Strand - The Sustainability Hub
advertisement
VELS and Sustainability Using the Victorian Essential Learning Standards to promote Sustainability Education in Victorian schools For further information about this document or to organise a staff professional learning session on VELS & Sustainability, please contact the CERES Sustainable Schools team: CERES Environment Park, 8 Lee Street, Brunswick East, Vic, 3057. Telephone: (03) 9380 1556 Fax: (03) 3981 1844 contact@sustainability.ceres.org.au http://sustainability.ceres.org.au/ Written by the CERES AuSSI Vic facilitation team (Cara Horner, Glenn Davidson, Anna Cooke, Anthony Manglesdorf, Paul Dullard, Lorna Pettifer and Eric Bottomley, 2006-2007). © CERES Sustainable Schools 2007 How to use this document The document is organised by level, strand and domain. The table of contents at the beginning of the document, as well as the VELS grid (page 6) provides links through to learning focus statements and standards for each level of every domain in the document- no scrolling required to get there!. The ‘Back to table’ link at the top of each domain page brings you back to the summary table at the beginning. Table of Contents Go Straight to VELS grid INTRODUCTION TO VELS 1 Building the Future VELS Structure Strand Overview Education for Sustainability and VELS How to use this document 1 1 3 4 4 VELS GRID 6 LEVEL 1 7 PHYSICAL, PERSONAL AND SOCIAL LEARNING 7 Health & Physical Education 7 Learning Focus Standards Interpersonal Development Learning Focus Standards Personal Learning Learning Focus Standards Civics and Citizenship Learning Focus Standards 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10 DISCIPLINE-BASED LEARNING 11 Art 11 Learning Focus Standards English Learning Focus Standards Humanities (Economics, Geography, History) Learning Focus Standards LOTE- Pathway 1 © CERES Sustainable Schools 2007 11 11 12 12 12 13 13 13 14 i Learning Focus Standards Mathematics Learning Focus Standards Science Learning Focus Standards 14 14 15 15 15 16 16 16 INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING 17 Communication 17 Learning Focus Standards 17 17 Design, Creativity & Technology Learning Focus Standards ICT Learning Focus Standards Thinking Learning Focus Standards 18 18 18 19 19 19 20 20 20 LEVEL 2 21 PHYSICAL, PERSONAL AND SOCIAL LEARNING 21 Health & Physical Education 21 Learning Focus Standards Interpersonal Development Learning Focus Standards Personal Learning Learning Focus Standards Civics and Citizenship Learning Focus Standards 21 21 22 22 22 23 23 23 24 24 24 DISCIPLINE-BASED LEARNING 25 Art 25 Learning Focus Standards English Learning Focus Standards Humanities (Economics, Geography, History) Learning Focus © CERES Sustainable Schools 2007 25 25 26 26 26 27 27 ii Standards LOTE- Pathway 1 Learning Focus Standards Mathematics Learning Focus Standards Science Learning Focus Standards 27 28 28 28 29 29 29 30 30 30 INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING 31 Communication 31 Learning Focus Standards 31 31 Design, Creativity & Technology Learning Focus Standards ICT Learning Focus Standards Thinking Learning Focus Standards 32 32 32 33 33 33 34 34 34 LEVEL 3 35 PHYSICAL, PERSONAL AND SOCIAL LEARNING 35 Health & Physical Education 35 Learning Focus Standards Interpersonal Development Learning Focus Standards Personal Learning Learning Focus Standards Civics and Citizenship Learning Focus Standards 35 35 36 36 36 37 37 37 38 38 38 DISCIPLINE-BASED LEARNING 40 Art 40 Learning Focus Standards English Learning Focus Standards © CERES Sustainable Schools 2007 40 40 41 41 41 iii Humanities (Economics, Geography, History) Learning Focus Standards LOTE- Pathway 1 Learning Focus Standards Mathematics Learning Focus Standards Science Learning Focus Standards 42 42 42 43 43 43 44 44 44 45 45 45 INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING 47 Communication 47 Learning Focus Standards 47 47 Design, Creativity & Technology Learning Focus Standards ICT Learning Focus Standards Thinking Learning Focus Standards 48 48 48 49 49 49 50 50 50 LEVEL 4 51 PHYSICAL, PERSONAL AND SOCIAL LEARNING 51 Health & Physical Education 51 Learning Focus Standards Interpersonal Development Learning Focus Standards Personal Learning Learning Focus Standards Civics and Citizenship Learning Focus Standards 51 51 52 52 52 53 53 53 54 54 54 DISCIPLINE-BASED LEARNING 55 Art 55 Learning Focus Standards English © CERES Sustainable Schools 2007 55 55 56 iv Learning Focus Standards Economics Learning Focus Standards Geography Learning Focus Standards History Learning Focus Standards LOTE- Pathway 1 Learning Focus Standards Mathematics Learning Focus Standards Science Learning Focus Standards 56 56 57 57 57 58 58 58 60 60 60 61 61 61 62 62 62 64 64 64 INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING 66 Communication 66 Learning Focus Standards 66 66 Design, Creativity & Technology Learning Focus Standards ICT Learning Focus Standards Thinking Learning Focus Standards 67 67 67 68 68 68 69 69 69 LEVEL 5 70 PHYSICAL, PERSONAL AND SOCIAL LEARNING 70 Health & Physical Education 70 Learning Focus Standards Interpersonal Development Learning Focus Standards Personal Learning Learning Focus Standards Civics and Citizenship Learning Focus © CERES Sustainable Schools 2007 70 70 71 71 71 72 72 72 73 73 v Standards 73 DISCIPLINE-BASED LEARNING 74 Art 74 Back to Table Learning Focus Standards English 74 74 75 Learning Focus Standards Economics Learning Focus Standards Geography 75 75 76 76 76 77 Learning Focus Standards History 77 77 79 Learning Focus Standards LOTE- Pathway 1 Learning Focus Standards Mathematics Learning Focus Standards Science 79 79 80 80 80 81 81 81 83 Learning Focus Standards 83 83 INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING 85 Communication 85 Learning Focus Standards 85 85 Design, Creativity & Technology Learning Focus Standards ICT 86 86 87 Learning Focus Standards Thinking 86 Back to Table Learning Focus Standards 87 87 88 88 88 LEVEL 6 89 PHYSICAL, PERSONAL AND SOCIAL LEARNING 89 Health & Physical Education 89 Learning Focus Standards © CERES Sustainable Schools 2007 89 89 vi Interpersonal Development Learning Focus Standards Personal Learning Learning Focus Standards Civics and Citizenship Learning Focus Standards 90 90 90 91 91 91 92 92 92 DISCIPLINE-BASED LEARNING 94 Art 94 Learning Focus Standards English Learning Focus Standards Economics Learning Focus Standards Geography Learning Focus Standards History Learning Focus Standards LOTE- Pathway 1 Learning Focus Standards Mathematics Learning Focus Standards Science Learning Focus Standards 94 94 95 95 95 96 96 96 98 98 98 100 100 100 102 102 102 103 103 103 105 105 105 INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING 107 Communication 107 Learning Focus Standards 107 107 Design, Creativity & Technology Learning Focus Standards ICT Learning Focus Standards Thinking Learning Focus Standards © CERES Sustainable Schools 2007 108 108 108 110 110 110 111 111 111 vii Introduction to VELS The introductory information contained on page 1 and 2 is taken directly from the VCAA’s Victorian Essential Learning Standards: Overview webpage, http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/about/overview.html The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) describe what is essential for students to achieve from Years Prep to 10 in Victorian schools. They provide a whole school curriculum planning framework that sets out learning standards for schools to use to plan their teaching and learning programs, including assessment and reporting of student achievement and progress. VELS identify three core and interrelated strands for the Prep to Year 10 curriculum. Each strand has a number of domains which describe the essential knowledge, skills and behaviours students need to prepare for further education, work and life. The domains include the standards by which student achievement and progress is measured. Building the Future VELS propose that students need to develop a set of knowledge, skills and behaviours which will prepare them for success in a world which is complex, rapidly changing, rich in information and communications technology, demanding high-order knowledge and understanding and increasingly global in its outlook and influences. To succeed in that world, all students need to develop the capacities to: manage themselves as individuals and in relation to others understand the world in which they live; and act effectively in that world. Students will need to create a future which: Is sustainable - developing an understanding of the interaction between social, economic and environmental systems and how to manage them. Is innovative - developing the skills to solve new problems using a range of different approaches to create unique solutions. Builds strong communities - by building common purposes and values and by promoting mutual responsibility and trust in a diverse socio-cultural community. Each of these purposes is embedded within the three core strands of the VELS, and incorporated into specific standards. VELS is striving for: Powerful, effective learning Deep Understanding Essential learning, connecting strongly with communities & practice beyond the classroom VELS Structure Within each strand of learning, the essential knowledge, skills and behaviours are organised into domains with further divisions into dimensions. Learning focus statements and standards are written for each dimension. The relationship between the strands, domains & dimensions is shown in Table 1. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2007 Page 1 Strand Discipline-based Learning Domain Dimension Health and Physical Education Movement and physical activity Health knowledge and promotion Interpersonal Development Building social relationships Working in teams Personal Learning The individual learner Managing personal learning Civics and Citizenship Civics knowledge and understanding Community engagement The Arts Creating and making Exploring and responding English Reading Writing Speaking and listening Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Communicating in a language other than English Intercultural knowledge and language awareness Humanities (Economics) Economics knowledge and understanding Economics reasoning and interpretation Humanities (Geography) Geographical knowledge and understanding Geospatial skills Humanities (History) Historical knowledge and understanding Historical reasoning and interpretation Mathematics Number Space Measurement, chance and data Structure Working mathematically Science Science knowledge and understanding Science at work Communication Listening, viewing and responding Presenting Design, Creativity and Technology Investigating and designing Producing Analysing and evaluating Information and Communications Technology (ICT) ICT for visualising thinking ICT for creating ICT for communicating Thinking Reasoning, processing and inquiry Creativity Reflection, evaluation and metacognition Table 1: The structure of the essential learning standards. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2007 Page 2 The relationship between Strands, Domains, Dimensions, Learning Focus statements and Standards is illustrated below in Figure 1: Figure 1: VELS structure. (Source: P 17 http://www.ais.vic.edu.au/schools/curriculum/documents/VELS_PowerPoint_Briefing.pdf ) Strand Overview 1. Physical, Personal and Social Learning A curriculum designed to equip students for the challenging world of the twenty-first century needs to ensure that students develop as people who take increasing responsibility for their own physical wellbeing, their own learning, their own relationships with others and their role in the local, national and global community. http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/essential/personal/index.html 2. Discipline-based Learning The domains within the Discipline-based Learning strand form a body of knowledge with associated ways of seeing the world and distinct methods of exploring, imagining and constructing that world. Broadly in line with academic literature and consistent with practice in many schools, the Victorian Essential Learning Standards identify the Arts, the Humanities, English and Languages Other Than English, Mathematics and Science as the disciplines for the curriculum over the stages of learning from Prep to Year 10. http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/essential/discipline/index.html 3. Interdisciplinary Learning The Interdisciplinary Learning strand identifies a range of knowledge, skills and behaviours which cross disciplinary boundaries and are essential to ensuring students are prepared as active learners and problem-solvers for success at school and beyond. This strand focuses on ways of thinking, communicating, conceiving and realising ideas and information. It assists students to develop the capacity to design, create and evaluate processes as a way of developing creativity and innovation. http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/essential/interdisciplinary/index.html © CERES Sustainable Schools 2007 Page 3 Education for Sustainability and VELS The ultimate aim of Sustainability Education is to give students ‘ecoliteracy’ and help future generations become citizens who are environmentally, socially and economically responsible. Although sustainability is not explicitly listed as a Domain or Dimension in VELS, the Learning Focus statements and Standards are underpinned by the principle. Our hope is that Sustainability will be contextualised across all domains of the curriculum but we are well aware that many teachers may not be confident or knowledgeable enough in the area of Sustainability Education to allow this to occur. For sustainability to become standard practise in every school, VELS ideally needs to have sustainability education principles embedded into the existing structure at the domain, dimension (and obviously standards) levels. However, this at first may not look like an easy task, but if you look at VELS development as an opportunity and use lateral thinking to interpret the learning statements contained in each dimension, sustainability can easily occur in broad contexts in every domain at every level. This document has been designed to give you an easy link access to both the dimension and standard with the specific sustainability reference stated for each domain. There are a number of approaches a school could take to integrate the new domains of VELS into current curriculum structure: 1. Attempt to integrate interdisciplinary and physical, personal and social learning strands into existing discipline based subjects 2. Introduce key questions/themes which the three strands will use as inspiration for class work thus using the ‘elements’ of each dimension as a tool to explore, unpack, discover etc the question. 3. Set Extended Investigative Projects for the students which will address learning focus statements and standards in each or many of the sixteen domains. As VELS focuses heavily on investigative projects, we suggest option 3 and to a lesser extent option 2 as the logical choice for schools, although secondary schools will find it extremely difficult to move from the current compartmentalised curriculum structure to one which emphasises cross-curricular learning. How to use this document The ultimate aim of Education for Sustainability (EFS) is to give students ‘ecoliteracy’ and help future generations become citizens who are environmentally, socially and economically responsible. Although sustainability is not explicitly listed as a Domain or Dimension in VELS, the Learning Focus statements and Standards are underpinned by the principle. Our hope is that EFS will be contextualised across all domains of the curriculum but we are well aware that many teachers may not be confident or knowledgeable enough in the area of EFS to allow this to occur. There are many explicit references to sustainability topics in the Learning Focus statements and Standards of VELS. Clear sustainability themes appear in each VELS level. Sustainability topics can be addressed in every domain at every level by combining the explicit sustainability references contained within certain Learning Focus statements with some lateral thinking to interpret other Learning Focus statements where sustainability topics are not explicitly mentioned. The document is organised by level, strand and domain. The table of contents at the beginning of the document, as well as the VELS grid (page 6) provides links through to learning focus statements and standards for each level of every domain in the document- no scrolling required to get there!. The ‘Back to table’ link at the top of each domain page brings you back to the summary table at the beginning. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2007 Page 4 Suggested Themes and Possible Critical Questions have been added for all domains at all levels. These ideas are by no means exhaustive and are designed to stimulate creative interpretation of VELS. CERES would love to receive your feedback on this document and any ideas you may have on possible themes or critical questions which have worked well in your classroom for a particular domain and level. To give feedback, get further information about this document, or to organise a staff professional learning session on Sustainability & VELS please contact the CERES Sustainable Schools team on 9380 1556, email contact@sustainability.ceres.org.au, or go to the Sustainability Hub website http://sustainability.ceres.org.au/. This document was written by the CERES AuSSI facilitation team (Cara Horner, Glenn Davidson, Anna Cooke, Anthony Manglesdorf, Paul Dullard, Lorna Pettifer and Eric Bottomley) 2006-2007. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2007 Page 5 Thinking Communication Science Mathematics LOTE Pathway 1 History Geography Economics English Art Civics & Citizenship Personal Learning Interpersonal Development Humanities ICT Interdisciplinary Learning Discipline-Based Learning Design, Creativity & Technology Physical, Personal and Social Learning Health & Physical Education Domain Strand Level 1 (Prep) Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Level 2 (Yr 1 & 2) Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Level 3 (Yr 3 & 4) Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Level 4 (Yr 5 & 6) Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Level 5 (Yr 7 & 8) Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Level 6 (Yr 9 & 10) Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Learning Focus Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Learning Focus Standards Page 66 LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1 Physical, Personal and Social Learning Health & Physical Education Back to Table Learning Focus Students engage in a variety of physical activities in a range of environments (indoor, outdoor, and aquatic). They learn to identify those environments where they feel confident and those where they may be afraid or concerned for their safety. They learn about local signs and symbols related to safety and explore possible actions to take when they feel threatened or unsafe. Students are introduced to the basic principles of living an active and healthy life and begin to understand how good food choices contribute to an active and healthy life. Standards Students perform basic motor skills and movement patterns in a range of environments. They follow rules and procedures and share equipment and space safely. Suggested Themes Walking in natural scapes. Safety in nature. Sun safety. Take only photographs and memories, leave only footprints. Possible Critical Questions Should we be scared to walk in the bush? How can we stay safe in the natural environment? How can we be Sun Smart? What are some signs/signals that an area is unsafe? How should we care for the environment? What should we do when approaching animals? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 7 LEVEL 1 Interpersonal Development Back to Table Learning Focus Students interact with their peers, teachers and other adults in a range of contexts. They begin to develop the skills required to work together in a group, including taking turns, and sharing and caring for equipment and resources. Standards Students contribute to the development of positive social relationships in a range of contexts. Students describe basic skills required to work cooperatively in groups. Suggested Themes Working and learning in a team. Peer mentoring. Student Action Teams. Possible Critical Questions How do animals pass on skills like hunting or food selection to younger generations? Can we use a bee hive as a good model for cooperation? Is peer mentoring a good way to maintain school systems? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 8 LEVEL 1 Personal Learning Back to Table Learning Focus With teacher support, students make links with their existing experiences and develop the view that learning is exploratory, fun and rewarding. Students begin to take initiative as learners by asking questions when needed and attempting small projects. They begin to solve problems and complete work using their initiative. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 3. Suggested Themes Reducing rubbish. Turning off lights. Using paper. Possible Critical Questions How do you think you can best use paper for drawing? How could everyone get a turn at being the light monitor? What’s the best way for our class to help keep rubbish out of the playground and how could you as an individual help? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 9 LEVEL 1 Civics and Citizenship Back to Table Learning Focus Students are introduced to the classroom being a community and about respect, concern, fairness and the need for rules. Students also learn about and celebrate special cultural, local community and national days, for example, Clean Up Australia Day. They engage in school and cultural events in a responsible & active way. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 3. Suggested Themes Reducing rubbish. Turning off lights. Using paper. Possible Critical Questions What is special about clean up Australia day? How much fun can we have on nude food day? What does it mean to be a steward of the earth? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 10 LEVEL 1 Discipline-based Learning Art Back to Table Learning Focus Using the disciplines of dance, drama, music, 2D and 3D art and media, students will make performing and visual arts works that express and communicate experiences, observations, ideas & feelings about themselves and their world, drawn from sources such as play, problem solving, imagination, incursions & excursions. eg in music they can use body percussion, instruments and their voices, to create a sound scope about changes in the weather. Standards Students make and share performing and visual arts that communicate observations, personal ideas, feelings and experiences using a variety of arts elements. Suggested Themes Reducing rubbish in our waterways – making artwork that reflects the issue. Using paper wisely – being considerate in our choice and quantity of materials. Flora and fauna of our school. Possible Critical Questions How do you think the animals of an ecosystem e.g. river feel about the rubbish in their home? Do you think it is alright to use so much paint and paper? What animals and bugs (flowers & trees) live around our school/homes? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 11 LEVEL 1 English Back to Table Learning Focus Students learn to read simple predictable texts that have familiar contents, using illustrations to extend meaning. Students will begin to compose simple texts about personally significant topics and regularly make brief presentations. They will learn and practice the skills of being an attentive listener using a range of simple texts, including texts read out loud, audio tapes and films. Standards Students read aloud simple print and electronic texts. They use title, illustrations and knowledge of a text to predict meaning. Students write personal recounts and simple texts about familiar topics. Suggested Themes Waste in our classroom/home- recycling plastics. Biodiversity- books and observations about animals. Taking care of the environment- books with environmental messages. Possible Critical Questions How much plastic is in our school lunch/playlunch? What kind of plastic is in our school lunch/playlunch? What do the recycling symbols look like for plastic we can recycle in our area? What is daily life like for a chosen animal? How do humans affect the life of this chosen animal? What are books (with environmental themes) such as The Lorax or The Giving Tree telling us? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 12 LEVEL 1 Humanities (Economics, Geography, History) Back to Table Learning Focus Though activities such as developing personal and family timelines, examining photos and buildings and visits from community members, students learn about the concepts of time and change and continuity. Students investigate the relative location, direction and distance of their home, school, class, local parks, shops and other significant features of their local environment and begin to understand the geography of their local area. They learn to give and follow simple directions. They draw simple pictorial maps. Students explore how and why natural factors (for example, changes in the weather) and human activities (the closing of a park) affect their lives. Participating in activities such as wearing protection from the sun, saving energy, saving water, and recycling their drink cans, they develop their awareness of environmental issues. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 3. Suggested Themes Conversations with our parents or grandparents about the natural environment they grew up in. Conversations with family members about favourite holiday destinations. The way our neighbourhood looks. Weather patterns. Possible Critical Questions Why is the sun hotter in summer? What have we done in our neighbourhood to change our environment? What is the best way to save water in your bathroom? What is your favourite holiday place? Is the sun good, bad or both? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 13 LEVEL 1 LOTE- Pathway 1 Back to Table Learning Focus Students are given opportunities to learn about the speakers of the language through the introduction of culturally relevant and age appropriate stimulus. They become aware that there is different ways of doing things for different reasons e.g. special festivals. Students are immersed in hearing the language, made clear through gestures, dramatisation, singing, activities, viewing materials & dance. Students participate in activities which locate the language in real communication contexts. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 4. Suggested Themes Children’s games from other countries that use environment as a theme. Use an article about the natural world as a prop (e.g. plant material, stones etc). Songs about animals, plants etc. Stories about festivals that are linked to nature or natural events e.g. spring, harvest time. Possible Critical Questions How do people in other countries celebrate the arrival of spring? What are the rules of children’s games in your LOTE origin country? What are the words for different animals in your LOTE language? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 14 LEVEL 1 Mathematics Back to Table Learning Focus Students manipulate and group physical objects and drawings. Place objects in order. Count to the number 20. Model addition and subtraction. Learn to compare common objects. Make correspondences. Create and explore number patterns. Standards MCD: compare length, area, capacity and mass of objects. Recognise the continuity of time and natural cycles e.g. day/night, seasons. Collect and display data using simple pictographs. Suggested Themes Cycles of nature. Cycles of planetary movement (earth & moon). Biodiversity in the school yard. Waste in our classroom. Possible Critical Questions How many hours has the sun been shining today? How long is a month and why? How high do you think that tree is? Which tree is the biggest/tallest in our school yard? How many birds can you see in the school yard? How many pieces of packaging did we use in our lunches today? How much paper did we use today? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 15 LEVEL 1 Science Back to Table Learning Focus Students use their senses to observe and describe the world around them, for example, day & night, the seasons; and living and non-living things. They will learn to sort objects according to basic criteria, participate in simple investigations involving observation and measurement (e.g. saving water, measuring plant growth) and will display & make generalisations from the data. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 3. Suggested Themes Cycles of nature. Cycles of planetary movement (earth & moon). Biodiversity in our school yard. Waste in our environment including pollution. Possible Critical Questions How many hours has the sun being shining today? How long is a month and why – what happens to the moon over this time? How do the seasons change the natural environment (schoolyard), rain patterns and the way you feel? Why do trees grow so high? Which tree is the biggest/tallest in our school yard – is it tall and thin or tall with a wide trunk? What animals and birds live in those trees and why? How many birds can you see in the school yard and where are they when you saw them? How many pieces of packaging did we use in our lunches today – where might these packages end up if we a) put them in the bin or b) leave them in the schoolyard? How much paper did we use today – where does paper come from? