Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Rural and Urban Relationship

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 minutes)

The objectives section is fundamental to establish the learning goals of the lesson. By clarifying the objectives, students can better understand what is expected of them, and the teacher can guide the lesson more effectively. This section helps ensure that all participants are aligned with the themes to be explored and the expected outcomes at the end of the lesson.

Main Objectives:

1. Recognize and explain the interdependence between the countryside and the city, especially in the context of food production in the countryside and its consumption in cities.

2. Identify the distinct characteristics of the countryside and the city, highlighting the functions and importance of each for society.

Introduction

Duration: (20 - 25 minutes)

The introduction is crucial for engaging students and connecting their prior knowledge with the theme of the lesson. Problem situations encourage students to think critically about the interdependence between the countryside and the city, while the contextualization helps relate the theme to real and tangible situations, increasing students' interest and understanding of the practical importance of studying Geography.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine that a supermarket in the city no longer receives products like milk, eggs, and vegetables. What would happen to the city dwellers and producers in the countryside?

2. Think of a situation where all the roads connecting the countryside to the city are blocked. How would this affect daily life in the cities and the countryside?

Contextualization

To understand the relationship between the countryside and the city, let's imagine our daily food: rice, beans, fruits. All these foods are grown in the countryside and transported to the cities, where we buy and consume them. In addition, many of the things we use in our daily lives, such as clothes and furniture, also start their journey in the countryside through natural resources. This interconnection shows how dependent the city and countryside are on each other.

Development

Duration: (75 - 85 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to allow students to apply the knowledge acquired about the interdependence between the countryside and city in a practical and engaging manner. By working in groups to solve specific problems or carry out creative activities, they develop collaboration skills, critical thinking, and practical understanding of the content studied. The proposed activities are designed to be playful and educational, ensuring that students can explore concepts in a deep and meaningful way.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Market Exchange between the Countryside and City

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Understand the need for cooperation and exchange between the countryside and city for the common good.

- Description: In this activity, the classroom is transformed into a large market, where half of the students represent farmers and the other half represent city dwellers. Each group will have specific resources to negotiate or trade. Farmers have agricultural products, and city dwellers have urban goods and services. The goal is to make exchanges that benefit both sides, highlighting the interdependence between the countryside and city.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into two groups: Countryside and City.

• Distribute cards representing resources from the countryside and city to the respective groups.

• Explain that the goal of the exchanges is to achieve maximum mutual benefit.

• Allow the groups to negotiate with each other for a set amount of time.

• Conclude with a discussion about the exchanges made and what each side learned about mutual dependence.

Activity 2 - Travel Diary: Where Does Our Food Come From?

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Visualize and understand the various stages involved in the food production and distribution process.

- Description: Students are divided into groups, and each group receives a type of food to investigate its journey from the countryside to the city. They must create an illustrated 'Travel Diary' that narrates the food's trajectory, highlighting the cultivation, harvesting, transportation, and selling processes. This activity aims to show the path taken by food before it reaches our tables.

- Instructions:

• Divide the students into groups and assign a different food to each.

• Provide materials like paper, colored pens, and magazines for cutting.

• Ask each group to research and draw the journey of their food from the countryside to the city.

• Each group must present their Travel Diary to the class, explaining each stage of the journey.

• Discuss how each stage is crucial for the food to reach our homes.

Activity 3 - Building a Sustainable City

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Promote understanding of sustainable urban planning and its relationship with the countryside.

- Description: In this activity, students are tasked with designing a city that maximizes sustainable integration with surrounding rural areas. They must consider aspects such as transportation, food consumption, and natural resources. The city should be planned on a large poster, using recyclable materials to build models of structures.

- Instructions:

• Explain the concepts of sustainability and countryside-city integration.

• Divide the students into groups and provide materials such as poster board, glue, and recyclable items.

• Ask each group to draw and build a city model on the poster, considering integration with the countryside.

• Each group presents their project, explaining how each element contributes to sustainable integration.

• Debate the best practices of integration and sustainability observed in the projects.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

This feedback section, through a group discussion, aims to consolidate students' learning, allowing them to articulate and reflect on the information and experiences acquired during the activities. The discussion reinforces knowledge while also developing communication and critical argumentation skills, essential for a holistic understanding of the theme of interdependence between the countryside and the city.

Group Discussion

At the end of the activities, lead a group discussion for students to share their experiences and conclusions. Start the discussion with a brief review of the concepts of interdependence between the countryside and the city. Ask how each activity helped illustrate these relationships and what they found most interesting or surprising. Encourage students to reflect on how the activities can be applied in the real world, stimulating critical thinking and the practical application of knowledge.

Key Questions

1. What were the main lessons learned about the interdependence between the countryside and the city during the activities?

2. How did the exchanges made in the 'Market Exchange between the Countryside and City' show the need for cooperation between both?

3. How can the 'Sustainable City' project be implemented in real life to improve the relationship between the countryside and the city?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The purpose of the Conclusion is to allow students to consolidate and reflect on the knowledge acquired, linking it to everyday situations and reinforcing the importance of studying the interdependence between the countryside and the city. This stage helps solidify learning, allowing students to see the applicability of concepts in real contexts and better understand the complexity of the geographic relationships that shape our world.

Summary

To conclude, the teacher should summarize the topics covered, highlighting the interdependence of the countryside and city, especially in the context of food production and consumption. It is important to recap how agricultural products are essential for urban life and how the city, in turn, provides necessary services and goods for the countryside.

Theory Connection

During the lesson, theory was connected with practice through interactive activities such as the 'Market Exchange between the Countryside and City', which practically demonstrated the exchange of resources between the countryside and the city. Additionally, the 'Travel Diary: Where Does Our Food Come From?' and 'Building a Sustainable City' allowed students to visualize and apply geographic concepts in simulated situations that reflect real challenges and solutions.

Closing

Finally, it is crucial to highlight the relevance of studying the relationship between the countryside and the city in our daily lives. Understanding this dynamic helps to appreciate the processes that sustain our daily life and encourages a more critical and conscious view of sustainability and economic and environmental interdependence.