2. How can we research solutions?

Activity 1 - What is our project?

Activity Tasks

Review - Examine and review the information about your assessment project on this CAT sheet. Read the instructions then explain to your partner what you think you will have to do to complete this assessment.
Identify - Now read the mark-scheme on page 2. Note down 4-6 things you will need to do to get a high level for this assessment.

Activity Tasks

Groups - Form into groups of 4-5 students. Your teacher may have specific instructions here. You will be working with this group for the rest of the unit.
Select - As a group, review the urbanisation topics and issues from the CAT sheet. The ‘topics’ menu on this website can help you explore these issues further. You will need to choose an urbanisation topic and select a specific issue for your group project:
1. Economic - Careers and Employment Opportunities; Inequality; Poverty; Technology; Trade; Welfare
2. Environmental - Air Pollution; Biodiversity; Climate Change; Energy Use; Waste Management; Water & Sanitation
3. Social - Crime & Safety; Disability & Mobility; Education Access & Quality; Gender Issues; Housing; Migration
4. Spatial - Building Design; Green Spaces; Public Space and Facilities; Transportation & Congestion; Urban Decay
Choose - In your groups you will now need to choose which research role you will take on. Your teacher may assign you or let you select from one of the following research roles. Read each one carefully as each role will be researching a different aspect of your project:
1. Historian: what is the history of this issue in cities globally?
2. Social Anthropologist: How is the issue impacting citizens in mega-cities?
3. Policy Expert: How can institutions help to promote sustainable urban design?
4. Urban Planner: Which cities have successfully implemented sustainable solutions (for my issue) that can be replicated by other cities?

Activity Tasks

Discuss - As a group discuss what challenges there could be in working in a group. Make a list of possible challenges that could face your team. These could include: scheduling problems; group conflicts; uneven contribution; different expectations; getting stuck; groupthink.
Create - Now complete this team contract worksheet to brainstorm ten solutions and rules for your team. These should be solutions that can help you avoid the challenges you previously identified.

Activity Tasks

Recall - How can we redesign Hong Kong to be more sustainable? In the first column of this table, or using post-it notes on the whiteboard, write down as many single phrases or statements regarding what you already know about the inquiry question for this unit.
Identify - What do you need to know to explore the inquiry question? Complete the second column of the table by making a list of all the questions you need answering in order to complete your projects.
Reflect - What are the very next steps you could/should take to start answering your need to know questions? Complete the final column of the table by noting down the next steps.

Activity Tasks

Record - Use this Action Plan to record all your research and planning for the project. This should be completed individually and will be submitted at the end of the project.
Identify - Save a copy of this research links worksheet. This provides you with suggested websites and other sources for researching your project.
Plan - Begin research by planning out what need to know questions you have to research for your role. Create 5-10 need to know questions for your role.
Research - Choose your first need to know question. Spend 15 minutes researching that question using the internet and other sources your teacher may have provided.
Reflect - After 15 minutes stop researching and reflect as a group on the following questions:
1. What question did you start with?
2. What did you learn in answer to that question?
3. What new question(s) do you have now?
4. What challenges are you facing in your research?
Proceed - Keep proceeding with your research and remember to check in with your group at regular intervals using the questions above.

Activity Tasks

Speaking - You each have one minute to respond to the following questions with your teacher or group. Take some time to review each question and think about what you might say:
1. How can we access the school library catalogue?
2. What are ‘search operators’ and how can we use them in google?
3. Why is it important to triangulate research?
4. Why is it necessary to have a question in mind before we research?
5. What is MISO and how could it help us research?
6. What is the best way to record notes as we research?
7. How can we review the reliability of websites?
8. How do we generate APA citations?
9. What are the biggest challenges I have when researching?
Listening - Whilst someone is speaking, you must remain absolutely silent until they have stopped. Think about how you feel in response to what they are saying, whether you agree or disagree with them and why.
Reflect - Discuss the following questions to reflect upon what you’ve talked about and learnt as a group:
1. What did you hear that was significant?
2. What key ideas or insights were shared?
3. How did this go for you?
4. What worked well, and what was difficult? Why?
5. How might your conversations have been different had we not done this activity?

Activity Tasks

Reflect - At the end of the lesson, review your research so far. Discuss the following questions as a group, being sure to listen and not interrupt each speaker:
1. What has been answered?
2. What is proving less or more important?
3. What new questions are emerging?
4. How is your research informing your topic?