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 16 LEVEL 1 Interdisciplinary Learning Communication Back to Table Learning Focus Students begin to identify basic communication conventions such as being attentive listeners, facing the speaker and taking turns. They respond to a variety of stimuli. Students make regular short oral presentations to groups of the whole class. They begin to use visual aids such as photographs, objects and drawings. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 4. Suggested Themes Biodiversity we have seen in our school yard. Waste in our classroom – management strategies. Energy saving in our classroom. Possible Critical Questions How can we show people to be more waste wise? What animals and plants did we see in our schoolyard? How could we best ensure the lights are turned off when we are not in the room? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 17 LEVEL 1 Design, Creativity & Technology Back to Table Learning Focus Students will recognise the basic characteristics and materials from which familiar everyday products are made & how they are used. Students explore the differences between natural products and artefacts, and learn that materials can be recycled and reused to produce new products. They explore the use of common materials such as paper, wood, soil and plants. Students think and talk about why and how products are made. They use their imagination to develop imaginative design solutions for simple problems and learn to use simple pictures and models to represent design ideas to develop simple and authentic products e.g. healthy after-school snack. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 3. Suggested Themes Biodiversity we have seen in the school yard. Waste in our classroom – management strategies. Energy saving in our classroom. Possible Critical Questions What can we build/make to store reusable paper in? What can we make with natural materials we have found in our schoolyard? Is there a better way to wrap our lunch items? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 18 LEVEL 1 ICT Back to Table Learning Focus Students develop hand -eye coordination through using a mouse to control the pointer on the screen. Students work with different kinds of data, e.g. text, numbers and images, to create simple information products. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 2. Suggested Themes Biodiversity we have seen in the school yard. Waste in our classroom – management strategies. Energy saving in our classroom. Possible Critical Questions Which games in ‘Ollie Saves the Planet’ are your favourite? What can you learn from Ollie’s approach to waste control? What is the best thing about playing computer games that teach you something? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 19 LEVEL 1 Thinking Back to Table Learning Focus Students explore the community and environment around them. Questions and wondering are encouraged and become the basis for further learning. Students develop their skills in making accurate observations about people and events and they begin to use a variety of means to record their observations. Students practice ordering and sequencing of ideas. When presented with simple problems, students work with peers to develop a range of creative solutions and test their effectiveness against criteria. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 3. Suggested Themes Biodiversity we have seen in the school yard. Waste in our classroom – management strategies. Energy saving in our classroom. Possible Critical Questions How do people in our school and neighbourhood waste energy and paper? Why do you think people litter in our schoolyard? Why do the birds (e.g. minor birds, ravens, sparrows) like living at school? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 20 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 2 Physical, Personal and Social Learning Health & Physical Education Back to Table Learning Focus Students continue to participate in a variety of physical activities in a range of environments (indoor, outdoor and aquatic). Students begin to understand the link between physical activity and health, and learn that they need energy to participate in physical activity. With guidance, they learn to make healthy food choices according to healthy eating models, and to consider the factors that influence their choice of foods. Standards Students regularly engage in sessions of moderate to vigorous physical activity and describe the link between physical activity and health. They explain the contribution rules and procedures make to safe conduct of games and activities. Suggested Themes Walking in natural scapes. Importance of water for good health. Importance of healthy food for good health and energy. Similarities between humans and animals need for healthy environments and food, water etc. Possible Critical Questions Can you identify similarities between what you eat and what animals eat for good health? Is our school canteen healthy? What different kinds of natural environments are there? How much water should you drink each day? What foods give you the best/longest lasting energy? What does good healthy water look like? What are the general rules/guidelines for walking in nature so to stay safe and look after the environment? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 21 LEVEL 2 Interpersonal Development Back to Table Learning Focus Students learn to recognise and describe the feelings and emotional responses of others. Students learn to recognise that their actions have consequences for both themselves and others in social contexts. They learn to stay on task and share resources fairly. Standards Students identify and accept that there are consequences for their actions. Students work in teams in assigned roles, stay on task and complete structured activities within set timeframes. They share resources fairly. Suggested Themes Working and learning in a team. Student Action Teams. Peer mentoring. Possible Critical Questions Are the earth’s resources being shared fairly? How can we fairly share the vegetables we grow in the school garden? If you were a polar bear how would you be feeling right now? What is a fair system to choose environmental captains from our class? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 22 LEVEL 2 Personal Learning Back to Table Learning Focus Students participate in a wide range of learning experiences which involve a variety of learning and thinking styles. They begin to recognise that learning from mistakes is an important attribute of being a good learner and their contribution to the achievement of a positive learning environment in class. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 3. Suggested Themes Waste- how much do I make? Energy – am I wasting it? Using less water at home. Possible Critical Questions What are some ways we can act locally and respond personally? Will our quality of life change if we use less water and energy? What is my impact on the environment? How are we helping our environment by planting trees? What would the world look like in the year 2030? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 23 LEVEL 2 Civics and Citizenship Back to Table Learning Focus Students begin to appreciate the similarities and differences b/n individuals and groups. They explore roles, rights and responsibilities of family and community members. Students begin to participate in a range of class and school in activities such as recycling, taking responsibility for class resources and marking local and national commemorations. Students investigate the ways individuals, families, groups and communities can work to improve their environment. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 3. Suggested Themes Using less water and energy at home. Water wise gardens. Recycling in our local community. Possible Critical Questions How can we ensure that everyone in our class gets an opportunity to help with recycling in our class? What is our local community doing to encourage recycling? What are our local environmental issues? Can we have a water wise garden in our school? Is it better for our school to have worm farms or composting bins? How can everyone get a turn at being an energy monitor? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 24 LEVEL 2 Discipline-based Learning Art Back to Table Learning Focus Using the disciplines of dance, drama, music, 2D and 3D art and media, students will make performing and visual arts works that communicate experience, observations and things imagined. They will use ideas and concepts taken from themes, scenarios, narratives and visual stimuli. e.g. in dance, use whole body/body parts to improvise the movement characteristics of particular animals. Standards Students create and present performing and visual art works that show emerging arts knowledge and an ability to plan art works that communicate ideas, concepts, observations, feelings and/or experiences. Suggested Themes Natural substances. Pollution and the effects on marine life. Creative music - using waste materials to create sounds? Water-smart art rooms. Making paper. Possible Critical Questions How is paper made? Using movement, how can we show that animals in the sea are affected by pollution? How can we save water in our art room? What will the world be like in 2030? What would it be like to have a world without frogs, whales and krill? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 25 LEVEL 2 English Back to Table Learning Focus Students work towards independence in reading short predictable and uncomplicated texts, including imaginative and informative texts. They read and retell ideas in sequence and comment and act upon information. They consider others opinions and viewpoints. Students write short texts that include several related ideas in sequence & combine this writing with drawing or computer graphics. They listen to spoken texts, recall main ideas/ information and use questions to clarify meaning. Standards Students read independently and respond to short imaginative and informative texts. They predict plausible endings for stories and infer characters feelings. They write short sequenced texts that include some related ideas about familiar topics. They listen to and produce spoken texts that deal with familiar ideas and information and recall some of the main ideas and information presented. Suggested Themes Taking care of the environment – books with environmental messages. Litter in our environment – following a trail. Local environmental issues in the media. Our planet our future. Possible Critical Questions How does our litter harm the environment? If litter is dropped in our school yard, where does it end up? What will the world look like in the year 2030? Why should we care for the environment? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 26 LEVEL 2 Humanities (Economics, Geography, History) Back to Table Learning Focus Students reflect on how life at home and in the community has changed through a study of changes in the local community over time. Through observation, students investigate and describe elements of the natural and built environments in their local area. By observing the characteristics of different places, and prompted by questions, students think about environmental differences, locally and in other parts of Australia and the world, and why these differences exist. They begin to grasp the role and importance of the various cultural groups that make up the Australian community, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. They explore what their local area might have looked like before European settlement. Students are introduced to the concept of resources and their management, and begin to understand how resource use reflects community interdependence and sustainability. They begin to understand how local resources are used to make products which meet local people's needs and the needs of people in other places. They also begin to understand that resources from other places may be used to make products locally to meet their needs. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 3. Suggested Themes My Family – how things have changed. Transport – changes over time. Favourite places – grandparents, parents and mine. Packaging – where it began and why we use so much of it today. Things that need electricity. Possible Critical Questions What things do we have today that use electricity that our grandparents didn’t have? What if one day all cars vanished off the planet? What does it mean to be Australian? How has packaging changed over time? Will my favourite place still be there in 100 years time? How much stuff do we use that we could do without? What things are made in your neighbourhood that you use and what is sent somewhere else for others to use? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 27 LEVEL 2 LOTE- Pathway 1 Back to Table Learning Focus Students learn about culture in context from stimulus materials. They understand and use the language in structured situations and activities related to their local environment. Students are immersed in hearing the language, made clear through gestures, dramatisation, singing, activities, viewing materials & dance. They also identify features of communication in the language and other differences in cultural practices. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 4. Suggested Themes Food from other countries – recipes . Different animals. Environmental songs and games. Weather. Water cycle. Possible Critical Questions What food is eaten in the LOTE origin country? What animals live in the LOTE origin countries that are different to ours? What is the weather like in the LOTE origin country? Can you write/read the water cycle in your LOTE language? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 28 LEVEL 2 Mathematics Back to Table Learning Focus Students begin to use mathematical symbols and language to describe their mathematical explorations of everyday life. They can count up to 1000 and perform simple addition and subtraction using numbers up to 100. Students learn to construct & follow directions, informal maps, diagrams and routes to locations in the local environment. They recognise time units and investigate time patterns and cycles. Students pose & respond to questions leading to data collection, using pictographs and bar graphs to present the data. Standards Space: specify location as a relative position & interpret simple networks, diagrams and maps. MCD: make, describe and compare measurements of length, area, volume, mass and time using informal units. They describe temperature using qualitative terms. & common/ familiar time patterns. They collect simple categorical and numerical data and present the data using pictographs and bar graphs. Suggested Themes Waste in our school – daily, monthly, yearly. Mapping Water usage in our school. Biodiversity in our local community. Weather mapping. Energy use in the classroom. Possible Critical Questions How much and what kinds of rubbish is our school producing? What types of packaging comes into our school? Where do we use water in our school? Is our school wasting any water? What types of birds and plants to we have in our local community? How much of the sky today is covered with clouds? What are clouds and how do they affect our weather? Where does our classroom use energy? Are we wasting it? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 29 LEVEL 2 Science Back to Table Learning Focus Students observe and describe phenomena (e.g. life cycles, properties of materials). They begin to generate questions about situations and phenomena, and suggest forms of observations and measurements that are appropriate for the investigation of their questions. They investigate ways of reducing waste in their classroom, e.g. recycling and composting. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 3. Suggested Themes Nature is the best at recycling its waste - Worm lifecycles, forest ecosystems. Packaging–lifecycles classifying different types and monitoring the decomposition rates of different types. The Water cycle. Energy how we use and waste it. Worm farms and compost bins. Paper reuse and recycling. Micro habitats and minibeasts. Possible Critical Questions How can we reduce the waste in every classroom at our school? How do worms survive in a worm farm? If we buried some vegetable scraps, a piece of clothing and a lolly wrapper which one would last the longest? Are we wasting energy by leaving the lights on? How is paper made? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 30 LEVEL 2 Interdisciplinary Learning Communication Back to Table Learning Focus Students practise the skills of being attentive listeners and viewers in pairs, small groups and as a whole class. They are encouraged to use questions to clarify meaning and to extend interaction. Students regularly make short oral presentations to small groups or the whole class on specified topics across the curriculum and on personal experience beyond school. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 4. Suggested Themes Waste in our school – management strategies. Biodiversity in our local neighbourhood – how can we protect it? Looking after our environment- why is it important to us. Water in our school – management strategies. Energy use in our classroom – management strategies. Possible Critical Questions What is the best way to communicate our ideas on reducing the waste in our school? What can we do that will help protect our local plants and animals? What can we do to help others not waste water in the school? How can we help other classrooms to not waste energy? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 31 LEVEL 2 Design, Creativity & Technology Back to Table Learning Focus Students come to understand that people use creative imaginative and inventive thinking to help them meet human needs and wants. Students develop basic design ideas based on their experiences of working with materials/ingredients and components. Responding to open-ended design tasks, students develop imaginative and practical design solutions to problems, needs and opportunities, for example, making pots and growing herbs to use in a food product. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 3. Suggested Themes Waste in our school - management strategies. Biodiversity in our local neighbourhood – how can we protect it? Looking after our environment- why is it important to us. Water in our school – management strategies. Energy use in our classroom – management strategies. Food production at school. Possible Critical Questions How can we show others in the school what types of waste we create? Can we find a better use for something that would be considered waste? How can we save water at our school? How many times can you use a piece of paper? How could we have a rubbish free lunch every day? What food can we grow at school to use in school lunches and what do we need to grow it in? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 32 LEVEL 2 ICT Back to Table Learning Focus Students use ICT to acquire new knowledge and skills in all areas of the curriculum and to create and present information in meaningful ways. Students develop an understanding of the importance of checking the accuracy of facts that are going to be processed. Students first hand collect data and, with assistance, enter it into spreadsheet files and manipulate it. They also begin to explore contemporary ways of communicating ideas and information by composing and sending simple electronic messages such as emails. Standards Students manipulate text, images and numeric data to create simple information products for specific audiences. They compose simple electronic messages to known recipients and send them successfully. With some assistance, they use ICT to locate and retrieve relevant information from a variety of sources. Suggested Themes Waste in our school – management strategies. Biodiversity in our local neighbourhood – how can we protect it? Looking after our environment- why is it important to us. Water in our school – management strategies. Energy use in our classroom – management strategies. Possible Critical Questions How can everyone get a turn at being an energy/water/waste monitor? How can we let people know when it’s their turn? What are some things that Ollie does in “Ollie Saves the planet” that would work in our school? What are other schools doing to reduce their energy use/save water/reduce waste? How can we show other schools what we are doing to help the environment? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 33 LEVEL 2 Thinking Back to Table Learning Focus Students explore the community and environment around them. Questions and wondering are encouraged and become the basis for further learning. Students develop their skills in making accurate observations about people and events and they begin to use a variety of means to record their observations. Students practice ordering and sequencing of ideas. When presented with simple problems, students work with peers to develop a range of creative solutions and test their effectiveness against criteria. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 3. Suggested Themes Waste in our school – management strategies. Biodiversity in our local neighbourhood – how can we protect it? Looking after our environment- why is it important to us. Water in our school – management strategies. Energy use in our classroom – management strategies. Possible Critical Questions Why do you think people drop litter in our environment? Is clean up Australia day important? Why is the environment good for us? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 34 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 3 Physical, Personal and Social Learning Health & Physical Education Back to Table Learning Focus Students learn about outdoor adventure activities to enable them to better understand the nature of outdoor environments and how they can prepare themselves for safe involvement in such activities. Students explore how the school and community contribute to the health of its members, both through the impact of its physical and social environments and through the services and facilities it provides. Students develop their understanding of the need for variety and frequency of food intake in active and healthy lives, and begin to relate the foods they eat with the energy they need for everyday and physical activities. They consider the physiological, social, cultural and economic factors that influence food choice and they reflect on the importance of healthy eating and participation in physical activity for their physical, social and emotional health. Standards Students participate regularly in physical activities for the purpose of improving skill and health. Students describe how physical and social components in the local environment contribute to well being and identify how health services and products address the health needs and concerns of the local community. They identify healthy eating practices and explain some physiological, social, cultural and economic reasons for people’s food choices. Suggested Themes Participation in outdoor adventure activities. Generational differences in engaging in natural scapes. Healthy Parks, Healthy People- Parks Victoria. Favourite holiday destinations. Eating to suit your activity. Factors affecting food choices. Outdoor Experiences – camping in tents, cooking, chatting (at school and/or in natural environments). Possible Critical Questions How can the weather affect my health and safety in nature? What can I do to prepare myself? How does the way we play or interact with nature differ to our parents or grandparents? How do the services provided by Parks Victoria contribute to the health of the community? What is your favourite Park and what makes it special? Where are our favourite holiday destinations? Why am I more hungry when it’s cold or after playing sport? What makes me choose the food I eat? How do traditional indigenous cultures select food according to activity and environment? Can I plan and cook a healthy and tasty meal for myself (and others) while camping? How do I feel when I am doing this outdoor adventure activity? How do I feel when I am in this natural environment? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 35 LEVEL 3 Interpersonal Development Back to Table Learning Focus Students interact with their peers, older and younger students and adults in both informal and formal contexts. They are encouraged to think about their values and how these affect their feelings and behaviour. In teams, students work towards the achievement of agreed goals within a set timeframe. Standards Students demonstrate respect for others. They support each other by sharing ideas and materials. They cooperate with others in teams for agreed purposes, taking roles and following guidelines established within the task. They describe and evaluate their own contribution and the team’s progress towards the achievement of agreed goals. Suggested Themes Student Action Teams. Student Environment Council. Student-Staff Environment Council. ‘Needs’ versus ‘wants’. Outdoor Experiences – camping in tents, cooking, chatting (at school and/or in natural environments). Fundraising for International social justice / community issue (based on LOTE country). Possible Critical Questions How can we organise a student environment council which operates fairly and is open to all students? What will our student-staff environment council do? How will we know if our student action teams have worked well? Are we respecting all other people? Are we respecting all other living things? How important is the earth to us? What are our ‘needs’ and what are our ‘wants’? What do we need to make a safe, comfortable and fun campsite? How can we work together to make a safe, comfortable and fun campsite? Can we plan and cook a healthy and tasty meal to share while camping? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 36 LEVEL 3 Personal Learning Back to Table Learning Focus Students participate in a diverse range of learning activities that allow them to acknowledge their development as learners. They reflect on their contribution to the creation of a positive learning culture in the classroom and recognise that they may learn with and from peers. Standards Students seek teacher feedback to develop their content knowledge and understanding and contribute to the development of protocols that create a positive learning environment in the classroom. They complete short tasks by planning and allocating appropriate time and resources. Suggested Themes Student Action Teams. Outdoor Experiences – camping in tents, cooking, chatting (at school and/or in natural environments). Waste in the classroom. Waste at school. ‘Needs’ versus ‘wants’. Possible Critical Questions What can I do to help the Student Action Team? Can I plan and cook a healthy and tasty meal for myself (and others) while camping? How will I know if my meal was healthy and tasty? What are we wasting in our classroom? What are we wasting at school? How can we reduce waste in our classroom? What is the difference between ‘what I need’ and ‘what I want’? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 37 LEVEL 3 Civics and Citizenship Back to Table Learning Focus Students build on their understanding of Australian society and investigate some of the different cultural groups that make up the community including ATSIC. They learn about the contribution that people from diverse groups have made to many aspects of the Australian way of life, e.g. industry, science, environment. They explore symbols and celebrations of Australia's and Victoria's past and present e.g. floral and faunal emblems, and consider the meaning and values of them. Students learn about the different types of groups in the community and their functions e.g. local volunteer groups such as environmental organisations. From their own research develop knowledge about their environment and a sense that individuals' contributions can care for and improve the environment, their own lives and the lives of others. They participate in community, school -and/or home based projects designed to protect and care for the built environment and promote the sustainable management of resources that they use e.g. by 3Rs of paper, plastics, reducing use of fossil fuel by walking or cycling to school, reducing water consumption and contributing to community events. Standards Students describe symbols and emblems of national life in Australia and identify values related to symbols and national celebrations and commemorations. They explain why protection and care for the natural and built environment is important. They contribute to the development and support of class rules and participate in school celebrations and commemoration of important events. They work with other students to identify a local issue and plan possible actions to achieve a desired outcome. They participate in activities to protect and care for the natural and built environment. Suggested Themes One Planet Creating a Student Environment Group. ‘Friends of’ Groups. Environmental Organisations. Creating a School Environment Day Celebration. Environmental Fundraising. Iconic Australian symbols. Local environmental issue. International social justice / community issue (based on LOTE country). Possible Critical Questions What are some important national / international environmental issues? What are some important national / international social justice / community issues? What are some important local environmental issues? What are some important local social justice / community issues? How can we find out about these issues? Why are these issues important? What would happen if (insert local issue) was not solved? How are other people helping to solve these issues? How can we help to solve these issues? How can we tell other people about our efforts to solve these issues? How can we celebrate our efforts to solve these issues? