WEEK 5 BLOG: SUSTAINABILITY

WEEK 5 BLOG: SUSTAINABILITY
The Geography sub-strand in the Australian Curriculum (2016) provides opportunities to develop a students understanding of place, space, environment, interconnection and sustainability. So far this year in our Year 3/4 classroom, our focus has been on sustainability by exploring the ways that we can aim to improve creating a better world for this generation and future generations of all living things on planet Earth (Nayar, 2013). 
Our lesson links to Education for Sustainability by integrating Geography and Civics and Citizenship, which are two sub-strands of the Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum (ACARA, 2013). It is important for all parents to be informed about the significance of sustainability education as it allows your child to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future (Nayar, 2013).

Within our unit, we will cover the five components of Education for sustainability:

§  Envisioning a better future

§  Critical thinking and reflecting

§  Participation

§  Partnership for change

§  Systemic thinking

(Australian Research Institute for Environment and Sustainability, 2018).

How are the students learning sustainability?

Students are developing their understanding of the use and management of natural resources and waste, and the difference views on how to do this sustainably (ACARA, 2016). By integrating Civics and Citizenship into our activities, it provides the students to become active citizens through community involvement, by them engaging, valuing, connecting and taking action, and the goal of improving sustainability at a local level (Gilbert & Hoepper, 2014). By teaching the students to be involved with local issues, it provides students to develop their knowledge to global issues that are occurring in our environment (Reynolds, 2012).

We will be having a guest speaker from the Sustainability centre to come in to talk to our Year 3/4 class about identifying resources produced by the environment and where they come from. For example, water, food and raw materials such as fibres, timber and metals that make the things they use (ACARA, 2016). Prior to the guest speaker, students will be undertaking their own research on the computers to find out where they think resources produced by the environment come from. The students will note down a list of questions they may have for the guest speaker to be able to ask him/her questions when they come in, to further develop their understanding. 

Our work in the classroom on sustainability is also acknowledged as a Cross Curriculum Priority and a value. This area of work aims to develop students’ knowledge, skills, values and views to help contribute to a sustainable future, which has been evident in our lessons (ACARA, 2018). 

In our classroom, we have specific recycling bins.

 Outside our classroom, we have a compost bin.

What can you do to get involved?
Parents and carers can make a significant influence on young people on the actions they undertake which may affect your child. We ask you to support and encourage your child by also teaching them the importance of sustainability by reminding them how to be sustainable at home. For example, recycling properly and turning off the T.V if no one is watching it. I want my students to have the opportunities to make a change involving sustainability in their community, home life and school in order for them to become active citizens.

References:

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2018). Cross curriculum priorities: sustainability. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/cross-curriculum-priorities/

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2013). Draft Years 3-10 Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship. Accessed 20th March 2018. Retrieved from http://consultation.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Static/docs/HSS/Draft%20Years%203%20-%2010%20Australian%20Curriculum%20-%20Civics%20and%20Citizenship%20-%20May%202013.pdf

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2016). Humanities and social sciences – learning area. F-10 Curriculum: Version 8.3. Accessed 29 March 2018. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/download/

Australian Research Institute for Environment and Sustainability. (2018). Education for sustainability. Retrieved from http://aries.mq.edu.au/publications/aries/efs_brochure/pdf/efs_brochure.pdf

BlogSpot. (2012). Honey and butter. [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://sixinthesuburbsblog.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/make-your-own-compost-bin.html

Gilbert, R., & Hoepper, B. (2014). Teaching humanities and social sciences: history, geography, economics & citizenships in the Australian Curriculum. (5^th ed.). South Melbourne, VIC: Cengage Learning Australia.

Nayar, A. (2013). Importance of education for sustainable development. WWF Global. Retrieved from http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/search_wwf_news/?210950/Importance-of-Education-for-Sustainable-Development

Pinterest. (2018). ECE sustainability. [Photograph].

Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/188517934375952931/

Reynolds, R. (2012). Teaching history, geography & sose in the primary school. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

Youth Thinkers’ Society. (2015). Types of sustainability. [Photograph].  Retrieved from http://ytsnepal.org/blog/types-of-sustainability/