simple criteria to judge how effective their proposed solutions might be.

Success criteria

Students can:

• Outline two challenges (one from each country or one shared challenge) using clear examples.
• Suggest a solution with at least two sustainable actions (what people could do).
• State the expected positive effect and one possible risk or limitation.
• Use class criteria to give and apply feedback to improve their proposal.

Curriculum links

• Humanities and Social Sciences — Geography: AC9HS6K04 (geographical diversity and location of places in the Asia region, and its location in relation to Australia).
• Humanities and Social Sciences — Civics & Citizenship/Geography skills: AC9HS6S06 (propose actions or responses to issues or challenges and use criteria to assess possible effects).
• Humanities and Social Sciences — Inquiry skills: AC9HS6S02 (locate, collect and organise information from primary and secondary sources in a range of formats).
• Optional link to Asia connections context: AC9HS6K05 (Australia’s interconnections with other countries and how these change people and places).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook (Picture–Think–Share). Teacher displays two “environmental challenge” images: one Australian (e.g. bushfire smoke or plastic waste) and one Indonesian (e.g. river pollution or flooding). Students record one thought and one question, then share in pairs.

2. 5–12 min · Mini lesson: Challenge to Solution. Teacher introduces a simple framework: Challenge → Why it happens → Who it affects → Sustainable actions → Possible effects (good and limited). Students annotate the framework on their worksheet using sentence stems.

3. 12–22 min · Guided investigation (case focus). Teacher groups students around two short case-study cards prepared by the teacher: one Australia and one Indonesia. Students identify:

• 1 key environmental challenge from the card,
• 2 cause/effect points (why it matters),
• 1 sustainable practice currently used or suggested. Teacher circulates with guided questions (e.g. “What part of the environment is affected?” “How would this change daily life?”).

4. 22–34 min · Plan proposals (criteria-based). Students create a “Sustainable Solutions” plan in a template:

• Choose 1 shared theme or match one Australia challenge to one Indonesia challenge.
• Write a proposed course of action with two sustainable actions.
• Predict effects using the class criteria: Clarity, Sustainability, Feasibility, Likely benefit, Possible limitation. Teacher checks that proposals use appropriate cause-and-effect language.

5. 34–41 min · Feedback round (2 stars and a wish). In pairs, students exchange plans and give feedback using the criteria. Each student revises one sentence to make their solution clearer or more sustainable.

6. 41–45 min · Exit ticket (quick assess). Students complete an exit ticket: “Two environmental challenges are… My solution would involve… This could help by… One limitation is…” Teacher collects for quick review.

Resources

• Prepared case-study cards (Australia and Indonesia), age-appropriate and teacher-written
• “Challenge to Solution” framework worksheet
• “Sustainable Solutions” template with criteria box
• Sentence starters (e.g. “This challenge affects… because…”, “A sustainable action is…”, “This could lead to…”)
• Coloured pencils/highlighters
• Pair feedback checklist (criteria + 2 stars and a wish)
• Projected images for hook

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observation during investigation (guided questions and misconceptions check)
• Formative: review of students’ case-study notes for accuracy of challenges and effects
• Summative-in-mini: exit ticket showing two challenges and a course of action with predicted effects

Differentiation

• Support (guided questions + sentence stems): provide partially completed templates (students only fill in key words/phrases for challenge, effect, and one solution).
• Support (visual scaffolds): include icons for challenge types (water, waste, air, land/coasts) and effect types (health, homes, jobs, wildlife).
• Extension (case study depth): offer an additional “deep think” prompt for advanced learners: “Which stakeholder would support this most, and which might resist? Why?” or “How could the solution be adapted to a different location within the country?”
• EAL/SEN considerations: allow students to use a mix of drawings and short phrases; provide a word bank (sustainability, reduce, reuse, recycle, conserve, protect, manage).
• Small group flexibility (given class of 4): teacher can work with one student for targeted prompting while the other pairs draft proposals.

Notes for teacher pacing (small class)

With only 4 students, treat pairs as two active learning dyads and rotate support: during investigation and proposal planning, spend extra time with the pair that needs it most, while the other pair progresses through the framework and template steps.