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 38 LEVEL 3 Civics and Citizenship Continued Back to Table Why do we use emblems on our state flags and how many of them reflect nature in Australia? Where can we find the state floral emblem near our school? Which is the most widely recognised floral emblem and where do we find it? Why are the emu and kangaroo on our coat of arms? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 39 LEVEL 3 Discipline-based Learning Art Back to Table Learning Focus Using the disciplines of dance, drama, music, 2D and 3D art and media, students will make performing and visual arts works that communicate concepts arising from their personal experiences and from the world around them. They will communicate ideas, observations and feelings using a range of media, materials, equipment and technologies to make art works, e.g. a class presentation could feature the performance of a song from another culture in combination with a traditional dance and or accompanied by a slideshow presentation featuring paintings and carvings which explore the theme of the song. Standards Students create and present works of art in a range of art forms that communicate experiences, ideas, concepts, observations and feelings. They identify and describe key features of arts works from their own and other cultures and use arts language to describe and discuss the communication of ideas, feelings and purpose in their own and other people’s arts works. Suggested Themes Indigenous Art. Art demonstrating relationships with the Environment. Environmental Art. Drama / concert based on local environmental issue. Drama / concert based on local community/social justice issue. Songs for sustainability. ‘Found object’ natural art. Environmental Art competition based on local issue. Outdoor Theatre (at a local natural environment). Possible Critical Questions How do indigenous artists draw / paint their local environment? What does indigenous art tell us about the local environment of the artist? How does it feel to be in your favourite outdoor environment? What would a song about our favourite natural place sound like? How can we write and perform a song for sustainability? How can we create pictures using what we find in the outdoors? What would our local issue sound like (in a song)? How can we show our art to our local community? How can we show our art to people around the world? What would our drama / play of “The Lorax’ look and sound like? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 40 LEVEL 3 English Back to Table Learning Focus Students speak, listen, and write with some critical awareness using a growing variety of text types. Students read an increasing range of texts including imaginative and informative text. Students develop confidence in writing a range of imaginative and informative texts and they experiment with combining verbal and visual elements to enhance the texts they produce. They participate in discussions, conversations and presentations in small and large groups, learning to vary their speaking and listening to suit the context, purpose and audience. Students develop skills in listening attentively during class and group discussions. They practice identifying the topic, retelling information accurately asking clarifying questions, volunteering information and justifying opinions. Standards Students read and respond to an increasing range of imaginative and informative texts with some unfamiliar ideas and information, vocabulary and textual features. They infer meaning from material presented in informative texts. They write texts containing several logically ordered paragraphs that express opinions and include ideas and information about familiar topics. They vary their speaking and listening for a small range of contexts purposes and audiences. They listen attentively to spoken texts, including factual texts and identify the topic, retell information accurately, ask clarifying questions, volunteer information and justify opinions. Suggested Themes Local environmental issue. Local community/social justice issue. Songs for sustainability. Poems for the planet. Debating environmental issues – Debating Days. Sustainability Quiz Show. Letter writing - local issues – newspapers. Outdoor Odes – writing inspired by, and written while in natural environments. Journey of a water drop. Journey of a chip packet. Possible Critical Questions What can we do to make a difference in this issue? What is important to tell other people about this issue? How can we tell other people about our efforts to solve the issue of_______? How can we make a fun sustainability quiz? How does it feel to be in your favourite outdoor environment? How does it feel to be in this natural environment? Where does a water drop go (after it falls on the ground)? Where does a chip packet go after you drop it on the ground? Where does a chip packet come from/ go once you have finished with it? If I buried a chip packet in the ground, would it still be there after a month? 6 months? Year? 2 years? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 41 LEVEL 3 Humanities (Economics, Geography, History) Back to Table Learning Focus Students apply the concepts of time, continuity and change through a study of the history and traditions of Australians. They examine the histories of the cultural groups represented in their classroom, community and nation. They learn to sequence some key events on a timeline and write simple explanations of the events. Students investigate the human and physical characteristics of their local area and other parts of Victoria and consider features of their local community that have changed over time. They learn about settlement patterns, major land uses and the location and variety of National Parks in Victoria. They begin to make some simple comparisons between local and other Victorian environments: natural features, climate, land use and types of human activities. Students develop awareness and understanding of the effects of people's interactions with their environment and the ways in which these affect their lives. Students begin to visualise and describe location and direction. They learn to distinguish between basic needs and wants (for example food, clothing, shelter), savings and spending, buyers and sellers, goods and services. Standards Students describe how aspects of places in their local area have changed over time. From direct observation or observation of a variety of media, they describe the human and physical characteristics of their local area and other parts of Victoria. They describe how people use and affect different environments in Victoria. Students draw simple maps and plans of familiar environments observing basic mapping conventions. Suggested Themes Dreamtime stories. History of _______ (energy use / machinery / water use / mining). Vegetation cover (1788 versus Now). Parks versus Forests versus Farms. Outdoor Experiences in natural and modified environments. Orienteering. Map making (local natural environment; favourite natural environment). Model making (local natural environment; local mountain). ‘Needs’ versus ‘wants’. Indigenous versus Introduced / exotic species. Local environmental weeds. Local / national / international environmental issue. Possible Critical Questions How did indigenous people change the Australian landscape? How did early settlers change the Australian landscape? How are Victorians changing the natural environment today? How did rabbits / foxes / feral cats / carp become a problem in Australia? What is different about our local environment compared to ______National Park? What is different about our local environment compared to ______farmland? If I had to draw a map of my local park for an overseas guest – what features would include and what legend would I use? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 42 LEVEL 3 LOTE- Pathway 1 Back to Table Learning Focus Students begin to understand and use the language other than English in relation to their personal world, countries where the language is spoken (e.g. its geography, history) and the world of the imagination. They read short texts, talk about daily life and adapt language that they know to new contexts. They collect information about the settings, countries and regions where the language is spoken. Students are encouraged to reflect on life in these countries as well as their own. They make links between knowledge about relevant geography and history, or ways of thinking about specific topics/issues and their understanding of the language and its use. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 4. Suggested Themes The world community. Songs. Flora and fauna of LOTE Country. Waste wise. Environmental / community / social justice issues in _______(LOTE origin country). ‘Blog Buddies’ (web based connections with students in ______ (LOTE origin country). Celebration Day. Environmental / Social Justice Fundraising for LOTE origin country. Outdoor Experiences in similar environments to LOTE origin country. Possible Critical Questions What would my school be like if I lived in_________? How would my life be different if I lived in_________? What environmental issues do we share with students in _________ (LOTE origin country)? How would a song about _______ (endangered animal from LOTE origin country) sound in _____ (language)? What waste wise menu lunch items would you choose for your school canteen? Write the menu in your LOTE. How did _______ (endangered animal from LOTE origin country) become endangered? How can I help my ‘Blog Buddy’ with ______ issue? How can my ‘Blog Buddy’ help me with _______issue? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 43 LEVEL 3 Mathematics Back to Table Learning Focus Students recognise and explore patterns in numbers and shapes. They increasingly use mathematical terms and symbols to describe computations, measurements and characteristics of objects. They use suitable fraction material to develop concepts of equivalent fractions and to compare fraction sizes. They extend addition and subtraction computations to three digit numbers and they learn to multiply and divide by single digit numbers. Students explore the concept of angle, they use grid references to specify location and compass bearings to describe directions. They learn to identify and describe localities and features on local and larger scale maps to locate places and describe suitable routes between them. They measure the attributes of everyday objects and events using formal and informal units. Students investigate natural variability in chance events and order them from least to most likely. They construct simple frequency graphs. Students develop and test ideas (conjectures) across the content of mathematical experience and they learn to recognise practical applications of mathematics in daily life. Standards Number: they develop fraction notation, skip count forwards and backwards, estimate the results of computations Space: They devise and use written methods for whole number problems of addition and subtraction involving numbers up to 999, multiplication by single digits and multiples and powers of ten and division by a single digit divisor. MCD: students estimate and measure length, area, volume, capacity, mass and time using appropriate instruments. They recognise and use different units of measurement and use a column or bar graph to display the results of an experiment e.g. the frequencies of possible categories. Structure: they use lists, Venn diagrams and grids to show the possible combinations of two attributes. Suggested Themes The maths behind a local environmental issue Rubbish audits (of schoolyard, local waterway, local natural environment) Water tanks Energy audits (at home, school) Flora and fauna audit Orienteering in a natural environment Weather station monitoring Ecofootprinting Possible Critical Questions How many different types of animals / plants did we see on our school camping trip? How many types of rubbish did we find in the creek? How much energy do we use at home? How much rainwater could we collect from the roof at home / school? If everyone in our school / country / LOTE country used the same amount of water as I do each year, how much would they use? How many bathtubs full of water do I use every year? How many trucks of rubbish does our school produce each year? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 44 LEVEL 3 Science Back to Table Learning Focus Students begin to design and conduct experiments to explore contexts drawn from traditional and emerging sciences. They investigate questions and ideas about the natural world and learn to use scientific vocabulary in place of every day language to describe and explain their observations and measurements. Students investigate changes they observe e.g. day becoming night, regeneration of forests after bushfire. They examine, by referring to energy transformation, the operation of a range of everyday devices e.g. hot water systems. They investigate the use of solar energy in cooking or lighting or transport. They participate in activities where they learn to classify a variety of materials using states of matter and they explore reversible and non-reversible changes to common substances, e.g. water. Students begin to understand how different parts work together in plants and animals to produce change and aid in survival. They investigate how humans affect the survival of living things and change the environment, and how the interactions between living things in the environment change. They investigate natural processes that change the environment over short and long periods of time. Students are introduced to the concepts of a sustainable environment and their role in contributing to it e.g., involvement in local litter programs and recycling at home and at school. Students relate scientific ideas to their own experiences interests and concerns, e.g. the clearing of local bushland to build new roads. They listen to guest speakers or conduct research on the internet. Standards Students classify a range of materials such as solids, liquids and gases according to observable properties and describe examples of reversible and non-reversible changes in substances. They identify the actions of forces in everyday situations and identify forms of energy and energy transformations in the everyday world. Students identify and describe the structural features of living things, including plants and animals and identify how these features operate together to form systems which support living things to survive in their environments. They describe natural physical and biological conditions and human influences in the environment which affect the survival of living things. They select and use simple measuring equipment, use a range of appropriate methods to record observations and comment on trends. Students describe natural physical and biological conditions, and human influences in the environment, which affect the survival of living things. They identify and describe the structural features of plants and animals that operate together to form systems. They describe the interactions between living things and their environment. They identify forms of energy and energy transformations in the everyday world. Suggested Themes The science behind a local environmental issue. Flora and fauna audits (local and natural environment). Science in the bush / mountains / beach / river / desert. Star gazing. One planet (what is unique about the earth). Cooking, camping and energy. Frog bog / worm farming (ecosystem). © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 45 LEVEL 3 Science Continued Back to Table Sun, seasons and comfort. Life of an animal (endangered species). Vegetable gardening. Recyclable materials. Biodegradable Materials. Possible Critical Questions What is special / unique about the earth? What is the reason for _____ (insert local environmental issue)? Why do the tides rise and fall? Why doesn’t it snow in _________? Why is global warming a problem? Why can’t I drink water from _________ (insert local river)? How can we let the winter sun come into our (north / west / east facing) room and warm us up? How can we stop the summer sun coming into our (north / west / east facing) room & making us too hot? Why is my (north / west / east facing) classroom so hot in summer? Why can’t worms eat plastic? Why do weeds keep growing back? Why are environmental weeds a problem? Do koalas ever drink anything? Why/why not? How do we build a frog bog / worm farm? How do we keep our frogs / worms happy? If you were a mountain pygmy possum, how would you feel now? How can we make a garden which grows tasty vegetables? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 46 LEVEL 3 Interdisciplinary Learning Communication Back to Table Learning Focus Students learn about appropriate body language when reacting to a speaker and use feedback from peers and the teacher on their own body language to improve their reactions. They practice paraphrasing. Students explore a range of aural, written and visual communication forms such as the internet, film, texts and music which illustrate a variety of perspectives on a range of topics and ideas. During both formal and informal presentations, students explore the use of a range of verbal and non verbal strategies to enhance meaning and to engage their audience. Students listen attentively when required and learn to respond and interject appropriately. They learn how to identify the main message, develop their own interpretation, and provide evidence to support it. Standards In this subject standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at level 4. Suggested Themes Local environmental issue. International social justice / community issue (based on LOTE country). ‘Blog buddies’ (web-based communication with students from LOTE country). Outdoor odes (stories in, for and about the outdoors) Songs for sustainability (written in, for and about the outdoors). School environmental concert. Debating days – debate a local environmental / social justice issue. Future films – films about sustainability Possible Critical Questions How can we tell people in our school about our efforts to solve this issue? How can we tell other people in the world about our efforts to solve this issue? How can other people tell us about their local / environmental issues? How do we know if we have understood what we have heard / read / seen about these issues? What do I need to do to be a good listener? Why is this environmental issue important to _______ (me / you / speaker)? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 47 LEVEL 3 Design, Creativity & Technology Back to Table Learning Focus Students begin to provide input into the development of design briefs and recognise that their designs have to meet a range of requirements. They learn to make realistic plans and recognise that they are constrained by the availability of resources. Students learn to describe ideas and concepts about design, materials/ingredients and technological systems in simple terms. With assistance they learn to plan the basic steps in production and develop skills in the use of a variety of simple production techniques using a range of materials/ingredients to produce products. Materials could include paper and cardboard, food ingredients, fabrics, wood, plants and soil or other growing media. They are encouraged to give and receive feedback. Standards Students individually and in teams, generate ideas based on a design brief, demonstrating understanding that designs may need to meet a range of different requirements. They use words, labelled sketches and models to communicate the details of their designs and clarify ideas when asked. They think ahead about the order of their work and list basic steps to make the product or system they have designed. They use their list of steps and are able to choose appropriate tools, equipment and techniques to alter and combine materials/ingredients. Students test, evaluate and revise their designs, products or simple systems in light of feedback they have gained from others. Suggested Themes Worm Farm Design. Frog Bog Design. Model House design. Vegetable Garden Design. Alternative Energy vehicle design. Organic Cooking. Local environmental issue- design a solution. International social justice / community issue (based on LOTE country). Possible Critical Questions How can we make a worm farm / frog bog that keeps the worms happy? How can we make a vegetable garden at school? What types of alternative energy work best for my model car? How can we let the winter sun come into our (north / west / east facing) room and warm us up? How can we stop the hot summer sun coming into our (north/ west/ east) facing room & making us too hot? Which materials are the best insulators? How can we use recycled or found objects and materials to build _______? How can we plan and cook a meal which is healthy for us and the planet? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 48 LEVEL 3 ICT Back to Table Learning Focus Students develop skills in using ICT for problems solving, expressing ideas and presenting information to different audiences. Working in all areas of the curriculum, students explore a range of ICT tools and simple techniques for visual thinking. They create planned information products such as invitations, short stories, presentation files, animations and title pages for books. They continue to develop their skills in using ICT to communicate knowledge by exchanging email messages with others. When seeking new information on topics of importance or interest in all areas of the curriculum, students apply a set of procedures for locating information on the intranet and internet. Standards Students follow simple plans and use tools and a range of data types to create information products designed to inform, persuade, entertain or educate particular audiences. They create information products to assist in problem solving in all areas of the curriculum. Students will initiate and compose email messages to known and unknown audiences and where appropriate, send replies. They use a recommended search engine and limited key work search to locate information from websites. Suggested Themes ‘Blog buddies’ (email / web-based communication with students from LOTE country). School baseline data logging (spreadsheet). School environmental concert / play – ICT based marketing. Sustainability website. Sustainability web-log. Local environmental issue. International social justice / community issue (based on LOTE country). ICT documenting for odes to the outdoors (stories written in, for and about the outdoors). ICT documenting for songs for sustainability. Possible Critical Questions How can we tell people in our school about our efforts to solve this _________ issue? How can we tell the world about our sustainability projects? How can we find out more about this ___________issue? How can we record the energy/water usage of the school each year? How can other people find out about our efforts to solve this _________issue? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 49 LEVEL 3 Thinking Back to Table Learning Focus Students explore aspects of their natural, constructed and social world, wondering and developing questions about it. They use a range of sources of information including observations and findings from their own investigations to answer these questions. They learn to make connections between both new and established ideas and their own knowledge. Students learn to question the validity of sources, communicate and record their questions, responses and thoughts and give reasons for conclusions. Students participate in a variety of investigations and activities involving problem solving that encourage them to experiment with a range of creative solutions. They begin to question arguments presented to them e.g. those based upon the assertion that "everybody knows". Standards Students collect and organise ideas from a range of sources to answer their own and others' questions. They question the validity of sources when appropriate and provide reasons for their conclusions They apply creative ideas in practical ways and test the possibilities of ideas they generate. Students identify and provide reasons for their point of view and justify changes in their thinking. Suggested Themes One planet. Ecofootprinting. Debating days – debate a local environmental / social justice issue. Local environmental issue. International social justice / community issue (based on LOTE country). ‘Needs’ versus ‘wants’. The natural environment. The human modified environment. Possible Critical Questions Why is this sustainability / social justice issue important? Why is water / energy use / land clearing an issue? To whom is this an issue? How can we find out both sides of this issue? How do I decide what I think about this issue? Do I really need that? How can we try to solve this issue? Are we respecting all other people? Are we respecting all other living things? How important is the earth to us? How can I learn about my local natural environment? How can I experience my local natural environment? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 50 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 4 Physical, Personal and Social Learning Health & Physical Education Back to Table Learning Focus Students learn about and experience a variety of outdoor adventure activities in natural environments such as bushwalking and basic orienteering. They consider the various ways people view each other on the basis of characteristics such as gender, race and religion, as well as qualities such as needs, abilities and aspirations. Students consider what it means to be physically, socially and emotionally healthy. They investigate different food-selection models and their characteristics and reflect on how they can be used to assist decisions about food choices. Standards Students perform confidently and efficiently in a range of movement environments (indoor, outdoor and aquatic) and they maintain regular participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity. They identify and discuss the validity of ways which people define their own and other people’s identity. They describe the physical, social and emotional dimensions of health. They analyse and explain physiological, social, cultural and economic reasons for food choices and analyse and describe food selection models. Suggested Themes Basic physical features of the outdoors – names & descriptions e.g. compass points, geographical features, weather phenomena. Basic weather patterns, hints for forecasting upcoming weather from simple field observations. Inclusivity, tolerance, multiculturalism, discrimination. Air Quality (EPA’s - Airwatch program). Nutrition Australia’s Healthy Canteen program. The effect of the outdoors on feeling healthy. Where food from the bottom of the food pyramid comes from. Possible Critical Questions What are the features of the outdoors? What does the term great outdoors mean? How is the natural landscape important to my outdoor pursuits? Do the geographical features of my local area affect the choice of my outdoor activity? Why do we view or treat people from different races, religions or countries differently? Does the food from the bottom of the food pyramid come from Australia or overseas? Is some of the food from the bottom of the food pyramid from a local source – if so what and where from? Does fruit straight from the tree or plant taste different or better? Is it good to grow your own food? Is fresh and clean air good for my health? Do family picnics and outdoor activities occur in a park near you – if so where, what activities and what makes this park an attractive place? What does being healthy mean to me? