Objectives (5 - 10 minutes)

1. Understand and explain the concept of economic development and its potential negative impacts on the environment.
2. Identify and discuss examples of pollution and habitat destruction resulting from economic growth.
3. Analyze real-world cases related to economic development and its environmental risks, and propose potential solutions or preventive measures.

Secondary objectives:

1. Foster critical thinking about the balance between economic development and environmental preservation.
2. Encourage active participation in class discussions regarding the topic by expressing personal viewpoints and ideas.

Introduction (10 - 15 minutes)

1. The teacher begins the session by reminding students of the previous lessons on economic development, emphasizing its benefits such as improved living standards, job creation, and technological advances. They should also reiterate the concept of environmental risks, highlighting how human activities can lead to pollution and habitat destruction.

2. To spark the students' interest, the teacher poses two hypothetical situations:

   • Scenario 1: A manufacturing company wants to set up a factory near a river, promising new jobs and economic growth for the local town. However, there are concerns about potential pollution to the river and the destruction of habitats for local wildlife. What could be the possible impacts and how can they be mitigated?
   • Scenario 2: A city plans to expand its infrastructure to accommodate its growing population, which means building over a local woodland area. How might this affect the environment and how can the city balance its development with environmental preservation?

3. The teacher then contextualizes the importance of the subject by citing real-world examples. They could mention cases like the deforestation in the Amazon for agricultural expansion or the pollution of rivers due to industrial waste, emphasizing how these instances of economic development pose significant risks to the environment.

4. To captivate the students' attention, the teacher introduces two interesting facts:

   • Fact 1: The teacher could mention that according to a report by the World Health Organization, air pollution causes an estimated 7 million premature deaths worldwide per year. This startling fact can underline the serious consequences of unchecked economic development.
   • Fact 2: The teacher could share that despite the destruction they cause, natural habitats such as rainforests are often cleared for economic activities because they are economically undervalued. For example, the Amazon Rainforest, often called the "lungs of the Earth," is worth more as standing forest (due to its climate regulation, biodiversity, and other ecosystem services) than for its timber or the land cleared for cattle ranching or soybean cultivation.

5. The teacher concludes the introduction by informing the students that during the lesson, they will delve deeper into the topic of Environmental Risks: Economic Development, and learn how to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability.

Development (25 - 30 minutes)

Pre-Class Activities:

1. Students will be provided with a selection of reading materials, podcasts, and short videos at least a week before the class. These resources would cover various aspects of environmental challenges resulting from economic development, such as water and air pollution, habitat destruction, and examples where economic activities failed to consider their environmental impact. The goal of this is for students to gain thorough knowledge and understanding before the class discussion.

2. Additionally, students are expected to complete a short online quiz, which will test their comprehension of these resources. This quiz will help to gauge their understanding of the topics, and will enable the teacher to identify areas of confusion or misunderstanding that need to be addressed during the in-class session.

In-Class Activities:

1. Scenario 1 - Role-Play (10 - 15 minutes): The teacher divides the class into groups of up to five students. Each group is allocated a specific role, such as the government, local community, environmental scientists, and the company intending to set up a factory near a river (as mentioned in the introduction). The task for each group is to argue their role’s perspective on the situation. After each group has presented, there will be a class discussion of potential solutions and compromises. This activity is designed to encourage critical thinking and help the students understand the various viewpoints around the relationship between economic development and environmental degradation.

   • Step 1: Divide the class into groups and assign each one a role.
   • Step 2: Give the groups time to prepare their arguments, using the knowledge and understanding gained from their pre-class activities.
   • Step 3: Have each group present their arguments to the class, followed by a discussion of potential solutions.

2. Scenario 2 - Interactive Game (10 - 15 minutes): This activity requires the students working in their groups from the previous activity, to design a “green city”. They will be given a budget and a list of infrastructures such as residential areas, transport networks, factories, parks, etc., each with their associated costs and environmental impacts. The goal is to create a balanced city that demonstrates economic development while considering environmental sustainability.

