LESSON ONE: Solutions to the world’s

biggest problems are within our reach.

TEACHER: CRISTIAN VICENTE CHAMBA
CHAMBA_____
Objectives
• Explore the Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs - what are they and how are they
impacting our world.

• Introduce the concept of convergence and six exponential technologies that have potential
to impact on each SDG.

• Create a collaborative convergence matrix to brainstorm that how SDGs can be solved in
new ways.

• Discuss and communicate ethical considerations and constraints of solving problems with
exponential technologies.

• Discuss and elaborate the pathways, successful innovators have taken to achieve impact

• Reflect individually that what can be done the next 5 years to make a positive impact in the
lives of others

Starter Activity: Explore the SDGs and Share Out

1. Work in group of 2-4 students on the SDG assigned to your group by the teacher.

2. Have each group read an article or watch a video related to their challenge. Refer to
resources section.

3. Groups can also search online to identify a particular story or statistic related to their
challenge.
 4. Assign the tasks among each other in your group and do the research as per your plan

5. Each group share a short overview of their challenge and the story they found with the class.

Resources Starter Activity

https://youtu.be/RpqVmvMCmp0
 https://youtu.be/o08ykAqLOxk

https://youtu.be/ivm191V50KE

https://youtu.be/3VbLIz9SaaY

Activity 1: Introduction to Convergence and Exponential Technologies.

Watch these videos to understand the concepts of exponential technologies and convergence and
share your ideas with the whole class
 https://youtu.be/IaZOux1Qqwg

1 - Exponential Technologies

https://youtu.be/hNJdDwfsuSs

2 - Convergence

Activity 2: Explore and Share out the Exponential Technologies

1. Return to the groups of 2-4 students; Teacher to assign an Exponential Technology area to each
group. These Exponential technologies include:

• Artificial Intelligence & Robotics

• Biotechnology & Bioinformatics (sometimes referred to as Digital Biology)

• Energy & Environmental Systems

• Nanotechnology

• Digital Fabrication

2. Have each group read an article or watch a video related to their technology. Refer to resources
section of this activity

3. Groups can also search online to identify a particular story or statistics related to their technology
that wasn’t already included in the resources they read.

4. Each group share a short overview of their technology and the story, they found with the class.
Resources : Share-out Exponential Technologies

https://youtu.be/4NsilUpnRY0

3 - Artificial Intelligence

https://youtu.be/dMVk7c4HAwE

4 - Nanotechnology

https://youtu.be/fJKJKdrMcx4

5 - Digital Fabrication
 https://youtu.be/uStFvcz9Or4

6 - Energy Sources

https://youtu.be/SnkHmwTKksQ

7 - Biotechnology

Activity 3: Collaborative Convergence Matrix

Create a matrix with each SDGs listed across the top and six technologies areas on the side on
the OneNote Canvas shared between groups of students

1. This activity is brainstorming session within the groups

2. Rules to Brain Storm are in resources section: groups have to brainstorm as many ideas as
possible that use exponential technologies to solve the SDGs in new ways.
 3. Teacher will assign a color text/ drawing pen to your to record your ideas in the shared
OneNote

4. Start brainstorming! There are many variations for approaching this:

5. a. Freeform - just set a timer and go!

6. b. Rounds - have groups focus on one technology or challenge at a SDGs at a time.

7. c. Rounds - try different variations of brainstorming, such as a “silent round” (no talking), or
a “visual round” (draw pictures on OneNote Canvas)

8. Whole class discussion- with other groups: What ideas came up frequently? Which do
students find surprising?

Resources- Collaborative Convergence Matrix

 8 - Ready to use OneNote1

Activity 4: Open classroom doors to welcome the feedback

• Teacher will share a convergence matrix with students completed by another class.

• Skype call will be arranged by the teacher

• Skype call focus will be mainly to give feedback to each other classes on the matrix
developed in the last activity.

• Use the CRUISE tool to give feedback to each other ( Find CRUISE Feedback tool and ready to
use Convergence Matrix OneNote in resources section)

• Skype Call assessment Rubrics is within the OneNote for students clearly understanding of
the expectations from them during the call.

