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SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities

Understanding Goal 11

Probably you know what is sustainability. However, do you know what is a sustainable city or community?

a) Watch the following video to understand it.

Participate. Undertand Goal 11Sustainable cities and communities (CC BY-SA)

b) Answer  the following questions:

  • How should all the cities be?
  • What did the Ancient Greek civilization design?
  • How do people should feel in their communities?
  • What problems are found in big cities and in small towns?
  • Where is the Kilis Refugee camp?
  • What did Rekz Afzal set up in Scotland?
  • What was the High Line before been an eye catching public space where citizens can mingle or relax?

c) Read following article which belongs to the United Nations and is not  adapted. Then,  skim it and  scan it.

You will skim the reading  to grasp the main idea and you will scan it to get the specific  information that call your attention.

d) Complete:

i) The main idea of the article is : __________________________________________________________________________________________

ii) Specific information that called my attention:

  • ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  • ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  • ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You can download a handout to write your answers in odt or pdf.

Sustainable cities are real!

Have you ever visited a sustainable city? or do you know any sustainable city?

tree architecture
Pxhere. tree_architecture (CC0)

Canberra,  the capital of Australia relies heavily on solar powered energy and wind farms to fuel their city. Not only does Canberra provide a sustainable living for its residents but it also has a programme to ensure that 94% of their residents have internet access to make Canberra a connected city.

In groups,  search for five sustainable cities and describe them by using defining and non defining relative clauses. 

Defining relative clauses are clauses that give essential information about the noun they describe whereas non defining relative clauses are clauses that add extra information to the sentence. You can practice relative clauses by doing the following activities.

To do a great investigation,  read the document "Navigating, searching and filtering information on the internet"  where instructions to navigate, search and filter information on the Internet are given (download in editable odt format, download in pdf).

TASK 4: Digital Map with sustainable cities

Currently, there are a few sustainable cities. 

Your town could be one of them if   town halls and inhabitants had  worked together to reach this aim.

In groups, create a digital map

  • Ubicate  5 of them.
  • When you talk about the 5 sustainable cities you have choosen do not forget to mention their exact ubication and number of inhabitants.
  • Moreover, answer the following questions of each one of them:
  1. What have inhabitants (and town or city hall) done to  have a sustainable city?
  2. What advantages have sustainable cities got?
  3. What disadvantages have sustainable cities got?

Don't forget that the  'rubric to assess a digital map' will help you know how to do a great job (download in editable odt format, download in pdf).

Learning Diary

Now, write in your learning diary your reflections.

Here you have also some questions to answer:

  • What did I learn?
  • What was new to me?
  • Was there something that changed my views? Why?
  • What did I not understand?  Why?
  • What was very difficult for me? Why?
  • What was very easy for me? Why?
  • How am I able to apply this knowledge in my studies?
  • Do I prefer working in groups, individually or in pairs? Why?
  • Was the vocabulary new for me?

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