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 51 LEVEL 4 Interpersonal Development Back to Table Learning Focus Students develop skills and behaviours for connecting with a variety of groups including peer and community groups. They explore and discuss behaviours which demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences in their interactions with others. Students begin to recognise and discuss the influence that peers can have on their behaviour can consider response options. They explore a range of contexts, both within and beyond school, in which individuals are required to work effectively as part of a team. Working in different teams, students are provided with opportunities to complete tasks of varying length and complexity. Standards Students demonstrate, through their interactions in social situations, respect for a diverse range of people and groups. They accept and display empathy for the points of view and feelings of peers and others. Students work effectively in different teams and take on a variety of roles to complete tasks of varying length and complexity. They accept responsibility for their roles and tasks. They explain the benefits of working in a team. Suggested Themes Group environment project tasks that involve teamwork – e.g. school compost system. Setting up a waste management group for the school. Setting up a environmental task force for the school including job descriptions etc. Undertaking responsibilities for tree planting projects – in particular world arbour day. Undertaking responsibilities in a rubbish free or walk to school day. Cultural Sensitivity. Possible Critical Questions Can we as a group of students, design organise and operate the school waste management system? What are the job roles in managing waste, water and energy at our school? Can we make up a team to do the job? What do we need to do to organise a rubbish free lunch day? Can we write role and job descriptions for environmental task force at our school? How do we engage other people in helping us to plant out a lot of trees? What does it mean to be culturally sensitive? Interview a student or member of community from a cultural minority in the local area and learn about differences between cultures and how students can be sensitive to these differences. Can we list some general cultural sensitivity guidelines to follow in our daily lives? When dealing with people from community X in our area, how can we support them better and be culturally sensitive towards them? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 52 LEVEL 4 Personal Learning Back to Table Learning Focus Students explore how personal values, perspectives and attitudes contribute to the development of content knowledge and understanding. In selected reflective activities, they explore the impact of various emotions on their learning and they learn to maintain a positive attitude. They identify the values that underpin the creation of a classroom environment that will support the learning of all students such as respect, equity and inclusion. Standards Students identify and explain how different perspectives and attitudes can affect learning. Students actively develop, monitor and refine protocols that create positive learning environment in the classroom. Students develop and implement plans to complete short-term and long-term tasks within timeframes set by the teacher, utilising appropriate resources. Suggested Themes Cultural differences in the value of education. How adolescents learn through reflective nature retreats in other cultures – e.g. Indigenous American & Australian cultures i.e. rite of passage ceremonies. Personal Learning using the natural environment as a stimulus. Co-operative cohorts of animals e.g. grass plains animals. Participate in a special environmental day (e.g. weed removal) and identify the values that are required to make this work effectively which are also required to create a supportive learning environment. Possible Critical Questions How differently do students/their families from various cultural backgrounds value education? What causes these differences? When undertaking a rite of passage as an adolescent, what learning from nature do you think young people begin to understand? How does sitting alone in a naturescape help you reflect on your values and thoughts as an individual? What are the core values people need to enact to ensure their daily lives are positive, successful and fulfilling? How does a bird and a rhino respect and support each other? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 53 LEVEL 4 Civics and Citizenship Back to Table Learning Focus Students examine the role of government in representing the people, the key tasks of a Member of Parliament or councillor, how parliament makes laws and the importance of voting. They consider the experiences of diverse cultural groups, their contributions to Australian identity and the values important in a multicultural society. Students research an issue, or issues using a range of resources including electronic media. These could include current local, national and global issues, e.g., natural disasters and human rights issues. Students explore ways in which they can actively participate in their school and community. They are provided with opportunities to participate in school events and experience class and school leadership roles and their responsibilities. Standards Students explain the basic elements of Australia’s federal parliamentary system and key democratic principles and values such as freedom of speech and equality before the law. They explain the concept of multiculturalism and describe the contribution of various cultural groups. Students demonstrate understanding of the roles and responsibilities of leaders and of democratic processes when engaging in school and community activities. They present a point of view on a significant current issue or issues and include recommendations about the actions that individuals and governments can take to resolve issues. They demonstrate understanding that there are different viewpoints in an issue. Suggested Themes Exploring the federal and state government websites for information on school sustainability programs. Conduct elections and form an Environmental Student Action Team. Explore how various cultural groups have contributed to Australian society. Emigrants/refugees. Discovering the local and community environmental/sustainability issues. Taking action to improve a community identified environmental problem/issue. Explore how Environment Ministers operate differently across state and federal precincts. Analysing the current environment issues emphasised by the federal and state governments e.g. water & climate change. Differences between regional and metro Victorian views of the issue of water conservation. Possible Critical Questions Using the DEH website as a guide – is our school doing all of the environment and sustainability tasks as recommended on the website – if so what and if not why not? What are the local environmental issues for your community – how did you find out about them? Does the government seem to be interested in the same environmental issues as you/ your community? How can members of the general public do something to help a local issue? Does the federal government and state government say the same thing about the environment – why or why not? Explain the differences. What are the governments talking about in relation to the environment - Do you think the government’s agenda and your local agenda are the same – why or why not? Why is that people in the country are saying different things about the use of water than those in the cities? Investigate the reasons why certain cultural groups emigrated /sought refuge in Australia at various points in time (human rights abuses, environmental issues, war). Invite a refugee to class as a speaker. How do refugees lives change when they come to Australia? What is the worst aspect of being a refugee? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 54 LEVEL 4 Discipline-based Learning Art Back to Table Learning Focus Drawing from at least two arts disciplines of dance, drama, music, 2D and 3D art and media, students will make performing and visual arts works that communicate feelings and their interests and understanding of themselves, their relationships and other people. Students research, improvise, practise and rehearse skills, techniques and processes using a range of media, materials, equipment and technologies. Standards Students independently and collaboratively experiment with and apply a range of skills, techniques and processes using a range of media, materials, equipment and technologies to plan, develop, refine make and present arts works. They communicate ideas and understandings about themselves and others, incorporating influences from their own and other cultures and times. They interpret and compare key features of arts works made in a range of times, places and cultures. Suggested Themes Expression of Nature from different periods and countries. Using a local artist to work with students on pictorial biodiversity auditing. Through animal eyes. Environment song lyrics. Using a local musician to help write an environmental song. Using Dance to celebrate the completion of a project. Designing installation art work for school grounds development- work with local artist. Possible Critical Questions Why did European artists paint pictures of landscapes during the 15-18th centuries that are very different to the landscapes you know? What are the early paintings of Australia like compared to what you see know? Could we draw or paint all of the animals, plants and birds we can see in the school yard? If you were a fish or a bee/fly painting a picture of you surroundings – what would it look like through your eyes? If you were an endangered animal what would you include in your TV ad – make an ad? What songs have an environment theme? Are these songs different in each country? Who do we know in our school community that might help us write and record a song? If we were to celebrate the finishing of a great environmental project, how could we celebrate using dance and song? When developing a school habitat development plan, what are the elements you would like to see in the school ground? Can our veggie gardens be made in different shapes? What is good about a ‘Mandala’ garden design? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 55 LEVEL 4 English Back to Table Learning Focus Students compose, comprehend and respond to an expanding range of texts in print and audiovisual and electronic forms that contain increasingly unfamiliar concepts, themes, information and issues. They learn how to draw evidence form texts to support their points of view. Students engage in exploratory talk to share and clarify their ideas to formulate simple arguments and to seek opinions of others. Students learn to sustain a point of view and provide succinct accounts of personal experiences or events. They plan, rehearse and reflect on presentations and they build their capacity to combine verbal and visual elements in texts to communicate ideas and information. Standards Students read, interpret and respond to a wide range of literary, everyday and media texts in print and multimodal formats. They analyse these texts and support interpretations with evidence drawn form the text. They produce, in print and electronic forms, a variety of texts for different purposes using structures and features of language appropriate to the purpose, audience and context of the writing. Students plan, rehearse and make presentations for different purposes. They sustain a point of view and provide succinct accounts of personal experiences or events. They identify opinions offered by others, propose other relevant viewpoints and extend ideas in a constructive manner. Suggested Themes Interview community members about environmental projects, experiences as refugees. Establishing a school history of environmental projects. Creating a debate around whether teachers should walk or drive to school. Creating short stories aimed at teaching adults about managing our environment. Worm stories and recipes. Researching alternative energy and making a case for political review (may send it to Canberra or local newspaper/MP etc). Using web resources construct an argument about why not to build a road or supermarket on a conservation reserve. Design a campaign for Rubbish Free Lunches. Possible Critical Questions How do members of the community feel about their environment? What’s the best way to record all of the great things we are doing at school for the environment? Is it better for teachers if they walk to school? What arguments do you think you need to make to convince adults to be better environmental citizens? What’s the best way to eat a worm? What are the main debate points around using alternative energy sources? Is it right to build a human structure over a natural habitat? Can Rubbish Free lunch be sold to other students? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 56 LEVEL 4 Economics Back to Table Learning Focus Students learn about the nature of the economic problem (scarcity): that is, our needs and wants are unlimited but the resources available to satisfy those wants are limited. They explore how the community defines, classifies and uses resources. They learn about the processes of consumption, production and distribution in meeting needs and wants. They consider factors affecting their spending and why it is important to be an informed consumer when making spending decisions. Students use the inquiry process to plan investigations about economic issues in the home, school or local community and form conclusions supported by evidence. They practise contesting ideas, debating and using evidence to form and express opinions on economic issues that interest and/or have an impact on themselves and on society, particularly their local community. Standards At level 4 students describe the nature of the economic problem (scarcity). Students describe the difference between needs and wants, and their own roles as producers and consumers. They explain the need to be an informed consumer. Students use the inquiry process to plan economic investigations about economic issues in the home, school or local community and form conclusions supported by evidence. Suggested Themes Water and distribution of this resource. Class resource management. Needs vs wants. Ollie CD-rom resources. A world without money and energy. Ecofootprinting. Possible Critical Questions How is the scarcity of water affecting livelihoods of communities across Victoria? Do these things affect you as well? Do I really need the things I want? How do our emotions, advertising or peer pressure influence our needs vs wants? How much stuff do you and your classmates use that costs both money and has an environmental cost? Could you change some of that usage and save money- if so, how much do you guesstimate? How do we know items have a good environmental history – what are we looking for when using or buying? What is Ollie teaching us about where our resources and commodities come from? How did your score in the Ollie tests? Can we as a society use resources in a better fashion? What’s a world without money look like? How big is your ecofootprint? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 57 LEVEL 4 Geography Back to Table Learning Focus Students investigate some of the significant natural processes that operate across Australia (for example rainfall, drought and bushfire) and how people react to them, including their preparation for, and management of, natural disasters. They explore how humans have affected the Australian environment e.g. care of the land; clearance by farmers and the subsequent problems of land degradation and salinity; and protection of the natural environment through the creation of nature parks, national parks and marine parks. Using an inquiry-based approach, students explore environmental issues and consider possible solutions to current and future challenges. Students learn about environmentally sensitive areas such as local remnant vegetation, rivers, alpine Victoria, Gippsland lakes and national parks and explore ways to protect these unique environments in a sustainable way for future generations. Students develop mapping skills and they begin to identify features on maps, satellite images and photographs. Students participate in fieldwork using simple techniques e.g. collecting and recording data on how human and physical characteristics of a selected site are changing or have changed. They explore effective ways to care for local places, and are provided with opportunities to initiate and participate in an action on an environmental issue of personal or group concern. e.g. pollution of a local waterway. Standards Students identify and describe Australia's significant natural processes. They describe the reaction of people to these processes including the management of natural disasters. They compare the various way humans have used and affected the Australian environment. Students recommend ways of protecting environmentally sensitive areas in a sustainable way. They identify features from maps and draw sketch maps of their neighbourhood. They research, collect, record and describe data obtained through field study surveys and measurements to form conclusions about the use of resources. Suggested Themes Water Cycle – including coastal water cycle. Bushfires- a natural part of life in the Australian bush? Tropical and temperate rainforests. Keystone species of sensitive/threatened environments e.g. Mountain Pygmy Possum in Alpine area. Hotspots of environmental landcare issues in Victoria (Landlearn and Saltwatch). River Health student action. Indigenous water supply. Biodiversity auditing/mapping. Weed auditing/mapping. Litter/pollution auditing/mapping. Geology of local area. Possible Critical Questions How do people prepare/defend their homes from bushfire/ember attack? How did indigenous Australians use fire to manage the bush vegetation where they lived? How is this different to the way that we manage the bush now? Should we let bush fires in national parks run their natural course and not put them out? Should farmers continue, with government assistance, to farm land that many scientists consider to be too arid due to climate change? How does water from an ocean get into a lake or river? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 58 LEVEL 4 Geography Continued Back to Table How does the health of river water effect river health and coastal marine health? What is the difference between tropical and temperate rainforests – why are they both called rainforests? Is there a difference in rainforests across the globe- e.g. Africa, Indonesia, Amazon and the Daintree? What role do rainforests play in the global climate? What is the role of Landcare and Coastcare groups in Victoria? Where do Landcare and Coastcare groups work and why? What are the major issues surrounding land clearing and where do these hotspots occur in Victoria? How does salt work up and down in the water table? What are people living in salt effected areas doing to combat the salt problem – what are schools in these areas doing? How did indigenous people of Australia manage water– how did it affect the way they constructed their lives socially? How does water and other environmental aspects appear in indigenous dreamings? How can I show on a map the information I have gathered in the field (about weeds, birds, local geology, remnant bushland, litter, water pollution levels, public transport, parking, shop locations etc)? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 59 LEVEL 4 History Back to Table Learning Focus Students develop an understanding of change and continuity over time through the history of the establishment and growth of Australia. They learn about the organisation and lifestyle of ATSI communities in the past, the impact of European settlement and as enduring cultures today. They learn about the significance of key events and about key people in Australia’s history. Students apply their understanding of culture by investigating the history of an Asian country or countries in the Australian region and learn about daily life, religious traditions, customs and governance. Students use a wide range of written, visual, oral and electronic sources to study the past. Standards Students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of significant events in Australian history, e.g. European settlement, development of wool industry, 1850s gold rushes. Students demonstrate an understanding of key aspects of an Asian country or countries within the Australian region, explaining significant events and people in the history of that country, aspects of governance, customs, religious traditions and daily life. They compare and contrast the values and beliefs of Australians and people of other cultures. Suggested Themes The changing role of the Merri Creek (visit to CERES) and its indigenous history. Bendigo gold rush beginnings – a town not on a river. Management of land (Landcare) and the establishment of sheep and wheat farming in the western districts. Establishment of the city of Melbourne and its environmental management e.g. sewerage, transport, water supply. Role of the Indonesian Banjar (community government) in the management of water. The Ganges River’s role in the religious psyche of India. Coal industry – the history of Gippsland. Possible Critical Questions How has the Merri Creek been used by humans over the last 2000 years? How did indigenous people of Australia manage water– how did it affect the way they constructed their lives socially? How did Victorian gold rushes affect the environment e.g. water quality, vegetation, air quality, aesthetic? Why is Bendigo on level 4 water restrictions? The western districts of Victoria were mainly covered in forests 130 years ago – why did the landscape change? Why was Melbourne once known as 'Smellbourne'? Why is the Ganges River so important to the Indian people and the Hindu religion? Do we feel the same about our Yarra, The Murray or even your local creek? Why does the rice farmer at the bottom of the rice paddy in Bali manage the water for everyone else? What and where is the coal creek visitor centre? How/why did Victoria decide to use coal to make power? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 60 LEVEL 4 LOTE- Pathway 1 Back to Table Learning Focus Students will understand that Australian life and culture are influenced by different ways of life. Students make logical attempts to decipher meaning from written and spoken material. Activities may include guided role plays, cross cultural simulations, use of multimedia, performing skits, community information gathering, a family language record, keeping a personal journal and producing brochures, guide books, charts and captions. Standards Students read a wide range of short and or modified texts for meaning and for use as models in their own writing. They interact with members of the language community in Australia as a means of extending their understanding of perspectives on themes and topics studied in the classroom. Students identify ways in which the language and culture has impacted on Australia and present information in written or oral forms in the language. Suggested Themes Multicultural foods. Energy saving signs made in the vernacular (or bilingual). Power generation in origin country. Conduct a reduce energy and water campaign using your LOTE. Find out from non-native born Australians how they played in the environment when your age – learn to ask good questions in the vernacular if you can. Asian languages – what are the words for rice in all of its stages and how that relates to the farming and cooking practices. European languages – how preparing and eating food and how it’s grown is so important to the national psyche. Culturally significant rivers/landform/animal. Possible Critical Questions Which country does the meal you are eating originate from? Can we get people to turn things off by making posters with catchy LOTE slogans? Is the generation of electricity in _______ (LOTE country) different to that of Victoria – why? What sort of things did kids do when the interviewee grew up in their home country? Why is it in Asia (Indonesia in particular) there are so many words for rice – and why are they called different names according to their growth pattern? In Europe it is very important to take time preparing and eating food – why do you think this is and what are the words or phrases associated with this food culture? Why is the ____ river/mountain/rock/bay/sea/animal so important to the people of _____ (LOTE country)? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 61 LEVEL 4 Mathematics Back to Table Learning Focus Students describe their investigations with correct mathematical terms, symbols and notations. They use mathematical procedures to construct and systematically investigate conjectures or hypotheses. They explore the ideas of ratios (as a comparison) and percentage (comparing to 100). They explore decimals ratios and percentages as equivalent forms of fractions. They visualise and describe relative location and routes between places shown on a map. Students estimate and measure lengths (including perimeter), area (including surface area), volumes, capacity, time (including duration) and temperature in metric units using appropriate instruments and scales. They calculate and interpret measures of centre and spread. Students identify and investigate real life, practical and historical applications of mathematics. They pose and solve mathematical problems using a range of strategies. They solve new problems based on familiar structures. Standards Number: Students comprehend the size and order of small numbers and large numbers. They use decimals, ratios and percentages to find equivalent representations of common fractions. Space: Students use the ideas of size, scale and direction to describe relative location and objects in maps. They use compass directions, co-ordinates, scale and distance and conventional symbols to describe routes between places shown on maps. MCD: Students use metric units to estimate and measure length, perimeter, area, surface area, mass, volume, capacity, time and temperature. They present data in appropriate displays. Structure: Students identify relationships between variables and describe them with language and words. Working Mathematically: Students develop and test conjectures. Students engage in investigations involving mathematical modelling. Suggested Themes Energy Auditing. School Yard biodiversity auditing. Basic chemical formulae e.g. water, carbon dioxide, oxygen- real life ratios. Billing and consumption comparisons for home and at school. Understanding the graphs in our bills. Eco-miles. Getting to and from the nearest nature reserve. Possible Critical Questions Can we save energy at our school? What appliances etc are being used and where? How could we reduce the waste and standby energy of these appliances? How big are our trees and shrubs in our school? What is the percentage of built and natural areas of our school grounds? What is the roof catchment area? If we get 10mms of rain today – how much water could we put in or tanks of this roof? What do the graphs on our energy and water bill tell us? Can we graph the month to month use of power and water at school – which would be the best graph to use? What uses the most power at school – which graph would you pick and why? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 62 LEVEL 4 Mathematics Continued Back to Table How do we convert watts to kilo watt hours (kWh)? How much greenhouse gases do we produce at school or home if in Victoria the ratio is 1.44kgs of greenhouse gas for every kWh of electricity? Can we fill in all of the data for the SETS program? What do the data records/reports tells us? How far did you lunch have to travel to get from the farm to your mouth today? Can you give directions to your Gran to get her to/from your nearest nature reserve using a Melways? Using the Melways scale, can you work out how far away the nature reserve is from your house using the same route? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 63 LEVEL 4 Science Back to Table Learning Focus Students begin to explore the concepts of relationship, e.g. food chains and energy flow along food chains in terrestrial and aquatic environments. They link cause and effect, consider how models are used to explain structures and contemplate how systems operate. Students practise framing and investigating questions that interest them and are drawn from locally based issues e.g. sustainability of farming or the use of new technology. They reflect on the variety of ways collected data can be represented and on changes they may make to the design of their investigation. They begin to design and build models to demonstrate the application of science concepts e.g. energy transformation and energy transfer in a solar BBQ or the desalination of water. They complete reports on their investigations and model building, explaining the science involved using symbols, diagrams and simple equations. Students use a variety of measuring instruments. Standards Students explain change in terms of cause and effect and identify the characteristics of physical and chemical changes. Students apply the terms relationships, models and systems appropriately as ways of representing complex structures. They identify and explain the relationships that exist within and between food chains in the environment. Students use everyday examples to illustrate the transforming of energy. They explain the function of the layers if the earth’s atmosphere. Students analyse a range of science-related local issues and describe the relevance of science to their own and other people's lives. They describe how sustainable practices have been developed and/or are applied in their local environment. Students design their own simple experiments to collect data and draw conclusions. They design and build simple models and write an account of the science that is central to the explanation of the model. They use diagrams and symbols to explain procedures used when reporting. Students approach data collection systematically and analyse data qualitatively in terms of error management. They use a range of simple measuring instruments. They use the terms relationships and case and effect when discussing and drawing conclusions from the data they collect. Suggested Themes Undertake Landlearn and Landcare programs (Dept. of Primary Industries). Undertake Airwatch programs (EPA). Undertake Waterwatch or river health program (DSE or your Catchment Management Authority) Sustainable house design. Alternative Energy/fuel sources – introducing Hydrogen fuel cells (car), benefits of solar hot water systems. Water Cycle modelling. Food webs/chains. Energy transformation and losses- where does all the energy from the sun go? Energy Auditing –temperature and lighting levels. