Unit 5 — Our Community
Teacher Activity
Play a short video showing a neighbourhood affected by flooding and traffic congestion. Pose the driving challenge: "The city council has hired your team to redesign this area as a safe, green, people-friendly neighbourhood. They need your proposal in two weeks."
Student Activity
Watch the video. Discuss: What went wrong? What would you prioritise? Record first ideas and questions in the project journal.
Teacher Activity
Distribute curated resources on urban planning, green infrastructure, and real neighbourhood case studies. Facilitate the research organiser note-taking activity.
Student Activity
Research sustainability principles, community needs, and real examples. Complete the organiser: key facts, design ideas, at least 3 sustainability features to include.
Teacher Activity
Distribute the planning template (neighbourhood map grid). Circulate with guiding questions: "Who lives here? Where will children play? How will rainwater be managed? Where is public transport?"
Student Activity
Sketch a labelled zone map. Assign team roles (architect, sustainability lead, presenter, researcher). Agree on three key sustainability features to include.
Teacher Activity
Provide materials. Run a peer feedback round at the halfway mark: each group visits one other group and gives one "glow" and one "grow." Prompt teams to revise.
Student Activity
Build the physical model or digital presentation. Label each zone and add captions explaining the design decision behind it.
Teacher Activity
Act as the "city council." Ask probing questions during each presentation: "Why did you place the park here?" and "What is your plan for managing waste?"
Student Activity
Present the neighbourhood to the class (5 minutes per team). Explain at least 3 sustainability features and answer council questions.
Teacher Activity
Distribute the individual reflection journal prompt. Close with a brief whole-class discussion: "What was the hardest trade-off you had to make?"
Student Activity
Write a personal reflection: What worked? What would you change? What did you learn about community design that surprised you?
Assessment Methods
Rubric-graded team presentation assessed on: design quality, use of at least 3 sustainability principles, evidence of research, and clarity of oral explanation.
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