Activity Introduction
In this lesson, students will be immersed in and connect with the documentary film 2040 – it is a great lesson to conduct before watching the documentary in full. Students participate in a barometer activity to explore their thoughts, feelings, and concerns about the future. They then work to categorise their concerns about the future and work in groups to mind-map solutions to these concerns.
Students will then watch the 2040 documentary to explore existing solutions to the filmmaker’s concerns about the future. Finally, students reflect on their experiences of the film.
- Students will understand that different people have different ideas and concerns about the future.
- Students will understand that solutions to the problems facing people and the planet already exist.
- Topic: Sustainability.
- Unit of work: 2040 – Watching the Film – Years 5–10
- Time required: 70 mins.
- Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate class discussion, lead students in activities.
- Keywords: 2040 documentary, future, barometer activity, concerns, solutions.
To view our Australian Curriculum alignment click here.
To view our NZ Curriculum alignment click here.
- Student Worksheets – one copy per student.
- Device capable of presenting a website to the class.
- Butcher’s paper, marker pens, chalk or masking tape or string.
- AGREE/DISAGREE signs.
- Concerns and solutions worksheet.
- Climate Change Factsheet
2040 is an innovative feature documentary that looks to the future, but is vitally important NOW! Director Damon Gameau embarks on a journey to explore what the future could look like by the year 2040 if we simply embraced the best solutions already available to us to improve our planet and shifted them rapidly into the mainstream.
In Australia: Order the Schools Version of the 2040 DVD. The Schools Version includes an educational license and is for Australian primary and secondary schools that wish to utilise the film as a learning tool or host free on-site screenings for the school community.
In New Zealand: Order the Schools Version of the 2040 DVD. The Schools Version includes an educational license and is for New Zealand primary and secondary schools that wish to utilise the film as a learning tool or host free on-site screenings for the school community.
If you are teaching in either New Zealand or Australia, you can now organise a virtual screening of the film for your class. To enquire about this option, simply email [email protected] and the 2040 team will help you set this up! If you have already bought a DVD of the film and you have a ClickView account, you can email the team for permission to upload the film to your account to make it more easily accessible for your teachers and students.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
Cool Australia, GoodThing Productions and Regen Pictures would like to acknowledge the generous contributions of Good Pitch Australia, Shark Island Institute, Documentary Australia Foundation, The Caledonia Foundation and our philanthropic partners in the development of these teaching resources.
Teacher Preparation