Sustainable development in every topic

Gothenburg April 12th, 2008

Björg Eiríksdóttir

Sustainable development

• How do we help the children to understand this concept?

• To deliver the earth to their children as good or better than they got it from their parents

• But still live a “good live” economically, socially

Storyline can be used

• in all kinds of topics

• to teach about sustainability

• We need to think of and learn about sustainability in every topic

• Is that possible?

The National park• What is a national

park?• Why do we have

a national park?• What can we do

at a national park?

The advertisement

Attention Attention

Help! I have to go to a hospital for a few weeks this summer and need good people to substitute for me. I am the head of the National Park Þórðarhöfði.

This is a very good opportunity for a family to have their summer holidays in an adventurous place.

Þórmundur, head of The National Park

• Please send your application to the Ministry of Conservation in Reykjavik

• What qualities does a family need to have to substitute?

• Good for the pupils to have to think of qualities to be a ranger in a National Park

The letters

Five families write a letter• One of them gets the job• Chosen because of their qualities• All get a letter from the National Park ranger• This process is good to teach them about the

society • Make the family that was chosen

What is the landscape like?

What wild animals do you think live in the park?

What do we need in the park?

• House• Car park• Camping ground• Toilets• Walking paths• Electricity-how can we make it?• Hot water- where can we get it?

Be aware of our behavior

• Discuss that we can have all these things without destroying the nature

• We can drill holes for hot water• Use the sun for electricity• Use the rivers for electricity, but in a very

careful way• Try to use as little of disposable products as

we can• Be sensible with our rubbish

To influence our community

• Founding of organizations in order to preserve nature

• What is it that we want to emphasize

Guidelines and rules

• In order to teach people to appreciate and stay in a National Park it is good to have guidelines/rules

• They have to be positive

I want the children to feel and understand

• That unspoiled nature is valuable• The lifecycle of the animals• That the big animals eat the smaller animals• That being in the nature, observing and

looking can be fun• That we can make electricity without polluting

or emptying the natural resources• That we can fish and hunt without disturbing

the balance of the nature

Education of Little Tree by Forest Carter

• If we could learn to think as his grandfather.

• They went to hunt birds. They saw many but only hunted two because they did not need more.

• The old Indian wished to be buried under the old oak so it could use the nourishment.

The Giants/Trolls

• Giants in Iceland live in the mountains

• We think that they are not very bright

• Can be dangerous to people

• Can be good to people if we help them

• Die if they see the sun

Where do they live?

Some live near humans

What happens next?

• One morning a human being is suddenly there– Why is he here?– What should we do with him?

• A big giants meeting

• A democratic election on what to do with the human being– We do not know the decision

The feast and the end

• The Giants decide to have a feast because they are all there– What do Giants like to do in a feast?

• Prepare for the feast

• They have great fun the whole night

• What happens on the way home?

Can we use this topic to teach about sustainability? Yes!

• The giants live in the mountains– eat the fish from rivers, see and lakes– eat berries and other vegetation– also sometimes sheep's from the farmers

• They have the right to be able to continue to do so in the nature

• We also have the right to live in Iceland• Should find a way so everyone could have a

good live

The planets

• Learn about the Universe• Specials characteristics of the planets

– How big, hot, cold, made of and so on

• What conditions are needed for live, as we know it, to exist

• How do we know about the planets and other features in the universe

The planets

Knowledge about our solar system

What kind of living creatures could live on your planet?

Does our behavior effect the universe?

• Do we have the right to pollute and change the atmosphere?

• What happens to all the satellites?• How much equipment have man on earth

already sent to the moon?• Is the universe a space we can think of as

something we can throw everything into, like we thought of the see in the old days?

Discussions

• How can we use these topics to teach about sustainable development?

• What other topics do you remember that can be used for the same purpose?

Teaching about sustainability through many topics

• The farm• The Nordic countries• The nature in Iceland or an other country• The settlers of Iceland or any other country• The whales• The dinosaurs• The New neighbors/green family• A topic about Europe• A fish factory• A swimming pool

We have to be aware of sustainable development

• In everything we teach

• In all age groups

• It means that we have to develop this awareness our selves

• We have to practice what we preach!!

• It is more powerful what we do than what we say

Has to be in everything

• I am afraid if we think of sustainability as a subject or something we discuss in special lessons or subjects we do not succeed

• Our role is to try to teach our pupils to think like this and understand that they can change little things

• Many little things make big things

• Our earth should be a good place for everyone

Storyline

• Is not the only method we can use to encourage sustainable development

• But it is a good way• We ask questions• We have the children imagine, think and

recall• They reason, argue and look for information's• We integrate many subjects

Storyline has been used in Kársnesskóli for 14 years

• In all classes from 1-7.grade

• 2-3 topics in a year

• In natural sciences, geography, history, social sciences and religion

• Integrated with mother tongue, foreign languages, math, music, art and other subjects as it fits into the curriculum

Our school

Elf's in our surrounding

Natural science, The dinosaurs

The settlers of Iceland

Environmental studies

Religion studies

History

Europe

Planning a new playground

Key questions (open questions)

• Always start by asking key questions • Pupils have to start thinking, recalling

and imagining• Makes them more active learners• The answers give the teachers

ideas/knowledge on where to continue• Assessment on the knowledge of the

pupils

My favourite features/principles

• It emphasises the importance of encouraging the children to develop their own conceptual model first

• When I understood how it works, I felt it was brilliant!

• Tried it a million times and it works

Important

• This principle makes storyline unique

• The pupils have to imagine, recall and develop an idea in their mind of how something is or might be

• Before they compare their ideas with the real thing

Helps teachers to be effective

• This knowledge helps teachers to work professionally

• The teacher knows about his pupils knowledge

• Therefore how his pupils should use their time in order to achieve the aims of the topic work.

Storyline to encourage reading and writing

The children are interested

• When is the topic work?

• This enthusiasm makes the teacher interested

• When we are interested we are better teachers

Stimulating environment

• They look at the wall very often

• Notice changes

• Check on what they did yesterday

• Like to show it to visitors

• Are proud of their work

• Teaches them respect for their work and work of others

Evaluation-assessment

• Assess them while they are working

• Assess the outcome

• Test facts and have them state the reasons for their ideas

How can we use Storyline every year and still hold the interest?

• New ideas of work

• Think of the interest of the age group

• Have the tasks variable

• Have the tasks according to the pupils ability

• Always something new if possible