A 2040 vision for your community (US)

This teaching resource is designed to guide students through a project where they will consolidate and extend learning from any of the other lessons in the 2040 units. It works in support of the curriculum points explored in those units. 

This teaching resource provides you with multiple lessons worth of material that can be used to immerse students in, and connect with, the positive sustainability messages explored in the documentary film 2040. Students begin by assessing where their community is in terms of the themes of the 2040 documentary. Next, students take inspiration from the solutions presented in 2040, to propose ideas for leading their community to a better future.

Students work collaboratively to develop a 2040 vision for their community and present their ideas to the community. Based on feedback from the community, they then work together to design, plan and implement a project from their 2040 community vision. The social action created can be used to engage your school or the wider community. Following project completion, students will celebrate and reflect on the success of their project and their participation in the project.

Students are given opportunities to apply their learning in real world situations, in the classroom, school, home or the local community.

Teacher Strategy:  Medium – oversee activities and facilitate class discussions.

Learning intentions:

• Students will understand that they have a role to play in creating the future they want to see
• Students will understand and plan the processes required for planning and executing an action-based community project

Credits and acknowledgements:

Cool.org prepared the 2040 Curriculum Guide. Together Films adapted these lessons for US educators and will do an annual review of these resources to ensure they are still in line with the US Curriculum.

US Educator Note: Australian educational standards have been adapted and aligned by discipline, and when possible, to US standards.

Cool Australia, GoodThing Productions and Regen Studios would like to acknowledge the generous contributions of Good Pitch Australia, Shark Island Institute, Documentary Australia Foundation, The Caledonia Foundation, Global Health Film and our philanthropic partners in the development of these teaching resources.