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 64 LEVEL 4 Science Continued Back to Table Possible Critical Questions Why would thermal mass and orientation be important to heating your house if using nature the sun) as a heat source? How do we heat water in a solar hot water system? Where does the solar hot water tank and the panel need to be and why? Would this location be the same for PV panel? How does a PV panel work and why is it a good way to make electricity? What happens when you burn something? How do the power plants in the Latrobe Valley work (excursion if possible)? How does the solar chimney planned for Mildura work? How does a fuel cell work? How far can you run your model car on using the PV panel and the fuel cell? What is so special about a waterless urinal and how does it work? What would be a better alternative to using big blades on a wind generator? What is all the controversy around wind farms in Victoria about – what are your thoughts and do you have a better plan? What happens if we lose the top level carnivore out of a food chain/web? How much of the energy from the sun actually makes it to the top level of a food chain? Can you show this in a model using water as the energy? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 65 LEVEL 4 Interdisciplinary Learning Communication Back to Table Learning Focus Students use their understanding of communication conventions to communicate effectively with peers and to respond appropriately when they are part of an audience. They reflect on the implicit messages received through body language and begin to understand that verbal and non-verbal messages don’t always respond. Students experience a variety of aural, written and visual communication forms in both formal and informal settings. They compare and contrast differing interpretations and explore why they differ. Students develop their skills in organising ideas and information logically and clearly to suit their purpose and the needs of their audience. For formal presentations, they begin to select appropriate forms for sharing. Knowledge and influencing others, e.g. adding sound to presentation software. Standards Students ask clarifying questions, develop interpretations and provide reasons for them. They develop interpretations of the content and provide reasons for them. They explain why peers may develop alternative interpretations. Students summarise and organise ideas and information logically and clearly in a range of presentations. Suggested Themes Visiting performance groups. Prepare a presentation about a topical environmental/sustainability issue. Possible Critical Questions What was the key message in the performance and what character did you identify with most? What was the audience’s reaction to the themes and language? Why is it that people interpret the same performance differently? How can we make people feel differently about a controversial topic through a presentation? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 66 LEVEL 4 Design, Creativity & Technology Back to Table Learning Focus Students contribute to the development of design briefs that include some limitations and specifications by posing questions about and identifying situations, problems needs and opportunities for the creation of useful products and simple systems. Individually and in small teams, students develop possible solutions in response to design briefs. They develop step-by-step plans for production and use a variety of production techniques, tools, materials, ingredients and systems components to make products safely. Students learn to analyse how products and systems function and what they look like and discuss the meaning of quality in the context of design. They also reflect on the impact that products and systems and the uses of materials have on people and the environment. Standards Students contribute to the development of design briefs that include some limitations and specifications. Individually and in teams, they use a range of methods to research and collect data in response to design briefs. They generate and communicate alternative design ideas in response to a design brief and use words, labelled sketches and models, demonstrating that they are aware of environmental and social constraints. Students use their production plan and select and work safely with a variety of materials/ingredients and systems components to produce functional products and /or systems. They describe the impact products and technological systems have on people and the environment. Suggested Themes Sustainable House/suburb design. Use of alternative energy/fuels e.g. Hydrogen fuel cell car chassis design, Solar powered boat. School Environmental Concert Set / Costume Design. Redesign of products/systems for great environmental sustainability e.g. food packaging, irrigation channels, sewerage treatment, organic farming. Organic school veggie garden design. Possible Critical Questions How can we design a suburb to make it more sustainable re water, electricity, food, waste? How does a ‘third pipe’ recycled water system work in a suburb? How can you make a working model of a solar hot water system? Look at the current way irrigation systems in Victoria work. How could we re-design them so they use less water? How does organic farming allow farms to use less chemical fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides? Design an organic veggie garden layout for your school. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 67 LEVEL 4 ICT Back to Table Learning Focus Students apply known ICT tools for visualising thinking in new ways to make links between existing and new knowledge. They begin to use new tools such as spreadsheets, modelling software, database software and graphics organisers. Students develop their use of ICT to assist with problem solving, e.g. when creating a model solar powered boat that meets specific criteria, students support their problem solving strategies by using software to create alternate 2D designs. Students develop skills in using ICT systems for controlling events in a predetermined way e.g. responding to environmental changes captured by sensors. Students use design tools such as layout diagrams, annotated drawings and storyboards to document solutions and the layout of information products. Students begin to work in a collaborative global environment. When problem solving, students use recommended search engines and begin to refine search questions to locate information quickly on the internet. Standards Students apply ICT tools and techniques to represent and explore processes, patterns, and cause and effect relationships. They safely and independently use a range of skills, procedures, equipment and functions to process different data types and produce accurate and suitable formatted products to suit different purposes and audiences. Students use email, websites and FAQ facilities to acquire from or share information with peers and know and unknown experts. They evaluate the integrity of the located information based on its accuracy and the reliability of the web host. Suggested Themes Use of alternative energy/fuels e.g. Hydrogen fuel cell car chassis, Solar powered boat design. Research on the internet a technology available for use in homes/businesses that help to reduce resource wastage. Use of sensors in systems e.g. to control the humidity/temperature of a greenhouse, security lights around school, blinds on windows, automatic watering systems. Sharing of ideas/acquisition of information on internet chat forums. Possible Critical Questions What is the best design for a Hydrogen fuel cell car chassis or Solar powered boat? What sensors should I use to control the humidity/temperature in the school greenhouse? Where should movement sensors be placed around the school to ensure that lights come on appropriately at night? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 68 LEVEL 4 Thinking Back to Table Learning Focus Students make observations and pose questions about people and events within and beyond their own experience, and develop a growing awareness of the complexity of the world around them. They increase the repertoire of thinking strategies for gathering and processing information, including identifying simple cause and effect, elaborating and analysing, and developing logical arguments. Students participate in activities in which they identify problems that need to be solved. They use a range of techniques to represent the problem and, working individually and with others, develop a range of creative solutions and explore the advantages of generating unconventional rather than conventional solutions. Standards Students develop their own questions for investigation, collect relevant information from a range of sources and make judgements about its worth. They distinguish between fact and opinion. They use the information they collect to develop concepts, solve problems or inform decision making. They articulate reasoned arguments with supporting evidence. They use creative thinking strategies to generate imaginative solutions when solving problems. Suggested Themes Energy usage and climate change/global warming. 4Rs of Water- how to increase river/ecosystem health. Refugees/migrants. Identify and investigate issues in a local ecosystem e.g. weeds, erosion, feral animals, pollution, salinityparticipate in Arbour Day, Saltwatch, Weed Warriors, Waterwatch etc. Management of natural environments. Possible Critical Questions What is the difference between a fact and an opinion? How are they related? What are the most important facts people need to know so they can understand and act to reduce climate change? How can the 4Rs applied to water usage in our daily lives to help to make our environment, especially rivers and streams, healthier? What can we do to help refugees coming to the local area become part of our community and feel happy/safe/welcome? How can we improve/eradicate _______ (problem identified) in the local ecosystem? Work as a team to come up with a solution to this issue and then participate in a national day/program to implement the solution. How best should we manage our natural environments (e.g. fire regimes, water flows, weeds, feral animals, use by farmers/apiarists) to ensure they are healthy but also so that people can enjoy them too? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 69 LEVEL 5 LEVEL 5 Physical, Personal and Social Learning Health & Physical Education Back to Table Learning Focus During participation in outdoor recreation and adventure activities, students develop skills, knowledge and behaviours which enhance safe participation in these activities, e.g. as part of a bushwalking activity, students could develop an understanding of appropriate clothing and footwear required and the need for sun protection and access to safe drinking water. Students begin to clarify a cohesive set of personal values and how they could be used to improve their health. Students reflect on the range of influence on personal food intake. They explore topical issues related to eating and identify personal and community factors that influence their own food selection. They learn how to analyse nutritional information provided in advertising and product labels. Standards Students proficiently perform complex movement and manipulative skills, and maintain regular participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity. They analyse a range of influences on personal and family food selection and identify major nutritional needs for growth and activity. Suggested Themes Reading and understanding weather patterns. Relationship between CFCs, hole in the ozone layer and skin cancer. How water works in cells of the human body. River Health and its relevance to human health (Waterwatch, River Keepers etc). Undertaking a Marine ecology experience e.g. Queenscliff Marine Discovery centre. Discovery of food miles and discussion around perishable food management – may include GM discussions. Growing your own energy foods at home. Is that low fat/sugar/salt product really good for you? Possible Critical Questions How do we know the weather is changing? What do the clouds tell us about what clothes to wear outside today? Why should we wear a broad brimmed hat even on a cloudy day? Why is water so important to the way cells function and how does dehydration effect my immediate health? Why is hydration so important when undertaking activities outdoors? Does the health of a river creek mirror the process of health in the human body? What should I look for when drinking water from a creek/river? While snorkelling - what can we identify as indicators to water and coastal health? When food comes from along way away, how is it kept fresh and is this process good for my body & health? Which good energy foods can I grow in my own backyard or in the window sill of my bedroom? What activities do you value participating in- how can you make this be a part of your regular routine? How can I tell if food advertised as being healthy is actually good for me? What levels of salt/fat/sugar are acceptable/ unacceptable in packaged foods? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 70 LEVEL 5 Interpersonal Development Back to Table Learning Focus Students develop positive relationships through understanding and respecting others. They participate in activities which enable them to identify the differing values and beliefs held by individuals in local, national and global context and reflect on the impact these may have on relationships. Through experience and reflection, students come to understand the need for empathy for others. They show sensitivity to cultural diversity and acknowledging the existence and possible implications of different values and beliefs. In their teams, students gain experience in a variety of different roles and reflect on those roles which they prefer. They participate in tasks which require them to build knowledge cooperatively to achieve a shared purpose, and reflect on the contribution they have made and how it could be improved. They also consider how the effectiveness of the team could be improved. Standards Students demonstrate respect for the individuality of others and empathise with others in local, national and global contexts, acknowledging the diversity of individuals. They recognise and describe peer influence on their behaviour. Students accept responsibility as a team member and support other members to share information, explore the ideas of others, and work cooperatively to achieve a shared purpose within a realistic time-frame. They reflect on outcomes and act to improve their own and the team's performance. Suggested Themes The association between respecting nature, animals and other humans. Approach of other cultures e.g. Hindu, Buddhist, animist, Asian, Inuit Indian, Indigenous Australian, to social guidelines based on worship or respect of nature. Construction and election of environmental Student Action Teams. Participation in a number of community environment projects. Reporting on the processes involved in undertaking student environment action projects. Possible Critical Questions Do we show the same respect for nature as we do for each other? How does the harvesting of rice in Asia demonstrate a good way to treat other humans? How do we elect other students to the Environmental Student Action Team and what characteristics are we looking for in these students? What important roles need to be filled and effectively performed to ensure a community project (e.g. a student tree planting day) is successful? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 71 LEVEL 5 Personal Learning Back to Table Learning Focus Students use feedback from teachers and other adults beyond the school context to expand their content knowledge, making use of learning opportunities within the school, e.g. specialist music or technology facilities and guest speakers, and outside the school such as experiential workshops and specialist laboratories. Students reflect on the ethical aspects of dealing with others such as being honest and encouraging freedom of choice and the advantages of acting responsibly in social and learning situations. They develop their skills in learning with and from their peers. They begin to take responsibility for the development and maintenance of a positive learning environment within and outside the classroom. Standards Students seek and respond to feedback from teachers and other adults and explain how their ideas have changed to develop and refine their content knowledge and understanding. Students demonstrate an awareness of different cultural and societal beliefs, values and practices, identifying and discussing the affect of ethical issues on learning and working with others. They consider not their own and others needs when making decisions about suitable learning processes and the creation of positive learning environments within and outside the classroom. Suggested Themes Personal Learning using the natural environment as a stimulus. Co-operative cohorts of animals e.g. grass plains animals. Participate in a special environmental day (e.g. weed removal). Behaviour change. Multicultural Australia- ensuring a harmonious workplace/ classroom/ community through respect, understanding and empathy for others. Possible Critical Questions How does sitting alone in a naturescape help you reflect on your values and thoughts as an individual? How does a bird and a rhino respect and support each other? How has what I have learnt in the classroom on _____ (e.g. energy consumption and climate change) led me to change my behaviour at home or school? Identify the values that are required to make a special environment day work effectively which are also required to create a supportive learning environment. What are the core values people need to enact to ensure their daily lives are positive, successful and fulfilling? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 72 LEVEL 5 Civics and Citizenship Back to Table Learning Focus Students consider the separate responsibilities of the three levels of government and the impact of each level on the daily lives of citizens. Through historical and contemporary examples, students are introduced to the values and qualities of leadership. Students are provided with opportunities to take on a variety of leadership roles. Students interact with a variety of groups and organisations in civic and community events. With assistance, they seek opportunities to actively engage in school, local and community events. The research issues and events of importance to the community, recognise a range of perspectives and propose possible solutions and actions. These issues may be related to matters such as environmental sustainability, social justice and human rights and may have a local, national and global significance. Standards Students present points of view on contemporary issues and events using appropriate supporting evidence. They explain the different perspectives on some contemporary issues and propose possible solutions to the problems. They participate in school and community events and participate in activities to contribute to environmental sustainability or action on other community issues. Suggested Themes Exploring the federal and state government websites for information on school sustainability programs. Explore how Environment ministers operate differently across state and federal precincts. Conduct elections and form an Environmental Student Action Team. Identify examples of environmental leadership e.g. Bob Brown; Tim Flannery; Al Gore; David Suzuki; Ghandi; religions e.g. Buddhism, Catholicism- St Francis; or states such as the EU, Germany, Iceland, Norway (Brundtland report), California, Bhutan (GNH, Gross National Happiness instead of GDP). Discovering the local and community enviro/ sustainability issues e.g. water, climate change, salinity. Take action to improve a community identified environmental problem/issue- work with local groups. Analysing the current environment issues emphasised by the federal and state governments e.g. water, climate change. Differences between regional and metro Victorian views of the issue of water conservation. Basic Human rights. Possible Critical Questions Using the DEH website as a guide – is our school doing all of the environment and sustainability tasks as recommended on the website – if so what and if not why not? What are the local environmental issues for your community – how did you find out about them? Does the government seem to be interested in the same environmental issues as you/ your community? How can members of the general public do something to help a local issue? Does the federal government and state government say the same thing about the environment – why or why not? Explain the differences. What are the governments talking about in relation to the environment - Do you think the government’s agenda and your local agenda are the same – why or why not? What values and qualities do environmental leaders possess? Why is that people in the country say different things about the use of water than those in the cities? What are the commonest human rights abuses in the world today? What is the worst aspect of being a refugee? Basic Human rights-investigate the reasons why certain cultural groups emigrated /sought refuge in Australia at various points in time. Invite a refugee to class as a speaker. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 73 LEVEL 5 Discipline-based Learning Art Back to Table Learning Focus Drawing from at least two arts disciplines of dance, drama, music, 2D and 3D art and media, students will use a range of starting points including observation, experience and research to represent, generate develop and communicate real, imaginary and abstract ideas. Standards Students independently and collaboratively plan, design, improvise, interpret, evaluate, refine, make and present arts works that represent and communicate ideas and purpose. They experiment with, select and use appropriate skills, techniques, processes, media, materials, equipment and technologies across a range of arts forms and styles. They compare, analyse, evaluate and interpret the content, meaning and qualities in art works created in different social, cultural and historical contexts. Suggested Themes Sculptured signage for school waste systems. Didactic theatre piece for local primary school or kindergarten. Rock Eisteddfod piece for competition based on environmental theme. Photographic exhibition of waterway or coastal pollution and human activity. Your School 2030. Your Life 2030. Possible Critical Questions What can we add as far as art work to our bin system to remind people to use the right bins for the right purpose? If you were back in grade 2, what sort of characters, sets and props would you like to see used in a drama play that teaches you about pollution in the environment? Is our local waterway polluted and how is it effected by human activity – what is the best place to exhibit photos to highlight these problems and generate discussion outside of the school? What would our school look like in 2030 if we undertake all of the environmental projects now? What will our lives in 2030 be like if we run out of water or find a solution to global climate change? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 74 LEVEL 5 English Back to Table Learning Focus Students consolidate and expand their knowledge and understanding of a range of texts. Students begin to respond in more detached and critical ways to a wide range of print, visual, electronic and multimodal texts that explore familiar and more challenging themes and issues. They compare texts that explore similar themes and ideas and recognise that writers can express views and values other than their own. Students work cooperatively in discussion groups, using talk to explore and analyse challenging themes ands issues. They develop their skills in identifying main issues in a topic, providing supporting detail and evidence for opinions, asking relevant clarifying questions and building on the ideas of others. They examine how situational and socio-cultural factors affect audience responses and the impact of different text and sentence structures on readers and viewers. Standards Students read and review imaginative, informative and persuasive texts that explore ideas and information related to challenging themes and issues. They produce personal responses, e.g. interpretive pieces and character profiles. They produce, in print and electronic forms, texts for a variety of purposes, including speculating, hypothesising, persuading and reflecting. They write arguments that state and justify a personal viewpoint; reports incorporating challenging themes and issues; personal reflections on, or evaluations of, texts presenting challenging themes and issues. They identify main issues in a topic and provide supporting detail and evidence for opinions. Suggested Themes Newspaper ‘Green Column”. Organise and run a debate around social equity. Science fiction imagination – what does the natural world look like in science fiction novels. Magazine review. Political analysis of the green agenda. Write a key note speech as president of the world in 2030. Possible Critical Questions When writing informative newspaper columns – how do you arrange your points so people get a quick overview of your arguments? Do social equity issues strike a chord with your fellow students, adults and community members? When reading science fiction – what sort of images come to mind when the author or characters describe the natural or physical world – do you think it’s possible? From the magazines you read, are there many articles about the environment and what is the general gist of each article? What elements of the green agenda do you agree and disagree with – do you think people in green politics make suitable and justifiable claims? If you were president of the world – what would the world look like environmentally and socially? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 75 LEVEL 5 Economics Back to Table Learning Focus Students develop an understanding of the nature of scarcity, opportunity cost and resource allocation and how these influence the Australian economy. Students consider the use, ownership and management of resources, and participate in activities in which they begin to appreciate that economic choices involve trade-offs that have both immediate and future consequences. Students develop an understanding of the importance of being an informed consumer. They practise making informed consumer decisions. They begin to form and express opinions on economic issues that interest and or impact on them personally, locally or nationally. Standards At level 5 students explain the nature of the economic problem and how economic choices involve trade-offs that have both immediate and future consequences. They explain key factors that influence the Australian economy, including resource use, ownership and management. Students make informed economic and consumer decisions. They form and express opinions on economic issues that interest and/or impact on them personally, or locally and/or nationally. Suggested Themes Sustainability. Ecofootprinting. 2030 trail (CERES). Green purchasing. Logging virgin forests to produce wood chips for paper. Mining. Land clearance for agriculture/housing. Possible Critical Questions What is sustainability? How does our lifestyle affect the size of our ecofootprint? Explain how the global average ecofootprint is greater than the space we have on earth yet in Australia we are still maintaining our current lifestyle. How can we reduce our ecofootprint? What will life be like in the year 2030 if every person made the same lifestyle choices as you? Can we as a society use resources in a better fashion? How do we know items have a good environmental history – what are we looking for when using or buying? What are the environmental impacts of logging of native forests for the purpose of paper production/ mining/ land clearance for agriculture or housing? How can we reduce the impact of these activities now and for future generations? