SDGs in Japan and the United States: Action Research

Course: National, State, and Local Government
Unit: Public Policy
Learning Objective:•Students will identify the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and develop
an action plan to address these goals.

Overview:••••

Students will identify the United Nations sustainable development goals and learn how
the Japanese government and corporations are tackling these SDGs through specific casestudies.
Students will apply Japan’s proactive approach to SDGs to concerns students haveidentified in the Unites States.
Students will create and implement an action plan to address the SDGs they identified.
Students will produce and present a slide presentation on their SDG and action plan.

Implementation:SDGs in Japan
1. Begin the lesson by providing students with case studies of Japan’s approach to societal
concerns.
a. ‘Overcome Obstacles with Technology and Wisdom’i. This video produced by Omron Corporation explains how Omron has usedtechnology to support their disabled workers.
ii. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJvDC8hwF1Q
b. KDDI’s Target SDGs
i. This video produced by KDDI shows the corporation’s dedication andaction plans to address specific SGDs.
ii. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-GtR9z5vXw
c. ‘Let’s Discuss Cool Biz’
i. In this Article the Japan Times outlines the Cool Biz policy and its
reception in the workplace.
ii. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2017/05/22/language/lets-discuss-coolbiz/#.XZ9RiEZKggw

2. After students watch and read the above sources, the teacher will lead students in a classdiscussion on Japan’s proactive approach to SDGs, how we could apply similar
techniques in the United States, and what challenges the United States may face withimplementation in the United States.

SDGs in the Unites states
3. For inspiration and planning purposes, show students two Ted Talks of community
members identifying problems in their community and developing action plans to address
them.
a. ‘A Guerilla Gardner in South Central L.A.’
i. In this Ted Talk, Ron Finley discusses how he realized he was living in afood desert in South Central L.A. and worked with the local government
to create community gardens offering free healthy foods.
ii. https://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerilla_gardener_in_south_central_la?language=enb. ‘What’s Wrong with School Lunches’
i. In this Ted Talk, Ann Cooper talks about her experience identifying theproblems with school lunches and how she created a new system for herstudents.
ii. https://www.ted.com/talks/ann_cooper_talks_school_lunches
4. After each Ted Talk students should brainstorm which SDG they believe the speakertackled and how they achieved their goals.
5. Students will be provided with a link to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development
Goals and identify the SDG they want to address.
a. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

6. For their final project, students will create and present a Google Slide presentation withthe following criteria:a. Identify the SDG and specific issue their project will address.
b. Provide a background on the issue.
c. Develop and outline an action plan.
d. Carry out some part of their action plan in their school/community.
e. Reflect on the state of their issue and the degree of success their action planachieved.

Student Outcomes:••

Students will have an understanding of the United Nation’s SDGs, how Japan is a world
leader in the pursuit of the SDGs, and the ways in which the United States could
implement similar policies.
Students will also develop skills related to academic research, project planning, andpresentations.