You will learn
- Define a problem and identify stakeholders.
- Evaluate options with criteria.
- Make and explain a decision.
- Present respectfully.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Stakeholders have different interests.
- Criteria guide fair comparison.
- Decisions need evidence and reasons.
- Plans include communication and review.
Words to know
a person or group affected by or interested in a decision
standards used to compare options
a possible course of action
putting a plan into action
1. Discover: The River Aria plan
Ms Smith gives each group a made-up pack about the River Aria, where rubbish is building up. Stakeholders include fishers, market traders, parents, a health clinic, the town council, a small factory and children who play by the river. “Each has different interests,” she says. “Your job is to define the problem, use the evidence, list options, judge them with criteria and choose a fair plan. Then explain it respectfully and listen to others.” Groups present their plans and ask kind questions.
Think: Which stakeholder’s view might be easy to forget?
2. Understand: Environmental decision-making project
Idea 1: Define and gather
State the problem clearly and use the evidence pack: maps, short fact sheets and made-up data. Identify stakeholders, the people or groups affected or interested, and what each needs. Listen for voices that might be forgotten, such as children, older people or those with less power.
Idea 2: Options and criteria
List at least three options, such as new waste collection points, a school awareness campaign or a community cleaning rota with adult leadership. Judge them using criteria: social (fairness and health), economic (cost and jobs), environmental (effects on water and wildlife) and practical (can it be done and checked?).
Idea 3: Decide, communicate, review
Choose a plan and explain why, including what is given up. Plan implementation: who does what and when. Decide how to communicate and how to review results. Present calmly, welcome questions and be ready to improve the plan.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Define
Stakeholder.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Person or group affected.
Example 2 (We do it together): Define
Implementation.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Putting a plan into action.
Example 3 (You try): Name
A criterion.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Fairness.
Did you know?
Some cities ask residents to vote on community environment projects through participatory budgeting.
Why this matters
Practising decisions prepares pupils to take part in real community choices.
4. Explore: River Aria project
Work in groups with the River Aria pack. Complete a stakeholder map, list three options, score them against four criteria, choose a plan with an implementation and review timeline, and present in three minutes. Give kind feedback to another group.
- Define.
- Compare.
- Decide.
- Present.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Different criteria can change the best choice.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A stakeholder is ___.
- Criteria are ___.
- An option is ___.
- Implementation is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a stakeholder?
Affected person or group.
Question 2. What are criteria?
Standards.
Question 3. What is an option?
Possible action.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a stakeholder?
- What are criteria?
- What is an option?
- What is implementation?
- Name a stakeholder.
Level 2: Grow
- Why many voices?
- Why criteria?
- Why review?
Level 3: Stretch
- Map stakeholders.
- Score options.
- Present.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Explain how you chose a plan and one stakeholder you considered.
Show a sample answer
Used criteria; considered fishers.
Another one. Explain your plan to an adult and ask for one question.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Many views matter.
Fix: Review is essential.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can define a problem and identify stakeholders.
- I can evaluate options with criteria.
- I can make and explain a decision.
- I can present respectfully.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Stakeholders have different interests.
- Criteria guide fair comparison.
- Decisions need evidence and reasons.
- Plans include communication and review.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Why countries cooperate. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Define stakeholder and criteria. [2 marks]
- List four steps in a decision process. [3 marks]
- Explain how criteria help compare options. [3 marks]
- Explain why plans need review. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Stakeholder [1]; criteria [1]
- Four [3]
- Criteria [1]; comparison [1]; example [1]
- Reason [1]; example [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a stakeholder?
- What are criteria?
- What is an option?
- What is implementation?
- Name a stakeholder.
- Why many voices?
- Why criteria?
- Why review?
- Map stakeholders.
- Score options.
Homework
Draw a stakeholder map.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a stakeholder? | Affected person or group. | 1 |
| 2. What are criteria? | Standards. | 1 |
| 3. What is an option? | Possible action. | 1 |
| 4. What is implementation? | Putting into action. | 1 |
| 5. Name a stakeholder. | Fishers. | 1 |
| 6. Why many voices? | Fairness. | 1 |
| 7. Why criteria? | Fair comparison. | 1 |
| 8. Why review? | Learn. | 1 |
| 9. Map stakeholders. | Map. | 1 |
| 10. Score options. | Score. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Affected person or group.; 2 Standards.; 3 Possible action.; 4 Putting into action.; 5 Fishers.. Level 2: 1 Fairness.; 2 Fair comparison.; 3 Learn.. Level 3: 1 Map.; 2 Score.; 3 Present..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Define a problem and identify stakeholders | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Evaluate options with criteria | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Make and explain a decision | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Present respectfully | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “One stakeholder’s view is enough.” Many views matter.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a decision map.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child completes a decision project on a made-up river problem. Please ask about their plan. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Ask about the plan.
- Praise reasoning.
- Respect views.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: define a problem and identify stakeholders; evaluate options with criteria; make and explain a decision; present respectfully.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 6 ideas: natural resources, resource distribution, deforestation, water scarcity and pollution.
Materials. River Aria packs. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Prepare project packs.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the River Aria plan story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the decision steps.
Guided activity (10 min). River Aria project.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How can a community make a fair environmental decision?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “One stakeholder’s view is enough.” Many views matter.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Make a decision map. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 6 Unit 9, topic 10; NCSS C3 Framework, environment and society, human-environment interaction; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, environmental issues and sustainability; IB Primary Years Programme, sharing the planet. These sources informed the lesson.