Year 5 - Geography
Making cities more sustainable
Sustainable world: does it matter how we live?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit introduces sustainability by exploring how human choices affect the environment. Pupils learn about energy use, food waste, biodiversity and urban living, and consider how individuals and communities can work towards a more sustainable future.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to research, identify and give examples of some ways in which cities can become more sustainable.
Key Notes
- Most people now live in cities and by 2050, it is estimated more than two-thirds of the world will live in urban areas.
- People generally have better access to energy, jobs and food in urban areas but human activity also causes pollution.
- Cities can become more sustainable in their use of energy, transport, building and waste disposal.
- Tiny, dense 'Miyawaki' forests are part of a movement aimed at restoring biodiversity and fighting the climate crisis.
Vocabulary To Learn
- city: A city is a settlement that is usually larger than a town and has local government.
- sustainable: If something is sustainable it is able to continue over a long time.
- Sustainable Development Goals: The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 aims created for nations to adopt in order to work towards "peace and prosperity for people and the planet".
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Believing that sustainability is only about the environment.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.
Most people now live in cities and by 2050, it is estimated more than two-thirds of the world will live in urban areas. People generally have better access to energy, jobs and food in urban areas but human activity also causes pollution.
2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'city'
A city is a settlement that is usually larger than a town and has local government.
3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.
Mistake: Believing that sustainability is only about the environment. Correction: It relates to the social, economic and environmental impact of a city. This lesson focuses mainly on environmental issues but a city would not be judged to be sustainable if its citizens did not have their basic economic or social needs met.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 5 Geography guide library.