Sustainable cities
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how cities can be made more sustainable.
Key learning points
- Sustainable cities prioritise environmental and social well-being.
- Renewable energy reduces a city's carbon footprint.
- Sustainable transport reduces emissions and congestion.
- Green spaces improve urban health, climate resilience, and enrich society.
- Urban waste management is more sustainable if more people reduce, reuse and recycle.
Keywords
Sustainability - meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Carbon footprint - a measure of the total amount of greenhouse gases that are released as a result of our actions
Green space - parks, trees and nature in cities
Common misconception
Sustainability is only about protecting the environment.
Sustainability also includes improving people’s lives and meeting their needs fairly.
Teacher tip
Emphasise that small actions, like using public transport or recycling, are part of wider sustainable city strategies. This helps students feel their actions matter.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to their definitions:
related to towns or cities
number of people living in a certain area
facilities provided for people's needs (e.g. schools, hospitals)
area where people live
Q2.Cities often have a high population .
Q3.Which of these is an example of a service in a city?
Q4.What is a residential area in a city?
Q5.Which of these statements is true about cities?
Q6.Which of these is a challenge of city life?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to their definitions:
meeting today's needs without harming the future
total greenhouse gases released by actions
parks, trees and nature in urban areas
Q2.Which of the following is a benefit of green space in cities?
Q3.Why is sustainability important in cities?
Q4.Some people believe sustainability is only about the environment. Which of these shows a fuller understanding?
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: Sustainable cities, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: Sustainable cities, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 geography lessons from the Cities: What are they like to live in? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.