Planning Considerations:
When planning this project, it’s important to guide students in selecting a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) that resonates with them personally or culturally. Allow adequate time for research, website design, and thoughtful self-reflection, ensuring students have the space to engage meaningfully with their chosen topic. Encourage them to explore how global issues connect to their local communities and personal identities, helping them see the relevance of these challenges in their own lives. Scaffold the process by supporting students in making cultural and identity-based connections to the global goals. Additionally, provide mini-lessons on digital literacy, website design tools, and strategies for evaluating the reliability of online sources to help them create informed and well-designed final products.
Suggested Resources/Materials:
This project is designed to span 3–4 weeks and can be integrated into the ELA curriculum, specifically during the nonfiction unit focused on text features and text structures. Begin by introducing students to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to help them become familiar with the global issues they’ll be exploring. To support the planning process, provide a website planner or graphic organizer to help students map out the information they will include. The digital platform used for website creation is Canva, which allows students to design visually engaging and organized websites that clearly present their research and reflections.
Standards alignment:
ELA & Social Studies:
NJSLSA.W.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas.
NJSLSA.W.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question.
NJSLSA.SL.4: Present information clearly, concisely, and logically.
6.3.5.CivicsPD.1: Develop and implement a group initiative that addresses an economic, political, or social issue.
6.3.5.GeoGI.1: Use geographic tools to examine the spatial patterns and human impact related to global issues.
Student examples:
Student Sample of Website Planning Document
Recommendations:
To deepen student engagement, help them find entry points into the global issues they explore. Students are far more invested when they feel a real connection to the topic. Use identity-based reflection prompts such as, “How does your identity or culture connect to the SDG you chose?” or “How can you share your unique perspective or background on your website?” to guide their thinking. Encourage students to include an identify section on their website where they can explain these personal or cultural connections and perspective. Model how to create simple yet impactful websites, and provide exemplars to set clear expectations. Preview the rubric that will be used to assess the websites. Most importantly, emphasize the power of student voice. Help them understand that their perspectives are important and their messages have the potential to create real impact.
Reflection:
Once students became familiar with the United Nations and the Sustainable Development Goals, they grew passionate about the issues they selected and were excited to teach others through their websites. Many drew on cultural connections, family experiences, personal interests, or values to explain why their chosen SDG mattered to them. However, this reflective component proved to be one of the most challenging parts of the process, as many students had not previously been asked to consider how global issues relate to their identities. That said, introducing them to this kind of thinking was both enriching and rewarding.
If time had allowed, I would have incorporated more opportunities for peer feedback and added checkpoints to monitor research quality and website design. Students truly enjoyed exploring one another’s websites and found it meaningful to connect their learning to real-world issues. The final products were rich in content, thoughtful, and deeply personal. Reflections demonstrated emotional investment and critical thinking. I would love to revisit this project next year, potentially as part of a cross-curricular unit with social studies or science.