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 76 LEVEL 5 Geography Back to Table Learning Focus Students use a variety of geographic tools and skills, together with an inquiry based approach, to investigate the characteristics of their regions of Australia and those surrounding it. They explore how and why, over time, human and physical interactions produce changes to the characteristics of regions, e.g. settlement patterns and agricultural and urban land use. Students extend their knowledge and understanding of physical phenomena and of the physical process that produce them. Students become aware of contrasts within the regions of Australia and those surrounding it and they develop an appreciation of differences in the culture, living conditions and outlooks of people in these areas. Students investigate environmental issues such as forest use and global warming. They begin to design policies, and evaluate existing policies, for managing the impact of these issues and ensuring the sustainability of resources. Students apply their knowledge and understanding of scale, grid references, legend and direction to use large scale maps. Students undertake fieldwork to investigate the characteristics of a selected local region and the physical processes and human activities that form and transform it. Students are encouraged to participate in activities that contribute to the sustainable management of local places. Standards Students demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the characteristics of the regions of Australia and those surrounding it. They explain, using examples, how the interaction of physical processes and human activities created variations within the regions. Students describe differences in culture, living conditions and outlook, including attitudes to environmental issues, in the Asia-Pacific region. They demonstrate understanding of environmental issues based on inquiry and propose ways of ensuring the sustainability of resources. Students collect geographical information from electronic and print media and analyse, evaluate and present it in a range of forms. They identify and gather geographical information from fieldwork and organise, process and communicate it using a range of written, oral, visual and graphic forms. Suggested Themes Deforestation and species loss across Australia- affects of white settlement/development. Physical geography, soils and farming. Traditional vs modern farming. Global warming, and its effect on hydrology in Australia e.g. river systems, sea level, drought. Our changing environment. Urban environmental problems- litter, wastage (water, energy), introduced species (plants and animals), pollution (water, air). Urban vs Country- differences in land, life and attitudes. Participation in national events such as ‘Clean up Australia Day, Weed Warriors, Arbour Day, Adopt a Highway scheme. Possible Critical Questions What are the major vegetation types/environments found in each Australian state? How is this different to pre white settlement? Why does Australia have the highest level of species extinction in the world since white settlement? How is deforestation calculated in Australia? What impact does this have on global warming? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 77 LEVEL 5 Geography Continued Back to Table Should farmers continue, with government assistance, to farm land that many scientists consider to be too arid due to climate change? How can organic farming practices make soil better for agriculture? How can we rectify salinity problems on our farms? If the sea level rises 1.5m by the year 2100 due to climate change, where will Melbourne’s coastline will be then? (show on a map) Why will some areas of Australia get wetter, others drier due to climate change? How has the land use in the area around your school changes over time? Map these changes. How does litter found along roads correlate with the location and type of shops? Map litter and evaluate. How has the population range of a now endangered animal or plant (preferably from the local area) changed over time? Can you map the location of the remnants of these populations? Can we develop a plan to decrease stormwater litter within the schools catchment? How does the litter found in the local area compare with Victorian averages? How, using policy change, could we reduce the amount of litter constituted of plastic? Could we live in a society free of plastic bags? Investigate the changes to the earth’s atmosphere caused by human activities and assess the contributing factors to these changes such as fossil fuel consumption, farming, manufacture of packaging and methane from landfill. Conduct an assessment of energy consumption in your home/school- what are 10 easy ways that you could change behaviour to reduce energy consumption today? (CERES incursions) What policies do we have in Australia to combat deforestation, global warming, species loss? How do the attitudes/feelings/culture about water use/irrigation vary between urban and country areas in Australia or between countries? Evaluate the current water strategy of Victoria- does this do a good job of looking after our river flows as well as the livelihoods of farmers and people living in the city? Develop a water policy/strategy that would ensure our river flows are maintained/ increased as well as ensuring farmers have the water they need and there is greater equity in water use of urban dwellers. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 78 LEVEL 5 History Back to Table Learning Focus Students develop knowledge and understanding about ancient and medieval societies and their role in providing the foundations of modern society. This learning enhances students knowledge and use of historical concepts such as time- chronology and sequencing, change and continuity - and cause and effect. They explore the values and beliefs of societies through their religions, myths and legends and their social and political structures. Standards Students analyse and describe key events in ancient and medieval societies. They use a variety of sources to describe key aspects of these societies. Students analyse change and continuity over time and compare key aspects of past and present societies. Suggested Themes Tragedy of the Commons- Use of commons in medieval times. Agricultural production- from nomadic existence to Fertile Crescent to green revolution to GM. History of human consumption patterns. Importance of the environment in some cultures due to myths, religion e.g. Buddhism, ancient Indian Vedic philosophy. Ancient myths- Atlantis. Water Gods. Industrial revolution and CO2 levels in atmosphere /the enhanced greenhouse effect. Box and Iron Bark forest of Victoria. Cuba- surviving peak oil. Possible Critical Questions How were commons used in medieval times in English villages to regulate natural resource use e.g. firewood collection? Was the system of commons generally successful? Why/ why not? Do you think advances in agriculture affected the global human population? Investigate the change in human consumption patterns and waste disposal over time. What messages about sustainability and use of resources does the myth of Atlantis tell? How did ancient cultures appease their water Gods? Looking at historical atmospheric CO2 level data, can you link key historical occurrences/periods with variations/changes in CO2 levels? Why do CO2 levels vary naturally? How does the current CO2 level compare with previous ‘warm periods’? How was the traditional use of box and iron bark forests different to today’s patterns of use? How did Cuba ‘reinvent’ itself so that it could reduce oil consumption so to cope with ‘peak oil’? Could democratic Australia manage to do a similar thing? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 79 LEVEL 5 LOTE- Pathway 1 Back to Table Learning Focus Students develop an understanding that cultural diversity exists and that customs and traditions vary within countries and over time. Using various print and electronic resources they locate and interpret information. Students reflect on culture and language and the skills that can be acquired in intercultural understanding and language awareness. Activities include a wide range of listening, speaking, reading and writing tasks as well as tasks that integrate these macro skills with intercultural understanding and language awareness. Standards Students adapt language and gesture appropriately for the role, audience and purpose of the interaction. They participate effectively in interactions such as role plays and conversations on simple topics. They create simple original text for specific audiences and purposes in print and electronic form. Students select, interpret and present knowledge about the language, its speakers and countries where it is spoken. Suggested Themes Endangered species of _____ (LOTE country). Possible effect of climate change on _____ (LOTE country). Agriculture/horticulture in _____ (LOTE country). Cultural significance of environment/animal in LOTE country. Possible Critical Questions What is the most well known endangered species in _____ (LOTE country)? What are the possible effects of climate change on a country which speaks your LOTE? What is a climate refugee? Create an educational poster on climate change in your LOTE- what it is and what people can do at home/school to help reduce climate change. Are farming methods used in _____ (LOTE country) the same throughout the country or do they differ? What is the main crop farmed in _____ (LOTE country)? If logging occurs in _____ (LOTE country), why is this occurring? Does logging contribute to much of the country’s income? Are there natural places/animals which are culturally significant to the people of _____ (LOTE country)? Does the significance of this place/animal relate to the religion of the people of _____ (LOTE country)? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 80 LEVEL 5 Mathematics Back to Table Learning Focus Students construct mathematical models to explore and describe the physical world. Students interpret and use a range of familiar and common maps of locations from small to large scale, using plans and grids. Students use metric units to estimate and measure length, perimeter, area, surface area, mass, volume, capacity, angle in shapes and solids, time and temperature. They solve problems involving simple rates (per unit time or area). Students take samples in order to make inferences and predictions about a population. They use technologies such as geometry software, graphics calculators and spreadsheets. Standards MCD: students measure length, perimeter, area, surface area, mass, volume, capacity, angle, time and temperature using suitable units for these measurements in context. Students organise, tabulate and display discrete and continuous data using technology for larger data sets. They represent uni-variate data in appropriate graphical forms including dot plots, stem and leaf plots, column graphs, bar charts and histograms. They calculate summary statistics for measures of centre and spread and make simple inferences based on this data. Structure: They use Venn diagrams and tree diagrams to show the relationships between the sets. Working Mathematically: Students use technology such as graphic calculators, spreadsheets, dynamic geometry and computer algebra systems for a range of mathematical purposes. Suggested Themes Energy Auditing. School yard biodiversity auditing. Water auditing. Waste/litter auditing (all audits can be run as an incursion by CERES). Billing and consumption comparisons for home and at school. Travel survey. Enterprise project- recycling store or system at school. Statistical analysis- rainfall, local waterway health. Possible Critical Questions What would the greenhouse gas emissions of your school be if you used electricity sourced from ‘green’ sources (solar, wind, hydro or combination) instead of ‘brown’ coal? How much CO2 could be saved per year? Can we save energy at our school? What appliances etc are being used and where? How could we reduce the waste and standby energy of these appliances? Using a Google Earth image of your school grounds and a known distance on the ground work out the pictures scale and calculate what is the percentage of built and natural areas? What is the roof catchment area? If we get 10mls of rain today – how much water could we put in the tanks on this roof? How much mains water (chlorinated) can we save if we install a tank-toilet system in our school, using water collected from the roof? How much more could we save if we installed low flow shower heads, dual flush toilets and waterless urinals? What do the graphs on our energy and water bill tell us? Can we graph the month to month use of power and water at school – which would be the best graph to use? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 81 LEVEL 5 Mathematics Continued Back to Table What uses the most power at school – which graph would you pick and why? How do we convert watts to kilo watt hours (kWh), litres to megalitres (ML), joules to megajoules (MJ)? How much greenhouse gas do we produce at school or home if in Victoria the ratio is 1.44kg of greenhouse gas (CO2) for every kWh of electricity? How much greenhouse gas do we produce travelling to/from school if in Victoria the ratio is 2.5kg of greenhouse gas (CO2) for every litre of petrol used? How much waste is sent to landfill (tonnes or m3) per year by your school? What is it composed of (% paper/cardboard; organics; items suitable for co-mingled recycling (plastic containers, glass, tetrapaks, cartons; wood; other non-recyclable items e.g. some plastics, glass) What % of the waste could be recycled/ diverted from landfill? How many reams of paper per year does each student at your school consume in photocopying? How could this be reduced? Survey student attitudes to littering in the school; compare this to parents and teachers- how do they vary? Show in a graphical representation Enterprise project- grow and plant seedlings in community for environmental gain. How do rainfall/macro-invertebrates in the local creek vary from month to month? Is there a correlation between the two? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 82 LEVEL 5 Science Back to Table Learning Focus Students expand their knowledge of science to include abstract concepts, theories principles and models drawn from biological, chemical, earth, environmental, physical and space sciences. They apply these to particular situations, e.g. relationship between force and energy; investigating the formation of rocks and minerals, including fossil fuels; explaining tidal patterns; and relating sustainability to the requirements for species survival and the management of resources. Students explore how scientific work has led to the discovery of new knowledge and understanding about the natural world, e.g. the use of fossil fuels and other information to construct a timescale for the history of the Earth. Students develop skills in measuring skills in measuring mass, volume and density. They learn to use appropriate units of measurement. They use a range of tools (e.g. computer models, images and simulations) to explain and interpret observations. They learn to present data in appropriate spreadsheet and graphical form. They use basic sampling procedures when conducting fieldwork. They prepare and present reports of their investigations in a variety of formats, using diagrams and symbols to summarise procedures. Standards Students explain the relationships, past and present, in living and non-living systems, in particular ecosystems, and human impact on these systems. They analyse what is needed for living things to survive, thrive or adapt, now and in the future. They explain how the observed characteristics of living things are used to establish a classification system. They design investigations that include measurement, using standard laboratory instruments and equipment and methods to improve accuracy in measurement. They make systematic observations and interpret recorded data appropriately, according to the aims of the study. Students make and use models and images from computer software to interpret and explain observations. In field work, students demonstrate use of basic sampling procedures and represent relationships in ecosystems graphically. They use simulations to predict the effect of changes in an ecosystem. Suggested Themes Climate models- El Nino, Climate change. Feedback loops in climate change- CO2 levels and photosynthesis levels/forest age, ocean/ soil temperature. Forces beneath the surface- Plate tectonics, rocks/mineral formation. Affect of celestial bodies (sun, moon) on earth- seasons, tides. Our nuclear powered planet. Energy gain/loss from buildings. Renewable energy forms. Our ancient earth. Ecosystems. Sustainability. Possible Critical Questions Why, when El Nino is occurring, does Australia get drought yet South America gets rain? How can positive feedback loops make climate change worse? Why do different fossil fuels types develop in different places? Why are fossil fuels classed as non-renewable? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 83 LEVEL 5 Science Continued Back to Table How can we use glacial ice core samples to tell us what the composition of the atmosphere was like 10,000 years ago? How can we tell that the increase in CO2 levels in our atmosphere isn’t just a natural variation? Do you think it’s possible to use natural resources such as minerals or fossil fuels more sustainably? How can we do this? How can we use the seasonal variation of sun angles to heat/cool our house without the need for fossil fuel consumption? Make/use a model to help illustrate this. What is the importance of building eaves on houses? Explain how the changing density/temperature of water enables thermosyphoning in solar hot water systems to function without pumps. There are various ways to harness the energy of the ocean (tides/waves) to produce electricity. Which method has the least effect on surrounding ecosystems? Explain how the nuclear energy of the sun fuels solar, wind, wave, biomass and fossil fuel energy sources on earth. Investigate a local aquatic ecosystem; sample the ecosystem and collect data on the number and type of organisms found in it. Attempt to classify the organisms you find in your local aquatic ecosystem using a taxonomic key. How do energy flows effect organism numbers? Predict what happens if you remove a higher level organism from an ecosystem. Simulate this with computer software and see if your prediction holds true. How can we reduce human impact on marine or freshwater ecosystems? What do we need to survive now and in future? If everyone used resources like the average Australian is now, what do you think life would be like in 30 years? (CERES 2030 activity) © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 84 LEVEL 5 Interdisciplinary Learning Communication Back to Table Learning Focus Students respond to a wide variety of aural, written and visual media and explore both implicit and explicit meaning. They continue to challenge assumptions, use questions to clarify understanding, and justify their own interpretations while acknowledging that others may have different interpretations. Students regularly present information, ideas and opinions for a variety of audiences in both formal and informal settings. Standards Students modify their verbal and non-verbal responses to suit particular audiences. They interpret complex information and evaluate the effectiveness of its presentation. They use specialised language and symbols as appropriate to the curriculum. They consider their own and others’ points of view, apply prior knowledge to new situations, challenge assumptions and justify their own interpretations. Students use the communication conventions, forms and language appropriate to the subject to convey a clear message. Suggested Themes Water marketing campaign. Plastic bag free campaign for local shopping area. Reading between the lines. Debating an issue in the media. Possible Critical Questions How can we make people feel more comfortable with drinking recycled sewerage? Design a campaign. Why are people so reliant on using plastic bags? How can we make our shopping area plastic bag free? How are hidden messages conveyed by the media? Debate an issue that is reported in the popular media using a 4 corners style TV show (made by another class) as s stimuli e.g. GMOs, uranium mining and export / nuclear power, generic drugs for all, grazing in national parks, whaling, euthanasia, CO2 trading, Kyoto protocol, water resources, ecotourism, drinking recycled sewerage. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 85 LEVEL 5 Design, Creativity & Technology Back to Table Learning Focus Students individually and in teams develop innovative solutions in design and technology contexts and evaluate their decisions with reference to design brief specifications. They represent their ideas using 2 & 3D hand & computer assisted drawing & modelling techniques. In developing their understanding of systems, students learn about open and closed loop systems, and their control and the components used to make basic automated system; and energy sources (renewable and non-renewable) and forms that power systems. They explore how technological systems can convert energy and magnify force. Students consider how social, cultural, economic and environmental factors influence the development of their design ideas. They consider the social and environmental impact of their own and others' products. Standards Students use various strategies and sources of information to investigate and research a range of factors relevant to more sophisticated design briefs to which they have contributed. Students understand and logically sequence major stages of production and calculate and list materials/ingredients and quantities needed for production. Students analyse and describe the social and environmental impacts of their own and others' designs, products, and technological systems. Suggested Themes Passive solar house design. Automated climate control systems in classrooms. Propagation area design. Energy sources. Inefficiencies of power stations. Bicycles. Life cycle analysis. Waste systems at school. Possible Critical Questions How can I use an AutoCAD program & passive solar principles to design an energy efficient house? Design an automated louvre/ fan system for your classroom. How could you automatically control the light/heat coming into a classroom from the sun? What is the most efficient way of heating/cooling classrooms? Design a garden for use outside a classroom of your choice that faces north/west for passive solar control of classroom temperature. Design a propagation area with automated climate control and watering systems, using PV panels to power the systems where possible. Link your propagation area watering system to a dam/water tank (from roof)- calculate how much water storage you will need for your propagation system based on estimated average daily usage. How big will your dam/water tank need to be? How do grid interactive solar PV systems work? Design grid interactive solar PV system to suit your household needs, taking careful consideration of the peak power requirements of your house. What sources of energy can be used to produce electricity? What are their efficiencies? How much water does each form or electricity generation use per MJ energy produced? Design a mountain/road bike given the design brief specifications. Investigate different brands of bike gears and choose the one you think is best for your bike. Do a life cycle analysis of a Freddo Frog- is its environmental impact more or less than you thought? Design a waste system for school –paper recycling, schoolyard rubbish/recycling/organics © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 86 LEVEL 5 ICT Back to Table Learning Focus Students learn to use a variety of ICT tools and techniques to assist with filtering, classifying, representing, describing and organising ideas, concepts and issues. Students begin to use ICT tools and peripherals such as dataloggers to support the input of data for sensing, monitoring measuring or controlling sequences and events. Students develop their knowledge about the characteristics of data by manipulating data types to create formatted information products e.g. essays, reports, animated slide shows, and websites, brochures and cartoons. They access appropriate websites and online forums such as blogs and chat sites, to locate information and to share ideas. They publish their work on the internet after it has been tested and evaluated. Standards Students select and apply ICT tools and editing functions that support the filtering, classifying, representing, describing and organising of concepts, issues and ideas. Students share their ideas through their blog, website or other public forums. Suggested Themes Data logging of temperature/humidity in propagation area. Wireless technology. Data logging for classroom temperatures. Data logging PV systems. Environmental campaign/issue website. Possible Critical Questions Does the temperature/humidity levels of the propagation area according to the plants we grow? How do I make the temperature/humidity higher/ lower using the computer? Can I create a website that enables me to see what the temperature/humidity of our propagation area is at any time from anywhere in the world (and manage it) using wireless technology? What is the most comfortable temperature for a classroom? What happens to class productivity if it’s too high/low? How/why does the amount of energy produced by the PV panels vary from day to day, season to season? How can I best convey messages about an environmental issue/campaign through a website? How do I feel/react when people, though a comment in my forum or blog, have a difference of opinion or problem with my website? Create a brochure or PowerPoint presentation to promote your website. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 87 LEVEL 5 Thinking Back to Table Learning Focus Students participate in increasingly complex investigations and activities in which they seek evidence to support their conclusions and investigate the validity of other people’s ideas. Students learn to make and justify changes to their thinking and develop awareness that others may have perceptions different from their own. Students draw on an increasing range of contexts to formulate the questions that drive their investigations. They gather information from a variety of sources and begin to distinguish between different types of data. They recognise the complexity of many of the ideas and concepts they are exploring and use a range of thinking strategies to develop connections. Standards Students use a range of question types and locate and select relevant information from varied sources when undertaking investigations. They complete activities focusing on problem-solving and decision-making activities which involve an increasing number of variables and solutions. They apply creative thinking to explore possibilities and generate multiple options, problem definitions and solutions. They describe and explain changes in their ideas and beliefs over time. Suggested Themes Travel smart. Food miles. Waste reduction. Affect of western lifestyle on health and wellbeing. Sewerage recycling for drinking. Usefulness of Kyoto Protocol. Link with Design, Creativity & Technology subject projects. Possible Critical Questions Could your school set up a walking school bus or car pooling system to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions for travel to/from school? What would this involve? How would you organise it? How far did the ______ (food) you ate for lunch travel to get to you? How much green house gas emissions occurred in this process? Why will our food choices reduce due to peak oil? Research differing opinions and purpose of waste reduction events and their long term effectiveness in changing behaviour towards littering. eg.Clean Up Australia Day, rubbish free lunch days, recycling week. Seek evidence supporting personal opinion on a topical issue e.g. western lifestyles, recycled water, Kyoto Protocol, nuclear power; assess validity of ideas. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 88 LEVEL 6 LEVEL 6 Physical, Personal and Social Learning Health & Physical Education Back to Table Learning Focus Students investigate community facilities available for health and fitness activities, engage in a range of recreational and outdoor adventure activities and develop skills, knowledge and behaviours for enhancing safe participation in these activities. They examine the concept of adventure in outdoor activities as well as perceived and actual risk. They learn to analyse the links between diet and current community health issues, and consider special dietary needs, and ways of improving their own diet. They research patterns of food consumption in Australia and investigate factors that influence food choice. Standards Students compare and evaluate perceptions of challenge, risk and safety. They analyse the positive and negative health outcomes of a range of personal behaviour and community actions. They identify and describe strategies that address current trends in the nutritional status of Australians. They analyse and evaluate the factors that affect food consumption in Australia. Suggested Themes Analysing the risk posed by nature in comparison to those of the adventure activity. Exploring aquatic environments - fresh & salt. Analysing the benefits of activity in the great outdoors. Food habits of Australia – testing the food bowl theory. Making healthy exercise/food choices part of our daily lives. Development of themes from Level 5. Possible Critical Questions Can an activity be challenging/ adventurous without risk being involved? Is nature dangerous? Does being outside effect the way you feel and increase your energy levels? Do you think better in natural light? Is it possible for all of food to come from our local region, our state or our country? Is Australia still a food bowl for its population and is our food still the best quality? Are all of the additives to food and food production necessary? Why do people continue to choose to eat a diet high in fats/simple sugars and not exercise when they are overweight/ obese? What can we do to improve our nutrition/fitness? What are local councils/government/communities doing to encourage people to live more healthily? How can an individual make healthy eating and exercise a part of their daily routine? