Objectives (5 - 10 minutes)

Main Objectives:

1. To understand geographic characteristics and structure of the Asian continent, focusing on borders, location, extension, and population.
2. To identify the main cultural, geopolitical, and geo-economic divisions, such as the Middle East, Central Asia, Far East, and South East Asia.
3. To analyze diversity of climates, landscapes, natural resources, and present-day economic activities in Asia.

Secondary Objectives:

1. To foster group work and research, and the use of digital and bibliographic resources in order to explore the subject.
2. To develop skills of summarizing and gathering learned information by making mental maps, schemes and abstracts on discussed contents.
3. To encourage the awareness of diversity and geographical culture differences by analyzing implications in Asian societies’ training and evolution.

Introduction (10 - 15 minutes)

1. Concepts review:

• The teacher should recall class about continents’ concept, with special interest on common features, such as geographical diversity, cultural diversity, as well as land borders.
• Then, he will briefly review contents on Asia, already learnt: Asia’s geographical position on earth, main countries such as China and India and discussions on the orient or the occident, in order to understand Asian cultural distinctions.

2. Introduction to Context

• The teacher must explain to class two problems: the first about geopolitics while the second, concerning geographical diversity.
• On the first one, the question is why Russian Federation, an Asian huge nation, is usually thought of as European, and the one related to geographical variety is how different Asian climates influence various economical activities.
• With this questions the critical thinking will start, as well as subject’s significance.

3. Subject Introduction:

• To wake up the pupils curiosity, the teacher might share some information on Asia. As examples, it could be told Asia contains 60 % world population, it is the continent with more people in the world; as another curiosity Mt. Everest, located on the continent is Earth's highest mountain.
• The teacher also can show videos or some pictures of various cultures, Asian landscapes, like China big towns, Thailand tropical paradisiac beaches or Mongolian vast steppes.
• Finally, subject will be introduced, it's necessary to clearly, objectively explain they are going to be studying cultural, geographical, geopolitical features in Asia, and the main concern is going to be about the following areas: the Middle East, South Asia, South-east Asian countries, as well as the Far East

Development (20 - 25 minutes)

1. Journalistic Geography Activity (10 - 15 minutes)

• This exercise turns a classroom in a newspaper edition where student are journalists that must write a feature story on Asia’s cultural, geographic variety
• First students have to be organized as groups of four or five. Later on groups are requested to cover one concrete Asian area. These will be: South Asia , Far East, South-east Asian countries, or the Middle East
• Before this exercise is actually done the students will be given supportive material: maps, textbooks, etc., regarding these areas.
• Students will gather data on their specific regions, such as: population, geographical characteristics, main towns and cities or conflicts. Furthermore, they also must provide some nice illustrative pictures, prepare short speeches in order to be presented to other colleagues.
• Each team, once the project has finished , will deliver its findings to class, just as it was a journalistic article prepared on a school publication The teacher will moderate and make certain every single relevant region aspect has been addressed.

2. Geopolitical Scavenger Hunt (10 - 15 minutes):

• This activity helps deepen students’ geopolitical knowledge in the Asian continent.
• The teacher needs to organize a quiz related to several issues and geographical features: conflicts, demography and trivia questions etc.
• Students are separated into two groups which will race to find the answers for these questions in as little time as possible.
• Questions can have different degrees on difficulty according to the time they have for answering and to what students already know about the subject. For instance: “Identify capital of Kazakhstan” can be one of the questions, while other one might be “what religions dominate in the Middle East”
• This funny exercise also supports fixing up concepts.

3. Focused discussion (5 - 10 minutes)

• Once these games are over the teacher will need to lead the discussion in order to solve questions, strengthen knowledge and stablish connection with real world examples.
• The teacher must make the students reflect in the contents that have been covered, develop the ability to analyze, to think critically.

Return (10 - 15 minutes)

1. Team discussion (5 - 7 minutes)

• The teacher shall divide the entire class for discussions. Every team will be allotted a maximum time for sharing their conclusions.
• While the discussion the teacher shall motivate the team to establish links and relate all gathered data, with the problematic situations, presented all through the class. This will help for instance on why the diversity in Asia has such impact in its economies or why a part of Russia, being located geographically in Asia and is frequently seen as European.
• The teacher may make enquiries to enable students’ reflections and help in establishing a relation on what is theory with what happens and is practiced. For instance : “How different Asian territories’ features condition economies and their respective cultures?" "Which Asian geopolitical conflicts are there? What might be their consequences in everyday’s life?"

2. Checking learning process (3 - 5 minutes)

• The teacher is then, to verify if what has been explained, has had the necessary comprehension among learners; by performing specific questionings, and requiring pupils to elaborate on their understanding from the learnt materials during class
  • The teacher might also decide to propose that learners have some personal reflection and then write their own thoughts and points of view in digital platforms such as, word, paper or any other format which will allow the teacher check if: 1 What is considered as the main point learnt this session? 2 Are there still unanswered matters that need to be clarified?
  3. If possible put into practice learnt content?"
  • On this stage it must be clarified there are not mistakes nor correct or not correct replies. All that matters, at this point of the process is for learners to show how they apprehend the content and their very own perspectives

3. ** Feedback and Closure** (2 - 3 minutes)

• In this short final session the teacher will make commentaries to pupils overall work, indicating what aspects they did well, and on the other, what needs improvement, if applicable, and reiterate about content importance as part of the entire subject, in other disciplines, in daily life too and how this might benefit them on different areas.
• Lastly the teacher will make the announcement about topic for next session. If applicable homework is due on this particular subject.

Conclusion (5 - 10 minutes)

1. Review summary (2 - 3 minutes)

• Recapitulation is done by summarizing what was the content worked with all through these sessions by teacher to help relate different concepts, supporting this way, that the whole class perceive a more finished product. This also helps pupils to notice that every different subject related on a general topic are all interlinked and interconnected with our surroundings.

2. Connecting theory and practicing it. (1 - 2 minutes)

• The teacher shall indicate that every single game played has contributed towards a complete comprehension and implementation of theory through the different exercises carried along these classes
• In the same fashion this teacher shall reinforce on how important the work of skills is; examples to mention will be, critical thinking, how research should be done, the importance of good communications, working with the teams, etc. Every one needs some enhancement for an individual and collective integral formation as part of a complete personal evolution

3. Extra Material Support (1 - 2 minutes)

• The teacher is to indicate extra readings: digital material, documents on line; books, as possible sources for learners to complement this topic.
• Providing learners with this information and having this support material at easy reach, shall facilitate for them to work at own speed and select what might be more convenient or of interest on different moments or stages.

4. Application (1 - 2 minutes)

• Finally, to end this subject the teacher can bring to class, a more personal approach to this theme, so that students may find possible uses to this knowledge and be able also relate theory with the real life.
• Examples as present international conflicts , how to appreciate a different cultural aspect on daily life and many others are to be analyzed to make it easier to make a good assimilation to what has been theoretically explained.