• Two feedback will be used either a verbal/ audio/video feedback through a skype call or
through a social networking media e.g. twitter, students to tweet with the combination of

1https://1drv.ms/o/s!AuXtvgSY_7-3j1zZnXM-pit5_0yW
 HashTag hash tags #SDG #GlobalGoal #GOAL5 #TakeAction #Environment ( Use the goal
number next to word GOAL in the Hashtag, Example/Model tweets are in resources section)

• Effective feedback guidelines are in the CRUISE Tool

Resources: Open the classroom Doors Activity

http://twitter.com/statuses/655001794918141952

Activity 5: Ethical considerations and constraints of solving problems

with Exponential Technologies
In this activity students are going to do a SWOT analysis. A model SWOT example is in shared
OneNote. An article about SWOT analysis is also in the resources section of this activity. SWOT
templates are in Resources section on Shared OneNote to be used for anlysis.

1. Student to work in groups.

2. Case Studies will be assigned by the teacher from the Resources section to each group.
There is one case study for each of five SDGs Challenges. This includes:

• Zero Hunger
 • Good Health and Well being

• Affordable and Clean Energy

• Industry Innovation and Infrastructure

3. 15-20 minutes to read/ watch about the innovations presented in their case studies. Groups may
also search for additional information other than the case study resources.

4. Create a SWOT analyses related to the innovation in their case study. Think about their cases
from multiple perspectives. Use the CRUISE Feedback toolkit to give feedback between the groups.

6. When ready, have each group share a short overview of their case study and SWOT analysis.

Resources: Activity Ethical Considerations

9 - Zero Hunger2

10 - 3Good Health and Well Being4

2https://singularityhub.com/2016/02/03/japans-all-robot-indoor-farm-to-harvest-first-crop-next-year/
3https://singularityhub.com/2016/10/11/the-future-of-surgery-is-robotic-data-driven-and-artificially-

intelligent/
4https://singularityhub.com/2016/10/11/the-future-of-surgery-is-robotic-data-driven-and-artificially-

intelligent/
 11 - Afordable and Clean Energy5

https://youtu.be/4YcrO8ONcfY

12 - Industry Innovation and Infrastructure 6

5http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/world-energy-future_us_579f4c6fe4b0e2e15eb64cd2
6https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YcrO8ONcfY
 13 - SWOT Analysis7

Activity 6: Advice for innovators

This activity is to research the backgrounds of successful entrepreneurs and innovators to

understand how they got to where they are and create a “Pathway to Impact”

1. Groups may choose any entrepreneur, creative, academic or other innovator to study, as long as
they are successfully making an impact in one of the SDGs. Here are a few examples( included in the
resources section)

a. Dean Kamen , Water, Health & Learning

b. Sangeeta Bhatia , Health

c. Muhammad Yunus , Prosperity

7https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis
2. 30 minutes to research their chosen innovator and write on Sticky notes, milestones in that
person’s life that may also include quotes, attitudes of their personality and traits, ideas and tips
they can learn from these innovators.

3. Groups put all their completed sticky notes on a wall and groups them into similar categories or
themes.

Lead learner can lead a discussion about the activity.

As a class identify any trends or themes in the advice.

Resources: Advice for innovator

14 - Sangeeta Bhatia , Health8

15 - Muhammad Yunus , Prosperity9

8https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangeeta_N._Bhatia
9https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Yunus
 16 - Dean Kamen , Water, Health & Learning10

17 - Post it Notes

Final Reflections

Reflection Questions for students

1. Which Global Grand Challenge do you feel most passionate about solving? How can you help
make a difference in this area?

2. What will you do in the next 5 years to make a positive impact in the lives of others? What can
you do in the next 25 years

3. Is there an Exponential Technology you found particularly interesting? If so, what was it? What
can you do in the next year to continue learning about this interest?

Use the Padlet to respond to these questions. Don't forget to mention your country/City

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10https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Kamen
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Resources collection for the complete lesson

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