   • Step 1: Provide the rules and objectives of the game along with the necessary materials (paper, markers, budget, and infrastructure list).
   • Step 2: Give the groups time to plan and design their city.
   • Step 3: Ask the groups to present their city design to the class, justifying their decisions regarding economic development while explaining measures taken to mitigate environmental risks.
   • Step 4: The teacher gives feedback on each presentation, discussing the strengths and limitations of each approach, and encourages a class discussion.

By engaging in these playful and interactive activities, students will not only deepen their understanding of environmental risks posed by economic development but also develop important skills such as teamwork, negotiation, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

Feedback (10 - 15 minutes)

1. The teacher facilitates a group discussion where each group gets up to 3 minutes to share their conclusions from the activities. This is an opportunity for each group to summarize their solutions, the reasoning behind their decisions, and the challenges they faced in balancing economic development with environmental preservation.

2. After each group has presented, the teacher provides constructive feedback. They highlight the strengths of the presented solutions and point out areas that could be improved. They draw connections between these practical exercises and the theoretical knowledge the students have gained, helping them to see the real-world implications of the environmental risks associated with economic development.

3. The teacher then encourages a whole-class discussion. They ask probing questions to stimulate deeper thinking and engage the students in critical analysis of their own and others' solutions. This could include questions like:

   • "What were the most challenging aspects of balancing economic growth with environmental preservation in your scenarios?"
   • "What were some innovative solutions your group came up with?"
   • "How did the role-play and city planning activities influence your understanding of the complexity of environmental risks in economic development?"

4. To conclude the feedback session, the teacher invites the students to reflect individually on their learning. They prompt the students with questions such as:

   • "What was the most important concept you learned today?"
   • "What was the most surprising thing you discovered?"
   • "What questions do you still have about this topic?"

5. The teacher encourages the students to write down their reflections and questions, assuring them that these will be addressed in the subsequent lessons.

6. Lastly, the teacher emphasizes the key takeaways from the lesson. They reinforce the idea that while economic development brings many benefits, it is crucial to consider and mitigate its potential environmental risks. They remind the students that the goal isn't to halt economic development, but to pursue it in a manner that respects and protects the environment.

This feedback stage not only provides a valuable opportunity for the students to consolidate their understanding of the topic but also allows the teacher to assess the effectiveness of the lesson and identify areas for future focus or revision.

Conclusion (5 - 10 minutes)

1. The teacher begins the conclusion by summarizing the main points of the lesson. They remind the students about the meaning of economic development and its potential negative impacts on the environment. They recap the examples discussed, such as pollution and habitat destruction resulting from industrial and infrastructure expansion, respectively.

2. The teacher further explains how the practical activities of role-play and city planning connected with the theoretical knowledge that the students learned. They emphasize how these activities helped the students understand the complexity of the environmental risks associated with economic development, and the importance of balancing economic growth with environmental preservation.

3. The teacher suggests additional resources for the students to further their understanding of the topic. This could include documentaries on environmental degradation, articles about successful green cities, or case studies of industries that have successfully mitigated their environmental impact. They encourage the students to explore these resources at their own pace and come up with further questions or ideas for class discussion.

4. The teacher also suggests practical applications of this knowledge in everyday life. They could encourage the students to become more conscious consumers by supporting brands that prioritize sustainability. They could also suggest that students get involved in local environmental initiatives or start a green club at school.

5. Lastly, the teacher emphasizes the relevance of the lesson’s subject to the students' lives. They explain that understanding the environmental risks of economic development is not just important for their geography studies, but also for their role as informed citizens. They stress that in a world facing significant environmental challenges, it's crucial to understand how economic activities can contribute to these issues, and how they can be part of the solution.

6. The teacher ends the lesson by reminding the students that they have the power to make a difference. They encourage the students to use the knowledge they've gained in this lesson to make informed decisions that consider both economic development and environmental preservation. They remind the students that the balance between these two factors is key to achieving sustainable development.