Geography Portfolio : Sustainable Development

Samantha Pashkoski

Why is it important to teach about Sustainable Development?

The World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987 defined Sustainable Development as “forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” Our present actions have major implications on the future if we misuse our environment now, we are limiting our resources for the future. We must educate our students on the consequences of their actions as consumers and citizens of this planet. We must compromise our needs and wants on a social, environmental and economic level and understand how these correlate to one another.

Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future

A UNESCO program for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. It provides professional development for student teachers, teachers, curriculum developers, education policy makers, and authors of educational materials. The modules are divided into 4 themes.

Sustainable Footprint

The footprint of our way of life influences the lives of people in other countries and future generations. Some of those influences will last forever. In the project Sustainable Footprint, youths will be stimulated to explore the consequences of their lifestyle and how they can provide a positive influence on the lives of others.

Food, Inc.

PBS documentary film directed by American filmmaker, Robert Kenner. Food Inc movie investigates the corporate agriculture and farming within the United States Investigation also include food products created from agricultural business which are harmful to our health and also damaging to the environment and violence towards animals and their employees. The sad facts of animal maltreatment, toxic food and additionally the government collusion are hidden by a deceptive industry.

A Story About Money that Will Change Your Life A story of transformation based on a new route to wealth. It invites us to meet the challenge of our time: to participate in the great transition to a sustainable, equitable and restorative economy that meets the needs and realities of the 21st century.

Sustainability : Social and Economic Choices

The lesson looks at our consumption choices and how they can have impacts on others around the world. As a case study it looks at how our demand for mobile phones has knock on affects in the mineral rich Democratic Republic of Congo.

Teaching Sustainability: The 21st

Century Learning Curve.“Sustainability is perhaps the most urgent and important topic to understand in today’s world. Students in school are joining the rest of society to take a close look at the health of our planet. Since 1972, the UN Environment Program has been reporting on the Earth’s vital signs. More than 1,360 experts worldwide participated in the most recent state-of-the-art scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the world’s ecosystems, from 2001-2005. Seven years ago they concluded that, in every natural domain, the Earth is under very severe stress.”

Ideas – Waste Not, Want Not… Not in the 21st Century

Waste is an important issue, but it’s also worthy. Zero waste sounds good and what we should be doing, but makes no mention of resource use. There are the 3 Rs, re-use, recycle or refurbish which is what second hand shops, auctions, car boot sales, salvage yards, jumble sales and the free cycle network do. There are charity shops on every high street and some specialize in vintage or haute couture clothes or books, but buying second hand is still a minority pursuit in the UK, but not of course if something is antique.

Resilience What does "resilience" mean at the personal,

social, and ecological levels?

Sustainability Unit 9-12

How do curriculum and instruction change when sustainability becomes the guiding approach? How does the content become richer? How does the level of inquiry deepen? This document provides an example of a teacher-created unit that is grounded in the content and pedagogy of sustainability education.

Green Development Strategy: The Triple-bottom-line Sustainable Development Matrix The Sustainable Development Matrix is a comprehensive green development strategy proposed by Sustainable Land Development International (SLDI) for sustainable business and land development best practices implementation.

WISE WEBSITE WISE is a straightforward, step-by-step program to educate your students about sustainability at their school, ending in a hands on project. The website provides all of the materials for students to observe what resources their school has, research a sustainability project, and carry out an action on their school to improve how resources are used.

World Without Oil, 10 Lessons“What if there was an oil shortage?

Starting today? How would your life change?”

Thinking Globally in The Local Classroom Sustainable Development :A Teacher Module

This Module has been developed with support and input from the GLOBAL CLASSROOM. INITIATIVE; a CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) resource for educators wishing to encourage Canadian youth to actively explore international-cooperation issues. The Module is part of the Geomatics For High School Curriculum Web site; a cooperative project between NGO's, private industry, government and high school teachers. The goal of the "Thinking Globally in the Local Classroom" section is to help students develop the skills, knowledge, and values they need to become responsible citizens and informed participants of an increasingly interdependent world.

Sustainability: Environmental Management and

Responsible Manufacturing at the Ford Rouge Factory Tour

How do personal and business decisions affect environmental sustainability? Students will also make relevant connections between historical and modern-day stewardship of the environment and their own lives today.

Education for Sustainable Development Source Book The purpose of the publication is to describe ways in which education for sustainable development (ESD) can be integrated into primary and secondary schooling. This collection of briefs is designed to complement other ESD materials published by UNESCO.

No Impact Project (5 lessons)This curriculum uses these tools to help middle and high school students explore the effects their everyday behavior has on the environment, their health, and their well-being. It will also challenge students to think about how the systems in our present society influence our lifestyle choices in ways that often are not good for environment. Finally, it will guide students to take action both individually and with others to bring about positive change. This curriculum is different from others because it connects students’ personal experiences with the environment.

Get to Know Your Lesson Plan : Sustainable Economics This lesson focuses on the concept of responsible purchasing using a sustainable economic framework. Students explore where things come from and where things go to make connections between product choices and social, economic and environmental impacts. By applying their understanding, students develop social and environmental responsibility – as school fundraisers and as citizens of a broader community.

Discover the Technology Loop Hewlett Packard (Canada) Co. and Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) have collaborated to bring you ready-to-use, engaging lessons and activities that help students in grades six through ten to: Understand the social and environmental impacts and opportunities involved in the life cycle of electronics; • choose, use, and dispose of technology products responsibly; • analyze the life cycle of a common object; • communicate suggestions for improving everyday objects to the

companies that manufacture them.• On this website you’ll get a summary of the 7 lessons that make

up the teaching resource.

High School Climate ChallengeHigh School Climate Challenge (HSCC) is an innovative program providing high school communities with the tools to assess and reduce their school’s carbon footprint and contribute to climate change solutions and sustainable schools.

Looking Good 3 LessonsIn modern society, many people spend money on making themselves look and feel good. From painting fingernails, to having a facial to buying smart clothes, all of these activities, not only effect how a person looks, but also may impact on how they feel. Young people today are brought up in a society where sustainability is an important word and where they are taught everyday to value the environment they live in.

Fair Trade Fair trade sets out to create better trading conditions for farmers and workers in poor countries. This social movement started in the late 1940’s and seeks to address this inequity. With better working conditions and prices for their goods and less negative environmental impact people have a chance to improve their lives: feed themselves, send their children to school, and meet their basic needs which is the right of every person on this planet. Students will make a connection between hunger, poverty, and non-living wages; they will understand the concept of Fair Trade.

The Story of Bottled WaterThe objective of this lesson is to introduce a global perspective to the water systems unit. Students will watch a video, brainstorm ideas, and examine labels on plastic water bottles. By the end of the lesson, students should be able to start thinking about the impact of their personal water usage, and of the bottled-water industry.

The Lorax Dr. Seuss The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss, is a classic children’s book that appeals to all ages. Told in a fanciful style, the story relates how an ambitious businessman named the Onceler exploits all the resources of a small country. Despite the warnings of a character named the Lorax, all the truffula trees are cut down and made into fast-selling products called thneeds. At the end of the story, the Once-ler regrets his actions, but is it too late?