Exploring Our World: Global Connections and Local Landscapes · 5th Class

Active learning ideas

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Introduction

Active learning works because the SDGs are complex but concrete. When students move, discuss, and create, they connect abstract goals to their own lives. Movement and collaboration help learners see the SDGs as actionable, not just distant ideas.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Environmental awareness and care
• NCCA: Primary - People and other lands

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 45 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: SDG Posters

Assign small groups one SDG; they research and create posters with icons, facts, and images. Groups place posters around the room. Students rotate through the gallery, noting links to other goals and jotting questions. End with whole-class share-out.

Explain the purpose and scope of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, position yourself at a midpoint to overhear conversations and gently redirect any off-topic comments with questions like, 'How does this poster connect to our school or town?'

What to look for

On a small card, students will write the number and title of one SDG. Then, they will write one sentence explaining why this goal is important and one sentence describing how it connects to another SDG.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Concept Mapping
• 30 min · Pairs

Interconnection Web: Goal Links

In pairs, students list their assigned SDGs on paper. They draw lines between goals with examples of connections, like clean water aiding health. Pairs add to a class web on the board, discussing predictions for global change.

Analyze the interconnectedness of different SDGs.

Facilitation Tip

For the Interconnection Web, provide colored yarn or markers so pairs can visually trace links and avoid tangled lines that obscure relationships.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If we achieve SDG 4 (Quality Education), how might this help us achieve SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)?' Allow students to share their ideas and encourage them to build on each other's responses.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Concept Mapping
• 50 min · Small Groups

Action Plans: School SDG Steps

Whole class brainstorms school actions for selected SDGs, such as recycling for responsible consumption. Groups draft plans with steps, timelines, and roles. Present and vote on top ideas to implement.

Predict how achieving the SDGs could transform global societies.

Facilitation Tip

When students draft Action Plans, circulate with a checklist of local partners (e.g., Tidy Towns, local businesses) to challenge groups to name specific community links.

What to look for

Present students with 3-4 images representing different global issues (e.g., a child in school, a clean water tap, a solar panel). Ask students to write down which SDG each image represents and briefly explain their choice.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Concept Mapping
• 35 min · Pairs

Prediction Skits: SDG Futures

Individuals or pairs prepare 1-minute skits showing life in 2030 if SDGs succeed, focusing on changes like equal education access. Perform for class, then reflect on key transformations.

Explain the purpose and scope of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

What to look for

On a small card, students will write the number and title of one SDG. Then, they will write one sentence explaining why this goal is important and one sentence describing how it connects to another SDG.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with what students know by asking them to list challenges in their community, then map these to the SDG icons. Avoid overwhelming them with all 17 goals at once; instead, focus on 3-4 goals per lesson and revisit connections. Research shows systems thinking grows when students repeatedly map relationships over time, so revisit the Interconnection Web weekly with new examples.

Successful learning looks like students explaining connections between goals, identifying local links to global targets, and proposing simple actions. They should confidently discuss how small changes contribute to larger aims.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Gallery Walk, watch for students saying SDGs only matter for poor countries.

  Redirect groups by pointing to local examples on posters, such as Irish wind farms for SDG 7 or Tidy Towns projects for SDG 15, and ask, 'How does this goal affect our community?' Have students add local examples to the posters in a different color.

• During the Interconnection Web, watch for students treating goals as separate targets.

  Prompt pairs to trace yarn between goals and ask, 'What happens if we improve SDG 4? How does that affect SDG 2 or SDG 5?' Write student responses directly on the web to make links visible.

• During the Action Plans activity, watch for students believing only governments can achieve SDGs.

  Challenge groups to identify one action the class could take together, such as a 'Green Week' to reduce waste, and ask them to present how this small step contributes to a larger goal.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Concept Mapping