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 89 LEVEL 6 Interpersonal Development Back to Table Learning Focus Students develop their knowledge of local and global values and beliefs and consider the idea of values as social construct and principles Students take opportunities to work in diverse teams within and beyond school, including the workplace, to complete tasks with several interrelated components. Students may be involved in acting as peer mediators for younger students with minimal guidance once initial training is completed. Standards Students describe how local and global values and beliefs determine their own and others' social relationships. Students work collaboratively, negotiate roles and delegate tasks. Working within the strengths of a team, they achieve agreed goals within set time frames. Students respect and build on the ideas and opinions of team members, reflect on the effectiveness of learning in a team and develop strategies for improving their contributions to achieving the team goals. Suggested Themes Mochelles model of Values and Nature. Maslow’s model of values and human needs. Environmental Student Action Teams design whole school environmental representative council. Design and participate in a number of community environment projects. Reporting on the processes involved in undertaking student environment action projects. Peer mentoring with younger students on a project with an environmental theme. Possible Critical Questions Does Mochelle give us some clues on how we can respect nature and therefore better respect humans? Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, can we construct a process for student action teams in which everybody feels they are contributing equally and positively? How do we elect other students to the whole school environmental representative council and what characteristics are we looking for in these students? What important roles need to be filled and effectively performed to ensure a community project (e.g. a student tree planting day) is successful? What time frames do we need to work within to ensure the success of our project? How can we explain a complex problem/concept to a younger student without ‘dumbing down’ the science? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 90 LEVEL 6 Personal Learning Back to Table Learning Focus Students demonstrate increasing independence in the completion of tasks. They complete projects which require them to work both independently and as part of a team, and are actively encouraged by their teachers to initiate learner-directed projects. They participate in activities that require them to make informed and responsible choices, considering the impact on themselves and others. Standards Students seek and respond to feedback from peers, teachers and other adults to develop and refine their content knowledge and understanding, identifying areas for further investigation. Students identify the ethical frameworks that underpin their own and others beliefs and values and describe how the conflicts and dilemmas they identify may affect learning. They initiate and negotiate a range of independent activities with their teachers, providing progress and summative reports for teachers and stakeholders. Suggested Themes Design and participate in a number of community environment projects. Reporting on the processes involved in undertaking student environment action projects. Agreeing to disagree. Peer mentoring with younger students on a project with an environmental theme. Possible Critical Questions Identify the values that are required to make a special environment day work effectively which are also required to create a supportive learning environment. What time frames do we need to work within to ensure the success of our project? What important roles need to be filled and effectively performed to ensure a community project (e.g. a student tree planting day) is successful? What are the important things that need to be reported on in a progress report for stakeholders? How can conflict/disagreement in a team affect the success of a project? What strategies can you employ to facilitate team work/compromise when some team members have opposing ideas/beliefs/values? When do you make the decision that you can’t work with someone due to differences of opinion/beliefs? What has working with a younger student taught you? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 91 LEVEL 6 Civics and Citizenship Back to Table Learning Focus Students investigate the nature and history of the concept of human rights. They become aware of the national and international legislation designed to protect those rights. They explore human rights issues at the national and international level. Students consider the ways that the key elements of a modern democracy allow citizens to participate in governance and they consider other processes for influencing views and actions of others e.g. through participation in organisations such as environmental and other interest groups. They link their understanding of multiculturalism to contemporary issues, such as the global refugee problem and population growth. Students evaluate the role of the Australian government in the global community through contexts such as government responses to environmental concerns, such as global warming or other issues of environmental sustainability. They examine case studies of changes in the law such as Mabo or the Franklin Dam. They examine the processes for bringing about change in Australia's legal and political systems including the role of open debate in democracy. Students apply their knowledge about representative democracy and systems of government by researching and proposing possible action on an issue relevant to them at the local, state or national level. They explore the potential impact of the issue on different groups within the community, and the effectiveness of the democratic process in balancing individual and community rights in resolving the issue. Students are provided with opportunities to participate in leadership activities and projects that contribute to the wellbeing of others and which may have a local, national or global focus. Standards Students explain how citizens influence government policy through participation in political parties, elections and membership in interested groups. They explain the development of a multicultural society and the values necessary to sustain it. Students take a global perspective when analysing an issue, and describe the role of global organisations in responding to international issues. Students draw on a range of resources, including the mass media to articulate and defend their own opinions about political, social and environmental issues in national and global contexts. They contest, where appropriate, the opinions of others. They develop an action plan which demonstrates their knowledge of a social or environmental issue and suggest strategies to raise community awareness of it. They participate in a range of citizenship activities including those with a national or global perspective, at school and in the local community. Suggested Themes Further development of themes from level 5. Basic Human rights. Fair Trade. Global warming and environmental refugees (e.g. Tuvaluans relocating due to Sea Level rise). Environmental groups. The arguments around globalisation. G8 & G20 protests. Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (UN) – may also include Agenda 21 principles. Forest management politics. Energy production politics. Water management politics. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 92 LEVEL 6 Civics and Citizenship Continued Back to Table Bringing about changes to the law through democratic process/protest e.g. The Franklin River campaign Research a local issue and propose possible actions which take into consideration the relevant stakeholders needs/ rights. Design and participate in a community project based on the local issue researched. Possible Critical Questions What, in your opinion, are the most important basic human rights as listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Can one human right be more important than another? What are the base elements of fair trade? Do you thing fair trade could work on many commodities? How does fair trade chocolate work and does it taste good? Is what is happening to the inhabitants of Tuvalu a global responsibility? What do environmental groups like the ACF, FoE, WWF, Sea Shepherd do? What re the benefits and down sides of globalisation? What are the issues concerning groups who protest at G8 & G20 summits and why do you think that the protests turn angry? What are the principles of the Decade Education Sustainable Development process? What are the pros and cons of energy, water & forest management and how are the claims from both sides represented in the political frame, social construct and media? Could you run a save the river campaign – if so what would you do and are there events in history to help you work out a process/approach? Is it possible to keep every stakeholder happy when change needs to occur? How can we measure if a project has been successful or not? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 93 LEVEL 6 Discipline-based Learning Art Back to Table Learning Focus Drawing on the arts disciplines of Art, Dance, Drama, Media, Music and Visual Communication both individually and in combination, students will design, make and present arts works and in doing so will develop skills in making decisions about creative ways of generating and implementing ideas, E.g. in Visual communication students develop a website homepage; in Drama, students devise, rehearse and design an ensemble performance. They construct suitable sets, costumes and props. They develop aesthetic and critical awareness through observation, research, discussion and analysis of arts works from different social, historical and cultural contexts. They investigate and discuss the contribution of the arts to society and other disciplines, e.g. History, focusing on ways arts disciplines, forms and works reinforce and challenge social, cultural, personal and artistic practices and values. Standards Students within and across areas of specialisation apply decision making skills to find the most effective way to implement ideas, design, create and make arts works devised from a range of stimuli, demonstrating development of a personal style. They effectively use a range of traditional and contemporary media, equipment and technologies. Students observe, research and critically discuss a range of contemporary, traditional, stylistic, historical and cultural examples of arts works in the disciplines and forms in which they are working. They describe and discuss the ways that their own and others arts works communicate and challenge ideas and meaning. They comment on the impact of arts works, forms and practices on other arts works and society in general. Suggested Themes Australian song lyrics. Contemporary and classical music and ballet scores. Creating a didactic theatre piece aimed at supporting and sustainability issue. Create a short film based upon contemporary social justice/environmental issues. Media files of environment/sustainability issues. Deconstructing of media to uncover political, personal argument. Mock court trial of environmental mishap, crime, event etc. Photographic exhibition of community and local environs including issues and highlights/successes. Possible Critical Questions There are a number of classical pieces of music which were meant to musically describe elements of nature e.g.; Rite of Spring – do you think they were successful – what contemporary music of yours has attempted or achieved this idea? Do the songs of groups such as Goanna and Midnight Oil make much sense to you – why/ why not? Do you know any recent songs about taking care of the environment? If so, what messages are they trying to convey? What would a short play designed to teach younger kids about energy management contain as far as characters, setting, propos etc? Why is there a great difference on how environmental issues are reported between newspapers? What would be a suitable punishment for organisations or people who commit environmental crime? Is photography as a medium a good way to capture a snapshot of your community that expresses a range of personal focus and contexts? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 94 LEVEL 6 English Back to Table Learning Focus Students produce, study and respond critically to spoken, written and visual texts created for a wide range of audiences and purposes. Their focus is on a close examination of the critical and socio-cultural dimension of language. They explore and interpret different perspectives in complex issues, analysing how different texts are likely to be interpreted by different groups. They practice writing expressively about thoughts, feelings, opinions and ideas, and constructing considered arguments to persuade others to share a point of view. Students make effective use of a range of word-processing and editing software to produce texts that incorporate digital still images, digital audio and video, and print. Standards Students read, view, analyse, critique, reflect on and discuss contemporary and classical imaginative texts that explore personal, social, cultural and political issues of significance to their own lives. They also read, view, analyse and discuss a wide range of informative and persuasive texts and identify the multiple purposes for which texts are created. They write persuasive texts dealing with complex ideas and issues and control the linguistic structures and features that support the presentation of different perspectives on complex themes and issues. They plan and deliver presentations, sequencing and organising complex ideas. They analyse critically the relationship between texts, contexts, speakers and listeners in a range of situations. When engaged in discussion, they compare ideas, build on others ideas, provide and justify other points of view and reach conclusions that take account of aspects of an issue. Suggested Themes Further development of level 4 & 5 themes. Analyse the Victorian Government’s "Our Environment Our Future" framework. Read, view, analyse and discuss environmental/sustainability issues such as global and local social equity, water and energy consumption, waste production, needs vs wants (over consumption, affluenza), global warming, CO2 emissions, whaling, ecofootprints etc. Cruel to be kind- culling of koalas/kangaroos in plague proportions. Design a campaign to prompt change of a social issue in your immediate community. Possible Critical Questions Can poetry describe a favourite outdoor space of yours – do you share the same descriptive words, phrases and patterns with any of your friends? What strategies are in place to address the issues of litter and waste or water shortages in "Our Environment Our Future" and give an opinion as to whether or not these are effective? Using ideas form Lord of the flies – how would you respond to not having your creature comforts, energy of food & water sources? If you were asked to speak to the UN about social equity and environment issues – what would you include in your presentation? Should kangaroo or koala populations which have grown to plague proportions due to land use change be culled? Design a campaign to prompt change of a social issue in your immediate community – how would you best communicate your solution? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 95 LEVEL 6 Economics Back to Table Learning Focus Students analyse how macro- and micro-economic policies and programs advanced by governments and other institutions affect them and their fellow citizens. They examine the role of exchange, trade and globalisation in influencing Australia’s standard of living. Students investigate the relationship between economic growth, ecological sustainability and the standard of living, and explore what it means to be an ethical producer and consumer. They begin to reflect on the role of values in the economic decision making of producers, consumers and governments. Using skills in economic reasoning, they research economic issues and propose solutions for economic problems of global significance. They research economic problems and argue the validity or otherwise of their own hypotheses. Such research assists students in understanding, clarifying and justifying values and attitudes about issues affecting the economy, society and the environment. Standards Students describe how markets, government policies, enterprise and innovation affect the economy, society and environment in terms of employment, economic growth, the use and provision of resources, exports and imports, and ecological sustainability. They analyse the role and significance of exchange, trade and globalisation in influencing Australia’s standard of living. They discuss and explain what it means to be an ethical consumer and producer and identify examples of ways values can affect the economic decision making of consumers, producers and governments. Students explain the impact of macro- and micro-economic policies on themselves and others. Students use economic reasoning to research and propose solutions to economic issues and problems of global significance and to clarify and justify values and attitudes. They debate the costs and benefits of contentious economics-related issues of local, national or international concern. Students demonstrate an awareness of the impact of values and beliefs on economic issues. Suggested Themes Free trade, subsidies and their affects on people/local economies. Fair trade. Ethical production/consumption. Tragedy of the commons. Life cycle analysis. Globalisation. GDP vs GNI vs. GNH- different indicators of how well a country is progressing. Triple Bottom Line. Stern Report in Climate Change. Possible Critical Questions How does free trade agreements really help farmers from countries other than the USA, EU (or Australia), especially those from small, lesser developed countries? What is fair trade? How can we make trade fairer? How can we make the production of certain products more ethical e.g. leather goods, dairy products, shark fin, chocolate, coffee, diamonds? Climate Change is one example of a ‘tragedy of the commons’- what does this mean? What are the benefits of lifecycle analysis of a product? What can it tell us? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 96 LEVEL 6 Economics Continued Back to Table How is globalisation improving our standard of living in Australia? What sort of environmental trade-offs in return for economic growth are being transferred from one country to another due to globalisation of trade? How has the demand for diamonds/gold/other precious commodities in industrialised/developed nations fuelled civil unrest or environmental destruction in the countries/regions where they are sourced? How does GDP vary from GNI? Which is a better indicator of a country’s economic progression? Describe and explain the correlation between GDP and health/wellbeing of a people. At what point does increased economic growth cease to matter in this regard? What are the merits of using GNH (Gross National Happiness) as an indicator of development, as Bhutan has introduced? Why is TBL reporting better than standard economic reporting? Should TBL replace standard economics based reporting (GDP)? How will global warming affect economic growth/ prosperity of the global economy- both developed and lesser developed countries? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 97 LEVEL 6 Geography Back to Table Learning Focus Students develop knowledge about the operation of one of the major natural systems that are part of the biosphere and atmosphere, e.g. the hydrologic cycle or weather. Students investigate the interaction of human activities with the natural environment through a study of issues such as global warming and climate change, land degradation and desertification and air and water pollution. Students develop skills to evaluate the factors contributing to the development of these issues, identify strategies to address them and explore ways of managing them. Students investigate the characteristics of development that occur across the globe. They use an inquiry based approach to explore how combinations of various physical and human factors interact to produce observable and sometimes predictable patterns at local, regional and global scales. Students research at least two developmental topics and the impact of globalisation in creating and reducing differences in development levels, e.g. through technology transfers, resource use, and indebtedness. Examples of development topics include: poverty; the links between food, hunger and technology; and the social and economic consequences of development in creating rapidly growing cities, megacities, informal settlements and rural depopulation. Students investigate and learn to evaluate the impact or effectiveness of development related projects, policies and strategies on physical and human landscapes, locally, nationally and globally. They undertake field investigations in the local area to gather, collate, analyse and evaluate data relating to the natural environment. They explain and predict the effects of natural processes and human activities on the environment, including consideration of the ways people respond to change. Students apply geographical techniques, including representation of multi-variate data and complex mapping operations, to interpret environmental change and research, discriminate, evaluate and present arguments using electronic and other formats. Standards Students explain the operation of a major natural system and its interaction with human activities. They evaluate the consequences of the interaction and develop a policy to address an issue related to it. Students describe global patterns of development from a range of perspectives and identify and describe the factors that determine these patterns. They analyse development issues and formulate and evaluate comprehensive policies, including those for sustainable use and management of resources, to alter development patterns at a range of scales. They accurately interpret information on different types of maps and photographs at a range of scales and use map evidence to support explanations, draw inferences and predict associated outcomes. Students frame research questions and locate relevant resources, including contemporary and online resources. They recognise that in history there are multiple perspectives and partial explanations. They use evidence to support arguments and select and use appropriate written and oral forms to communicate and develop historical explanations in a variety of oral, written and electronic forms. Suggested Themes Deforestation, fossil fuel usage and global warming- its effect on hydrology in Australia e.g. water cycle, river systems, sea level, drought. Introduced species. Our changing weather. Sustainable development. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 98 LEVEL 6 Geography Continued Back to Table Population growth and its effects on the environment (water quality, air quality and land clearance/biodiversity loss). Economic development and its correlation with population growth/ HIV rates/ maternal and child mortality rates/ poverty/ hunger/happiness. Growing up in a megacity. Food to feed us all. Why do development projects sometimes fail? Boxing Day Tsunami. Possible Critical Questions What are the major vegetation types/environments found in each Australian state? How is this different to pre white settlement? How is deforestation calculated in Australia? What impact does this have on global warming? Investigate the changes to the earths atmosphere caused by human activities and assess the contributing factors to these changes such as fossil fuel consumption, farming, manufacture of packaging and methane from landfill. Can we reverse desertification once it has occurred? Why will some areas of Australia get wetter, others drier due to climate change? Why does Australia have cyclic periods of drought? What policies do we have in Australia to combat deforestation, global warming? Evaluate the current water/land management strategies/policies of Victoria- do you think it’s adequate? Develop a water/land management policy/strategy that would best address and manage the issues of land degradation or water use. Why is the blackberry/rabbit so successful in Australia? Map its spread from the time of its introduction to present day. Can social and economic development occur without environmental degradation? Is ‘sustainable growth’ an oxymoron? Using maps, describe the pattern of industrialisation/development of countries. Why do you think this has occurred? What is the best way of improving economic and social development which looking after then environment, in lesser developed countries (LDCs)? Has globalisation increased the ability of LDCs to increase their level of development? What do you think the carrying capacity of the earth is? i.e. how many people can live on earth before widespread environmental catastrophe occurs? Should population growth be limited? How do you feed the population of a megacity? On a global scale we produce more than enough food to feed the entire world population, yet millions go hungry each day in LDCs whilst there is a growing obesity problem in DCs. How can we rectify this problem? Develop an international policy to promote more equitable distribution of food. How can we increase the likelihood that a development project will be successful? How did natural and man made factors influence the catastrophic effects of the Boxing Day Tsunami? How have Tsunami survivors adapted to their changed environment in order to survive? Two years after the Tsunami, how successful has the rebuilding of the affected areas by aid agencies been? How are authorities trying to prevent such devastating loss of life from future Tsunamis (worldwide)? After investigating an environmental problem in your area (e.g. weed invasion, feral animals, salinity, water pollution, litter, air pollution, erosion), create a project which tackles the problem that students from your school can be involved in. Present the project proposal to the stakeholders and try to get the project off the ground. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 99 LEVEL 6 History Back to Table Learning Focus Students examine the impact of European colonisation of Australia. They learn about key events, ideologies and social and cultural movements that have shaped the contemporary world, e.g. civil rights, environmentalism. They learn about the increasingly global interconnections in the 20th century, international organisations such as the UN and challenge to global security. Students investigate the impact of changes in technology, medicine and communication on their lives and make links in their study of history to contemporary issues and the world today. They recognise the significance of different events within a historical context and learn how evidence and values produce different interpretations of events, people and institutions. Students frame research questions and locate relevant resources, including contemporary media and online resources. Standards At level 6 students analyse events which contributed to Australia’s social, political and cultural development. They analyse significant events and movements which have resulted in improvements in civil and political rights. Students explain aspects of increasing global interconnections in the 20th and 21st centuries. They demonstrate understanding of key ideologies and explain their influence in peoples lives, national events and international relations. They explain why significant social and cultural movements have developed and evaluate their influence on societies. They analyse changes in technology, medicine and communication. They demonstrate an understanding of globalisation and understand aspects of Australia's role in the international sphere and in global issues. Suggested Themes Impact of European colonisation on environment- introduced species, deforestation, species loss, land degradation, indigenous cultural loss. Cruel to be kind- culling of koalas/kangaroos in plague proportions. Utilisation of natural resources on crown land e.g. grazing, apiary. Use of technology to improve health, food production, environment. Civil rights. Environmentalism. Decade of Education for Environmental Education. Anti-nuclear lobby. The Franklin River campaign. The United Nations. Deepening of the Post Phillip Bay shipping channel debate. Oil- discoveries, price fluctuations, peak oil. Possible Critical Questions Why/ when/ by whom were certain exotic animals/plants released in Australia? How is new technology/science being used to combat blackberry infestation/rabbits in Australia? Investigate the extinction of a species in Australia due to European settlement e.g. Thylacine Should kangaroo or koala populations which have grown to plague proportions due to land use change be culled? Can the commercial harvesting of plague animals preserve the species? Should commercial farming enterprises such as grazing or apiary occur in crown land (national parks)? How did advances in agriculture affect the global human population? