SUSTAINABILITY AS AN INTEGRATING CONTEXT FOR LEARNING
A GUIDE TO FACULTY PLANNING
Sustainability: Meeting present needs without limiting the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Latin Roots: sustinare = to sustain; sustineo = I sustain; sustinemus = we sustain (synonyms = sustenance, tension, support)
I.
BRAINSTORM POSSIBLE THEMES (Read these questions aloud, then list ideas on white board or poster paper for all
to see. List all ideas, postponing discussion for now.)
 What themes connect with your school mission or recent school wide initiatives or interests?
 What themes will offer maximum opportunity for student learning?
 What themes offer the possibility of engaging the greatest number of subjects, departments, and teachers?
 What themes are already being well served in the scope and sequence (or curriculum map)? Does it make sense
to strengthen and focus an existing direction, or is it better to forge a new, fresh direction?
 What themes are both broad and relevant enough to engage not only students and faculty, but also families?
 What themes will elicit “best practices” in pedagogy?
 What themes seem timely in terms of current events?
 What themes hold promise for productive service learning?
II.
CHOOSE A SUSTAINABILITY THEME:_____________________________________
 Faculty members nominate and speak for a particular theme. Deliberate: pros and cons in light of above
questions? Make a decision, ideally with broad consensus, or alternately by majority vote.
 Will the theme serve as a focus for the school year curriculum and a festival, or just one of these two options?
III.
MAKE YOUR RATIONALE EXPLICIT: Why this theme? How will it serve …
Students? (Learning? Engagement? Standards and assessment?)
Teachers? (Collaboration? Professional development?)
Departments?
School mission and identity?
Community? (e.g. service learning)
IV.
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V.
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COLLABORATIVE CURRICULUM BRAINSTORM and ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Post large sheets of butcher paper around the room, each labeled with a different subject area.
Have an open discussion of curriculum ideas for the chosen sustainability theme. Given this theme, what kind of units,
lessons, activities, assessments, and projects could emerge from different subjects?
NOTE: This can be approached from the perspective of a subject area skill or from the perspective of content.
For example, in English students could write a sonnet (skill) about the theme (content). Or, they could read
Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire looking for issues or concepts (content) related to the theme, which they would
then render using a particular English skill. In math, given a theme such as population, students could perform the
steps to express to exponential growth (skill) to study population growth (content). Or, they could begin with
population data (content) and decide what math functions (skill) might help them to understand or use the data.
At any time, get up, go to any of the subject area posters, and jot down ideas for how different subject areas might
express or connect with the theme. Try to have at least one contribution for each subject area. You can be general or
specific, so long as contributions are connected the chosen theme. It’s a brainstorm!
Also, on a separate poster, list possible Essential Questions. These would be the important cross-curricular questions
that will guide students and teachers as they design and implement curriculum around this theme. Cull possibilities down
to 3-5 central questions that help shape common avenues of approach to the year’s theme.
INDIVIDUAL CURRICULUM WORK
Study the group brainstorm poster on your subject area.
Use the SUBJECT AREA CURRICULUM BRAINSTORM chart below to note the places where a nexus exists or can be
established between the sustainability theme and content and skills from your subject area. If you teach more than one
subject or grade, try to complete a separate form for each.
Remember, this task can be approached from the perspective of a subject area skill or content. Try to identify particular
activities, lessons, projects, or units where this theme can be addressed, or is already being addressed.
At the bottom of your chart, list possible resources and service learning ideas.
VI.
LEAD TEACHER(S) and/or ADMINISTRATORS (to communicate, provide resources, and keep the project moving)
VII.
TIMELINE (the big picture) WHO DOES WHAT WHEN?
Curriculum pieces? Assemblies? Festival Prep? Facility?
Promotion?
Faculty updates?
Media?
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUNE
TEACHER________________________________
SUBJECT/GRADE
UNIT(S)
Possible resources:
 Non-governmental/non-profits:
 Governmental:
 Consultants/experts:
 Businesses:
 Parents:
Service Learning Opportunities:
THEME_______________________________________
SUBJECT AREA CURRICULUM BRAINSTORM
CURRICULUM IDEAS
ASSEMBLIES & FESTIVAL
Lessons? Activities? Projects? Scope and
End results for assemblies? festival?
Sequence fit? Learning Standards met?
(projects, demonstrations, activities,
Assessments?
simulations, speeches, etc)