Tuning into the documentary (primary)
In this lesson, students will be immersed in and connect with the documentary film 2040 – it is a great lesson to conduct before watching the documentary in full.
Australia , New Zealand
Fact sheet , Worksheet , Activity

Overview
In this lesson, students will be immersed in and connect with the documentary film 2040 – it is a great lesson to conduct before watching the documentary in full. Students participate in a barometer activity to explore their thoughts, feelings, and concerns about the future. They then work to categorise their concerns about the future and work in groups to mind-map solutions to these concerns. Students will then watch the 2040 documentary to explore existing solutions to the filmmaker’s concerns about the future. Finally, students reflect on their experiences of the film.
Learning intentions:
Students will...
- understand that different people have different ideas and concerns about the future
- understand that solutions to the problems facing people and the planet already exist
Success criteria:
Students can...
- participate in a barometer activity
- participate in a group mind-map exercise
- express their thoughts, feelings and concerns through class discussion and independent activities
- adhere to classroom discussion guidelines
Credits and acknowledgements:
Curriculum material and mapping has been developed and written by Cool.org.
Cool.org, 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, and our philanthropic partners in the development of these teaching resources.
Watching the film
If your school or institution has a ClickView subscription, you can access 2040 on the ClickView platform.
If you do not have access to ClickView, you can purchase an educational licence to screen the film to your class and request a streaming link to share with your students. Please complete the Host a Screening form on our website and our team will be in touch to assist you.
The educational licence is for primary and secondary schools who wish to utilise the film as a learning tool or host on-site screenings for the school community.
Curriculum mapping
What you'll need
- Lesson materials
- Device capable of presenting a website to the class
- Butcher’s paper, marker pens, chalk, masking tape or string
Lesson materials
More from this unit

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