Geographical Concept: How people have changed the environment of their place and how places can be sustainably cared for.
Year 4 Curriculum Link: The sustainable management of waste from production and consumption (ACARA, 2013).
Civics and Citizenship dimension for assessment: Introduce the idea of pollution and global warming – consider what actions can be taken in the local community. Look at case studies of effects of climate change.
Student Learning Sequence:
- Using the Environmental Intelligence Unit interactive game (BBC, 2014) explore the problems resulting from rising rates of pollution.
- Complete the four missions and make choices about reducing, reusing and recycling to discover the missing ‘R’ – respect for the environment (Scootle, 2015).
- Consider ways in which we can apply this to our local community.
Assessment Task:
Look at a number of case studies of effects of climate change, for example, pollution from cars affecting the ozone layer. Create a webpage, newspaper article or poster to advocate what actions can be taken in the local community to reduce pollution and raise awareness about global warming.
Consider:
- What are some realistic actions people in the community can take to reduce their pollution output?
- What are the benefits of reducing waste?
- What is going to happen to the Earth if we do not manage waste from production and consumption?
Overview:
This unit of work is based on geography, civics and citizenship and education for sustainable development. The unit has a strong focus on learning about place with a view to maintenance and future sustainability. It encourages participatory and inquiry-based skills and has an interconnected view of local and global events (Owens, 2011). The unit of work aligns with the Australian National Action Plan for Education for Sustainable Development (Colliver, 2007), incorporating the notion of sustainability across the community – not only in schools – through education and assists in planning for sustainable futures (DEWHA, 2010).
Sustainability involves four interrelated principles including conservation, appropriate development and also democracy – linking geography with civics and citizenship – ensuring that people have a say over how the natural systems should be managed (Fien, 2007, as cited in Kusmawan, 2007). The unit utilises the use of ICT, to engage student learning and encourages students to explore the different technological approaches possible to develop their understanding and knowledge. Ultimately the unit aims to use geographical and civics and citizenship knowledge to promote a more sustainable perspective within the local community. It is informed by the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2013) link – the sustainable management of waste from production and consumption – with a focus on how people have changed the environment and how places can be sustainably cared for. The unit will be assessed through the civics and citizenship dimension – consider what actions can be taken in the local community to promote sustainability through an inquiry based approach study of case studies of effects of climate change.
References:
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2013). The Australian Curriculum: Geography. Retrieved from: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Geography
BBC. (2014). Environmental intelligence unit. Retrieved 5 April, 2015 from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/sysm/eco/eco_friendly.shtml?page=index
Colliver, A. (2007). The national action plan for education for sustainable development. The Social Educator, 25(2), 7-8
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA). (2010). Sustainability curriculum framework. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.
Gilbert, R., & Hoepper, B. (Eds.). (2014). Teaching Humanities and Social Sciences: History, Geography, Economics & Citizenship (5th ed.). Southbank, VIC: Cengage Learning.
Image. (2015). Sustainability. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.westportconstructioninc.com/about-us/sustainability/ [Accessed: 5 April 2015].
Owens, S. (2011). Why sustainability has a future. Primary Geography, 74, 7-9
Kusamawan, U. (2007). An analysis of student environmental attitudes and their impact on promoting sustainable environmental citizenship: a multi-site study in Indonesian secondary school. Unpublished PhD thesis, The University of Newcastle.
Reynolds, R. (2012). Teaching history, geography & SOSE in the primary school (2nd ed.) South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.
Reynolds, R. (2014). Teaching humanities and social sciences in the primary school (3rd ed.) South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.
Scootle. (2015). Education Services Australia. Retrieved 5 April, 2015 from https://scootle.edu.au
bronticooke 