Geography · JC 2

Active learning ideas

Addressing Urban Slums and Squatter Settlements

Active learning works well for this topic because students often grapple with the distinction between natural variability and human influence on climate change. Hands-on activities transform abstract data into tangible experiences, helping learners visualize how small human actions accumulate to drive large-scale changes over time.

• MOE Syllabus Outcomes
• H2 Geography Syllabus Theme 3: Sustainable Development
• Learning Outcome 3.1: Urban Slums

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Natural vs Human Causes

Divide class into expert groups: one on natural causes, one on human emissions, one on deforestation. Each group prepares a 3-minute summary with evidence from graphs or articles. Regroup into mixed teams for jigsaw sharing and synthesis poster.

Why do slums and squatter settlements form?

Facilitation Tip

For the Jigsaw activity, assign each expert group a specific cause card and provide a 2-minute timer for them to master their content before teaching peers.

What to look for

Present students with a list of 10 climate change factors (e.g., volcanic eruption, burning fossil fuels, solar flares, deforestation, methane from livestock, orbital changes, industrial emissions, forest fires, ocean currents, cloud cover). Ask them to categorize each as primarily 'Natural' or 'Human' and provide a one-sentence justification for two of their choices.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Hot Seat
• 40 min · Small Groups

Carbon Emission Role-Play

Assign roles like factory owner, farmer, commuter. Groups calculate emissions from their activity using online calculators, then negotiate reductions in a simulated conference. Present compromises to class.

What are the daily challenges faced by slum dwellers?

Facilitation Tip

During the Carbon Emission Role-Play, give each student a role card with clear instructions on how they contribute to emissions, ensuring everyone participates.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Which is the more significant driver of current climate change: natural variability or human activities?'. Encourage students to cite specific evidence and data discussed in class to support their arguments, focusing on the relative impact and timescale of each cause.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Hot Seat
• 35 min · Pairs

Deforestation Impact Model

Provide trays with soil, plants, and CO2 indicators. Groups remove vegetation to simulate clearing, measure 'released' gas proxies, and compare to intact forest models. Discuss global implications.

How effective are slum upgrading and relocation programs?

Facilitation Tip

In the Deforestation Impact Model, have students measure gas release in milliliters to make the abstract concept of carbon emissions concrete.

What to look for

Ask students to write down two distinct human activities that contribute to climate change and, for each activity, name one specific greenhouse gas released. Then, have them briefly explain why deforestation exacerbates global warming.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 45 min · Individual

Emission Timeline Gallery Walk

Students plot key events on timelines: natural events like Pinatubo eruption, human milestones like Industrial Revolution. Walk gallery, annotate with cause-effect links, vote on biggest contributors.

Why do slums and squatter settlements form?

Facilitation Tip

For the Emission Timeline Gallery Walk, place key data points at eye level and provide sticky notes for students to annotate with questions or connections.

What to look for

Present students with a list of 10 climate change factors (e.g., volcanic eruption, burning fossil fuels, solar flares, deforestation, methane from livestock, orbital changes, industrial emissions, forest fires, ocean currents, cloud cover). Ask them to categorize each as primarily 'Natural' or 'Human' and provide a one-sentence justification for two of their choices.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by balancing direct instruction with active inquiry. Start with a clear overview of natural and human causes, then use activities to let students explore data and scenarios. Avoid overwhelming students with too many factors at once; instead, focus on depth over breadth. Research shows that students retain concepts better when they can see cause-and-effect relationships through modeling and debate.

Successful learning looks like students confidently distinguishing natural and human causes of climate change, quantifying their relative impacts, and explaining how specific activities contribute to warming. They should connect local actions to global outcomes and justify their reasoning with evidence from data and models.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Jigsaw: Natural vs Human Causes activity, watch for students assuming all climate change drivers are human-caused.

  Use the expert group discussions to highlight natural causes like Milankovitch cycles and volcanic eruptions, then have students compare their relative impacts using the data provided.

• During the Deforestation Impact Model activity, watch for students thinking deforestation only affects local weather patterns.

  Have students measure gas release in the model and link it to global warming data from the Carbon Emission Role-Play, emphasizing how local actions scale up.

• During the Carbon Emission Role-Play activity, watch for students assuming all greenhouse gases have the same warming effect.

  Provide potency charts during the debrief and ask students to adjust their roles to reflect methane’s greater short-term impact, using the gas potency data from the Emission Timeline Gallery Walk.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Hot Seat
• Gallery Walk