Week 5: Education for Sustainability Learning Opportunities



Grade 4P are passionate about the footprint they leave on earth therefore in our HASS lessons we will be focusing on Sustainability. Luckily through Civics and Citizen Education, a feature of HASS, sustainability focuses on practices of engaging, appreciating and linking (Gilbert & Hoepper, 2014). It challenges your children to analyze the relationship between their own lifestyles and the idea of sustainability and consider the future by understanding the patterns that allow us to meet the needs of the present, without compromising the future generations (ACARA, 2017). In the Australian Curriculum sustainability is a priority which encourages the teaching of protecting our environment that creates an ecologically and socially just world (ACARA, 2017). It has three key concepts: systems, worldviews, and futures (ACARA, 2017).



By students learning about this topic it aides them to take responsibility for their actions and contribute to a sustainable future. They will develop knowledge and skills that will motivate them to maintain their wellbeing as well as their communities and the earth.

This unit offers opportunities to explore the ideas:
•    Recycling and reuse is essential to sustain the Earth
•    The negative impact of global warming
•    We are global citizens and we share a responsibility to work together to help our earth.


To begin the units will explore the term ‘sustainability’ and the instructions devised by scientists to help us live more sustainably. Students will watch a short clip to help promote discussion around the topic. As a class, we will come up with a definition to use throughout the unit. Students are encouraged to use their understanding to explore the challenges of sustainability.


During the unit, we will be visiting CERES Community Environment Park, one of Australia's most visited environmental education centers to learn about the impact that humans have on the environment and what every day things they can do to minimize their global footprint and be more ecologically minded (CERES, 2017).  More information will be sent out regarding the excursion and parent helpers during the week.

To provide an insight on what students have learnt from CERES students will be placed into four groups ‘Rethink, Reduce, Recycle and Reuse’ where they will create posters to put up around the school to re-ecologies the school and the community to develop environmental awareness and the importance of the 4R’s and provide reminder strategies around the school such as ‘close the light’. As recycling plays a vital role of a sustainable future and preserving resources we use, involving students in activities that improve the community is fun and encompasses lifelong learning skills such as teamwork and taking care of our world. Students critical thinking and personal and social capacity are also being further developed as they establish strategies to sustainable patterns of living (Boyle-Baise & Zevin, 2014).

To reinforce these skills at home I have provided cards that you can print, cut, colour and even laminate to stick up around your house as a reminder because at the end of the day our future is in your child’s hands.


Comments

  1. Jane James16 April 2018 at 16:50

    Wow, another good blog. I found this topic rather interesting my self. Love how you have connect what they do at school with the poster they can then do at home. It helps them see the the learning they are doing has meaning. That no matter where they are sustainability like recycling needs to happen every where to make a little difference. I think it is a great idea that you have included a visit to the sustainability hub and included the parent involvement there as well. You could also get the kids to do a recycling campaign for the local community to get everyone involved.

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  2. Unknown22 April 2018 at 21:25

    I love the creativity you use in your blogs. It naturally invokes a sense of excitement which will hopefully be shared amongst the families. The centering of the text makes it a little difficult to read, however fits with the style of your blog. I agree with Jane that you could bring in a sustainability project to be involved in. You have found some terrific resources to keep the class engaged and enthusiastic about the topic.

    Jacinta

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