How to Teach Kids About Sustainability:
K-12 Sustainability Curriculum
Weather you have kids or not, I’m sure you know the power of
early education. Preschool through high
school children gain essential math, science, reading/writing, social, and even
some music or art skills. With our
changing world and increased recognition of living in a sustainable manor has
come a new movement of incorporating equally essential skill on sustainability into
the classroom as well!
While many of these sustainability skills are based in
science, much of the invaluable lessons include ecology, the whole system
approach, learned appreciation and understanding one’s place in the natural
world – all deeply valuable lessons that support students understanding and ability
shine in all fields. Giving a child a fundamental
education in sustainability practices fosters a child that understands the
whole system, and affords them the great advantage of excelling at topics such
as economics, design and technology advancement.
As a parent, teacher, or community member there are numerous
ways to incorporate sustainability lessons into your local schools curriculum.
Below is a specific example of an organization working
towards building sustainable educational curriculum in local schools. When reading the following, please ask
yourself about the changes you would
like to see to your local school and what you
can do to make it happen.
Sustainable Schools Project, Vermont, USA
The Sustainable Schools Project (SSP)
works with schools (around the world as well as in their own backyard) to
cultivate responsible, informed citizens who are engaged in building (economically
and environmentally) sustainable communities. With sustainability
integrated into their curricula, students learn and apply their understanding
in ways that build a sense of agency and care. Their actions result in
improvements in the quality of life for themselves, their schools, and their
communities. SSP believes that civic engagement and a service learning
experience are important components of a 21st century education and they have a
goal to help schools educate citizens who are engaged in building sustainable
communities.
The SSP Vision
By
introducing sustainability as a connecting theme, SSP helps:
- discover students’ potential as citizens and learners
- renew teachers’ vitality and coherence in their curriculum
- create a space for community engagement within the school
- inspire communities to improve the quality of life for everyone
This vision
is carried out by the 4C’S
- Curriculum Development
- Campus Practices & Culture
- Community Partnerships
- Collaboration
Foundational BIG ideas that serve as the foundation to the sustainability
curriculum:
- Ability to make a difference: everyone has the ability to affect change or
impact a system, community, self.
- Change over time: all organisms/places/systems are constantly changing.
- Community: all
communities involve nested economic, environmental, and social
systems. We need to understand the interconnections to come up with
sustainable solutions.
- Cycles: every
organism/system goes through different stages.
- Diversity:
systems/places function because of variety.
- Equilibrium: a
state of balance.
- Equity/Fairness: resources need to be shared to meet the needs of living things across
places and generations.
- Interdependence: all living things are connected. Every organism/system/place
depends on others.
- Limits: every
system has a carrying capacity.
- Long-term effects: we can project that actions will have effects beyond immediate
reactions.
- Place: natural and
human communities together make up one’s place. Every place has its
own needs and limits.
- Systems: elements that affect each other and are connected through larger patterns.
How is this specifically incorporated into the K-12
educational curriculum?
In order to care
for the world– from our own backyards to the other side of the globe—we must
first allow children to know this place and fall in love with it. In the
early years, we engage children’s innate sense of wonder and natural curiosity
as they explore our world through inquiry; the curriculum makes connections to
relevant issues and to prior experiences. This builds students’ content
knowledge and understanding of the big ideas of sustainability. As
children grow, this strong foundation of connection to their place develops in
a sense of stewardship. Through civic engagement and service-learning SSP can
deepen students’ sense of responsibility, building on their knowledge, and
eventually developing into habits of caring and action.
Global Partnerships
include:
Learning and Ecological Activities Foundation
(LEAF) for Children
Institute for Sustainable Communities
Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes
Facing the Future
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