Lesson Plan

• Describe the key demographic, economic and policy processes that drive urban growth.
• Explain the main spatial models of urban expansion and the drivers behind each.
• Analyse a case study (Lagos) to identify how different processes interact in real‑world growth.
• Evaluate the sustainability implications of various urban growth patterns.

• Projector and screen
• PowerPoint slides summarising processes and models
• Handout with comparative table of urban growth models
• Blank city‑map worksheets for sketching growth patterns
• Markers and coloured pencils
• Case‑study fact sheet on Lagos
• Whiteboard and markers

Begin with a striking image of Lagos’s skyline and ask students what they notice about its shape. Prompt them to recall prior knowledge of population change and ask how cities grow over time. Outline today’s success criteria: identify processes, link them to spatial models, and assess sustainability.

1. Do‑now (5') – Students write on sticky notes one factor they think influences city size.
2. Mini‑lecture (10') – Define urban growth and present the six key processes using slides.
3. Interactive modelling (12') – In groups, match each process to a spatial model on the worksheet.
4. Case‑study analysis (10') – Examine the Lagos fact sheet, identify active processes, and sketch the city’s growth pattern.
5. Whole‑class discussion (8') – Share group findings, discuss policy impacts and sustainability.
6. Check for understanding (5') – Quick Kahoot quiz on terminology and model characteristics.

Recap the main processes and how they shape different urban forms, linking back to the success criteria. Students complete an exit ticket stating which process they consider most critical for sustainable growth. Assign a short homework: research a local city’s growth pattern and write a paragraph linking it to one of the models discussed.