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 100 LEVEL 6 History Continued Back to Table Investigate the change in human consumption patterns and waste disposal over time. How was sewerage disposed of /managed in 19th century Europe/Australia compared to today? How do lesser developed countries dispose of /manage their sewerage now? What rights do you have now thanks to the hard work of civil rights campaigners? What major events triggered the environmentalism movement? How has the Decade of Education for Environmental Education helped change the curriculum your school? How do you think we could encourage young people to care more for the environment /behave more sustainably? Do you think we should be entertaining the idea of building nuclear power plants in Australia? What are the repercussions of a nuclear accident/war locally and internationally? Could you run a save the river campaign – if so what would you do and are there events in history to help you work out a process/approach? How do UN organisations such as UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA and UNDP help promote global equity, peace, sustainable development and environmental stability? Is the UN just a waste of money, a ‘toothless tiger’? Why is it some people think that deepening the Post Phillip Bay shipping channel is good, others bad? When in the past was the shipping channel deepened? Did this cause the same debate? Why/ not? Some analysts suggest we will hit peak oil in less than 20 years. Do you think this will really happen? Why does the price of oil fluctuate so much? Link price spikes with significant global events. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 101 LEVEL 6 LOTE- Pathway 1 Back to Table Learning Focus Students compare and contrast aspects of life in the LOTE speaking country with those in multicultural Australia and other countries. Students extend their interactions to exchange information and opinions on topics such as issues of concern to young people, e.g. environmental issues, the impact of technology, globalisation. They draw on knowledge and skills from other domains to inform ways of applying language in new contexts. Activities include a wide range of listening, speaking, reading and writing tasks as well as tasks that integrate these macro skills with intercultural understandings and language awareness. Standards Students read texts and effectively extract main ideas and detailed information for use in new contexts. They express themselves through extended writing in the language in print and electronic form. Students demonstrate understanding of cultural influences on the ways people behave and use language. They contribute to discussions about the general concept of culture and the relationships between cultures, including the effects of migration and travel, by presenting illustrative examples. In the language, students describe some of their present personal values and opinions, and compare them with previously held views. Suggested Themes Waste production. Natural disasters. Tourism. Migration. Globalisation. Common environmental Issues. Possible Critical Questions What happens to the waste produced in _____ (LOTE country)? Does _____ (LOTE country) produce more or less waste per person than Australia? Is _____ (LOTE country) affected much by natural disasters? What do people do in _____ (LOTE country) to prepare for natural disasters? Could you write an informative brochure/create short TV ad in LOTE on what to do if there was a tsunami/earthquake/flood? Have there been any negative effects on the local environment/culture in _____ (LOTE country) due to tourism? What are the main tourist attractions in _____ (LOTE country)? Does any ecotourism occur in _____ (LOTE country)? Why generally did the migrants speaking your LOTE come to Australia? Interview a migrant/refugee speaking your LOTE about their migration experiences and find out what has changed/remained the same about their culture in the time they have been in Australia? How is globalisation affecting the environment, culture and economy of ____ (LOTE country)? Using a blog or on-line forum chat with someone in your LOTE about environmental problems your countries face- what is the same/different? How do you think these environmental problems can be overcome? Discuss, share ideas on your blog/on-line forum. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 102 LEVEL 6 Mathematics Back to Table Learning Focus Students extend their use of mathematical models to a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts. They recognise the role of logical argument and proof in establishing mathematical propositions. They apply mental, written or technology assisted forms of computation as appropriate. Students investigate the possible orientation of lines in space and they investigate the properties of angles formed when lines intersect. They investigate the relationship between position, length and angle using Pythagorean relationship and trigonometry of right angles triangles. Students use maps and globes to investigate location and distances between places. Students measure and estimate perimeter, area, surface area, mass, volume, capacity, angle and the rates of speed, density and concentration. They use and convert units to suit the purpose of measurements. They use formulas to calculate perimeters, areas, angles in shapes, and the surface areas and volumes of solids. Students apply probability concepts to aspects of chance and risk in every day life. They collect and use data samples, selecting appropriate representations to display data distributions, centrality, spread and associations between data sets. They choose, use and develop mathematical models and procedures with attention to assumptions and constraints. They solve problems in a wide range of practical, theoretical and historical contexts and communicate the results of these investigations. Students use technology (e.g. geometry software, graphics calculators, spreadsheets and computer algebra systems) to develop mathematical ideas and to solve problems. Standards Space: They use latitude and longitude to locate places on the earths surface and measure distances between places using great circles. MCD: Students estimate and measure length, area, surface area, mass, volume, capacity and angle. They select and use appropriate units, converting between units as required. They calculate constant rates such as pollution levels in the atmosphere. They interpret and use mensuration formulas for calculating the perimeter, surface area and volume of 2 and 3D shapes and simple composites of these shapes. Students use Pythagoras theorem and trigonometric ratios to obtain lengths of sides, angles and the area of right angle triangles. Students estimate probabilities based on data (experiments, surveys, samples, simulations) as assign and justify subjective probabilities. Students comprehend the difference between a population and a sample. They generate data using surveys, experiments and sampling procedures. Working Mathematically: Students formulate and test conjectures, generalisations and arguments. They choose, use and develop mathematical models and procedures to investigate and solve problems set in a wide range of practical, theoretical and historical contexts. They select and use technology in various combinations to assist in mathematical inquiry, to manipulate and represent data, to analyse functions and carry out symbolic manipulation. Suggested Themes Peer mentoring for Energy, school yard Biodiversity, Water and Waste/litter auditing. Solar energy and Passive solar design. Salinity. Greenhouse gas levels. Enterprise project. Probability of survival to maturity. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 103 LEVEL 6 Mathematics Continued Back to Table Possible Critical Questions How can we teach younger students to efficiently audit waste/water/energy/biodiversity at school? Using the house block you live on, design a new house for the block using passive solar design. Justify your design choices. What other techniques/technologies would you use to make the house as energy efficient as possible? What angle/direction would a PV panel or solar hot water panel in Melbourne need to face for maximum insolation? Use a global insolation map to calculate this for Melbourne and for three other cities. Explain how the changing density of water enables thermosyphoning in solar hot water systems to function without pumps. What is the efficiency of solar power as compared to wind, hydro, geothermal and coal fired power? What are the mathematical formulae for wind and hydro power? Using examples given by your teacher, see if you can work out how much energy will be produced by a hydro or wind system. Simulate different concentrations of saline water and use them (along with a non-saline control) to water seedlings/plants. Observe the effect the differing concentrations have on plant growth. Could you create a model/formula to represent the observations? Using CO2 data up till 1990, extrapolate what you think the CO2 level will be in the atmosphere in 2006. Compare with real data from 2006- has the rate of CO2 emissions stayed constant/increased/decreased in the past 15 years? How can we reduce the rate of CO2 emissions? Enterprise project- recycling store or system at school; Work with local authorities to run a propagation enterprise Using data on marine turtle hatchling numbers and their subsequent return for breeding when mature (or a similar endangered animal with this kind of data available) what is the probability that a hatchling will live to maturity and breed? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 104 LEVEL 6 Science Back to Table Learning Focus Students use their understanding of how scientific theories and models drawn from traditional and emerging sciences are based on evidence that may initially be tentative and limited, e.g. natural selection, evolution, global warming. They consider how coordination and regulation of functions occurs in plants and animals. They investigate the adaptive behaviours which enable plants and animals to survive in their environments and consider possible adaptive behaviours which may be needed for future survival. They investigate how energy maybe responsible for the changes observed in biological, chemical and physical processes and applications, e.g. photosynthesis and respiration; action of micro-organisms; energy flow through ecosystems and the cycling of matter (including water, carbon and minerals) in ecosystems. Students investigate sources of waste generated within the community and consider waste treatment and management options. They learn how wastes are generated in the processing of natural materials (e.g. oil, water, brown coal and ores) and how the procedures used to manage these wastes contribute to environmental sustainability. They investigate, create, and produce a range of strategies and products that explore, encourage and communicate the responsible use and management of natural and processed resources. Students make links across related areas of science, e.g. resource management and green chemistry (chemistry and earth and environmental science); and habitat renewal (earth and environmental sciences and biology). Students design and conduct scientific investigations of their choice in ways that lead to the collection, interpretation and presentation of valid data. Using a variety of formats, students prepare investigative reports learning to use symbols and diagrams extensively to illustrate procedures and data analysis, and support the conclusions drawn and presented. They debate, from the basis of scientific knowledge, the merits and problems of science-related issues that are reported in the popular media, particularly those with a clear ethical dimension. They also explore the ways in which science concepts, language and perspectives can be misunderstood and misrepresented. This involves students applying their conceptual understandings to the consideration of issues significant to themselves and to broader society in which they live, e.g. ecotourism, a clean and healthy environment, energy use, ecological footprints. Standards Students identify and classify the sources of wastes generated, and describe their management, within the community and in industry. They use a specific example to explain the sustainable management of a resource. Students explain change in terms of energy in a range of biological, chemical and physical contexts. They demonstrate the link between natural selection and evolution. They explain how regulatory functions within plants and animals assist them to survive in their environments. They explain how the action of micro-organisms can be both beneficial and detrimental to society. Students describe the science base of science-related occupations in their local community. They use the relevant science concepts and relationships as one dimension of debating the merits and problems of contentious and/or ethically based science-related issues of broad community concern. Students demonstrate an awareness of the ways in which scientific language is used incorrectly in the mass media, distinguishing between intended meaning of such terms and their meaning in nonscientific contexts. They formulate their own hypotheses & plan and conduct investigations in order to prove or disprove them. The construct working models and visual aids that demonstrate scientific ideas. They present experimental results using appropriate data presentation formats. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 105 LEVEL 6 Science Continued Back to Table Suggested Themes Use of models. Adaption and evolution. Energy flows. Microorganisms. Build upon ecosystem knowledge from level 5. Carbon Cycle. Hydrogen economy. Waste. Habitat renewal project. The importance of good soil condition in agriculture/horticulture. Salinity. Debate issues: GMOs, uranium mining and export / nuclear power, generic drugs for all, grazing in national parks, whaling, euthanasia, CO2 trading, Kyoto protocol, water resources, ecotourism, drinking recycled sewerage. Scientific misrepresentation. Ecological footprints. Possible Critical Questions Why is it that up until recently, the leaders of some countries have dismissed climate model predictions as ‘alarmist’ or extreme? Global temperatures have fluctuated for thousands of years. If this is the case, why is it then that scientists are predicting that climate change will cause extremely high rates of extinction of organisms? Investigate changes in animal patterns/migratory routes in recent years- why is this occurring? What traits will organisms need to survive natural selection processes due to climate change? Using micro-organisms, how can electricity be produced from sewerage? What percentage of energy flowing into an ecosystem from the sun actually reaches top level carnivores? Should cattle be allowed to graze in the alpine national park? How are other introduced species increasing the spread/range of blackberries throughout Australia? Investigate carbon credits/trading- is this an effective way to deal with growing global CO2 emissions? What hurdles are there for proponents of the hydrogen economy? What are the main forms of waste generated in your (school) community? How can we reduce waste production? What common forms of waste can we recycle into other products? Use the properties of materials in the recycling stream to suggest ways that materials can be efficiently separated at a MRF. How/where should we dispose of toxic waste/materials? How is the management of gold/bauxite mines different to 50 years ago? How do householders responsibly use and manage potentially toxic products around the home e.g. paint, chemicals, herbicides, pesticides? Using maps, biodiversity surveys, scientific investigation and local landcare organisations, collect data on a degraded ecosystem close to school, and using the information collected, conclude what is needed and then plan and run a re vegetation project for the area. How does soil condition (physical and chemical characteristics) affect plant growth? In what ways can farmers reduce salinity? What are the pros/cons of a topical scientific debate of your choice? What position do you take? Why? Why did most newspapers in the late 1990s/early 2000s focus on the minority of scientists who believed climate change wasn’t real when the majority of scientific papers found otherwise? Why are so many people opposed to recycling of sewerage for drinking when our water is so scarce? Why is it some people think ecotourism is good for an area and their inhabitants yet other people think it is detrimental to local culture or environment? Calculate the schools and individual ecological footprints- how does it compare to the global average and global fair share? How can our global average ecofootprint be larger than the global fair share? Is this situation fair? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 106 LEVEL 6 Interdisciplinary Learning Communication Back to Table Learning Focus Students listen to speakers in a range of contexts including the school, community and workplaces. They develop their skills in interpreting meaning. They explore the relationship between language and power, for example, interpreting and analysing significant speeches. As their understanding of this concept develops, they apply their understanding when making meaning of a variety of media messages and when developing their own presentations. Students respond to a range of aural, written and visual texts, reflecting on how cultural and societal norms and ideology influence the production of the material, e.g. research papers and news items. Students experiment with communicating complex ideas in a variety of ways. Standards Students identify the ways in which complex messages are effectively conveyed and apply this knowledge to their communication. When listening, viewing and responding, they consider alternative views, recognise multiple possible interpretations and respond with insight. They demonstrate their understanding of the relationship between presentation form, content and mode and select suitable resources and technologies to effectively communicate. Suggested Themes Documentary creation. Produce a 4 corners style TV show to be debated by another class on issues that are reported in the popular media. Fortnightly guest speakers/community visits on issues that are reported in the popular media (for and against). Political campaigns. Possible Critical Questions Can I produce a documentary on a significant global natural feature which is somehow threatened e.g. Great Southern Ocean, Mt Kilimanjaro, Great Barrier Reef, Arctic icecap, fisheries in general, Amazon. Produce a 4 corners style TV show to be debated by another class on issues that are reported in the popular media e.g. GMOs, uranium mining and export / nuclear power, generic drugs for all, grazing in national parks, whaling, euthanasia, CO2 trading, Kyoto protocol, water resources, ecotourism, drinking recycled sewerage. Provide discussion questions to the selected audience. How did you feel after hearing guest speaker talk about something you felt the opposite about? Did they make you feel different about the issue? How? Why? Make a political speech about an issue currently being debated in politics. How does your stand compare to that of the current political parties? What word/phrases/gestures/emphasis did you use in your speech to make your speech more powerful? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 107 LEVEL 6 Design, Creativity & Technology Back to Table Learning Focus Students specialise in a specific area of design and technology. Specialisations could focus on specific materials areas, technological systems or particular design/technology areas. Students develop design briefs with open-ended guidelines. They become discerning and discriminating thinkers, able to address controversial, complex and ethical design and technology issues and dilemmas, such as trade-offs in the selection and use of materials. They explore and assess the past and potential future consequences of technology on society, culture and the environment. They learn to use time and resources economically and try to minimise waste. Standards Students identify considerations and constraints within a design brief. They undertake research relevant to the design brief. They locate and use relevant information to help their design thinking and identify the needs of a variety of client/user groups. When designing they make critical decisions on materials/ingredients, systems or components and techniques based on their understanding of the properties and characteristics of materials/ingredients and or of the relationship between inputs, process and outputs. Students take account of function and performance, energy requirements, aesthetics, costs, and ethical and legal considerations that address the requirements of design briefs. Using evaluation criteria they have previously identified, they relate their findings to the purpose for which the products and systems were designed and the appropriate and ethical use of resources. They synthesise data, analyse trends and draw conclusions about the social, cultural, legal and environmental impacts of their own and others' designs and products/systems. Suggested Themes Trash or treasure? Improved packaging. Consequences of technology. Sea level rise or salinity model design. Increasing energy efficiency. Sustainable building construction. School yard/community beautification. Possible Critical Questions Design a way to reduce, reuse and recycle waste from a chosen industry and try to find other industry which may be able to utilise the waste. How can we better package items to reduce resource wastage & be more sustainable? Redesign the packaging of a product that is ‘over packaged’ or one that uses un-recyclable materials. The government is trying to ban plastic bags by 2010- do you agree with this? What alternatives products are there for plastic bags used by shops? Design an alternative to plastic bags that people will actually use, is user friendly and has low environmental impact. How have technologies such as fossil fuel power stations, phones, cars, mechanised land clearance, antibiotics or computers changed the way we live or impacted on the environment? How can emerging technologies such as GMOs, nano technology or renewable energy sources change the future as we know it? Design a working sea level rise or salinity level model. Teach people about these problems using it. Redesign an item to be more energy efficient or to use renewable energy. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 108 LEVEL 6 Design, Creativity & Technology Continued Back to Table Utilising your passive solar designed house plan from last year, choose renewable energy sources (PV panels, solar hot water), low environmental impact resources, resource saving fittings and recycled materials for use in your house construction. Consulting stakeholders for a design brief, design a sculpture/water feature/outdoor area for your school or community according to their needs. © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 109 LEVEL 6 ICT Back to Table Learning Focus Students use complex ICT tools and techniques to visually represent, model, reframe and refine their thinking to assist in developing new understanding. Working in real and virtual terms, students collaboratively develop conventions for storing and presenting information to create information products and solve problems in real-world contexts in all areas of the curriculum. Students use ICT techniques to make their information products accessible to a wider audience, taking into account special needs. They build on skills developed in previous levels to share ideas with the teacher and others through a range of electronic media. Students expand their skills in locating information on websites by using general and specialised directories. Standards Students use a range of ICT tools and data types to visualise their thinking strategies when solving problems and developing new understanding. They use ICT to devise detailed plans that sequence tasks to be done, resources needed and timelines for completion. Individually, and as team members, students apply a range of techniques, equipment and procedures that minimise the cost, effort and time of processing ICT solutions and maximise the accuracy, clarity and completeness of the information. Students exchange ideas and considered opinions with others through online forums and websites. Suggested Themes Promotion of school/community projects through website. TV show project plan. Waste reduction campaign. On line data storage for electricity/waste/water audits. School Environment Tracking System (SETS). Softweb TREES. International student groups (enquire at CERES SSi). Possible Critical Questions Promote a school/community project you are involved with through a website. How can you best represent the people working on the project and the project aims/objectives? Working in a team use ICT to produce detailed project plan for TV show- what critical things do we need to include? Working as a team, develop a campaign to reduce the amount of waste produced by the school. Create a website and other promotional materials (brochures, PowerPoint presentations, badges, stickers) to support your waste reduction campaign. How can you best manage an online forum for students/parents of your school to discuss the best ways of reducing waste? What is the best way of collating energy/waste/water bill information on an excel spreadsheet, to enable data analysis to occur periodically? Using SETS, analyse your school electricity/water/gas usage over the past couple of years- why has it increased/ decreased/ stayed the same? What are the best ways, using TREES as a guide, to reduce electricity consumption around your school? Linking up with other students from schools around the world and utilising online information exchange options such as forums, blogs, email and internet based teleconferencing, create a website or presentation on an environmental issue which is affecting all schools involved. What is the best way to organise such a project? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 110 LEVEL 6 Thinking Back to Table Learning Focus Students become discriminating thinkers, capable of making informed decisions about controversial and complex issues. They are supported to put effort into sustained thinking in order to construct deep understanding of key concepts across the curriculum. Students begin to formulate and test hypotheses, contentions and conjectures and to collect evidence to support or reject them. Students develop questioning techniques appropriate to the complexity of ideas they investigate, and to probe into and elicit information from varying sources. Students explore differing perspectives and issues in depth and identify a range of creative possibilities. They are encouraged to examine and acknowledge a range of perspectives on an issue and accommodate diversity. Through inquiry projects, students select appropriate strategies and connect existing knowledge and new knowledge to process and organise information. They begin to analyse the relationships between ideas and synthesise these to form coherent knowledge. Students investigate a variety of discipline based methodologies and reflect on their usefulness in different contexts. They continue to evaluate their solutions using appropriate criteria and identify assumptions that may underpin a particular line of reasoning. Standards Students discriminate in the way they use a variety of sources. They generate questions that explore perspectives. Students process and synthesise complex information and complete activities focusing on problemsolving and decision making which involve a wide range and complexity of variables and solutions. They make informed decisions based on their analysis of various perspectives and, sometimes contradictory, information. They apply selectively a range of creative thinking strategies to broaden their knowledge and engage with contentious, ambiguous novel and complex ideas. When reviewing information and refining ideas and beliefs, students explain conscious changes that may occur in their own and others' thinking and analyse alternative perspectives and perceptions. Suggested Themes Different philosophies on environmental protection. Hot topics: GMOs, uranium mining and export / nuclear power, generic drugs for all, grazing in national parks, whaling, euthanasia, CO2 trading, Kyoto protocol, water resources, ecotourism, drinking recycled sewerage. Link with Design, Creativity & Technology subject projects- New Inventors. Possible Critical Questions How is the farmers’ philosophy of caring for the environment different to that of a surfer, environmentalist, scientist, blue collar worker, white collar worker, hunter etc? Investigate issue, analyse both sides of argument at hand, choose side, present perspective, debate. Prepare a presentation about the product/system you designed for a potential financial backer of your product. Why should they fund your project? Why is yours better than the others on the market? What potential issues/questions may people bring up about your newly designed product/system? How can you put their mind at ease about these questions? © CERES Sustainable Schools 2006 Page 111
