Activity 01
Gallery Walk: SDG Profiles
Print posters for 6-8 SDGs with images, stats, and challenges. Students walk the gallery in groups, noting geographic connections on sticky notes. Regroup to share findings and vote on most relevant local goal.
Analyze how the Sustainable Development Goals address interconnected global challenges.
Facilitation TipDuring the Gallery Walk, position yourself at key stations to listen for connections students make between SDG profiles and real-world regions.
What to look forProvide students with a list of 5 SDGs. Ask them to choose two and write one sentence for each explaining a geographic factor that makes achieving that goal a challenge in a specific region of the world.
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Activity 02
Mapping Activity: Global SDG Hotspots
Provide world maps marked with SDG indicators like poverty rates or CO2 emissions. Pairs shade regions, discuss patterns, and propose one geographic solution per goal. Share via class slideshow.
Explain the role of geographic understanding in achieving the SDGs.
Facilitation TipFor the Mapping Activity, provide colored pencils and a legend template so students visually distinguish SDG hotspots by issue type.
What to look forFacilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'How might a lack of access to clean water (SDG 6) in one country affect economic opportunities (SDG 8) in another country, and what geographic connections can we identify?'
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Activity 03
Local Project Pitch: SDG Action Plan
Individuals or pairs select one SDG, research Ontario links, and design a school or community project with steps, budget, and map. Pitch to class for feedback and vote on top ideas.
Design a local project that contributes to one of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Facilitation TipIn the Local Project Pitch, circulate with a clipboard to note which students rely on emotional appeals versus data-driven solutions.
What to look forPresent students with a world map highlighting areas with high rates of deforestation. Ask them to identify which SDG is most directly impacted and explain one geographic reason for the deforestation in that specific region.
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Activity 04
Jigsaw: SDG Interconnections
Assign groups one SDG to research deeply, including geographic factors. Experts teach home groups, then map how goals link, like Goal 13 (climate) to Goal 2 (hunger).
Analyze how the Sustainable Development Goals address interconnected global challenges.
Facilitation TipIn Jigsaw Expert Groups, assign roles like 'Geographic Reasoner' or 'Solution Designer' to ensure all students contribute meaningfully.
What to look forProvide students with a list of 5 SDGs. Ask them to choose two and write one sentence for each explaining a geographic factor that makes achieving that goal a challenge in a specific region of the world.
UnderstandAnalyzeEvaluateRelationship SkillsSelf-Management
Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Experienced teachers approach SDGs by grounding abstract goals in concrete places students can visualize and discuss. Avoid starting with definitions—instead, let students uncover patterns through data and storytelling first. Research shows systems thinking grows when students repeatedly trace connections, so use activities that require them to link causes, effects, and solutions across scales. Modeling curiosity, such as asking 'What else is happening in this region?' helps students see complexity without feeling overwhelmed.
Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how geography shapes SDG progress, connecting local actions to global patterns, and designing feasible solutions. By the end, they should view SDGs as interconnected systems rather than isolated targets, using evidence from maps, data, and real-world examples to support their ideas.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During the Gallery Walk: SDG Profiles, watch for students who assume SDGs only apply to developing countries. Redirect by asking them to find examples of SDG challenges in Canada on the profiles and share with the group.
During the Gallery Walk, have students highlight on each profile one geographic factor (e.g., climate, population density) that shows how Canada or another developed country faces the same SDG challenge. Ask groups to present one example to the class.
During the Jigsaw Expert Groups: SDG Interconnections, watch for students who treat SDGs as separate issues. Redirect by asking them to trace how their assigned goal connects to at least two others using the group’s poster paper.
During the Jigsaw, provide each group with a large sheet divided into four sections labeled 'Goal A,' 'Goal B,' 'Goal C,' and 'Connections.' Require students to draw arrows showing how their goal links to the others and write one geographic reason for each connection.
During the Local Project Pitch: SDG Action Plan, watch for students who claim individuals cannot contribute to SDGs. Redirect by asking them to research and include one local organization’s role in advancing an SDG in their pitch.
During the pitch preparation, give students 10 minutes to look up one local group (e.g., a food bank for SDG 2) and describe how its work connects to a specific SDG. Have them cite this in their two-minute presentation to reframe individual agency.
Methods used in this brief