Lesson Plan

• Define and differentiate global, national, regional, and local cities.
• Explain the main drivers of urban growth (economic, demographic, political, technological, globalisation).
• Analyse the hierarchy of urban areas and its implications for resource distribution.
• Apply the population‑growth equation to model city expansion.

• Projector and screen
• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed worksheets with city‑classification tables
• Laptop with internet access for interactive maps
• Spreadsheet or GeoGebra for population calculations
• Sticky notes for group brainstorming

Begin with striking images of a global city, a national capital and a local town to spark curiosity. Ask learners what they already know about why some cities are more influential than others. State that by the end of the lesson they will be able to classify cities, explain the forces behind urban growth, and map the urban hierarchy.

1. Starter (5') – Show city skyline photos; students rank them by perceived influence.
2. Direct teaching (10') – Present the four world‑city categories with key characteristics.
3. Guided practice (10') – Complete a worksheet matching example cities to categories.
4. Causes of urban growth (15') – Mini‑lecture covering economic, demographic, political, technological and globalisation drivers; brief class discussion.
5. Group activity (15') – In small groups analyse a case city using the five drivers and present findings.
6. Hierarchy modelling (10') – Co‑construct a pyramid diagram of the urban hierarchy on the board.
7. Check for understanding (5') – Quick Kahoot quiz on definitions and causes.

Summarise the four city categories, the main growth drivers, and the hierarchical pyramid created together. Students complete an exit ticket stating one new thing they learned and one question they still have. Assign homework: research a local city and write a brief paragraph classifying it and identifying its primary growth drivers.