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LESSON 12: Taking on Population Challenges

SUPPORTING QUESTION

How can communities respond to the challenges created by population growth?

FOCUS SKILL(S)

Contextualization

Evaluating Arguments

MATERIALS

STUDENT

Do First Options

Printed Student Materials

Access to Inquiry Journal (Already handed out in Lesson 1)

DO FIRST

Option 1- Frayer: Biodiversity

Option 2- Scenario Response

TEACHER ACTIONS

  1. Select “Do First” option
  2. Play “Song of the Unit” or alternative
  3. Provide students with visual, online, or print access to “Do First”

STUDENT ACTIONS

  1. Complete “Do First” either online or by hand

ACTIVITY 1 - LAUNCH

To begin students will watch the video “How China is Designing Flood Resistant Cities” and answer guided questions relating to Sponge Cities. This video will help connect what students have learned about Sustainable Development Goals about climate to current initiatives in Asia.

TEACHER ACTIONS

  1. Hand out and direct students to page 1-2 of the student worksheet
  2. Play video and instruct students to follow along with the transcript and answer the questions
  3. Facilitate a whole-class debrief, asking students to share and defend their answers

STUDENT ACTIONS

  1. Follow along with the video with the transcript
  2. Answer the video-based questions
  3. Participate in the whole-class debrief
  4. Make corrections on student worksheet, if needed

Population and Development: Daily Lesson Plan (90 Minutes)

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LESSON 12: Taking on Population Challenges - Continued

ACTIVITY 2 - PRACTICE

Students will further their investigation into how people and groups are taking on population challenges. Students will practice evaluating arguments through a document analysis of John Ruwitch’s article, "Making Cities Spongy’.” Students will need to identify the claim of the article and then evaluate it using the C.L.A.I.M. protocol introduced in the previous activity. Students will complete the Evaluating Arguments Graphic Organizer.

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†This can also be done on the Thinking Nation platform.

TEACHER ACTIONS

  1. Direct students to pages 3-4
  2. Read the source aloud with class
  3. Ensure student understanding by asking Check for Understanding (CFU) questions
  4. Model annotation of the text
  5. Guide students through the organizer

STUDENT ACTIONS

  1. Follow along with source, reading as teacher directs
  2. Copy model annotations from teacher
  3. Answer CFU questions
  4. Complete graphic organizer

ACTIVITY 3 - EXHIBIT

Students will plan out the their CER paragraph for the Inquiry Journal using the CER Planning Template in their student worksheet.

TEACHER ACTIONS

  • Direct students to page 5 of their student worksheet
  • Display the Unit 3 Topic 3 Compelling question
  • Instruct students to complete their outline

STUDENT ACTIONS

  1. Draft an outline for Topic 3 CER paragraph using the CER Planning Template on page 5 of the student worksheet

CONCLUSION

Students will reflect on their learning from the prior topic using the Unit 3 Inquiry Journal. Students will use page 6 to write a CER paragraph for the Compelling Question for Topic 3.

TEACHER ACTIONS

  • Provide students’ instructions for the Compelling Question for Topic 3
  • Monitor student progress and provide feedback as needed

STUDENT ACTIONS

  • Write a CER paragraph for Topic 3 Compelling Question

Population and Development: Daily Lesson Plan (90 Minutes)

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©2026 Thinking Nation

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thinkingnation.org

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LESSON 12: Taking on Population Challenges - Continued

STANDARDS

6.2 Analyze how the environment and physical geography shape human behaviors and identities

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6.23 Assess the ways in which changes in land use over time have impacted the economy, ecology, population, exposure to disease or climate change in one region, country or city within Asia.

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6.30 Identify Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), and assess options for individual and/or collective action to address the causes and impacts of a challenge facing a region, city or country in Asia.

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6.68 Analyze the characteristics and causes of at least one contemporary issue facing the global community, compare proposals for addressing the issue, and propose a course of action for making change.

Population and Development: Daily Lesson Plan (90 Minutes)