Activity 01
Jigsaw: SDG Interconnections
Divide the class into small groups, assigning each 2-3 SDGs to research, including economic implications and links to others. Groups create posters summarizing findings, then rotate in a gallery walk to teach peers and note connections. Conclude with a whole-class discussion on synergies.
Explain how economic growth can be reconciled with environmental sustainability.
Facilitation TipDuring the Jigsaw Puzzle, circulate and ask groups to explain one connection they discovered between their assigned SDGs, using their visual map as evidence.
What to look forPose the question: 'Imagine you are advising the CEO of a large mining company in Australia. Which three SDGs would be most critical for their business strategy, and why? What are the potential economic trade-offs involved in prioritizing these goals?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to justify their choices with economic reasoning.
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Activity 02
Debate Circle: Growth vs Sustainability
Form pairs to prepare arguments for or against statements like 'Economic growth always harms the environment.' Pairs join a whole-class debate circle, rotating speakers every 2 minutes. Vote and reflect on evidence from SDGs.
Analyze the interconnectedness of various Sustainable Development Goals.
Facilitation TipIn the Debate Circle, set a timer for each speaker and remind students to ground arguments in economic data or examples from SDG progress reports.
What to look forProvide students with a short case study about a fictional Australian business introducing a new product. Ask them to identify which SDG(s) the business is impacting positively or negatively, and to write one sentence explaining the economic reason for this impact. Collect and review responses for understanding of SDG connections.
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Activity 03
Data Tracker: Global SDG Progress
Provide UN SDG data sets. In small groups, students select 3-4 goals, chart progress trends over years, and identify economic challenges. Groups present findings with graphs and propose Australian policy responses.
Evaluate the progress and challenges in achieving the SDGs globally.
Facilitation TipFor the Data Tracker, provide pre-selected progress charts and ask groups to highlight one surprising trend before presenting their findings.
What to look forOn an exit ticket, ask students to list one SDG that they believe Australia is making good progress on and one where significant challenges remain. For each, they should write one sentence explaining a specific economic factor contributing to the progress or challenge.
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Activity 04
Role-Play: UN SDG Summit
Assign roles like government reps, business leaders, or NGOs. In small groups, negotiate priorities for SDG funding, considering economic trade-offs. Debrief on compromises and real-world parallels.
Explain how economic growth can be reconciled with environmental sustainability.
Facilitation TipDuring the Role-Play, assign clear roles with stakeholder briefs and prompt students to reference specific SDGs in their arguments.
What to look forPose the question: 'Imagine you are advising the CEO of a large mining company in Australia. Which three SDGs would be most critical for their business strategy, and why? What are the potential economic trade-offs involved in prioritizing these goals?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to justify their choices with economic reasoning.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teaching the SDGs requires balancing breadth and depth. Start with concrete economic examples from Australia—like the mining sector’s impact on SDG 8 and SDG 12—before expanding to global trade-offs. Avoid overwhelming students with all 17 goals; focus on 3-4 that intersect clearly. Research shows that role-play and data analysis deepen retention, while debates help students confront cognitive dissonance about growth versus sustainability.
Students will confidently articulate how SDGs intersect, debate economic trade-offs with evidence, analyze data to identify progress and challenges, and role-play stakeholder negotiations with nuanced understanding. Their work will show clear connections between economic decisions and global outcomes.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During the Jigsaw Puzzle activity, watch for students who assume the SDGs focus only on environmental issues.
During the Jigsaw Puzzle, have groups present a visual map of their assigned SDGs, requiring them to categorize each goal as economic, social, or environmental and explain connections to peers.
During the Data Tracker activity, students may believe achieving SDGs requires no economic trade-offs.
During the Data Tracker, ask groups to annotate progress charts with sticky notes identifying trade-offs, such as reduced short-term profits for long-term sustainability investments.
During the Role-Play activity, students might think individual actions have no impact on SDGs.
During the Role-Play, have students simulate a community meeting where each role’s choices (e.g., a consumer’s purchase, a CEO’s investment) visibly affect progress toward SDG 12 and SDG 8.
Methods used in this brief